“Vegan leather is just a terrific marketing expedient. It is said to be ethical and little expensive, but it’s not really like that. As a matter of fact, that is the latest way they weighed down the market, most of all fast fashion, by using more and more polyurethane and polyester, therefore considerably polluting our atmosphere and producing a massive quantity of plastic waste materials, which are bound to get into the ocean. Currently, it is everything but ethical. How can you prohibit plastic straws while promoting, at the same time, eco-leather?”. Such are a few remarks pointed out by French fashion designer Jean-Claude Jitrois, creative director of Jitrois fashion house, founded by himself in 1983. He is well-known for his leather total look designed for several popstars, such as Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue; in the past he also attired some famous icons, such as Brigitte Bardot, Stephanie, Princess of Monaco, and Heidi Klum. During an interview, published on the British edition of Fashion United, Jitrois tells about himself: “Our brand pays very close attention to the supply chain, and we use only by-products coming from French food industry”. Talking about that, they asked the fashion designer to comment about the decision, made by Helsinki Fashion Week, to ban leather in their next fashion shows. He replied by saying that such choice would be plausible if everybody stopped eating meat; furthermore, in his opinion every consumer should “be aware of global effects deriving from all materials he uses”, rather than focusing on just one of them. “Personally, I am more inclined to find solutions, rather than taking for granted new sacrosanct diktats”.
“Eco-leather is just a terrific marketing expedient”, says popstars’ fashion designer Jean-Claude Jitrois
