The future of luxury is not leather

 

'I couldn't tell the difference from a real leather bag' - is the highest compliment that I have received. And you really just can’t! But the real beauty of FERRON is that you will always be able to tell the story of how it’s made differently than leather bags derived from animals. 
FERRON handbags are made of vegan and cruelty-free materials

As a vegan designer brand, we want to create stunning bags that you will fall in love with. Our first choice for materials is purely based on principle, starting with animals in mind. Therefore, we opted for the bio-based Polyurethane (PU) and microfiber that provide the luxury feel of real leather without harming a single animal.

The exterior of the bag is structured, yet perfectly imitates the soft feel of pebbled leather that you would expect from a luxury leather bag. The lining is made out of microfiber, which is durable, yet smooth to the touch.

And yes, I wish I could say that synthetic alternatives are already perfect and come with no environmental concerns. While this is not the case yet, new technologies will soon provide plant-based leather alternatives that are 100% biodegradable. Until that is possible, I want to demystify the environmental impact of synthetic alternatives and compare it to leather made from animal skins. 

At this point in time, PU leather has less than half of the environmental impact than leather derived from animals.

This is the outcome of two major studies within the fashion industry. The first study, Pulse of the Fashion Industry, was published by The Global Fashion Agenda, in collaboration with The Boston Consulting Group and came to the following conclusion:

3 of the 4 worst materials for the environment, per kilogram, are derived from animals, according to the research.

Pulse of the Fashion Industry  PU leather has less than half of the environmental impact than leather derived from animals.

Source: Pulse of the Fashion Industry

 

The second study came to a similar conclusion and was released by the International Fashion Conglomerate, Kering, who owns quite a few of the worlds most renowned luxury brands (see a list here). The environmental impact of synthetics is about half compared to processing animal skin. 

Kering Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L) research on environmental impact of leather industry

Source: Kering Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L)

FERRON stands for beautiful and high-quality handbags that are cruelty-free and sustainably made by artisans that are unbelievable at their craft. The handbags come to life thanks to a small, family-owned manufacturer based in Guangzhou, China. They purely focus on craftsmanship.

We are open to look into transitioning to recycled material if it is beautiful and would allow us to make nice products out of. As soon as natural leather alternatives don’t require us to compromise on quality and longevity, we will probably be using it.

What seems to be quite confusing to all fashion lovers and customers at this stage is that those materials are still being developed, tested and piloted and not available to every brand to purchase. One of the latest vegan leather trends- Piñatex, though plant-based and pretty sustainable in itself, as an end product has petroleum- based coating added, hence it’s actually not biodegradable. And it’s not as easy to work with. Besides, it is not as strong and I don’t quite like the look of it. It’s just not a material for my brand.
Similarly, an apple leather, despite the lovely name, still has 50% PU in it.

 

 

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