Leather looks for Fall '11 are catching my attention. From bags, to jackets, pants, and even dresses, these classy styles will be a must have. While I do purchase leather bags and boots, I also take into consideration the practices surrounding the manufacturing of these items. That is why I was happy to see Refinery 29's announcement of a Free People Vegan Leather line for Fall! Keeping in line with Prippietm ideals, this line a cute and resourceful substitute to the animal cruelty that can occur when real leather goods are produced. I really hope to see other companies follow in the footsteps of this great project, not just with leather, but with other environmentally friendly materials as well.
Vegan Leather at Free People from FreePeople on Vimeo.
Vegan leather looks exactly the same as real leather, but is made from synthetic materials, and animal free. There are many positives to the alternative which are mentioned in the above video, for example it is environmentally friendly and at a lower price point than the real thing.
But what exactly is it!? The FP line uses materials such as Polyurethane, Polyester, and Viscose to create the look. To find out other alternative leather materials, I turned to my old friend, Wikipedia, and was surprised to find such a variety of methods, including a fake leather made from ocean kelp!
So when you're filling your closet during the next couple of months, keep in mind these cool substitutes to animal cruelty.You might even find yourself saving a buck or two in the process.
-Bianca Jane Mitchell
biancajanemitchell@prippie.com
-Bianca Jane Mitchell
biancajanemitchell@prippie.com