Vegan Leather: Plant-Based Fabrics for Sustainable Fashion, Part 1 of 2

Animal-people leather is one of the most harmful products of the fashion industry, creating about 130 million tons of CO2 annually - equivalent to 30 million cars on the road. As people become more aware of the ethical and environmental concerns with the animal-people leather industry, they are looking for both eco-friendly and cruelty-free alternatives.

A promising solution has emerged. Plant-based fabrics made from cactus, mango, pineapple, and mushroom can be turned into vegan leather. These eco-friendly alternatives have a soft, smooth touch and use less water, land, and energy to produce than animal-people leather.

During COP28 (The 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference), Stella McCartney’s company hosted an exhibit called “Stella McCartney’s Sustainable Market,” where she showcased her vegan leather alternatives and highlighted her company’s collaboration with young innovators who are transforming the fashion industry.

Adrián Lopez Velarde and Marte Cázarez founded Adriano Di Marti in Mexico. These two eco-conscious innovators developed a remarkable plant-based leather from cactus, which they named Desserto. This drought-resistant plant is perfect for making vegan leather as it grows naturally in dry areas without needing extra water, just rainfall. The cactus is not only tough but also helps restore damaged soil, making it an excellent choice for sustainable fashion. “Desserto’s cactus leather is now being used in fashion, furniture, and car interiors through partnerships with major brands, showing how plant-based materials are gaining acceptance across different industries. Its innovative work shows us how nature's resilient plants can create beautiful fashion while helping our planet.”

Hugo de Boon and Koen Meerkerk founded Fruitleather Rotterdam to turn these mangoes that would otherwise be wasted into vegan leather. They transform the fruit into products like wallets, handbags, and even shoes. Each week, they collect around 1,500 mangoes from local importers that would otherwise go to waste. Let’s see how Hugo and Koen turn mangoes into leather.