THE FASHIONABLE PROGRESSION OF VEGAN LEATHER

Stella McCartney Handbags priced from $1200

Designers used to flaunt the label, “Genuine Leather”.  Handbags and shoes were considered inferior if they were not crafted out of animal skin. However, in our evolving society, consumers are conscious of the suffering that occurs in order to produce a fashionable garment. New, innovative developments in textile technology mimic the look and feel of leather.  MuSkin, is a new type of vegan leather is being produced using the caps of mushrooms.  With a nontoxic tanning process, the final product is water repellent, more breathable than leather and unlike many of the previous vegan leathers, biodegradable.

Design houses like Stella McCartney, established in 2001, offer high end couture clothing, shoes and handbags, all designed and manufactured without the use of animal skins.  Not only is the line committed to ending animal cruelty, it also points out the environmental hazard of the tanning industry.  Using toxic chemicals to tan leather hides including chrome, a known carcinogen, critically high levels of lead, formaldehyde and cyanide, which are known to cause fatal illness and cancer  to nearby residents of the tanning facilities.McCartney’s luxury designs come at a premium price, with the average handbag just around $1200, and a Black “Suede” Pump priced at $755.

Big Buddha bags are animal-friendly, stylish and priced at around $100. Available in a variety of colors and styles, these bags are a great vegan choice.
Through technology animal cruelty is no longer necessary to achieve a luxurious, fashionable garment. With 375 million vegetarians worldwide, and the development of quality  textile alternatives to leather, the vegan fashion progression is here to stay.


Other designers and retailers have followed the fashion progression offering lower cost alternatives Vaute Couture (Houte couture with a V for Vegan), is an independent fashion house by Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart. She dedicated herself to creating a line taking animals out of the the “fashion equation”, using recyclable and recycled vegan fabrics.

 

Big Buddha Bag Priced at $42

Stella McCartney Black "Suede" Pump $775