All Fashion Fashion

Leather Is Leather and Is Not Vegan!

There is a desired transformation in the fashion industry. Demand from consumers, the need to reduce the carbon footprint and reduce waste have sped up this transition. The cruelty associated with using exotic animal skin, revealed a dark side of this industry which further fuelled the need for change. Innovation has brought alternatives to animal skin, and the market has approved the concept, especially for those who want the change in fashion to happen and quickly.

But then why would a new, more socially and environmentally conscious, vegan industry with a tendency to grow and expand in many directions want to be confused with the “leather” industry?

Did the bio, eco, vegan brands, etc., wish for a misconception? When you designate vegan “animal skin” or “leather” on your products, are you intentionally confusing your customers? I do not believe it. Nor would there be any advantage in that. Anyone looking for an alternative to leather knows what they want, and the keyword is not leather but vegan. Maybe it is necessary to go to the starting point, and that is why it is essential to call things by their name and leather is leather, and leather is not and cannot be vegan.

Portugal joins other EU countries and publishes the law that bans expressions with the word leather to refer to brands products, which have similar characteristics to leather but are synthetic or of non-animal origin.

Other countries had already taken the same decision. We can see that this is a way of protecting industries that economically depend on this raw material, which is expressly the case with Portugal and Italy. And as we know, it is precisely the footwear industry from Portugal and Italy that is more powerful as it is a strong exporter and therefore is why luxury brands resort to guarantee premium quality.

It will be interesting to see how these companies will evolve in the future, once the uprising interest in alternative materials, the quality improvement, and a significantly lower impact on the planet are the customer’s new needs.

The publication of laws like these, above all, protect the consumer, who becomes much more enlightened. And those who prefer the selection of products of non-animal origin make a more conscious purchase. And the brands that have been using the word leather associated with something that doesn’t come from animal skin can now also strengthen products that are supposedly alternatives.

Of course, the challenge already existed, I mean, to offer consumers an eco-friendlier product that allows good design and quality making it appealing. Now it’s time to ally consumers’ trust in these brands and these products and make them a true value proposition for the market but most of all for those who buy it.

Finally, noticing that the market must be transparent and regulated. The rest remains in the hands of the creative directors and marketing departments, and the informed consumer wins. Winning the customer, that’s another matter!

PS – Decree-Law nº. 3/2022 came into force on January 1, 2022, however, brands have until the end of the year (December 31, 2022) to sell all the items using vegan leather or synthetic leather expressions.

Now, for those who want alternatives, I thought it would be opportune to bring them here, demonstrating that they exist and are excellent choices!

From the non-animal origin, which for those preferring Sustainable Fashion are an excellent choice, I leave suggestions of products available on the market. The other possibility, and to minimize the carbon footprint, is to buy what is already on the market (second-hand). Both proposals, we are comfortable with, so here are some that I hope will get more and more fans.

Starting With Some Vegan Options:

The Recycled Material Options

More Vegan Options

Next two of my favourites…

And Now One of My Favourite Designers

To go with…

Impossible to Skip This Brand:

For me, gorgeous vegan options, continuing with MASHU!

Or…

The Second-Hand Options

First from SELLIER… quick before it sells out!

And finally, from HEWI (HARDLY EVER WORN IT)

Hope it was helpful to you, expecting for your return soon,

Wish you a safe and happy time!

Yours,

 Vera

Reminder: #BuyOnlyIfNecessary


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