From Apple Pulp to Luxury: A Conversation with Fleurgrain

Fleurgrain is the luxury accessories house founded by Cecylia and Lionel Ferrandon, partners in life and in vision. Shaped by the heritage of French craftsmanship with the innovation-driven spirit of Silicon Valley, Fleurgrain was born around one conviction: that luxury can be both beautiful and responsible. For their Pomme Shoulder Bag, they chose Leap as their main material, a vegan certified, next-gen material based on upcycled apple pulp. In Fleurgrain, we found a partner who believes that material innovation is the future of luxury, not as a compromise but as new ways to design, opening new possibilities.

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1. Fleurgrain sits at the intersection of luxury, materials science, and technology. That’s a rare combination. Where did the conviction come from that these three worlds could coexist?

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A lot of it comes from our background at Apple, where material innovation, technology, and desirability coexist in products people want to keep and use every day. It showed us that performance and beauty are not separate. Through that experience, Cecylia came across many advanced materials, including Leap®, and saw that the real question was not whether these materials could replace conventional ones directly, but how to design with them intelligently. You have to understand their strengths, adapt the construction, and let the material perform where it performs best. For us, luxury is about lasting design, durability, and emotional value. That is exactly where materials science matters. It is not separate from luxury. It is one of the ways luxury can be expressed.

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2. Your founders come from Apple, Ginkgo Bioworks, and Meta. How did a background in tech shape the way you think about materials and craftsmanship?

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Our background taught us to think about performance, durability, and systems. In technology, a product is never just about how it looks. It has to work, scale, last, and deliver a strong user experience over time. We bring that same mindset to Fleurgrain. We believe technology can be an ally to craftsmanship, not a replacement for it. It allows us to give artisans better materials, better information, and better tools, while keeping the human skill at the center. Materials are an inherent part of design. They bring the designer’s vision to life, but they also define how the product will perform. Provenance matters, of course, but performance matters just as much. A product that lasts longer is often the most responsible product you can make, because a major environmental cost comes from producing, shipping, replacing, and discarding things too quickly. Craftsmanship brings the experience, the hand, and the judgment. Technology and material innovation bring new possibilities. The strongest products come when these two worlds work together.

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3. You describe Fleurgrain as “luxury that carries meaning.” What does that actually mean in practice, for the materials you choose and the way each bag is made?

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When someone buys luxury, there has to be a reason that makes the price feel justified to them. It can be status, timelessness, design, craft, rarity, or emotion. For us, luxury should also carry meaning. That meaning starts with the material. It changes how you feel about the object when you know it is not made from animal skin, but from a next-generation material that gives value to apple waste. It changes how you feel when you know the bag was made in a family-owned atelier, by people who know each other, work and share lunch together every day, and take pride in what they do. We also care deeply about the human side of production. Our atelier partner gives opportunities to deaf artisans and shows that manual work can be a place of skill, dignity, and growth. That matters to us.

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4. When you were evaluating materials for the Pomme Shoulder Bag, what were your non-negotiables, and how did Leap meet them?

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Durability was the first non-negotiable. We were not looking for a material that was interesting only because of its story. It had to perform. Leap® stood out because it combines a high bio-based content with strong durability. It is, to our knowledge, one of the most advanced leather alternatives currently available, with up to 91% bio-based content and abrasion resistance designed to last over 20 years. We were also looking for a partner with the same mindset as us: someone willing to push boundaries without compromising performance. Beyond Leather is constantly working toward higher bio-based content while maintaining quality, and that matters. We are on a similar path. The collaboration itself has also been important. We are learning together. We share what works, where the material performs best, and what techniques should be avoided. The Leap® team has been very open to feedback, and that makes a real difference when you are building something new.

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5. Leap is made from upcycled apple pomace, which feels almost poetic given your brand name and the Pomme Bag. Was that connection intentional, or a happy coincidence?

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It was intentional, but not superficial. We did not choose the material only because it came from apples. It had to meet our quality, durability, and design requirements first. But once Leap® met those requirements, the connection became very meaningful. We value transparency, and we wanted customers to immediately understand the material they are wearing. A Pomme bag made with apple-based material creates a story that feels simple, direct, and true. Fleurgrain itself comes from “fleur,” as in the French term “fleur de cuir,” referring to the grain surface of leather. It reflects our love for texture, touch, and palpable luxury. At the same time, “fleur” and “grain” also evoke nature: flower, seed, growth. That dual meaning fits the brand perfectly.

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6. What does working with a fruit-based material actually feel like in the atelier? How do your artisans experience the difference compared to conventional materials?

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It was a beautiful experience, but not a painless one. Working with a new material requires humility from everyone involved. Our designer-artisan, Carolina, started from what she knew from conventional leather work. Then, little by little, she learned how Leap® behaves differently, where it needs a different approach, and where it is actually stronger. We went back to the drawing board together several times to get the best out of the material. That process is exactly what innovation looks like in real life. It is not just a perfect material arriving and everything working immediately. It is learning, adjusting, testing, and improving. Seeing Carolina’s pride in the finished Pomme bag made all that work worth it. We are very thankful for her resilience and willingness to learn. Not everyone is open to that process, and it is one of the reasons we value our partnership with Veshin.

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7. Every Fleurgrain piece comes with a blockchain-based digital passport. How does material traceability, knowing where Leap comes from, fit into that story of transparency?

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Our motto is simple: we have nothing to hide. That does not mean everything is perfect. It means we are transparent about where we are, what we are using, and what we are trying to improve. Leap® is a good example of that. It is not 100% bio-based yet, but it is transparent about its origins and it keeps pushing toward more sustainable performance. We want to take the same approach with Fleurgrain. Our customers should have the power to know what they own. The digital passport gives each bag a documented identity: its materials, its authenticity, and its story. That is important because transparency should not be a marketing claim. It should be built into the product.

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8. You produce in limited quantities by design. How does choosing a material like Leap align with your philosophy of making only what is needed?

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Limited production is central to how we think about responsible luxury. Overproduction is one of the biggest issues in fashion, and we do not want to contribute to it. Beyond Leather understands that very well. They are flexible and thoughtful about production planning. We can discuss needs ahead of time, plan runs carefully, and sometimes bundle with other companies to reach the right quantity in a more efficient way. Leap® also comes in rolls with a set width, which helps us optimize usage. We work to use every square centimeter, and we are even using leftovers for our upcoming jewelry pieces. That is important to us: not just choosing a better material, but designing a system that creates as little waste as possible.

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9. The luxury consumer is changing. What are your customers actually asking about when they hold a Fleurgrain bag, and are they asking about the material?

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Yes, very much. But the first reaction is always physical. When people hold the bag, they are surprised by the feel. It has substance and presence, like leather. It feels soft and soothing, like leather. But it is not leather. That contrast makes people curious. They usually ask several times what it is made of and how it is made. They are genuinely interested in the material, not in an abstract sustainability message. They want to touch it, smell it, understand it. The smell has actually become part of the conversation. People notice it immediately, and the jury is still out: some say cinnamon, others say licorice.

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10. What’s next for Fleurgrain, and how do you see next-generation materials like Leap playing a role in where the brand goes from here?

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Materials are the foundation of Fleurgrain, and they will continue to fuel our designs. We are looking for materials that have both the right story and the right performance. We do not want to force one design language onto every material. We want to create pieces that are designed specifically around what each material does best. We will continue expanding the Leap® collection, and we are also working on jewelry with removable material pieces. That allows us to use leftovers from bag production while creating more awareness around the material itself. For us, next-generation materials are not a side note. They are where the design starts.

Curious how Leap performs in luxury accessories? Discover Leap for bags and accessories or request samples and feel it for yourself.