A Wren Says

Actually leather is more sustainable because it’s a byproduct of the beef industry. As long as people are eating meat, leather is going to be there.

To be honest, I hadn’t thought of it that way. That insight came from Logan Duran, VP of ESG at Tapestry. He sat on a panel on sustainability in fashion at SXSW 2025, titled Honest Marketing  & Circularity: A New Era for Fashion. All of the presenters brought their expertise to the stage: farming, regenerative fashion, reusable fabrics. However, that one statement really stuck with me.

I think we have to have a conversation about leather.

There are two ways we can have this conversation. We can continue down the path of claiming that we want to avoid leather because “it’s bad for environment.” Or we could lean into the truth. The reason why someone why one might avoid leather is not about sustainability. The material already exists. (Conversations about ending consumption of cows is a different direction.) The problem is not that we need a sustainable alternative to leather. What we need is a more sustainable option for the vegan alternatives for leather.

What many of us know as pleather is really just plastic. It won’t degrade nor is it of a quality fit to be reused, like leather is. The race is find a solution, that doesn’t involve animals, that mimics that texture of leather and has a lower environmental impact. This where materials made from grape skins, mushrooms, and cactus have innovated the industry. These plant and fungi-based options get us closer to the feel of leather without the impact of plastic.

There are good reasons to want to avoid leather. Animal welfare and vegan lifestyles are good reasons. But as we think about the materials that we choose instead, we have to ask ourselves, “Do you want a sustainable option or do you just want a vegan alternative?” And we have to recognize that those can be two different things.