Vegan in vogue: How veganism is going beyond food to encapsulate fashion

Leather has long been a symbol of style and luxury on the global fashion scene. From high-end leather bags and trendy boots to evergreen biker jackets, this versatile and durable material has remained a constant in the world of fashion. But the vogue comes at an immense cost.

“In India, animals used for leather are crowded onto vehicles in such high numbers that their bones break and they die en route, including from suffocation,” says Monica Chopra, manager of fashion, media and celebrity projects, PETA India. “Animals who survive this ordeal are then unloaded at slaughterhouses, where they are cut open with dirty, dull knives in full view of other animals on floors covered with faeces, blood, guts and urine. Many are skinned and dismembered while they are still conscious,” she elucidates. The ordeal brought about by the leather industry does not end here. “Indian tannery workers often suffer from fever, eye inflammation, skin diseases and cancer due to the toxic chemicals and workplace hazards they are made to endure,” Chopra adds. It also contributes immensely to global warming.

India, too, is a major contributor as it handles 13% of the world’s leather production. However, with rising environmental consciousness, a change is emerging slowly but surely. It is evident from the many homegrown brands selling vegan accessories that have hit the market in recent years.

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“When we started, we saw a video of how animal-based leather is made. It was horrific. So, we decided to not put our names to it. That inspired us to launch vegan and cruelty-free lifestyle products,” says Disha Singh, founder and CEO of Zouk, a PETA-approved vegan brand. The journey has not been a smooth one. When we started, vegan products were a foreign concept. In one of our early Instagram posts, when we said vegan bags, I remember someone joking about it. We did a lot to educate them to make more responsible choices. Today, many of our customers happily share that their Zouk products are cruelty-free, which makes us happy,” the founder shares.

Tiger Marron, which has a sizeable leather accessories portfolio, too, has launched vegan products. “We are witnessing a rise in customers’ demand for vegan accessories, particularly over the past two years. Whether it is from a lifestyle choice that has been adopted or through an interest in the material, there has certainly been a rise in this demand,” says founder Saahil Tiger Nandrajog.

Tiger Marron’s laptop bags, laptop sleeves, and tote bags continue to garner the highest demand, the founder shares.

Speaking on the material used, Tiger says for its vegan products, it uses “our recipe of vegan leather, which uses upcycled materials consisting of a blend of cotton and poly. It is worth noting that upcycled materials are often materials headed for landfills that are intercepted and put together to create our vegan leather.”

Is vegan always sustainable?

“What’s the use of a nice bag… if there isn’t a planet to flaunt it on?” asks Studio Beej, a sustainable accessories brand, on its website. There is a blurred yet distinct line between a vegan and a sustainable product.

“You first need to decide what you are looking for, a vegan product, a sustainable one, or both,” highlights founder Arundhati Kumar. “Most sustainable alternatives are vegan, by default, but it is not the same the other way around. For example, 90% of vegan leather products today are synthetic alternatives that are essentially plastic. While it is vegan by definition, definitely not sustainable. They cannot be recycled and once they reach their end of life, they start flaking and shedding micro-plastics into the environment,” she highlights.

Mirium, Cork, Pinatex and Desserto are some of the leather alternatives that Studio Beej uses for its products.

FOReT, another sustainable accessories brand, too, uses similar materials for its products. “We prioritise materials that align with our vision and continually evaluate and research new options,” says founder Supriya Shirsat Satam. Currently, the brand focuses on cork and banana bark as its primary materials. Elaborating upon the two, she explains, “Cork is an up-cycled material made from the bark of cork oak trees and is sustainable, hypo-allergenic, and lightweight. Banana bark, on the other hand, is derived from the waste of banana plants.”

“Our women’s and men’s jewellery is handmade in our studio from cork bark. Our bags, wallets and other accessories are also made from cork and banana bark. Our banana bark bags are handcrafted by rural women artisans in India and finished in our studio. We have created these bags keeping durability in mind, with the option to repurpose them as planters once their original use has ended,” she adds.

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Satam, too, highlights the difference between a vegan and a sustainable product as “plastic material can also be considered vegan. Many of the vegan accessories available today are made using PU leather.”

“For shoppers who are conscious of the impact of their purchases on the environment, one of the most important factors to consider is the materials used. It is crucial to determine if the material is synthetic or fossil-fuel-based, as this significantly impacts sustainability. Therefore, while vegan products may be animal-free, it is essential to check if they are also made using sustainable production processes and materials to ensure they are environmentally friendly,” she explains.

Paying a higher price

Although interest in leather alternatives seems to be rising, it is yet to become mainstream. “The ultimate test would be whether consumers are willing to absorb the higher cost of such products by paying a bit more,” says Zouk’s founder.

Seconding that, Kumar says, “In most cases, creating something more mindfully across the manufacturing chain costs brands 3-4x more than the regular products, so costs are higher. A part of the problem is that consumers expect to get a better product that ticks all boxes at the prices they are used to—that is going to be hard. As consumers, we need to rewire the way we shop—shop less, shop better, and use it longer.”

Not just newer brands but top designers and designer labels, too, have delved into the eco-conscious space. Recently, designer Anita Dongre launched a line of vegan accessories. Here, the products were made of Mirium, which is plastic-free.

According to a report by India-based consulting organisation Coherent Market Insights, the global vegan market is set to rise to $835.7 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 7.1% during the period from 2022 to 2030. Demand is set to rise for vegan products, as the forecast shows.

PETA, too, certifies brands that sell vegan products. Some such brands in India include Zouk, FOReT, Studio Beej and Moon Rabbit Lifestyle, among others.

Although the vegan market is expected to expand, there is still a question over sustainability. Earlier this month, Kumar announced she would be shutting Studio Beej.

“The business of sustainability is not very sustainable in India just yet,” she wrote on LinkedIn. “Last week, I decided to shut down Beej after bootstrapping it for three years and building India’s finest plant-based accessories brand. I started it on a gut feel and cheekily gave myself the moniker ‘foolishly brave’,” she wrote. Speaking of the response to her announcement, in another post, she said, “Almost every founder in the plant-based space has reached out to me to say how much they looked up to the brand and this was heart breaking news because it seems so personal.”

Speaking with FE, she says “price” was a prominent reason behind it, as consumers can opt for vegan counterparts, which are cheaper, compared to the sustainable ones.

According to a McKinsey survey conducted in the United Kingdom, which looked at the customers’ sentiments on sustainability in clothing, accessories and footwear, while young and urban shoppers “actively” look for sustainable options, most customers remain neutral on the idea.

Not just that, many find it challenging to understand what constitutes sustainable. However, this could change once millenial and GenZ shoppers reach an age and income level when they can put their ecological-consciousness into their wardrobes, the McKinsey report states.