Making an Impact: Join Slow Fashion Movement’s #KnowYour Leather Campaign
It’s all about “Progress over Perfection.”
Slow Fashion Movement is launching its latest #KnowYour Leather campaign! This is a four-week multi-platform campaign starting on April 1st, 2023, that will focus on specific topics around leather each week. It will show the impact of leather across the fashion supply chain by taking you on a journey across its production and consumption. We have designed this campaign to help you understand leather in the fashion industry. It is important we illustrate the intersectional impact of garments by uplifting educational and personal stories around leather. Additionally, we seek to help you make better decisions about clothing by providing guides on how to achieve a slow fashion lifestyle. Finally, we will highlight the frontrunners and slackers in the fashion industry that create leather fabric and garments to break down this nuanced topic. The following information in this blog is a full rundown of what to expect in April and how to get plugged in!
Week 1: History of Leather
The first week of the campaign starts on Saturday, April 1st, 2023. We will focus on the history of leather and explain why we wear leather and how the leather jacket became a fashion staple, and form of self-expression. This is important since leather is a fashion material that is used widely across the industry and impacts different communities and animals across the globe.
Week 2: Production of Leather
The second week of the campaign will explore the tanning process of leather. Leather production is incredibly nuanced, which means exploring the important connection between agriculture and leather. We will look into how leather is wasted, how it can either be a co-product or a by-product of the meat industry, its use by high-end brands, and weigh the environmental impact of chromium-tanned vs. vegetable-tanned leather, while exploring the different sources of leather. We will also feature the documentary ‘SLAY’, which explores the leather industry. Exploring leather production and consumption will allow us to make informed consumer choices and move towards ethical and sustainable practices.
Week 3: Alternatives of Leather
The third week of the campaign will continue to address the environmental impact of the fashion industry through a focus on material solutions. We will explore fossil fuel materials, which are non-renewable, have low recyclability, and produce microplastics. We’ll also delve into bio-based leather and explore the trade-offs of their water consumption and use of polyurethane as a plasticizer. Finally, we’ll discuss the paradox of durability and affordability of leather and investigate whether vegan fashion is a form of greenwashing.
Week 4: Sustainability of Leather
The final week of the campaign will focus on the intersection of circularity and leather. We will explore second-hand leather, and how to make leather last. The importance of slow and circular fashion practices within leather fabrics and clothing will mark the end of our campaign!
Join Slow Fashion Movement with our latest educational campaign that will take you on a leather journey where you will learn valuable information on the impact of leather production and consumption on the environment and people. Make informed shopping decisions by following us on Instagram, and participating in our Know Your Leather events including, but not limited to, LIVE’s, panel discussions, workshops and community events. Our first event will be Farm to Future on April 7th, 2023 from 2:00–3:00 pm CET, where we will be in conversation with leading sustainable fashion experts, which include Emma Håkansson, Rebecca Cappelli, Besma Whayeb, and Emily Stochl. By educating and empowering each other, we can make a difference in creating a fashion ecosystem that protects the physical well-being of the planet and its people.
