Introduction
Being vegan has become more popular in recent years, and this extends past food. A lot more people are eating more plant-based diets, and with this, they are thinking about what goes into their clothing. Some people might be eating vegan food to be healthy and do not particularly care about leather or fur. While others may actively avoid buying anything that is real leather or real fur.
Recently, there has been a lot of protest over the humanity of using animals for just fur and killing the animal in the process. This has created a new wave of interest in companies that only use vegan materials, or in products that are vegan or faux. Because of this, brands have begun to make changes to create more sustainable materials and sourcing. Every company does not need to completely get rid of their leather and fur items, instead, they could create vegan leather products, or use sustainably sourced leather or fur.
As this trend continues, you should consider completely switching over to vegan products, or creating a vegan option.
Here is what we will discuss in this article:
- Vegan leather
- Faux fur
- Sustainably sourced
- Brands that are making the switch
1. Vegan leather
One of the main parts of this trend is leather, and the alternatives of it. Many people were questioning the sustainability of the leather and if someone is vegan they may not want to wear something that comes from an animal.
Not everyone wants to wear vegan leather, so there are always going to be real leather options, especially if a brand is focused on horseback riding gear or something like that.
There are a lot more quality vegan leather options now, so many brands would be able to create fake leather pants or jackets and it would still be very high quality, and possibly even more comfortable. Leather is notorious for being stiff, so an alernative would most likely be more comfortable and possibly less expensive.
Leather is also used in a lot of handbags, but more and more companies are popping up that focus only on vegan handbags. For example, Stella McCartney only sells fake leather bags, and Angela Roi has created vegan leather bags that are made from ethical materials.
2. Faux fur
Similarly to the leather, fur has also been controversial, especially since many companies get their fur from unsustainable sources. Some of these sources claimed that the removal of fur did not harm the animal, and that may be true for some of them, but for others, it was discovered that they would trap and kill the animals to get the fur.
Once again, there are a lot of faux fur alternatives that are still high quality. Fur coats, or fur-lined coats are usually more expensive, so using a fake option is going to be more affordable, and still acceptable for vegans.
Some climates do require real animal fur because of the warmth factors, but a lot of people are wearing coats with fur-lined hoods, which could easily be switched with faux fur.
2. Sustainably sourced
As previously mentioned, there is still a market for real leather and fur, and there are instances where they are both necessary. When that is the case, then brands should use a more sustainable source.
If they are using real leather, then make sure the leather was going to be thrown out or use recyclable leather from old clothes. For fur, companies can find a way to source the fur from an ethical company, or use fur from an animal that regrows fur easily.
With either option, sustainability is important and should be implemented in every aspect of the fashion industry, and that includes leather and fur.
3. Brands that are making the switch
As more people become interested in vegan alternatives to leather and fur, more companies are making the switch over or are creating more options. Most leather or fur products that are less expensive are more likely to be vegan, since the real materials are usually more expensive.
Once again, Stella McCartney only uses vegan leather or fur in any of their items, and they have been since the very beginning, before this trend began.
Lulus is another brand that prides themselves on having a lot of vegan leather options that are less expensive, but still high quality.
One of the most notable brands that has made the switch would be Canada Goose. They have not completely gotten rid of their fur, instead, they have opted to use recycled fur in their new jackets. This is a step towards a more sustainable practice, and many are hoping they will completely phase out real fur in the future. This was definitely a big step for Canada Goose since they received a lot of criticism due to the sourcing of their coyote fur. They said they used sustainable fur trappers, but organizations like People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) claim that the sourcing is not actually sustainable and does more harm to the environment.
Conclusion
Every year, more people are adopting a vegan diet, or choosing to eat more vegan meals even if they are not plant based. With this diet trend, more people are also becoming more interested in the sustainability of their clothes and the ethics of the supply chain.
A lot of people want to wear vegan clothing, whether it is fake leather, or faux fur. This trend has already had a large impact on the fashion industry. Companies are starting to take more steps towards eliminating animal products from their clothing lines, and more brands are being created that only offer vegan products. This is very appealing for a lot of people, even if they are not vegan or vegetarian.
The leather and fur industries are not going to disappear, and they are needed for certain things. However, an effort can be made to be more sustainable and create more options that do not use any animal products. Just as Canada Goose is eliminating fur traders, other brands could do the same and use repurposed fur or leather.
