Vegan Leather Myths: Better Than Leather
We can't speak for all vegan leathers but when it comes to our Technik-Leather we want to set the record straight. We're debunking some of the myths you may have heard in the great Leather vs Vegan Leather debate.
Spoiler Alert: When we say "Better Than Leather" we mean it.
MYTH 1: Leather is more sustainable because it's a natural material. Plastic is far worse.
The Global Fashion Agenda's Pulse of the Fashion Industry Report outlined the most damaging materials used for fashion. Not surprisingly, animal fibers make up four of the top five least environmentally friendly fashion material. What was #1? Cow leather.
In fact compared to cow leather, most faux leathers have 1/3 of the impact. With that said, not all vegan leathers are made through sustainable and nontoxic processes but ours are. Our Technik-Leather uses far less water as our manufacturing uses a wet process that recycles 98% of the water back into it. In addition, our carbon footprint is 33% less than your average leather bag.
Here's exactly how our best selling Medium Shopper stacks up to a leather bag of the same size.
MYTH 2: Real leather is more durable.
Animal hide has to be well maintained to pro-long it's life. It shouldn't get wet and if it does it needs to be cleaned immediately to avoid damage or staining. Real leather also needs to be kept out of direct sunlight, the UV exposure dries out natural oils and causes discoloration and aging. Does that sound durable?
With our Technik-Leather you can spill your darkest coffee or stubborn red wine and clean it up with just soap and water. You can scratch it with your keys and not worry about it leaving it a mark. You can run around in the rain or sunshine and be confident your bag won't be phased. The best things in life should last a lifetime and you shouldn't have to worry about them along the way.
MYTH 3: Vegan leather should be cheaper than real leather.
It's a common misconception that because it's not real it shouldn't be as expensive. The price of a product isn't based solely on what it's made out of, it has a lot to do with how it's made. While Vegan Leather does exist in fast fashion, we offer a more sustainable handmade alternatives.
What’s different about our material is that it’s a premium synthetic material with roots in the luxury automotive industry. We believe it’s even greater quality than leather. It still has the feel of leather, but with the additional benefits of being water resistant, scratch proof and free of imperfections so that it will actually last much longer.
Prices are also driven up by the fact that we produce everything in ethically run factories by talented craftsmen who are paid fair wages. Despite all this, we still sell direct to you exclusively on our website, which means that our prices don’t include the traditional 5x retail markup that many brands charge.