During the pandemic, there has been an increase in Google searches for more ethical, environmentally-friendly clothing. As the world starts to open their eyes to the grim side affects of fast fashion (damaged water systems, poor working conditions, animal violation, and a host of other negatives), the hunt for more alternative fibers and fabrics has increased.

A big alternative brewing in the industry for years now is vegan leather. For a while brands created vegan leather with plastic, but thanks to some new R&D, plant leather has been growing in popularity.

What is vegan plant leather?

Over the years, innovators have been making leather out of everything from cactus, flowers, pineapples and apple cores to replace plastic vegan leather and animal-based leathers.

What plants are being used?

Piñatex
A natural vegan leather made from pineapple leaves. Founded by Dr. Carmen Hijosa, it is made of natural fibers and polylactic acid fibers (PLA), which are biodegradable.

Desserto
Famous for their cactus that first appeared at The International Leather fair in 2019. Made of nopal cactus leaves, it’s organic, durable and partially biodegradable. The great thing about cactus is there is no water used to harvest it and it grows in abundance all over Mexico.

Kanpur Flower Cycling
The India-based company has recently announced their new leather, Fleather, made from leftover temple flowers. The founders came up with the idea when they saw the dues, chemical and pesticides spilling onto the flowers and the river.

Photo via Ananas Anam