Our bags are made of animal free materials. At the moment we use faux leather and lorry tarpaulin.
Many people believe leather used by the fashion industry is a waste
product of the meat industry, but that is not true. The tanning industry, does not only use the skin of cows and sheep, but also of goats, horses, pigs, birds, ostriches and other animals not used by humans for food. We looked for alternativesthat do not involve killing animals.
After extensive research and trials, we selected the faux leather and
lorry tarpaulin. They are both durable and resistant, waterproof, easy to clean and well printable. In 2016 we have been awarded with the Animal Free Fashion certificate, being a fashion company engaged in the protection of animals and working towards a more ethical and sustainable production model.
We do however feel the need to become much more sustainable and for that reason we are constantly monitoring the market for new sustainable and animal-friendly materials that are also printable. Unfortunately the print trials have all failed until now, but we are confident that this will change in the near future.
For our bags we have chosen to work with lorry tarpaulin, which is a PVC normally used for trucks. It is a high quality PVC. Each sheet weighs 650 grams per square metre and is designed to last for millions of kilometres. It is resistant to atmospheric agents and temperature leaps (it ranges from -30°C to +70°C), as well as mechanical traction, tearing and folding. What is really important for us, is that it supports digital printing well, is durable, completely recyclable and a good match with the "underground" like style that characterizes many of our creations. For certain colours we can use partly recycled material. The material is made in Italy.
Without a doubt our bags are already a lot more sustainable than many other brands, considering the lack of import (100% made in Italy), the manual production and the recyclability and lifespan of the materials used. We do however strive to continuos improvements in this area and will actively continue our search for suitable sustainable alternatives for the lorry tarpaulin and faux leather.
The faux leather (also known as imitation leather) we use is a material made up of layers of polyurethane resins, not to be confused with the eco-leather (tanned animal skin with lower environmental impact than real leather).
The new generation of faux leather that we use is of the highest quality: it is as durable and breathable as real leather, but much easier to clean and storeand very well printable. This faux leather, even though it is also a type of plastic, is more sustainable than lorry tarpaulin but does have a different look and feel that make sit not suitable for our entire collection but only for certain pieces.
Lorry tarpaulin and faux leather are very resistant and durable materials, which do not need a lot of care and maintenance, are water-repellent, tear-resistant and very easy to clean using just water or neutral detergents.
