At KNOMO we pride ourselves in catering to all lifestyles, this time we’re not referring to our tech lovers, outdoor enthusiasts or socialites. We’re talking about consumption lifestyles, aka creating vegan friendly products that match the quality and durability of our existing collections.
As we’re sure you're aware, Veganism is on the rise and has swept through society, causing people to reflect on not just their dietary choices. But looking into the wider aspects of consumption from their shampoo to their shoes. In the UK alone the number of people adopting a vegan lifestyle has quadrupled since 2014, and that’s where we come in.
As a brand it is at the forefront of our design process to reduce our environmental impact. We have worked and are designing several vegan friendly alternatives across a range of our products to create an exciting new edge, and refresh our best sellers.
Did you know that our Dalston collection is vegan friendly and already available to shop? Or that our Thames collection is made from recycled plastic bottles?
It is a process that we are diving into whilst taking the time to ensure the materials we choose reflect the same high quality and durability of our pre-existing products, whilst upholding our commitment to sourcing sustainably and ethically.
But what is vegan fashion?
Vegan fashion ensures there is no animal testing, materials or biproducts are used in any stage of the production process. Instead, relying on synthetic or natural alternatives. A market in which is expected to surpass the animal leather market by 2025.
For years leather was the go-to material for bags and accessories due to its durability and texture. Every leather garment is unique due to the nature of its origin and is perceived as an investment due to the lifespan and elegant finish of its products.
So, What alternative materials are there?
Nylon
A manmade fabric that’s commonly used for bags and accessories, it’s durable, lightweight and far easier to care for than the animal leather. Nylon is wrinkle proof, keeping your bag looking great for an extended period of time.
Generally speaking, nylon is water resistant, we should say here that we wouldn’t necessarily recommend you test this on our products by dunking them in water, but you can rest easy knowing your belongings are protected if you’re caught in the rain.
Recycled PET (Polyethylene terephthalate)
A more sustainable fabric than nylon, recycled PET is made from plastic bottles, melted down and spun into thread. PET is a resilient material with great durability. It offers protection against the rain and is easy to care for with minimal maintenance. To find out more about recycled PET take a look at our recent blog on sustainability.
Vegan Leather
Vegan leather can be made from both synthetic and natural materials. The synthetic production of leather often uses polyurethane, more commonly known as PU leather or PVC.
Traditional PU material is solvent based, which is a synthetic material and harmful to the environment, but the newer higher quality PU is water-based, which greatly helps reduce environmental impact
As the environmental conscience of the world is increasing the demand for improved sustainability has too. Manufacturers are consistently looking into way’s they can improve their processes. Leather can be created from natural materials, for example combining natural rubber and cotton, using Bananatex, or Pinatex – creating durable vegan leathers from banana and pineapple leaves, through a process that significantly reduces carbon emissions.
Our design team is in the midst of exploring new materials, and with a range to choose from we are led by our passion to create purposeful bags, relating not only to their end use, but their production too.
Keep your eyes peeled on our socials to have the first look at our new ranges launching in Autumn.
