Quite obvious indeed. To some extent though. In fact Italian tanners, represented by UNIC, have been struggling for years to make “leather” a meaningful and appropriate term, as it‘s been often misquoted by several fashion brands (even the most prestigious ones).As a result of it, customers have been ripped off as they have been sold a number of items actually made with synthetic materials, though apparently presented as “eco-friendly leather”. We do want to make it clear, that’s why Jérome Verdier’s statement is most appreciated. Verdier, who is the owner of Mégisserie Alran and the President of the French Federation of Mégisserie Tannery, has pointed out something already evident, stating the obvious:“Le cuir vegan, ça n’existe pas!”. That is, “There is no vegan leather!”. His words were pointing at those tanning systems, allegedly alternative, that make use of various sources (either vegetable ones, including mushrooms and pineapple, or plastic) in order to produce something vaguely resembling leather. Last but not least, they take “leather” as a term for it. Verdier says, “Leather is an animal slough turned into a wearable material, in a number of industries, thanks to historic skills; tannery is the oldest industry that aims to retrieve a waste material and give value to it. We breed bovines for their meat: even if consumption and butchering decrease, leather industry will go on“.
TRENDING
