This year, everybody’s discussing plant-based leather, the animal-friendly alternative to lush leather fashion clothing. In fact, according to a global marketing forecast, this sustainable fabric market is expected to double in the next 3 years. They’re talking about a surge from £85,000 to £1.7 million, as this type of fabric has become the popular choice of notable fashion brands like Adidas, Stella McCartney and BAM. And that’s perfectly understandable if one considers that real leather has the highest environmental impact of all materials used by the fashion industry, according to PETA.

Unlike real leather, which has the highest environmental impact among all materials used in the fashion industry, most vegan leather materials have a comparatively good sustainability index.

This should come as no surprise. The global fashion market is constantly reminded that there are environmentally friendly alternatives to products that harm the environment, like leather, wool, silk and various synthetic materials produced using harmful chemicals in the fabrics (we’re talking about nylon and polyester). Then there are fabric dyes (such as chlorine bleach and formaldehyde, heavy metals, benzidine and other substances) that colour fashion fabrics.

Why the Trend Towards Plant-Based Leather?

We’ve written about the move towards more sustainable and responsible business practices to halt the stream of fast fashion that has taken the world by storm. (See our informative blog on Sustainable Fabric Dyeing and Textile Innovations and our take on Fast Fashion Clothing.)

Choosing plant-based leather is just another of these more sustainable practices that we advocate, to address eco-friendly alternatives that do not harm the environment or end up in landfills.

This escalating trend addresses the following:

1.     Stopping Animal Cruelty:

As its name implies, no animals are harmed in producing plant-based leather. This tells us that the production method is ethical and humane.

2.     More Eco-Friendly Fabric:

Aside from animal welfare, leather production also involves various environmental issues like water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. Plant-based leather is the opposite: it’s manufactured from various sustainable, renewable materials, making it a green alternative.

3.     Hard-Wearing Alternatives:

Sure, traditional leather is durable, but so is plant-based leather fabric. It’s also easy to keep clean and long-lasting. It can also be treated so that it is water-resistant.

4.     Inexpensive:

Leather items are more expensive than plant-based fashion leather garments, as producers can use various plants to create this alternative fabric. Plant-based leather looks and feels very similar to traditional leather fabric, and can be sustainably dyed into numerous colours.

5.     More Sustainable:

It goes without saying: Fabric manufactured from plants is more environmentally friendly than harming or killing animals for their pelts. Plant-based leather alternatives are usually similar to leather in appearance and texture, and are just as hard-wearing, making them a viable, extremely ethical choice.

The Global Rise of Plant-Based Leather

The term ‘vegan leather’ has been replaced worldwide with adjectives like ‘plant-based’ after Portugal banned it in 2022. This was to stop misleading customers and also to stop people purchasing these products, mushrooms, apple peels ( ‘pellemela’, produced by French shoe brand CAVAL) and even wine waste (fashion giant H&M partnered with wine leather producers Vega in 2020 to create a range of shoes and handbag straps.)

One of the most sustainable alternative leather fabrics is made from pineapple leaf fibres (the textile produced is called Piñatex), which has become the chosen material for various global fashion brands including Nike, Hug Boss, Paul Smith and H&M.

Other sustainable plant-based textile choices include desserto, vegan leather produced from cacti in Mexico. Most faux leather manufacturers now use sustainable production processes that involve water-based or non-solvent solutions.

Not all Vegan Leather is Green

Not all vegan leather fabrics are created equal, and some are actually not sustainable. Synthetic leather can also be made from plastic materials. Only biodegradable plant-based leather is environmentally friendly. The synthetic variations are made in processes that contribute to microplastic pollution. So, ensure that whatever alternative leather fabric you are using is plastic-free, and not synthetic.

Plant-Based Leather in the UK

The good news is that more and more brands are embracing plant-based leather and other sustainable alternatives for fashion fabric in the UK. Wearing faux fur and leather is de rigeuer and the Fashion Week runways are filled with vegan puffer jackets, fabulous fur throws and jackets, and gorgeous vegan shoes and accessories.

UK designer fashion brand Stella McCartney refuses to use leather or fur in its collections. They have partnered with US-based material science brand Natural Fiber Welding Inc. (NFW) to develop a plastic-free alternative to leather called MIRUM®.

“Our goal is for all our virgin natural fibres to be sourced using regenerative materials, backed by scientific measurements and data,” it says on their website. “We are not there yet, but we are on our way.”

Global Companies Manufacturing Plant-Based Leather

Sustainable global brands producing plant-based leather include:

1.     Japanese shoe and accessory brand Belle & Sofa, crafts designer shoes and bags from plant-based leather fabric.

2.     Danish company Leap believes it’s important to “Make Waste Beautiful”. Using apple waste from apple juice and apple cider production, their idea was originally a university project. Today it’s a successful company called Beyond Leather Materials.

3.     Another Japanese company, Toray Industries, created a fabric called Ultrasuede® from 30% plant-based raw materials including sugarcane waste and castor oil. The company is currently focusing on producing a 100% plant-derived product. Brands using this stunning leather fabric alternative include fashion house Issey Miyake.

4.     Adidas collaborated with biotech company Bolt Threads to produce Stan Smith sneakers made from vegan mushroom leather, called Mylo, also used by UK designer Stella McCartney. The shoe is made from Mylo and its midsoles comprise natural rubber.

5.     Luxury French brand Hermès used a fabric made by Californian startup MycoWorks to manufacture a leather fabric alternative called Sylvania, produced out of threads made of mushroom roots. Their first product is a travel bag.

6.     American designer Tommy Hilfiger uses a fabric made out of apple fruit pulp created by Italian company Frumat, SRL for a zero-waste collection.

Working Towards a Leather-Free Future

Choosing leather fabric alternatives is one of the best ways you can show your support against animal cruelty. As more and more fashion brands find means of manufacturing alternative leather fabrics, join the throng who only wear plant-based, biodegradable and sustainable plant-based leather.

Avoid synthetic leather fabrics made from PVC, PU and polyester, which not only harm the environment, but are also not long-wearing. Be aware of the impact those synthetic materials have on the environment, on our landfills and the climate.

Only wear garments made out of organic materials that are the natural alternative to leather. Manufacturers are constantly innovating new ways to produce these fabrics from all sorts of plant-based products, from apple skins to grapes and everything in between.