Vegan fashion: where are we at? And, above all, is it really possible?

Vegan fashion also celebrates its international day: November 1st is the date that animal rights activist Louis Wallis chose to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of The Vegan Societythe association founded in England in 1944. Since then, this day has gradually begun to encompass not only nutrition but also lifestyle habits – including shopping – for a more ethical approach to fashion.

In an industry increasingly attentive to sustainability (and often on the hunt for cases of greenwashing), talking about vegan fashion has become extremely delicate and can generate misunderstandings or even confusion. What exactly is it about? And, above all, where are we in today’s fashion industry from this point of view?

What is vegan fashion?

Vegan fashion means everything that does not have any animal origin. Leather, fur, silk and fibers such as wool are therefore excluded. Materials that have always been used in the luxury industry, and that the new market trends have certainly begun to call into question – even if very partially. But is a wardrobe from this perspective really possible?

According to the reportThe Rise of Vegan Fashion That The Vegan Society published in 2021, 48% of English consumers would like more vegan fashion products in their wardrobewith 74% of these proving more than happy to pay more if the leather is of vegetable origin. It is precisely from the United Kingdom, after all, that he spreads his word Stella McCartney: the influential English designer, spokesperson for vegan fashion, introduced his leather line produced from mushrooms in March 2021.

Stella McCartney, English designer and spokesperson for vegan fashion.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin

The boom from 2021

Whether or not Stella McCartney set a good example, 2021 would appear to have been a turning point year interesting. The fashion house Karl Lagerfeld in fact, he launched the first vegan cactus leather bag, followed by Hermès with the first bag made from a mushroom fiber fabric.

The house Gucciunder the previous creative direction of Alessandro Michele, introduced instead the vegan Demetra sneaker, made with wood pulp and recycled aluminium. The then CEO Marco Bizzarri commented on the new shoe like this Business of Fashion: «Demetra represents a new category of materials that encapsulates the quality and aesthetic standards of Gucci, combined with our desire to innovate and elevate our traditional skills to create a more advanced future».

Again, in the same year, the fashion house Ganni – always attentive to sustainable alternatives and directed by Ditte Reffstrup – introduced Vega, a type of natural leather coming from grapes and waste from the wine industry. Last but not least, in 2022, the maison’s proposal was interesting Balenciaga: the first coat in EPHEA, the revolutionary mushroom-based material.

Ditte Reffstrup, creative director of Ganni (center), greets the public after the show.

Victor VIRGILE/Getty Images

Revolutionary, however, is the case of VitroLabs Inca company focused on the production of leather in the laboratory. As told last year to British VogueVitroLabs Inc uses cow cells to obtain a type of material that is extremely durable and even has the same smell as animal leather. «At the moment we are working on it on a small scale – CEO and co-founder Ingvar Helgason declared to the source. – The biggest challenge will be building our manufacturing system: one has never been created before.”

Not all that glitters is gold

We cannot talk about vegan fashion without also considering it the critical aspects of the phenomenon. If there are those who are willing to pay more for leather not of animal origin, it is also true that a slice of the market remains excluded regardless (because she wouldn’t invest big budgets even to buy a designer bag in animal skin). So the alternative would be just polyester? If the answer were yes, we would inevitably fall into inconsistency: the choice would be vegan, but certainly not environmentally sustainable.

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The time has come to clarify. If with the term “eco leather” you think you are referring to something of non-animal origin, you are wrong. Well yes, eco-leather is leather. But “imitation leather” or “vegan leather” are also terms often used incorrectly. Here is a guide to dispel false myths and understand which materials are truly eco-friendly and cruelty free

What is also heartening, however, is the interest that i low cost brands have started to mature towards the industry. In 2019, for example, New Look it was the first UK brand to obtain Vegan Trademark certification (it was introduced in 1990 by The Vegan Society), diversifying its range of fashion products. Also H&Min 2021, launched a collection made with leather derived from cactus fibers. Again, in the same year, adidas introduced the famous Stan Smith sneaker in mushroom-derived leather. A revolution – or rather, evolution – achieved in small steps. Small but decisive.