Veganism isn’t only making a breakthrough on our eating habits; it’s also turning heads in the luxury fashion world. According to fashion intelligence company Edgeexpo, the global fashion industry is expected to be worth $3.3 billion by 2030. The other side of the story? It’s also the second biggest polluter in the world, generating over 15.1 million tons of textile waste annually. The clothes we wear contribute to 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions from industries.
There’s not much time to change our ways, either, because climate change is not a distant threat – it’s looming on the horizon, threatening to create a world our children can’t live in. We’re likely to reach near-catastrophic levels of global warming by 2040, according to a report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Climate Change Panel.
There is positive news, however: designers around the globe adopting sustainable alternatives, luxury vegan fashion is becoming increasingly popular. This adoption is beneficial as a long-term investment in our environment while also providing ethically sourced items. Thanks to the creativity of the sector, vegan fashion has transformed into a luxury enterprise using better materials – not just vegan leathers made from plastics – without compromising the quality or design.
Designer brands – many of which are incredibly popular here in the Middle East – have an opportunity to change the way we shop and shape a consumer future that’s more ethical, more sustainable, and in line with the growing worldwide trend of veganism.
Of all the luxurious vegan fashion brands, Stella McCartney’s pledge to vegan fashion is probably the best known, since Stella was one of the original designers to insist on vegan ethics in her creations. McCartney strives to ensure that her entire production process for every item is as transparent and sustainable as can be, including using vegan leather.
Vegan leather is often made from polyurethane, a polymer that can be made to order. It can also be made from innovative and sustainable materials such as pineapple leaves, cork, apple peels, other fruit waste, and recycled plastic and used to create products that put animal skins to shame. Stella McCartney is on the growing list of designers who feature only vegan leather in their collections. While she has admitted that her brand isn’t perfect and has work to do, McCartney has made steps towards making her line kinder to the planet, animals, and people.
Sustainable fashion is a broad term. It is about more than simply using fabrics that are environmentally friendly, covering all areas of fashion. For example, McCartney doesn’t use glue, as it is derived from animal and fish bones, and she ditched PVC after learning that the chemicals involved in the manufacturing process can be harmful for workers health.
She has also been involved in the development of eco-friendly alternatives to fabrics like viscose and silk.
“Fashion feels like it is finally waking up to the fact that it is one of the most harmful industries environmentally,” McCartney she said. “Let’s hope it isn’t a trend and here to stay!”
The author is an expert in vegan wellbeing and health. Instagram handle: @Ghanim92
Ghanim al-Sulaiti
