Vegan leather is quickly growing in popularity in response to environmental and ethical concerns about traditional leather. H&M’s new “Conscious Collection” will feature all sorts of eco-forward materials, including vegan leather made from grapes!
The material is made by the Italian company Vegea which collaborates with Italian wineries to make “leather” out of grape by-products. The company uses grape skins, stalks, and seeds to create their unique product.
H&M has had a rocky history with sustainability. Often called out as a fast-fashion perpetrator, the company has begun to turn the tide on their wasteful reputation with their clothing recycling program. Shoppers who bring in old clothing to recycle receive a 15 percent discount on new goods and, in 2018 alone, the company collected over 20,000 tons of unwanted clothing to be recycled. The company has also committed to using 100 percent recyclable and sustainably sourced materials by 2030.
New, sustainable, and slightly unusual material sources are making it easier than ever to make our clothing more eco-friendly. So keep your eye out, you may soon see grape leather in an H&M near you.
