Vegan handbags are made from sustainable alternatives to real leather, which is often made in countries with poor animal (and human) welfare, and causes pollution due due to the tanning process. Vegan leather is also easy to wipe-clean.
It takes 17,000 litres of fresh water to make 1kg of leather. 80% of leather is tanned with chrome that is toxic to tannery workers, plus animals suffer (20% of the Amazon rainforest is already gone, with cattle ranching the main cause). Cattle farming is by far the biggest contributor to CO2 emissions in livestock farming, causing 60% of all emissions, and over 65% of leather is from cows.
luxury vegan handbags with spacious interiors
JLR is a quality line of luxury vegan handbags in many styles and colours, ideal for getting about town. With signature tassel keyrings and gold hardware, these have spacious interiors and zipped hidden pockets for your cards and keys. Sold with a complimentary dust bag, this is an investment to last years.
luxury vegan bags & accessories (from recycled fire hose)
Elvis & Kresse creates beautifully crafted luggage and accessories like overnight bags, washbags and belts, all made from decommissioned fire hose that is salvaged from the British Fire Brigade. A few years back, they did use up some recycled leather but it appears all items are now vegan-friendly.
In red or yellow, the company offers a repair-for-life on the entire collection and 50% of profits are given The Fire Fighters Charity, which offers support to serving and retired firefighters with everything from physical and mental health issues, to nursing support for injuries. Its dedicated centre in Cumbria helps firefighters and their families also with illness, from strokes and MS to motor neurone disease.
There isn’t a more heroic job than a firefighter, is there? In 2020, London Fire Brigade also rescued over 300 cats and birds, 73 dogs, 61 foxes, 17 horses, 17 deer and 7 squirrels. They also put out wildfires and fires caused by fire lanterns. Read more on tips to prevent fires (and help firefighters).
Italian vegan handbags (made from apple leather)
Miomojo (Italy) makes a lovely line of vegan handbags, in the country known for possibly being the most stylish on earth! Made in Bergamo (a city north of Milan near the Italian lakes), these beautiful bags are exquisitely crafted in lots of lovely colours and styles. Many of the bags are made from organic materials made with apple waste (locally sourced) and otherfruit or cactus leathers. Other items are made with ghost fishing waste (to help marine creatures) and recycled plastic bottles. Their Love Bag Eva (sold at over 100 boutiques worldwide (is made entirely from apple skin). The range includes:
- Shoulder bags
- Cross-body bags
- Mini bags
- Backpacks
Most materials are sourced within 300km of headquarters, and the company gives 10% of the sale price to animal welfare causes worldwide with each purchase (and also donates 10% off from their offline business). It also uses profits to help independent animal sanctuaries, including one in Rome (founded by a former farmer who underwent a ‘transformation’ to animal rescuer!) He used to sell lambs and after hearing their cries, he bought them back for double the price, and now saves lambs from Easter lunch, to live out their lives in peace. Bravo Massimo!
These bags need to be carefully cared for, due to featuring high amounts of bio-content. Store in the included dust bags away from direct sunlight, heat and keep well ventilation, and stuff with clean paper when not in use. You can use a damp cloth to carefully clean the linings and then leave to air dry, removing stains with a damp cloth and mild soap and water. Avoid grease, solvents or strong grease.
a range of matching vegan handbags
The Morphbag is an innovative vegan handbag range in a wide array of colours. The large totes have wide straps to avoid digging into shoulders. The Cross Body bag is ideal for shopping trips or when you need to be hands-free, and has adjustable straps to wear as a shoulder bag. The outside zip offers quick easy access to contents inside. The clutch bag is ideal, when all you need are the essentials (a secure inside zip holds bank cards. Remain hands-free to shake hands, but still hold your champagne glass!
Founder Giovanna is an award-winning Italian luxury handbag designer and interior designer raised in the fashion industry and based in London, who previously had a successful international business career. Inspired by her own multi-tasking, she is a working mother who still wished to be stylish.A season-less bag of three colour-co-ordinated timeless handbags to make a capsule wardrobe set to last. Reersible tote, cross-body shoulder bag and clutch/wallet are carefully selected to work with the main colour groups of a capsule wardrobe: black, brown and navy. Each one has detailing in dual colours to work across the seasons.
They use luxury vegan polyurethene leather that is coated and textured for the same pebble grain and the linings of the cross body bags are made from recycled water bottles. They use recycled PU leather. The boxes are made from compostable fsc-wood or cardboard with water-based inks and natural glue, and are sold in fair trade cotton drawstring bags with the brand logo. Trees are also planted in the Amazon rainforest (responsible for 6% of the world’s oxygen) for the bags sold.
