Vegan leather, vegetable leather, animal leather, imitation leather: Understand all these names

The term "leather" is regulated by the French consumer code and refers to a material that comes from animal skin; Vegan leather, as such, does not exist. Indeed, "Vegan" refers to a lifestyle that excludes all products derived from animals or their exploitation. Therefore, "vegan leather" is an oxymoron and has no meaning in itself, but it can be used to describe all materials resembling genuine leather without having any connection to an animal.

What are the "vegan" materials that make up what is called vegan leather?

• Synthetic materials

Synthetic materials are generally plastic derivatives, such as the well-known "faux leather" made from PVC or PU. Faux leather is obtained by adding a mixture of petroleum-based plasticizers and powdered vinyl to fabric. This process involves several layers to give the material the appearance of "real" leather. However, this type of production requires the use of various plastic derivatives, which can release toxins that are harmful to the environment and to people who come into contact with the material. The majority of vegan leathers are still petroleum byproducts, and therefore have a high carbon footprint. 

• Plant materials

In recent years, alongside the vegan trend, we have seen the emergence of new plant-based materials that imitate leather. Thus, it is possible to find faux leathers made from pineapple leaves, mushrooms, apples, tea leaves, or even sap. 

We are therefore witnessing a genuine desire on the part of both consumers and businesses to take positive action for the planet by changing our consumption habits. However, it seems important to mention that currently, even in plant-based vegan leathers, more than half of the composition of these materials is a petrochemical-derived resin, which therefore has a significant environmental impact. This resin increases the durability of these materials. But we remain confident that in a few years, techniques will undoubtedly have evolved and will allow us to eliminate these plastic components from vegan leathers. 

How to distinguish between vegan leather and animal leather? 

Most of "Vegan leathers" are certified by labels to guarantee to consumers that the products have no contact with animal exploitation. The best known, and one of the oldest vegan labels, is The Vegan Society. Visually, vegan leathers can be quite convincing! They undergo a printing process before being sold, making their appearance remarkably similar to real leather. This is especially true for pineapple or grape leather. However, it's worth noting that leather made from animal hides can develop a beautiful patina over time (especially if it's vegetable-tanned), unlike vegan leathers. 

To check if the material in question is leather or vegan leather, simply smell it. This test (although unconventional) will quickly tell you what type of leather it is. A genuine leather item will have that familiar leather smell. Conversely, vegan leather will either be odorless or have a plastic or chemical odor, which is particularly true for synthetic leathers. 

And is plant-based leather the same as vegan leather? 

As you will have understood, vegan leather is not to be confused with vegetable-tanned leather.Indeed, when we talk about this type of leather, we are talking about "genuine" leather, meaning it comes from animal hide but is tanned with organic tannins, not the more polluting mineral tannins. There are therefore differences between chrome tanning and vegetable tanning. We use both types of processes for our Strapinterchangeable watch parts.