Vegan leather, which made its name in the fashion world with the famous fashion designer Stella McCartney, daughter of Paul McCartney, has actually been in our lives for much longer than we think. From bags to gloves, shoes to pants, this eco-friendly leather is now everywhere.
With the world’s changing ethics, many international brands are now using vegan leather in their products. With the Conscious Fashion movement, the awareness created by conscious consumers through various non-governmental organizations has started to bear fruit.
One of these non-governmental organizations is Tiger Time Charity. Tiger Time Charity, an initiative of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), works on various projects to protect endangered tigers around the world. I contribute to the projects organized by this foundation and supported by world celebrities such as Jeremy Irons, Angelica Houston, Paul McCarthney, Leonardo Di Caprio with my paintings and bags. Every year, I participate in a fundraising auction with my designs.
What is Vegan Leather?
In a nutshell, vegan leather is a product made from artificial or plant-based materials. This eco-friendly raw material, one of the cornerstones of the Sustainable Fashion movement, is rapidly replacing real leather in the collections of the world’s most important brands.
Emre NewYork and Vegan Leather Collection
With both my artistic side and my activist spirit, I find it appropriate to use vegan leather in my designs. As well as bequeathing a beautiful tomorrow to future generations, we need to preserve the ecological balance of the world we live in. The pandemic period, when we were confined to our homes, showed us very well how important nature is.
Is Vegan Leather Sturdy?
This is a question I often get. As with everything, the better the quality, the greater the durability. At the same time, as it is a material that is not affected by water, it has a longer lifetime.
I use the best quality vegan leather in all my Emre NewYork bag collections. Therefore, my bags last at least 3 times longer than their counterparts.
What Are Vegan Leather Types?
Contrary to popular belief, eco-friendly leather is not the only kind. There are many different variations.
Pu Leather
Let’s start with a classic. Pu Leather, the most common type of vegan leather, is a flexible and durable fabric. Also called polyurethane microfiber leather, this variation looks and feels like real leather. Environmentally friendly Pu Leather is not affected by water, so it is practical to use and very light compared to real leather. Pu Leather, which I frequently use in my Emre NewYork designs, is both environmentally friendly and much lighter than real leather. It provides great comfort to the user, especially in my designs such as large women’s bags and suitcases where weight is very important (for example Weekender and Token Tote).
Bamboo Leather
Known for its strong structure and flexibility, bamboo is a natural wonder that we encounter in many areas from leather to textiles. One of the fastest growing plants on the planet. It is harvested without harming the ecological balance and requires little water. Launched in 2015, bamboo leather, which is both soft and durable, is also biodegradable and does not harm the environment.
Cactus Leather
The Nopal Cacti vegan leather made from the Nopa cactus, also known as prickly pear cactus, is the invention of 2 Mexican entrepreneurs. This cactus needs very little water and grows mainly in various parts of North America. Nopal Cacti is not processed with toxic chemicals like animal skins. Sustainable and animal-friendly as well as PETA-approved
Pineapple Leather
The world-famous fashion house BOSS uses vegan leather made from pineapple in its men’s shoe collection. This vegan leather, known as Pinatex, is made from the fibers of pineapple leaves. Pineapple skin, which is both environmentally friendly and an additional income especially for farmers, is very durable, just like the skin of its fruit.
Grape Leather
Produced by Vegea, an Italian company specialized in creating sustainable fabrics, grape leather is already attracting the attention of luxury brands. Waste from wine production is transformed into different colored leather through various processes. Bentley, one of the world’s most luxurious car manufacturers, used this eco-friendly leather for the interior leather upholstery of the bentleyexp100gt model for the brand’s 100th Anniversary
Apple Leather
Made by drying, pulverizing and combining apple peels with Pu material, this variation is bio-based and environmentally friendly. Since it is produced from apple peel residues, it also makes a contribution to fashion in terms of sustainability.
Mushroom Skin
Mushroom! It is actually a wonder of nature. It is very similar to animal skins and is very compatible with nature in terms of its structure. It is also much softer, air permeable and waterproof than that the one from animals. An excellent eco-friendly option, especially for everyday use such as belts, bags and shoe soles.
Today, with the innovation and the technology going hand in hand, vegan leather varieties are increasing day by day. Mulberry leaves, teak leaves, paper, wood, coffee beans, plastic bottles, coconut milk, all valuable raw materials for the production of this eco-friendly leather.
Unfortunately, eco-friendly vegan leather production in Turkey is not at the desired level. I sincerely hope that Turkey, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of animal leather, would put this advantage to good use by becoming a leader in the manufacturing of eco-friendly leather.
I am also personally involved in the production of the bags in my Emre NewYork collections. I am particularly sensitive to the quality and processing of the leather. This is because of my ethics, which requires all my bags to be of the best quality and eco-friendly, as promised.
The opinions of you, my dear Emre NewYork friends, are very important to me.
- What are your thoughts on vegan leather?
- What do you think about conscious fashion?
- What do you pay attention to as eco-friendly fashion lovers?
See you in the comments,
