Eco-conscious brands are pivoting towards earth-friendly leather; here are some of the must-know materials you may find in your closet soon enough
Vegan alternatives are all the rage these days. But this trend doesn't seem to be content to stay a trend—in fact, eco-friendly vegan alternatives are slowly but surely taking root and becoming the norm. Even luxury maisons are disavowing animal hides and turning towards such alternatives. Here are a few of the most interesting, and most common types of vegan leather you're sure to find in your closet soon enough!
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1. Fruits
Fruits make great leather alternatives! Pineapple leather, known by some as Piñatex, is strong, durable, flexible, and light. As it's only been around for a short period of time, no one can comment much on its longevity, but it does seem incredibly promising—especially knowing that pineapple fibres have been a huge part of our Philippine society before the rise of cotton. The brand Hugo Boss has used pineapple leather on their sneakers.
Other fruits are also starting to make waves as leather alternatives: more specifically oranges and bananas. Banantex, is in fact produced by bananas made in the Philippines and is waterproof. Meanwhile, Orange Fibre is a textile production company that uses citrus byproducts to create items for Salvatore Ferragamo and even H&M.