Updated on 03 June 2025
In this article, we will dive into what makes a bag truly vegan, and look out for the ones that, while free of animal-derived materials, are still pretty far from making less than more harm to the environment.
Please note that by referring to bags as a whole, we do mean to include smaller accessories such as wallets and etui as well.
THE BAG BODY
As both the shell and the skeleton of a bag, the body holds it all together, therefore it has been prerogative for centuries to have it made from either the finest, or most durable fabrics. As of today, we have reached this proud moment of being able to replace animal leather with a range of plant-based alternatives. Cork leather is a beautiful example that reasonable harvesting might contribute to the growth of a natural habitat. For a cork oak to grow in healthy way, the bark has to be removed once every decade. The bark is then dried, boiled and pressed into cork leather which has proven to be impressively rub and abrasion resistant, and much easier to keep neat and clean as compared to animal leather (Eve Cork, Svala, JORD). Leaves are also being developed into some sturdy leather alternatives (Jungley, Thamon). Piñatex, which is dried pineapple fibres felted together with a corn-based polyactic acid (PLA), also ranks high on the durability scale (Carolina Herrera, Rahui London).
Leather alternatives developed from food and beverage waste hold big promises on both waste management as well as agency for emerging economies. Following Desserto, the cactus leather hit (HOZEN, Thalie), Adriano di Marti‘s newest alternative Desserto Agave is agave leather made from actual tequila’s production waste. Vegea®‘s Grape Leather (Estimon, Minuit Sur Terre), or apple leather, such as UPPEAL™ (Stella McCartney) or VegaTex‘s AppleSkin (Voht, Sohotree), are believed to be both leading and making the way for other captivating inventions, such as Lemon-, and BarleySkin. MIRUM®, also known as world’s first plastic-free leather alternative made of natural rubber and agri-waste such as rice hulls and coconut fibres, has found its followers with Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld x Amber Valetta. Modern Meadow‘s Bio-Vera and Bio-Tex (Tory Burch, Senreve) and Viridis®’s corn leather (Etereo, Bulganeri) are alternatives developed from sugar fermentation process, and can be crafted into various kind of finishes, smooth to grained.
Luxury fashion (Hermès, Stella McCartney) has engaged with mushroom leather – especially the mycelium version – with much more eager enthusiasm than it does with the plant-based alternatives. Mushroom leather alternatives have proven to locate themselves quite high on the hierarchy of durable materials due to their sophisticated fiber structure, and as mushroom can be grown vertically, the scalable production takes up relatively little space compared to planting and developing other alternatives. However, after a skyrocketing following during the pandemic, the hype did come to a halt when Bolt Threads stopped the production of the Mylo mycelium in mid-2023. Inflation and ‘waning fundraising opportunities’ didn’t make the numbers pretty enough for the current investors, which does raise the question, where did the sustainable communication fall short in engaging more supporters for one of vegan leather alternatives’ finest?
Synthetic leather, or leatherette, such as PU (polyurethane) and PCV (polyvinyl chloride) leather, have been in use as cost-effective and easy-to-work-with leather alternatives, long before cutting down on animal-derived fabrics came into the spotlight. Compared to PCV leather, PU leather has more fashion-friendly qualities, such as breathability, and a supple feel that can make a bag or jacket comfortable enough to carry, touch and wear. If you do pick a PU leather bag though, please make sure to find a notion of it being a ‘100% polyurethane’ one somewhere between the top and bottom of the label. PU leather might prove to be an ambiguous quality to engage with. If a piece is made of 100% polyurethane, it is often dubbed as the famous ‘vegan leather’. While entirely artificial with no animal-derived ingredients, both PU and PCV leather, regardless of quality, are derived from fossil fuels, which does beg some difficult questions on their environmental impact (read more about it over here). However, if no further notion is to be found, PU leather can also mean various types of mixtures, from reconstituted or bonded/blended leather, which does contain animal hide, to bicast leather, which is actually leftover cowhide with polyurethane coating.
Historically, canvas was the alternative if one couldn’t afford treated animal hide. The ‘eco-conscious’ movement of the last two decades has turned the understated canvas bags into a must-have fashion item for everyone wishing to bathe in the sustainability spotlight. And while it is always a good idea to replace animal leather, canvas does require some fact checking. Canvas is woven from cotton, linen, hemp and/or polyester fiber, which are products of both harvesting as well as chemical processing. If a brand is truly aiming to give back and do less harm, safe and responsible harvesting and chemical processing should be backed with certification(s) rather than claims (Sans Beast). Polyester and nylon, which are basically plastic, should already be in a certified recycling loop (Hvisk).
LINING
The most common fabrics used for bag lining are polyester, nylon, and cotton. Luxurious, or ‘less affordable’ bags could have either animal or synthetic suede or leather lining. The choice of lining is representative of a brand’s pricing, sustainability, marketing and quality policy. For a respectable vegan brand, recycled and certified synthetics might prove to be a more consistent approach to doing less harm than certified cotton. Growing and harvesting cotton, even in a certified supply chain, is never entirely neutral to the surrounding habitat. With this in mind, cotton should go to products where it is truly difficult to replace with. With synthetics, there is already more recyclable plastic that we would ever be able to use up, and the synthetics do prove to be more durable, resistant and easier to keep clean than most natural fabrics.
REINFORCEMENT
Without reinforcement, or stiffeners, even the sturdiest bag—whether made from genuine or vegan leather—would lose its structure and start to sag. Reinforcements are used throughout the body (bottom, back, sides, and flaps) as well as in the handles to provide shape and structure, strengthen stitching, and prevent tearing or stretching in high-stress areas. These come in the form of sheets, boards, tapes, or cords.
Sheets can be made from a variety of materials. While many vegans support recycling, it’s worth noting that widely used stiffeners are often made from recycled, bonded leather (salpa). These are a first choice for many luxury and leather bag producers due to their praised rigidity and strength—and, of course, the added allure of having a ‘genuine leather bag’ inside and out. However, they also add significant weight, as leather structures generally require thicker and heavier stiffeners.
In contrast, vegan brands typically use synthetic and cellulose-based stiffeners—preferably recycled—which offer comparable support, rigidity, and plasticity. These alternatives are often lighter than those incorporating genuine leather and are entirely free from animal-derived components. A wide range of cellulose-based products is available, including Texon/Bontex, Flexan, Cellsan, or simply paperboard. Common synthetic stiffeners include EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) or EPE (expanded polyethylene) foam, Decovil (a blend of polyester, viscose, and polyamide), and microfibre leather (comprising nylon, polyester, and polyurethane). Estimon, the brand we trust, uses Decovil, paperboard, and, where needed, fusible interlining (also known as fiseline).
Stiffeners can be skived to achieve a specific thickness, softness, or firmness, depending on the maker’s requirements and the design of the bag—whether for maintaining shape, reinforcing specific areas, or withstanding intense use.
They may be sewn directly onto the fabric or glued using spray or heat-pressing techniques. Where glue is used, a vegan brand will ensure it is animal-free and water-based. In any case, if a brand does not provide this information in its product description, it’s always worth reaching out to ask. A self-respecting vegan brand should be more than happy—and quick—to respond to such meaningful enquiries.
POCKETS AND COMPARTMENTS
Whether sewn on the body, or to the lining, these follow the same rules as either body or lining fabrics. If printed, a respectable vegan label should be able to provide some information on the ink type they use, preferably water-based. Sewing threads should also come from certified supplied and manufacturers, whether cotton (organic, certified) or synthetic (recycled, certified).
HANDLES AND STRAPS
In a vegan bag, handles and straps are usually made of the same fabric or leather alternative (which technically is a fabric too) as the body. However, do look out for the canvas or nylon bags, which, while having a non-animal derived body, might have animal-leather handles, straps, embellishments and tags.
Handles could also be made of either metal or plastic. Acrylic is a pretty reliable material when it comes to tensile strength, abrasion and corrosion resistance, and weighs next to nothing compared to metal counterparts. To add to the already covered bottom line for plastic (always go for recycled and certified items), plastic mass used for hardware could also include animal fats (stearate, glycerol etc.), which serve as either key or side ingredients for lubricants, stabilisers, plasticisers, pigments and slip agents. A respectable vegan brand should use only vegan-certified plastic, especially with a vast range of available synthetic and plant-derived ingredients that are currently in industrial use.
For metal, do jump to the next section for more details on metal bag hardware.
CLOSURE AND HARDWARE
Last, but definitely not least, metal bag hardware is the tell-tale sign of the accountable quality level of a bag, and in the case of luxury items, could be a dead give away for a sophisticated counterfeit (next to internet-inspired serial numbers). Bag hardware includes zippers, pullers, chain, buckles, sliders, feet, screws, rivets, hooks, rings and frames, locks and labels. By ‘metal’, hardware producers usually mean iron (affordable but poor corrosion resistance), brass (corrosion-resistant, durable, expensive), aluminium alloy (lightweight, anti-rust, water- and corrosion-resistant), and stainless steel (anti-rust, corrosion-resistant).
Traditional metalworking does include animal fat, which serves as a key ingredient in lubricants, coolants, metal cutting and other fluids. A respectable vegan brand that uses metal hardware in its products should be able to track down either a vegan product or a vegan Quality Management System certification every step down the supply chain to make sure the whole effort isn’t compromised by some unsupported claims. Having third-party verified claims is a strong and welcomed foundation to a clear communication line between a brand, its suppliers, and ultimately – its customers.