🌱 Vegan Fashion Is the New Luxury… So Why Are Big Brands Still Obsessed With Animal Skin?
By Khushi Sethi
Okay, let’s get real for a second.It’s 2025. We have self-driving cars, AI assistants, and literal leather made from mushrooms… and somehow the luxury fashion world is still like:
“Hmm, yes. The world is on fire. But have you tried… more animal skin?”
I mean—besties. Be serious.
While the rest of us are trying to shop consciously, big luxury houses are still treating animal hides like trophies. And one brand that always pops up in this conversation is Loro Piana — the reigning king of ultra–premium, ultra-rare, ultra-expensive animal fibres. Cashmere? Vicuña? Baby cashmere? Yup, that’s their entire personality.
But here’s the twist:Gen Z does not care about tradition if the tradition is harmful.Sorry not sorry.
🌿 So… What Even Is Vegan Fashion?
Think fashion that doesn’t come at the cost of a heartbeat.No leather, no wool, no silk, no fur — NONE of that.
Instead, we’ve got:✨ Mushroom leather (Mylo)✨ Cactus leather (Desserto)✨ Apple leather (yes, from apples — iconic)✨ Recycled ocean plastic fabric✨ Bamboo & Tencel✨ Organic cotton & linen
The vibe?Softer. Cleaner. Kinder. Aesthetic. Planet-friendly.And honestly… way sexier than wearing something that once had a pulse.
🐑 Why Luxury Brands Still Cling to Animal Fibres
In one word: image.
Luxury houses have spent decades convincing the world that:“Real leather = wealth.”“Cashmere = power.”“Rare animal fibres = status.”
Brands like Loro Piana literally built their identity on being the masters of “rare animal materials.” It’s their story. Their legacy. Their brand DNA.
But here’s the problem:Legacy doesn’t justify cruelty.
And Gen Z consumers — the ones who will dominate luxury spending in the next 5–10 years — are calling BS on this old-school mentality.
We want innovation, not exploitation.Purpose, not tradition.A better future, not “this is how we’ve always done it.”
🔥 The Hard Question: Why Is Animal Suffering Still Considered Luxury?
Let’s be brutally honest.Luxury fashion loves to sell a fantasy. But behind the fantasy is often:
Industrial farming
Environmental damage
Exploitation
Excessive resource use
And animals being used like raw materials
And we’re supposed to call THAT luxurious?Babes, no.
Luxury should feel good — morally, emotionally, aesthetically.If it hurts the planet, it’s not luxury. It’s outdated marketing.
🌎 Gen Z Is Choosing Vegan Fashion for Three Big Reasons
1. Because compassion is cool now.
We’re done glamorising harm. Cruelty is not chic.
2. Because the Earth has had enough of fast fashion and luxury waste.
Vegan materials are lighter on the planet, full stop.
3. Because vegan fashion looks GOOD.
If you think “vegan leather” means cheap plastic…SURPRISE — mushroom leather looks better than traditional leather.Cactus leather? Soft. Durable. Luxe. Screams quiet wealth, actually.
Stella McCartney, Pangaia, Nanushka, Veja — all proving you can be ethical and high fashion at the same time.
🌱 The Future of Fashion Is Simple:
Cruelty-free. Clean. Conscious.And still insanely stylish.
The brands that embrace this shift will thrive.The ones that don’t?Well… good luck selling “tradition” to a generation that cares about the planet melting.
Whether brands like Loro Piana evolve or cling to the past is their choice.But the future is already here — and it’s vegan, innovative, and infinitely kinder.
This is fashion with a heartbeat.Fashion that actually feels good to wear.Fashion that says:We can be stylish without being harmful.We can be luxurious without being cruel.We can do better — so we will.
Khushi Sethi.
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