Inversa Leather expands invasive species leather, adds Dragonfin

Exotic leather manufacturer Inversa has announced that it is adding to its capabilities with a new invasive species, Dragonfin.

The firm entered the market in December with an alternative leather made from the invasive Lionfish, a species running rampant in various global oceans and causing increasing damage to coral reefs.

Its second venture, Dragonfin, a relative of the Carp, is similarly considered an invasive and has caused damage to native species since it was intentionally imported from Southeast Asia to aquatic vegetation ponds in the US.

While initially used to manage the ponds, flooding in the 1990s allowed the fish to move to the Mississippi River where it outcompetes other species and is degrading the water quality by killing off sensitive organisms.

According to a statement from Inversa, the company’s new Dragonfin hide will contribute to protecting up to 150 native fish and endangered freshwater species, as well as a 500 billion dollar economy dependent on the Mississippi River.

The leather manufacturer, which was founded in 2020, has secured partnerships with the likes of Teton Leather Co. and Italian footwear label P448, for which its collaboration has just launched.