Clothing and accessories free of leather and all other animal ingredients are sold in stores in Marks & Spencer, Zara, and New Look, England, the BBC reports.
The fur coats were not made of real fur, and the leather-effect belts and shoes were made of bark, natural rubber, and coconut fiber, meaning no animal product was used for either.
While more and more Britons are trying to eat less meat, according to the latest figures from market research firm Mintel, animal welfare is a top priority for 42 percent of shoppers before deciding to buy a dress or accessory. The company says products that will be labeled vegan will be in high demand this year.
In addition, all parts of vegan products must be vegan, that is, free of materials of animal origin, including glue used for shoes and other chemicals.
The pioneer of vegan, eco-friendly, and sustainable products is British fashion designer Stella McCartney, whose fashion house uses neither fur nor leather, the fashion house is currently making a skin-active substance from mushrooms and is testing its ability to replace silk with yeast-extracted protein.
For example, British shoe and clothing brand Dr. Martens has seen a 300 percent increase in sales of vegan products in recent years. Footwear made from a blend of polyester fabric and polyurethane launched in 2011 accounted for four percent of shoe sales last year.
The Vegan Company says products registered under the vegan trademark are booming, while 119 products were registered in 2018, with about 2,000 products receiving the trademark this year.
“New products are being released every day and many brands are under review,” said Dominika Piasecka of the Vegan Company.
At the same time, the price of products derived from animal derivatives is higher compared to traditional clothes and accessories, for example, Dr. Martens ’vegan shoes cost as much as footwear made of genuine leather.
According to retail analyst Kate Hardcastle, the prices of traditional and vegan leather products are very similar because manufacturing costs are roughly the same, and material costs are a small part of the total price, so it doesn’t expect products without animal ingredients to be significantly cheaper.
