And thank goodness that an authoritative publication like Forbes is finally saying it too: “There is a problem with vegan misinformation on leather”. While “vegan”, whatever the manufacturers of materials and items that wink at that world may say, is not synonymous with sustainable.
Vegan misinformation on leather
Forbes is an American business publication. And, in fact, it comes to investigate the world of materials alternative to leather (plant-based, vegan or whatever) precisely in the light of their economic and media success. That is, in the light of the fact that they attract investment and prestigious business deals. Forbes “asks the question: but are the alternatives sustainable? And do they really have less environmental impact than leather?”. They are certainly not comparable in performance. “There are interesting and innovative products coming onto the market,” acknowledges Anya Hindmarch, “we will do our evaluations. But my research shows me that leather, from sustainable sources and tanned responsibly, is the best solution”.
You can’t get any clearer
It goes even more to the point with Bill Amberg, a furniture and interior designer: “I don’t believe there is such a thing as plant-based leather,” are his words. “There are also good non-woven fabrics: we use some of them. But if I have to evaluate them as alternatives to animal leather, I say that they are not strong enough, durable or repairable. They lack character and are too expensive. They are completely different”.
Forbes’ analysis is rich in content and we invite you to read it in its entirety. In the meantime, let us treasure its conclusions: “Vegan, as far as leather is concerned, is a marketing term and not a description of the components of a material,” we read. “It is a custom filtered through from food to fashion. In food, it is taken for granted that a food is vegan because it is vegetable and not animal. In fashion it is not so, because much of what they call vegan leather (an expression prohibited in Italy, ed.) is actually plastic”.
Read also:
