5 Reasons Why Vegan Leather Is The New Normal

As human history goes on, more people become conscious about our planet’s well being. Sorting plastic, going vegan, using recyclable materials – it has become a new reality for us in last couple of years. One of the most popular trends is switching from leather to a vegan alternative. Let’s dive into the reasoning behind it 

Leather production is killing the planet

There is a great number of materials used in fashion. The animal fiber is on top of the list of the most dangerous for the environment with cow leather being the ultimate leader. The production of faux leather is using just the third of the racecourses that the one of cow leather does 

The quality

The main argument in favor of leather is that it's higher quality than faux leather (which is usually considered to be a cheaper alternative). However, the research has shown that it all comes down to the materials. As with the real leather, maintenance is very important for faux leather as well. And here are just some of the advantages that high quality vegan leather obtains: it does not stretch, it does not develop the luster and patina over time as your regular leather does. 

A leather production can be a bit shady

As global leather production has a pretty complex supply chains, so it’s not easy to trace the background of the piece. There were cases when dog, cat, or even elephant leather was sold as cow. Let's also mention the workers of tanneries. During the process they end up inhaling a high amount of dangerous chemicals - formaldehyde, cyanide-based oils, chromium & tar. Which are known to cause cancer and other serious diseases. It is a pretty high price to pay for a regular leather handbag or a fashion body harness, don’t you think? 

The celebrities

When it comes to fashion choices we all tend to look up to somebody and a lot of the times it’s celebrities on the red carpet. And it’s no secret that a lot of them are supporters of cruelty free fashion. For example there is David Beckham. After learning a little more regarding regulations and process of making leather shoes he switched completely to faux leather for his collections. Adidas supported him, and stopped using kangaroo skin for their products. Miley Cyrus also agrees. During Met Gala 2018 she she was wearing Stella McCartney, one of the first brands which was working with sustainable materials only. Miley helps promoting the idea by stating in Vogue interview that beautiful fashion doesn’t have to mean torture to animals. Our little Hannah Montana has grown up so much *wiping tears* 

The possibilities
Each year designers never cease to amaze and try to outrun(way) each other by creating something more and more controversial. This is where faux leather comes in as any designers best friend since it has more colors and patterns to choose from. Plus for all garment workers its heavens sent – faux leather is so much easier to work with. 

It’s also important to add that a lot of brands that work with faux leather after use materials that are not any better than regular leather. So it’s important to do your research. At Dark Mariposa we pay close attention to make sure that our eco leather that we’re using for our body harnesses is not harmful to the environment. Join us and support the faux leathers take over of the market!