Instead of tossing his vegetable peels in the garbage, Jordanian chef Omar Sartawi has transformed aubergine peels into richly textured 'leather', which he's using to create sustainable face masks.
In order to achieve the texture and durability he wanted, Sartawi said he used a combination of ancient and modern cooking techniques.
He drew inspiration from the 13th century Inca cuisine, that relied on salting and dehydration. He also incorporated the modern French style of sous-vide, or cooking underwater, which produced material that looked and felt like leather.
A single peel can take up to 2 weeks of work to complete, depending on its size.
At first, the chef's plan was to use the 'leather' to create a runway look for Jordan Fashion week. But with the outbreak of the coronavirus, all public events across the kingdom were halted. So, he came up with another idea.
"We are living with the coronavirus, we're being creative, we're working. I thought, why not take the face mask - which does not really have a positive connotation - and add beauty to it, give it a positive spin," he said.
He joined forces with two Jordanian designers who help transform his creation into a face mask.
Salam Dajani, a Jordanian designer who founded a Milan-based clothing line, sewed the mask together, adding different stitches to give it its final look.
Meanwhile, jewelry designer, Princess Nejla Asem, added brass rings and chains to pull the mask together.
While it is still not clear if the aubergine leather is suitable for long term-use, Sartawi said his main goal is to challenge people to think out of the box, and find creative ways to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Around the world, huge numbers of face masks are not disposed of properly, and have instead ended up dumped in the countryside or the sea, where marine life can mistake them for food, washing up on beaches along with the usual plastic bags and other trash.