Do you #KnowYourLeather?

The Slow Fashion Movement organization is on a mission to educate and empower consumers to make more environmentally and socially conscious choices. Envisioning a fashion ecosystem that protects the well-being of the planet and its people, the #KnowYourLeather campaign, (SFM’s third edition of their Know Your campaign) has been created to show the impact of leather across the supply chain.

At Wolf & Badger, we support brands who participate in the utmost ethical practices, by embedding a transparency process required to be onboarded on our platform. To participate in the month-long #KnowYourLeather campaign, we’ve partnered with Slow Fashion Movement to highlight a few of our brands that offer responsible, bio-based Leather. 

Marhen J — the Korean-based handbag brand uses high-quality, animal-friendly materials to manufacture their products. Due to the development of superior artificial leather manufacturing technology, the brand has found a bio-based material, made in Italy from organic waste called Apple Pomace. After making foods such as juice and jams from apples grown in Mother Nature, they are separated from their seeds and skins and processed into a powder-form texture. Aside from the powder form used, the eco-ink is then added to complete the material for apple leather. Entirely composed of ultra-light and vegan materials, this bio-based leather is carefully crafted.

Svala Co is a vegan bag and accessories brand, based in Los Angeles. Svala Co products are handcrafted locally with premium, innovative fabrics such as Pinatex®, MIRUM® BioVeg and cork from Portugal. 

Piñatex is the by-product of pineapple harvest, which brings new income streams to subsistence farmers, allowing them to fully utilize their crops. This material is composed of 80% pineapple leaf fibres and 20% PLA fibres. The material is all-natural, vegan and very durable. No extra land, water, fertilizers or pesticides are required to produce the raw material. Additionally, no pineapples are harmed in the making of Pinatex. The innovative material is gathered by partner farming cooperatives in the Philippines and the material is finished in Spain.

Watson & Wolfe implement sustainability at the forefront of their business by using innovative corn leather, cork leather and high-quality microfiber leather for all their accessory products. In addition to bio-based leather, all their wallets and bags are lined with a luxurious woven fabric made from 100% recycled plastic.

Corn leather is a giant stride towards fully sustainable alternatives to leather. Rather than 100% petroleum-based PU, the material is made with up to 45% plant content from corn. The corn is a non-food grade crop, not diverting resources necessary for food farms of animal feed. This comes entirely from a renewable source and is non-GM, carbon neutral, chromium and PPD free. They source the material from Italy, where it is made in a factory fully powered by photovoltaic solar energy generators and only low environmental impact LED lighting is used throughout the company.

High Numbers is an ethical ready-to-wear brand based in Poland. High Numbers aims to build a modern and responsible wardrobe that reminisces a swinging street style.

Committed to local production, fair trade and transparency, High Numbers cherish a holistic approach to sustainability. Vegan and organic or recycled materials are used at every stage of the production process — from fabrics through threads and buttons to packaging. All fabrics used, such as vegan cactus leather are produced in certified mills. The items are made of cruelty-free leather alternatives produced from organic cactus. The vegan cactus leather is sourced from USDA Organic, GRS and PETA-certified producers from Mexico. Choosing cactus leather helps to reduce carbon emissions by 95% and water consumption by 99% compared to animal leather.

The processes of leather production are harmful to the workers in the supply chain and cause irreparable damage to ecosystems and to our environment. Although these are only a few examples of brands that exclusively offer bio-based leather alternatives, the resources and technology are allowing similar products to become increasingly available to consumers. As The Slow Fashion Movement continues to bring awareness to the effects of leather, we strongly encourage you to follow along with their #KnowYourLeather campaign, while we here at Wolf & Badger will continue to support more responsible options for the betterment of its planet and people.