Style With Substance

The Truth About Vegan Leather With Ioanna Topouzoglou of Mashu

Episode Summary

Vegan leather is usually billed as the more sustainable alternative to leather, however not all vegan leather is as eco friendly as you might hope. Ioanna is the Founder of vegan leather bag brand Mashu. She gives us the low down on plant based textiles and creating a circular company.

Episode Notes

What Is Vegan Leather Made Of?

This week I’m exploring vegan leather and it’s place within the contemporary fashion landscape. Did you know that vegan leather is usually made of PU, which is polyurethane, which is made from oil? The majority of vegan leather you will find on the high street especially is made of PU. Having oil products so close to your skin is a little worrying right? However there are some exciting new innovative plant based textiles that are fabulous faux leather substitutes.

Plant Based Alternatives

One brand using these alternatives is Mashu. I originally came across Mashu at London Fashion Week and couldn’t believe that these cool, sculptural bags were made of eco friendly materials. Mashu’s Founder Ioanna is passionate about creating really good quality leather substitutes for vegans and people who want an eco alternative to leather. The brand is manufactured in her native Greece and she uses all sorts of interesting materials to try to be as close to zero waste as possible. In this conversation she tells us about the cons of real leather production and tanning and why she believes that plant based textiles are the future for accessories brands. 

With thanks to the wonderful Ioanna Topouzoglou

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Series Credits 

Host Lucy Kebbell

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