Unleather: Textiles from Plants
By Rissa Miller
Great minds sometimes look at a mushroom and see... a car seat. That's what's going on in the innovative world of vegan leather. And it's not just mushrooms. All kinds of plants are in the mix. Apples, mangoes, pineapples, cacti, grains, grapes, coconuts, bananas, and even flowers are being used to create leather-like materials.
Traditionally, leather has come from animal skins, mostly cows, but also goats, sheep, and other farmed animals.
"People argue that (animal) leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, that everything from the animal is going to use. But there's a huge environmental impact. Leather is skin. It has to be tanned or it rots. Tanneries are incredibly toxic for waterways because most use chromium. You aren't just talking about a cruel product, it's also leaving a huge impact on the planet," said Roxanne Peake, founder of Dominic & Dempsey, a company creating cactus-based leather products for youth.
According to EPA.gov, tanning is when the collagen fibers in the animal hide react to the chemicals used in the preservation process. Chromium is the most common chemical used for this, as chrome-tanned (animal) leather tends to be more stable in water, as well as softer and more flexible than other treatments. However, chromium leaves a negative impact on waterways, as well as on the health of workers in tanneries.
As the public awareness about leather's impact and the animal suffering associated with large-scale farming increases, there's a greater demand for vegan leather. Until now, that meant polyurethane (PU) or plastic faux leathers. These have their own issues. PU products wear out quickly, aren't especially soft, and crack or puncture easily. And plastics don't decompose.
The demand for cruelty-free vegan leather textiles is growing rapidly in fashion, sports, even the furniture and automotive industries.
"Fashion has a clear opportunity to act differently, creating a new value for society, and seeking growth at the same time," said Adrián López Velarde, co-creator of Desserto, a cactus leather production company in Mexico. "This comes with an urgent need to place environmental, social, and ethical improvements on the agenda. Natural resources and the environment are under pressure, and this industry is a considerable contributor."
Desserto creates their leather from nopales cacti in Mexico in a process developed by Velarde and Marte Cázarez. The cacti used, also known as prickly pears, do not require watering, and are native to the region where Desserto farms and harvests them. Each plant lives about eight years. Only mature cactus paddles are harvested so the plants live a full lifespan.
Peake creates all of her brand's shoes from Desserto cactus leather. In her experience, it's strong, pliable, and stylish.
"My son has been wearing his boots about a year. There are no splits or cracks. They got caked with mud, and to clean them, I had to soak them in a bucket and scrub them. Even I was pleasantly surprised that they held up to this kind of wear and tear," Peake said. "Over time, they're getting a gorgeous patina like animal leather would, and molding to the foot."
In fact, cactus leather is so durable that Mercedes is rolling out luxury upholstery stitched from it. And mushroom leathers from Mylo are so reliable that big name companies like Adidas and lululmeon are using them to make sporting apparel and equipment.
Mylo material is created by Bolt Threads, a U.S. material innovations company based in California. The mycelium (underground structure of mushrooms) used for Mylo is grown in indoor vertical farming facilities that are 100% powered by renewable energy. The grow process takes less than two weeks start to finish. Mylo can be used like animal or synthetic leather, and can take on any color, finish or emboss.
As a lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney never uses leather, fur, skins, or feather in her high-end fashion designs. McCartney has, however, embraced Mylo.
"Since the beginning I wanted to approach things in a different way because killing animals for the sake of fashion is quite simply not acceptable," said McCartney.
Based in Austin, Texas, Peake creates children's shoes specifically, as her journey began there.
"As a vegan mom, I was frustrated there was nothing on the market, and I mean literally nothing, for my son. I had no background in fashion, but I had a vision of a quality, elegant, cruelty-free children's boot. The cactus leather made so much sense. We started in 2019 and went live to the public in March 2021.
And how are things going for Dominc and Dempsey's cactus leather shoes? The line has expanded and demand is booming—she can barely keep boots in stock.
"It's time for this," said Peake. "A lot of people switch to the vegan lifestyle and they give up leather only to find the options until now were cloth or plastic. It was a challenge. Now it's just a matter of transition and scaling (plant leathers). I want to make these (boots) for the world."
