Embracing a new cultural phenomenon

London, 2019: Bompas & Parr and Hilton London Bankside created the world's first Vegan suite using an all plant-based, entirely selection of natural materials, fibres and surfaces.

Eschewing all animal products, the suite showed how veganism had evolved beyond a dining trend to influence wider lifestyle choices.

Central to the design of the suite was an innovative material called Piñatex - a vegan-friendly fruit leather made from the cellulose fibres of the pineapple. This was features in upholstered Piñatex footstools, scatter cushions and a headboard embroidered by local artist Emily Potter. Even the suite's keycards were made from the material.

In this way, the suite referenced London’s botanical heritage: the pineapple was first imported into London via nearby Borough Market. The fruit is also an unlikely symbol of the capital's architectural history, represented on Lambeth Bridge and the decorative fillials of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Instead of feathers, pillows were stuffed with a choice of organic buckwheat or millet hulls, kapok or bamboo fibres. Underfoot were cotton carpets rather than wool. Stationery was all vegan-friendly, with no animal traces in the paper or ink, while toiletries, snacks and drinks and cleaning products used by the hotel's housekeeping staff were all entirely free of animal products.