- My product has to do with creating an alternative to fur and leather products. The fur and leather industries are extremely detrimental to the environment due to the production practices that are used when creating leather and fur. The industry is also very cruel to animals, as they often kill the animals in various inhumane ways, and the workers are forced to work in poor conditions.
- I would create a product that is comparable in quality to real fur and leather and can be used for every product that leather/fur would be used for. The product will be sustainable and environmentally friendly and the conditions for the factory workers will be good.
- Materials that can be used as alternatives for leather:
- Fruit fibers: orange peel fibers can transform citrus juice byproducts into sustainable textiles while reducing waste and pollution. They have the cellulose fibers that can be weaved into sustainable fabrics that are silky to the touch.
- Apple skin: You can use the waste produced from the apple industry into materials that can be used for fashion, footwear, and accessories. The skin of an apple creates a sustainable material that is totally compostable and recyclable. The final material not only looks and feels just like leather but also has the durability of leather.
- Mushroom leather: Mycelium grows by absorbing nutrients from the environment, and is strong and durable. You can remove mycelial and you get a dense foam log with a pebbled texture. Once it is large enough it can go through an environmentally friendly version of what animal products go through to create leather (tanned, flattened, etc.)
- Synthetic fabrics: Making faux fur is very simple. It only requires synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon. You can also make faux fur more environmentally friendly by using cotton fibers.
- The leather alternative would be sold to companies that would replace leather car leather, leather shoes, sandals, handbags, couches, chairs, and any other need for leather. The fur alternative would be sold to companies who create fur coats, vests, blankets, pillows, rugs, etc.
Monday, June 3, 2019
Solving The Problem
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I love this post! This is a huge problem in the fashion industry from switching to the animal to synthetic hair. I do have a question about your problem, just because there are products and materials out in the market already to replicate the animal fur. Also, for certain demographics they consider the actual hair as warmth from the old times since that is what they did to keep warm. Very interesting I'm looking forward to read more!
ReplyDeleteHey Lauren,
ReplyDeleteFur and leather products have become a problem because of how much we use them for our clothing and I think the idea of using alternatives is a great idea. It would be interesting to see how people would adjust to the alternatives, but I feel like most people would appreciate it knowing its positive impact on the animals. Great job!
Hey Lauren, I commented previously on this idea and liked it but didn't think it would be possible. After reading this and all of the different materials you are able to use in place of leather I am beginning to change my mind. I never would have thought of apple skin as being a alternative to leather and the fact that they are able to make it look and feel just like real leather is pretty amazing. I think if you were able to incorporate all of these materials and have places buying them from you then you could be on to something great.
ReplyDeleteHey Lauren, I think this is a great problem to tackle! Animal cruelty is an important issue in out society and I’m glad we are working to solve it. I would love to know about your marketing strategies over this idea. Would you attempt to make the product known to be made from fruit fibers? Would this be a clothing line with fashion designers or would the products be sold to large companies?
ReplyDelete