VEGAN LEANDER is made from fabrics that look and feel like leather but are not made using animals. No animal by-products or products, animal slaughterhouses, or animal labor are involved.
The leather used in vegan products can be made of a wide range of natural fibers as well as synthetic materials, including PVC (polyvinylchloride), PU(polyurethane), which can be found on everything from shoes and jackets to handbags, wallets, and other accessories.
Natural and synthetic vegan leathers are both great alternatives to leather products. Natural leathers have additional eco-friendly advantages using food waste, renewable materials, and even recycling unlikely fibers.
What is vegan leather made from?
The desire by consumers to choose more eco-friendly and ethical fashion has led to rapid technological and economic growth in the vegan leather industry. Synthetic leather is the most popular type of faux leather available today. It can be made out of PVC or Polyurethane (PU).
As the demand for vegan leather has increased, researchers and startups are now offering more natural vegan leathers, which are better for the environment and animals.
NATURAL VEGAN LEVAN LEATHER
PAPER
Paper leather may sound cheap, but the name should not be taken lightly. The term “washable paper” describes this type of vegan leather. Paper leather was once used to label jeans’ outside labels but is now used for everything from handbags to home decor. Paper leather can look distressed or smooth but is still strong.
CORKLEATHER
Cork is an eco-friendly, sustainable alternative to leather. This sustainable material is made from cork bark, which regenerates over time. It can be used to create stylish vegan bags, wallets, and shoes.
PINATEX
The fibers used to make this faux leather are the leaves of pineapple. That’s right. Pineapples. Pinatex is a product developed by Dr. Carmen Hijosa after learning about genuine leather’s environmental impact on our planet. Pinatex is being used in more and more handbags. You can shop for them right here.
WASHED COTTON
The cotton fibers can be “waxed” by infusing them with beeswax or paraffin wax (though we prefer paraffin and leave our bee friends alone). Waxed cotton was a popular choice in fashion from the 1920s to the 1950s. It has now made a comeback as a vegan option because of its similar appearance to leather without any cruelty to animals.
RECYCLED RUBBER
Rubber hoses, inner tubes, and care tires can all be recycled to make rubber. Rubber is similar in density to leather and can be used for vegan accessories, handbags, and bags.
LEATHER MUSHROOM
Muskin, the vegetable cousin of Pinatex. The leather is made by extracting mushroom caps and processing them to make vegetable-tanned leather. Muskin is constructed similarly to animal leather but without toxic chemicals. Muskin can be grown into a “leather sheet” the same size as a hide in only two months.
LIGNEAH
Ligneah, a new vegan leather material produced in Italy by the Ligneah company, is promising. Ligneah uses wood to create flexible designs combined with cotton in home and fashion design. Ligneah uses only wood from ethically-managed forests and has partnered with Tree-Nation to plant a tree for each product sold in Niger, Africa.
Ethical Gallery was the only Australian store that sold Ligneah at the time of this article’s writing.
NON-NATURAL VEGAN LEATHER
Despite the recent rise in the availability of vegan leathers made from natural leather, synthetic leather is still used to make the majority of vegan leather handbags.
PVC
The first synthetic leather was PVC (also known as vinyl), which is made of polyvinyl chloride.
The PVC leather is created by mixing polyvinylchloride with plasticizers, stabilizers, and lubricants and applying it to a base fabric. Base materials include polyester, cotton nylon, or rayon.
PVC leather, an old-school synthetic leather, is a relatively cheap fabric. PVC leather is an old-school synthetic leather that’s comparatively cheap.