Are things made from genuine leather a sign of wealth or a relic of the past?

Leather is called the oldest material used by humanity to make clothes and shoes. Thousands of years ago it served our ancestors as protection from the vagaries of nature and is even now used in the fashion industry. True, today it does not at all solve the problem of survival in harsh conditions, but serves as a sign of luxury and wealth.

Recently, the trend of abandoning leather products has become more relevant than ever - various arguments are given in its defense. First of all, they relate to such aspects as ethical and environmentally friendly production. Why has leather not lost popularity for such a long time and is there an equivalent replacement for it? Is the refusal of its use by famous brands a publicity stunt or a new era in the fashion world? Let's try to figure it out.

Why leather items are an attribute of wealth

As Gianni Versace said: “Fashion does not stand still, but clothes remain unchanged!” This statement perfectly demonstrates the enduring popularity of leather items.Their style and color may change, but they never leave the fashion charts. In addition, high-quality clothing and leather accessories are always associated with luxury and wealth - they clearly indicate the status of their owner. How can this trend be explained?

First of all, leather is practical and durable, durable and wear-resistant. These qualities are especially relevant for shoes - no other material provides shoes, boots, boots with such high performance characteristics.

Status appearance is no less important - a high-quality leather accessory or piece of clothing is always expensive, especially if it is from a well-known brand. And this automatically translates leather items into the category of attributes of wealthy people. A branded bag or luxury shoes is a win-win option to look status, stylish, expensive, and therefore people who have this opportunity are ready to shell out quite large sums for things made of leather.

Reference. Genuine leather products remain one of the main sources of income for the luxury accessories market.

In addition, the natural origin of the material does not seem to raise doubts about its environmental friendliness. Therefore, until recently, any replacement of leather was considered the prerogative of the mass market. If branded products made from natural raw materials simply “screamed” about wealth, then things made from artificial materials no less eloquently declared the not very “rosy” financial situation of their owner, and were simply considered bad taste.

Eco-leather - a new era of ethical fashion

What modern technology is not capable of. So natural leather is being replaced by artificial leather, which, according to experts, is not inferior to the first in all characteristics. Its basis is natural fabric, which is coated with polymer. The latter, in turn, is painted in the desired shade. With proper and high-quality processing, synthetic material is difficult to distinguish from natural material.

Eco-material is second only to leather in durability and prestige. But the trend of refusal to use natural raw materials even by well-known brands may soon offset the last mentioned disadvantage.

It is important to know that synthetic materials called eco- or vegan leather actually have different compositions. The most common are polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Both are polymers, the production of which involves a multi-step chemical process. The raw materials for their production are fossil hydrocarbons; during their creation, greenhouse gases are released, and further decomposition in nature exceeds 100 years. So why is the prefix “eco” present in the name of the material, and the production of clothes, shoes and accessories from it is called the new era of ethical fashion?

Why fashion brands are abandoning genuine leather

The thing is that obtaining artificial material does not imply killing animals. Another advantage is the absence of a dressing process, which is mandatory for natural raw materials and is not entirely safe for the environment and health. However, it is precisely the active work of animal rights activists, who consider the slaughter of animals for clothing unacceptable, that contributes to the trend towards abandoning the use of natural leather.

True, this so-called fashion trend is only gaining momentum - famous couturiers, as a rule, refuse fur, and the use of synthetic leather by luxury brands accounts for only 2% of total production.But it looks like this is just the beginning—experts predict that the synthetic leather market, which currently stands at $25 billion, will grow to $45 billion by 2025.

But it is not only the ethical side of the issue that forces fashion houses to switch to artificial materials. As one of the leaders of the House of Chanel said, their decision to no longer use animal skin in the production of shoes and accessories is due to difficulties arising with the supply of high-quality raw materials. From now on, the famous fashion house will more actively develop leather substitutes, which in all respects will not be inferior to natural raw materials.

In any case, a change in consumer consciousness (as surveys show, Europeans and Americans are increasingly giving preference to products made from synthetic material) is contributing to a change in the vector of development of companies producing leather clothing and accessories.

Instead of a conclusion

We can conclude that despite the name, eco-leather cannot be called a truly environmentally friendly material. Its advantages are its affordable cost and “ethical origin.”

True, the second aspect is often not at all important to ordinary consumers - many are attracted by the affordable price of clothing and accessories, which in appearance and in many quality indicators are not inferior to products made from natural materials. It is worth noting that the price of products from luxury brands that have already abandoned the use of animal raw materials and switched to eco-leather remains as high as the cost of their products made from natural leather and fur. It turns out that now clothes or accessories made from eco-leather are not a sign of lack of taste and status, but a new trend in the fashion world, which, by all indications, will soon turn into a sustainable trend.

Leatherettes that are truly environmentally friendly include pinatex (made from fibers of pineapple leaves) and mushroom leather (a mushroom-based material grown on the surface of a nutrient medium), which some “young” brands are just beginning to use. These technologies exist, but it is too early to talk about their widespread use in the world of the fashion industry.