Natalie Chow

The CEO of Hong Kong sustainable sneaker brand Kibo on how she turns apple waste into footwear

By Yoyo Chow

GEN.T Natalie Chow spent months experimenting with vegan materials, like pineapple and cactus leather, to make white sneakers. After rounds of research, design and sampling, she created a collection named Apple Kicks. Each pair is crafted with apple leather—a US government-certified material produced by recycling apple waste from the juicing industry. It wasn’t the entrepreneur’s first rodeo. The Apple Kicks collection is part of the sustainable shoe brand Kibo, which Chow co-founded in 2019 with the goal of normalising sustainable fashion. “I don’t want sustainable fashion only to serve the privileged; it shouldn’t. But unfortunately, materials are expensive. If more brands [are in this field], we can drive the cost down, meaning people can then afford the products,” she says. Initially, Chow’s label offered only sneakers made with recycled leather,…

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Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, September 2024

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