The Debrief | Is ‘Vegan Leather’ Better?

A number of products made from leather alternatives have begun to hit store shelves. BoF’s chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent unpacks why it’s so hard to market — and scale — these new products. Leather alternatives have been called both industry-changing eco-innovation, and dismissed as mere plastic — covering up complexities in how products are made and how much better or worse for the environment they are. At the same time, brands are increasingly using buzzy terms like “vegan leather” and “plant-based” to sell products, without doing much to explain their environmental impact. “You have to be very careful and very switched on to understand what it is you’re buying as a consumer,” said BoF chief sustainability correspondent Sarah Kent. Subscribe to BoF’s YouTube channel to never miss a video. Look out for more VOICES videos coming soon, bringing you the best of our annual global gathering for big thinkers. CONNECT WITH THE BUSINESS OF FASHION: Web: https://www.businessoffashion.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BoF Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessoffa... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BoF LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-... Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/fashionbu... Newsletter: https://www.businessoffashion.com/new... ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF FASHION: The Business of Fashion is a next-generation fashion media company conceived for today’s global and hyper-connected world. Founded in 2007 by Imran Amed, BoF is k