Leather, for many, is seen as a superior fabric, famous for being hardwearing, long-lasting and ready to tackle almost any weather. We’re sure we aren’t the only ones whose parents insisted on buying leather school shoes instead of the trendy slip-on pairs our friends would wear. But with the rise of meat-free diets and a more sustainable approach to fashion, are we swaying away from the much-loved fabric?

Challenging “the traditional image of what luxury is”, Ganni is a brand at the forefront of making ‘real’ leather a material of the past. “At Ganni, we have been mapping our carbon footprint since 2016,” says Lauren Bartley, chief sustainability officer at Ganni. “Through the detailed mapping process, we learned that virgin leather is one of the biggest carbon culprits in our product offering. So, we made the decision in 2022 to phase out virgin leather and have worked hard since then to make that a reality.”

“We are happy to report that, as of 2024, we will not be launching any new virgin leather products in our collections,” Bartley added. And, it seems, this faux leather is big business, as searches for ‘vegan leather’ increased by 69% year-on-year, averaging 33,100 online monthly searches in 2020, according to fashion technology company Lyst, a number we can only imagine has increased by 2024. 

Seconding the message of leather’s large environmental impact, Mira Nameth, CEO of Biophilica, a fabric manufacturer making vegan leather, also spoke on the animal fabric’s downfall and the urgency needed to change that. “The fashion industry is believed to be the second biggest polluter of greenhouse gas emissions, so the entire industry needs to make changes. Raw material production, including things like conventional leather, is one of the main contributors to these emissions,” Nameth shared. “The world needs a leather alternative that is plastic-free and can be disposed of responsibly without compromising on quality or performance. In an industry where circular practices and mass textile recycling capabilities are still so far away, compostable material solutions with a minimal carbon footprint are a more immediate, scalable answer for the fashion industry and for the garment lifecycle.”

But what is a planet-friendly leather alternative that’s just as durable, easy to work with and looks just as lovely? Well, it appears there are a fair few options, although not all are equal. “Vegan leather has historically had some bad press, partly because there are so many options out there and a lot of these options are no more sustainable than conventional leather. Always look at the labels to see what the vegan leather is made of, if it’s 100% PU (polyurethane), or even worse, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), then try to avoid it. This means it’s toxic plastic and is incredibly damaging,” explained Ioanna Topouzoglou, founder and creative director of vegan bag brand Mashu.

“The ideal scenario is being able to scale leather alternatives that don’t have any PU component, and fortunately, we are seeing great potential in partners like Celium by Polybion, the Mexican-based start-up that has created a bacteria-grown leather alternative with no PU component,” Bartlet added, speaking on the Ganni’s new bacteria-grown leather that made many a headline.

While Biophilica’s vegan leather, named Treekind, uses a slightly different material, creating a fabric made from leaves and fully free of plastic. “Treekind is made by mixing lignocellulose from green waste sources to create a flexible, leather-like material that is both recyclable and home compostable, thanks to its formulation of lignocellulose from leaves and a natural binder, which is designed to break down in soil or water within one year, with the help of microbes,” explained Nameth, showing the incredibly in-depth science that goes behind such innovative materials.

Although, with such amazing science, strong sustainability stats and often fabrics that are almost indistinguishable from the real deal, vegan leather has taken a little while to catch on. “Some people thought that our bags were overpriced for being “not even real leather”, without understanding that responsibly made materials and ethical supply chains simply cost more,” explained Topouzoglou. Which is why Ganni is stepping away from the leather label altogether. Bartley explains, “We don’t really like to call it vegan leather, or even leather alternatives, because when you constantly compare it to a product that has been in the market for thousands of years, you will never win. I think we need to look at these materials as next-gen alternatives; they can have similarities with leather as well as share properties, but we need to see them as material innovations.” 

So, would you swap your authentic leather for a plant or perhaps a bacteria alternative? We’re certainly swayed.

Images: Mashu; Ganni