Fashion’s Leather Misinformation Problem And Why ‘Vegan’ Doesn’t Mean ‘Sustainable’

While ‘alternative leathers’ continue to attract huge investments, some designers are speaking out about the overlooked credentials of traditional leather. As plant and mushroom-based leathers gain favor, the inclusion of synthetic polymers in many of these ‘leather alternatives’ has prompted the question: how sustainable is ‘vegan’ leather? And do these alternatives have lower environmental impacts than their animal forebears?

Designer Anya Hindmarch, owner of the handbag brand bearing her name, is dubious. She says: “There are some very interesting and innovative products coming to the market, and we will look at [any material] that makes sense. [However], my research into the subject proves to me that leather, farmed in a regenerative way which is then tanned and finished in a responsible way, is often the most sensible solution when a byproduct of the meat industry.”

Bill Amberg, leather-based interiors and furniture designer, takes a stricter view on what constitutes ‘leather’: “I don’t believe there is such a thing as plant-based leather. There are non-woven textiles which are very good, and in fact, we use them here at our studio. But in terms of replacing animal leather, they are not strong enough, repairable, or durable enough. They also don’t have enough character, and they’re too expensive. The two materials are entirely different.”

So what is the difference between animal and plant ‘leather’? And why has ‘vegan’ become shorthand for ‘sustainable’?

I’ll answer the second question first. Vegan, in the context of ‘leather,’ is a marketing term rather than a descriptor of ingredients. Unfortunately, veganism and its synonymy to plants have spilled over from food to fashion, whereby anything labeled ‘vegan’ is thought to be made of plants rather than not made of animals. However, the latter is the truth, and has resulted in many plastic ‘leather’ (or ‘pleather’) being labeled ‘vegan.’

In the case of ‘plant’ leathers made from food waste like pineapple leaves or coconut husks, the material cannot function with the required strength, durability, and color fastness required of leather unless it is mixed with synthetic polymers (plastic) to enhance or provide these properties. So, in reality, plant ‘leather’ is typically plant and plastic ‘leather’.

In the case of mycelium leathers, they grow with a fungi root structure and have other substances mixed in to create a composite material. For Mycoworks, this substance is sawdust, but a range of substances can be used with varying environmental credentials. The composite mycelium can provide improved strength, but these materials are still under development to achieve the performance characteristics of animal-derived leathers.

Regarding animal leather, collagen is the ‘super’ protein in hides and skins, providing tremendous strength and durability. It is also true, though, that animal hides and skins are tanned using several chemicals (that vary in toxicity). The final leather is often coated in a thin layer of synthetic polymer to enhance water resistance and durability.

It’s on the basis conveyed above that analysis of ‘leathers’ should be made, say experts in the leather industry, along with end-users like Anya Hindmarch and Bill Amberg. So, for example, does it make sense to replace an animal byproduct (hides and skins, which would scarcely exist if the meat industry didn’t) with a plastic alternative? The #LeatherTruthfully campaign, which Hindmarch and Amberg are supporting, asks this question.

Leather UK created the campaign in response to what they describe as: “the leather industry witnessing a growing dialogue of misinformation about leather-making and the truth about leather alternatives.”

“This narrative was often being unchallenged and re-shared by some media platforms and high profile spokespersons, sometimes in the pursuit of promoting leather alternatives” they added. They went further, stating: “Here are some examples of this misleading perspective” citing articles from Vogue Business and The Guardian. Another question the campaign raises is: Do consumers know how leather is made and its sustainability credentials?

A consumer sentiment survey conducted by Atomic Research on behalf of Leather UK showed that of 2000 UK survey respondents, only 24% were aware that hides and skins were a byproduct of the food industry that would otherwise go to waste. 50% think that animals are raised specifically to make leather. Regarding the term ‘vegan leather,’ 74% found it ‘confusing’ and were unaware of its composition or that vegan leather could be plastic. Leather UK says this demonstrates a lack of education and engagement by the leather industry with consumers and obfuscation of facts by those marketing ‘vegan’ leather products.

During an interview with Dr. Jurgen Christner, a chemicals expert of 35 years developing formulations and technologies to reduce tanning impacts and increase leather performance at TFL, he explained the leather industry as “split .”The divide is between the modernized tanning facilities (that he estimates global brands source around 80-90% of their leather from) and the small tanneries operating without safe chemical, waste, and worker conditions. These small operators, he says, are the ones whose images are often used as demonstrative of the leather industry, singling out local tanneries in countries like Morocco, Bangladesh, and India as hubs of toxic leather production.

These toxic tanneries exist despite strict local regulations against the chemistry and processes they use, in India and Bangladesh in particular, according to Christner, but “the local regulations are not enforced.” To his knowledge, such leather is primarily traded in the domestic market or exported to neighboring countries with less strict import restrictions than the EU and US.

Why are these tanneries lagging on modernization, I asked? This is a critical question, because of the human and environmental health implications and the broader assumption of these toxic processes as the ‘leather tanning norm .’ Dr. Christner’s explanation comes as a surprise: “It’s because [these small tanneries] are trying to compete on price with synthetic ‘leather'” he says, and toxic chemical ‘shortcuts’ are cheaper. Furthermore, attempting to compete with ‘synthetic leather’ has a paradoxical eventual outcome; the cheap and marketable ‘vegan’ ‘leather’ flooded the market in 2017-2018, leading to tens of millions of cow hides being buried in landfill in 2017-18 because they couldn’t compete on price, according to Dr. Christner.

He says TFL were about to calculate the volume of hides destroyed because of a direct correlation between a sharp decrease in tanning chemicals purchased from them attributable to a specific quantity of hides.

I also spoke to Dr. Luis Zugno, Global Innovation Manager at Buckman Chemical and one of the industry’s foremost independent educators on leather production. He believes that leather should be reimagined creatively and combined with other materials rather than discarded in favour of plastic or lesser performing ‘alternative leathers’. He said a more creative approach to problem-solving around leather impacts is needed, and there is much room for impact reduction.

“Why aren’t we using half the thickness of leather and bonding it to other materials or fabrics to create [enhanced] composites?” he asks. His suggestion harnesses the as-yet unmatched performance of collagen-based animal leathers with lower-impact woven or knitted textiles. Impact reduction demands are being placed on all incumbent materials used in the fashion industry as climate change and resource costs increase. Brands are also keen to differentiate themselves as using ‘sustainable’ materials. However, Dr. Zugno reckons that modernization does not mean doing away with a readily available and high-performing waste byproduct without optimizing it first and exploiting its benefits.

So overall, there is a more nuanced and at times nefarious side to the ‘sustainable’ leather debate. Right now, byproduct hides are not valued as a long-lasting premium material in the face of quickening fashion. The marketability of ‘vegan’ leather and misinformation around its composition has meant that plastic is gaining favor over animal leather, despite limited comparative impact assessment that considers how ‘pleather’ once it hits landfills. As with any material sourcing decision, the environmental consequences are neither binary nor universal. The question is therefore not ‘is this vegan or is this animal leather’ but rather, what is this ‘leather made of, and how was it produced? If these are questions you are grappling with, you might find my explanation of the benefits and limitations of plant and mycelium ‘leathers’ helpful; along with this detailed breakdown of animal leather production.Read more at:emerald green prom dresses uk | white evening dresses uk

At Milan Fashion Week

A model struts on the runway and then falls. It is not unexpected; such incidents are far too common during fashion shows. But, what quickly happens is that another model takes a tumble, followed by one more. Soon, all of them practically slip and crawl. It is like a domino effect. What could have caused it — the slippery floor or the swanky heels? Or was it a catwalk nightmare come true? Neither.

It was pretty much a social statement made through fashion. The aforementioned incident happened at the recently-concluded Milan Fashion Week. While such events are largely understood to be an elite affair with connoisseurs making up the audience, Beate Karlsson, the creative director of Florence-based AVAVAV, designed her debut show in such a way that her models intentionally tripped while walking on the runway.

The New York Post quipped that it was like taking “fall fashion to new heights”. It stated in a report that the show was a satirical take on the fashion industry’s “obsession with status”, and that the ‘Filthy Rich’ collection comprised “knock-offs” of luxury logos redesigned with ‘AV’ along with caps that read, ‘cash cow’. Karlsson also made a necklace from three Rolex watches.

The logic was explained in an Instagram post, which read, “@beate.karlsson has devoted herself to escapism, embracing a vulgar style with one core focus — looking rich. At Milan Fashion Week, the runway debut presents a collection that plays with fashion’s fixation of status.”

It also quoted Karlsson as saying, “Like many others, I’ve craved money for the past year, everywhere I turn it’s part of the discussion. As a result, I want to look rich, feel rich and I want to take it to an outrageous level.

“As silly as it may sound, I’ve enjoyed my fake wealth in this tough climate. I wanted to do a parody of a fashion show to go with the pathetic theme of this collection, and of fashion’s extreme superficiality, at a time when so many fake richness, but risk to fall down hard.”

Karlsson was also quoted as telling Vogue, “It’s so easy in this generation to fake and filter parts of our lives on social media, but all of this can go away so easily. Falling shows this. The fall makes you lose face when you hit the floor, reality catches you right there.”

She told the outlet that she “wanted to poke fun at the self-seriousness of the industry”, to remember the runway shows from the 2000s wherein models would fall.Read more at:prom dresses 2022 uk | long prom dresses

Fashion’s Gender Stereotypes Start At a Very Young Age: Finds Study

Despite some progress in the fashion industry, gender stereotypes are still alive and kicking. While these days adults have an increasing number of options for unisex — or neutral — collections, children continue to face the same clichés. A new study conducted in Germany reveals that children’s fashion hasn’t stopped promoting gender stereotypes. We take a look. Anyone who goes to a high-street store or the clothing section of a supermarket can easily see that children’s clothes are not sold in just one section. There is a clear separation between boys’ and girls’ sections. The advantage, if there is one, is that it is difficult to mix up these two sections, with the girls’ area generally distinguished by an explosion of pink, and boys’ by a wave of blue. This holds true for the clothing department, as well as for the toy department. Despite many advances in the past few years in terms of gender neutrality, gender segmentation, on which gendered marketing is based, is far from having said its last word.

Pink and blue, the colors of discord

A study conducted by data journalist Marie-Louise Timcke and published in the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, looked into the matter to find out. Together with her peers, the expert analyzed no less than 20,000 shirts and shorts sold at retailers such as H&M, Zalando, and About You, intended for children under ten years old. Prints, colors, lengths, cuts … all was put under scrutiny, and the verdict seems clear: “Current children’s fashion cements gender images,” concludes Marie-Louise Timcke on her Twitter account.

Upon looking at the colors of children’s clothes, it is clear that blue dominates among boys’ clothing, all brands included, while pink rules among girls’ clothes. We can therefore check the box “proven’ for this old cliché that we hoped had gone out of date. The conclusions of the survey go even further: “almost every second shirt for girls is pink. This picture is most extreme in H&M’s collection,” says the data analyst.

Predestined to be dreamers or adventurers

While girls and boys have long — if not always — had passions in common, the prints that are supposed to bring a touch of fun to children’s clothes prove that the line between the genders is stronger than it seems — and that clichés about each gender’s preferences and characteristics are hard to break. For girls, the most used terms are “love,” “girl,” “sunshine,” “smile,” “dream” and “dreamer.” On the boys’ side, we find words related to adventure or sport, with an emphasis on surfing, like “aloha,” “wave,” “explore,” “fast,” “coast,” and “crew.” Two totally different atmospheres. Not content with clearly distinguishing genders, children’s fashion does indeed promote certain stereotypes that have no reason to exist.

Last but not least is the length of the clothes. If it seems obvious that boys and girls under 10 years old should have access to the same cuts and shapes of shirts and shorts, it is not the case in practice. Far from it in fact! “We stacked and compared thousands of shorts for kids from H&M, Zalando and About You. The difference in length is clear: on average, a pair of 30cm-wide shorts for girls is six cm shorter than boys’ trousers. And this is despite the fact that children’s bodies hardly differ at this age. Boys are a little taller and heavier, but could simply choose the next size up. The fact that girls’ trousers are tighter and shorter is simply the result of fashion and socialization,” the specialist emphasizes.

The study also reveals that it is essentially impossible to find certain clothes with any specific print, such as nightgowns decorated with dinosaurs, soccer-print skirts, or cargo shorts covered with unicorns.

“In the logic of these markets, girls are first and foremost little women; for them, clothing is meant to please. And boys are supposed to be everything but “girls”.’ concludes Marie-Louise Timcke.Read more at:grey prom dresses | formal dresses uk

Kamloops-based fashion designer and models prepare for New York Fashion Week

Kamloops-based designer Delayne Dixon is making her return to the Big Apple for New York Fashion Week 2022.

“This’ll be my first show in three years, and I’m not usually nervous when it comes to shows,” said Dixon.

“The nerves don’t really hit me until like, the minute of my show, and I’m backstage and I’m like, ‘Oh my god.’ Usually I get emotional towards the end because it’s all these months and months of hard work you’re seeing come into fruition.”

“I’m just so excited to have so many Kamloops people come with me, too… Fashion Week is a monster event and I just hope everyone has fun,” she said.

Seven Kamloops-based models of all different experience levels will join her in New York for the chance to walk in her show.

“Some of them have modelled before in Vancouver and the area, but the other ones are pretty new to it, but they’re gorgeous and inclusive which is awesome,” said Dixon.

“We’re planning on doing a runway coach day in a couple weeks, just so everyone knows what to expect.”

She’s been working on the outfits for this year’s show for about six months. She focused on making the pieces more luxurious than what she’s done before.

“The collection itself is pretty spicy; it’s definitely my brand.”

“I work with a lot of red and black and animal prints and sort of sassy stuff, so there’s red and black zebra print, there’s some faux leather, some faux fur.”

“You kind of learn as you go when you run a business, what people are buying, what people aren’t buying, I do sell quite a lot of casual stuff, but the price points are so, for me, out of reach sometimes. With Shein and Zara and H&M, you can buy all these casual things for like twenty bucks.”

“I really had to rework my business model a little bit where I want my brand to be essentially… be couture, red carpet. It’ll be a slow transition — I’m not gonna force myself into anything — but I’m just gonna keep going and see where that takes me.”Read more at:cheap prom dresses uk | short prom dresses cheap

Maha back in pre-pandemic fashion with 2 days of music, activities in Omaha

For the first time since 2019, Maha was back this year as a two-day festival packed with musicians, both local and not, representing a range of genres.

After COVID-19 pandemic protocols led to a scaled-down event with fewer people last year, its return to Stinson Park on Friday and Saturday with more music, food, drinks and activities was welcomed.

Maha co-director Rachel Grace said organizers were expecting around 11,000 to attend the event this year.

The pandemic canceled the 2020 festival and shortened last year’s event to one day with reduced capacity. Grace said it was exciting to bring back some components that were cut last year, such as the Community Village, an area where nonprofits set up informational booths and offer activities.

“It’s so central to our mission to share the stage in that way, that last year didn’t quite feel right,” she said. “We’re also just able to have a few more food vendors than last year and a few more activities, so it’s kind of the real full experience.”

Friday’s headliner was indie-rock group Car Seat Headrest. Beach House, a dream pop duo from Baltimore, was set to headline Saturday night following a performance by rap and hip-hop artist Princess Nokia.

The event’s lineup also featured several local music artists, including Marcey Yates, The Real Zebos, Dominique Morgan, Las Cruxes, Bad Self Portraits and DJ Shor-T.

Besides the music, the event included several food and drink vendors, the Community Village, and activities like cornhole and photo booths. This year’s Maha also boasted an expanded local beer selection.

“Nebraska has such a wonderful craft brewery scene, so we wanted to make sure that we’re highlighting that,” Grace said.

Multiple attendees described Saturday’s weather as “perfect,” as temperatures reached a high of 84 degrees in the afternoon and were to fall into the 70s in the evening.

Daniela Padilla, a 35-year-old from Omaha, said this was her second time attending Maha. She brought her daughter and said she appreciated the family-friendly atmosphere.

“It’s been fun watching the bands and all the activities they have going on,” she said. “Surprisingly, there’s a lot of stuff that kids are able to do.”

Heriberto Salinas Rivera, a 28-year-old from Omaha, said he’s a Beach House fan and was also excited to see PUP on Saturday.

While Maha is far smaller than other Midwestern festivals like Chicago’s Lollapalooza and Milwaukee’s Summerfest, Salinas Rivera said he’s excited to have a local festival offering a diverse music lineup.

“It’s still growing and hopefully continues to grow,” he said.

Mia LaHood, a 23-year-old from Omaha, said she last attended Maha when Lizzo headlined in 2019, and was excited to see Beach House and Princess Nokia this year.

“I think they do a really good job with getting up-and-coming artists,” she said.Read more at:formal dresses | plus size prom dresses