Animal-free leather is easier to find than ever before. Long gone are the days of relying on rubbery pleather fashion for vegan-friendly alternatives to closet staples.
The Rise of the Vegan Leather Alternative
Recent data from Grand View Research shows that the vegan leather market is set to be worth $85 billion globally by 2025 as more consumers grow aware of the ethical and environmental impact of the industry. Not only is leather made from the flesh of animals, the process to make it involves the use of “highly toxic chemicals,” according to The Huffington Post.
“A few years ago, villagers could swim in the river. Now they get blisters on their hands and feet from touching the water. … When you stand close to the river you can smell rotting flesh because the leather factory dumps its sewage, made up of animal skin and meat, untreated into the river,” said a lawyer from China’s Centre for Legal Assistance to Pollution Victims regarding how a tannery impacted a village’s river.
Mainstream footwear brands like Doc Martens and Birkenstock are putting forth popular vegan versions of their classic shoes while luxury brands like Stella McCartney and Matt & Nat are innovating eco-friendly leather. While PVC and PU were once go-to leather alternatives, in recent years brands have innovated with materials including pineapple leaf fiber, apple peels, mushroom, and corn.
Even affordable companies are hopping on the trend: Canadian brand Call It Spring recently announced that all collections going forward would be free from animal-based materials, citing increased consumer brands. International retailer Topshop also unveiled a vegan leather shoe collection earlier this year.
Looking for the best lux shoes and accessories to replace the leather in your closet? Check out these vegan leather brands below.
13 Luxury Vegan Leather Brands for Bag and Shoe Lovers
1. Doshi
California-based brand Doshi specializes in vegan leather bags, briefcases, accessories, and belts. The company was founded to provide ethical, high-quality later alternatives suitable for professionals, travelers, or those seeking versatile, fashionable vegan accessories. The company prides itself on its practical, durable designs as well as its commitment to being environmentally-friendly.
Doshi ensures that the companies it works with have environmentally-friendly practices in place. “We hope that when you buy our products, you’ll use them often so that what we take from the environment is used to its fullest. When you’re done with our products, please donate them so that others may put them to good use,” states the website.
Start shopping here.
2. Stella MCartney
Launched in 2001 by the eponymous daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney, Stella McCartney makes luxurious, cruelty-free clothing, accessories, and shoes. The sustainable brand aims to demonstrate how faux leather can push the boundaries of luxury fashion.
“Our leather alternatives do not just look good, they are also better to the environment. Using recycled polyester instead of Brazilian calf leather, for example, creates 24 times less of an environmental impact, as calculated through the Environmental Profit and Loss,” states the website.
Not only does Stella McCartney offer her own leather-fre designs, but also collaborations, such as her famous vegan leather Stan Smith sneakers made with Adidas. The sneaker is a favorite of Madonna, Dame Emma Thompson, and the tennis legend himself. McCartney also has fans in Miley Cyrus, Michelle Obama, Meghan Markle, and Taylor Swift.
Start shopping here.
3. Will’s Vegan Shoes
Motivated by a dream to bridge the gap between everyday people and ethical vegan shoes, Will’s Vegan Shoes is focused on producing fashionable, fairly priced, and carbon neutral footwear. This London-based brand’s beautiful designs are consistently on-trend and on par to the “real thing” when it comes to texture and aesthetic. According to the website, vegan leather milled from European cereal crops made in Italy and Spain.
“Unlike leather or suede, the materials we use do not get ruined when they are wet and do not stain. Do not worry if you get them covered in mud. They will not even be damaged by road salt and slush in winter. It is easy to keep our footwear looking brand new,” states the website.
From suede sandals and cute-to-boot kids wear to leather-like dress shoes, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Start shopping here.
4. Ethique212
Meaning “ethical” in French, NYC-based brand Ethique212 have pledged to using entirely animal-free materials to produce designer bags and accessories. Committed to being environmentally and socially responsible, the company recycles all of its waste and employs ethical business practices. “In our brand name, ‘212’ is symbolic of NYC, where all of our products will proudly be designed, manufactured, and distributed, delivering our customers complete + radical transparency — the highest quality + value at a reasonable price,” says the website.
Ethique212 stocks a wide selection of vegan alternatives, inspired by the latest fashion trends and a love of NYC’s architecture, graffiti, and street style.
Start shopping here.
5. Angela Roi
Angela Roi is a luxury vegan designer handbag brand created on the foundation of “kindness, values, and love.” The NYC-based company offers ethical artisan bags made from durable, high quality, and animal-free fabrics.
In addition to being completely vegan, Angela Roi actively stands against child labor and strive to produce its bags with environmentally sustainable business practices.
“Angela Roi believes that the goodness of people has the calibre to alter the globe for the better. With the grandeur of luxury and within the realm of humanity, the hope is to pave a path of altruism and to promisingly transform the way of the fashion industry,” states the website.
Start shopping here.
6. Beyond Skin
Beyond Skin is a UK-based, cruelty-free, and vegan footwear company loved by celebs like Natalie Portman and Miley Cyrus. Founded in 2001, Beyond Skin shows that ethical fashion is possible by endeavouring to reduce their carbon footprint and end industry exploitation without compromising on style. Shoes are hand-crafted in Spain using as many locally sourced materials as possible. What more could you ask for?
Start shopping here.
7. Urban Expressions
Designed in Los Angeles, Urban Expressions offer a collection of lux vegan leather handbags, purses, clutches, wallets and accessories. Urban Expressions was founded by conscious entrepreneurs who wanted to “revolutionize the industry with chic animal-friendly handbags that meet the needs of the everyday woman”. All Urban Expressions products are certified by Vegan.org and PETA.
Start shopping here.
8. Wilby
“The Premier Sustainable and Vegan Accessories brand,” Wilby, prides itself in using organic and eco-friendly materials such as organic cotton and lining, recyclable cloth, eco-friendly backing, and cork leather.
In an effort to operate with kindness, Wilby is 100 percent animal free, environmentally friendly and PETA-approved for your peace of mind.
Start shopping here.
9. Brave GentleMan
Embracing a slow fashion production model in an effort to steer away from the damaging affects of its fast paced counterpart, Brooklyn-based brand Brave GentleMan invests in sustainable innovation, “superior” vegan materials, ethical labor and classic styles made with quality. “Ethical fashion is not an aesthetic, its a methodology,” says the website.
Brave GentleMan has an exceptional range of ethical menswear including pants, shoes, suit, and accessories. Its signature material, Future-leather, is a soft, Italian-milled, eco-certified vegan PU leather. It’s a favorite of celebrities including actor Alan Cumming and Liam Hemsworth.
Start shopping here.
10. Matt & Nat
Luxury vegan brand Matt & Nat gets its name from a “synergy” between materials and nature. Founded in 1995 in Montreal, the eco-friendly brand is beloved for its high-quality vegan leather bags.
“Our values include social responsibility, excellence, inclusiveness, integrity, learning, authenticity and, of course, love. We are inspired by the textures and hues of nature and, to better protect it, we aim to constantly better our ways,” says the website.
Its bags are lined with material made from 100 percent recycled water bottles and the brand is always experimenting with new materials, including recycled nylon, rubber, cork, and cardboard.
Start shopping here.
10. Lulus
Rock your leather look the Lulus way in animal-friendly, fashion-forward vegan shoes and apparel. If you’re looking for fashion with a conscience, Lulus boast a huge range of ethical apparel and footwear, from stretchy faux leather pants to vegan suede mules and furry pom pom keychains.
Start shopping here.
12. Gunas
Cruelty-free, sweatshop-free, and based in NYC, Gunas is an independent, fashion label with a cause. Its mission? Simple: “High fashion; Zero cruelty.” The brand has donated to a number of charitable causes, including The Jane Goodall Institute, Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, Chilis on Wheels, Save-a-Pet, and more.
Gunas makes a wide range of styles to suit every mood and lifestyle, from totes and satchels to backpacks and cross-body bags.
Start shopping here.
13. LaBante London
London-born brand LaBante is committed to ethical, sustainable fashion. All of its luxurious vegan leather products are made from recycled plastic bottles manufactured in a sweatshop-free factory in Guangzhou, China. The brand believes in being good to animals, the planet, and people — anyone working in the factory receives a livable wage and paid maternity leave.
Start shopping here.
