2020, the year people demand companies to do better and for society to be better. The push of the Vegan consumer has allowed new textile technology to be manufactured, after all in Great Britain there are around 600,000 Vegans according to the Vegan Society. So it is no wonder that fashion is changing its course to adapt to the needs of this ever-growing market. So what alternatives are out there and which are the best?
1. Vegan Leather
Leather, a material seen to be durable, luxurious, and expensive, is one of the most adapted materials within textiles with many variations of a Vegan substitute. Piñatex a leather substitute was first developed in the 1990s in the Philippines by Dr Carmen Hijosa. This revolutionary material is made from pineapples but although it is Vegan the resin used on the material makes it not 100% biodegradable.
The need for Vegan leather does not stop there. It can also be made from the bark of Cork Oak Trees that grow in the Mediterranean. The fabric is not only durable just like real leather, but also lightweight, elastic, and waterproof. Produced without harming animals and plants this tree can be stripped of its bark and survive and even encouraging the plant to thrive and grow.
What is the first thing you reach for after a hard day at work? Wine. Yes, you heard right, Vegan leather can be made from wine. Vegea a new company has developed a process of taking the core and shell of a grape and adding chemicals to create wine leather. The soft alternative was developed in 2018 and is still in the development stages. The waste is taken from wine production and can create 1 square meter of leather from 10 litres of wine.
Hate them or love them, MuSkin is a Vegan leather alternative made from mushrooms. The most durable substitute on the market is also being developed into bricks and said to be able to take over plastic. It gets better, MuSkin is incredibly sustainable, 100% biodegradable and takes a fraction of the time to create than using cowhide.
2. Peace Silk
Did you know silk comes from an insect? During its metamorphosis stage, a silkworm is taken in its cocoon and boiled to gather silk. This harsh process kills the developing silkworm who is changing into a beautiful butterfly. Veganism has since improved this process, letting the silkworm breeding be done within a natural environment. Although a new material technology has not been developed the worms are free to live their lives in a safe surrounding.
3. Organic Cotton
Cotton throughout time has been one of the main materials used within the textile industry. The high demand has led not only detriments to the environment but the societies who grow it. “Every year a large number of India’s 5.8 million cotton farmers are poisoned by their exposure to pesticides.” Harvesting cotton organically means that there are no harmful chemicals used so soil quality is sustained and cotton workers are safe to earn a living.
4. Seaweed
Nothing gives you a shock, like walking through the sea and something tickles your toes. My mind goes to a shark, but my eyes show me it is just seaweed, phew! SeaCell is the production of seaweed being dried, crushed, ground, and introduced into cellulose fibers. SeaCell’s amazing material structure allows its garments to intake and release humidity, meaning that you are cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
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