95% Of Brits Want More Vegan-Verified Fashion When Shopping

According to a report by The Vegan Society (“The Rise of Vegan Fashion“), Brits want to see more vegan-verified fashion available on the high-street and online.

“The Rise of Vegan Fashion” (which was released on the 18th August by The Vegan Society) offers insight into what shoppers are after when it comes to shopping for vegan fashion. 

A survey within the report (aimed at those who buy new clothing, – as opposed to second-hand items) shows that the nation’s attitude towards the use of animals in the fashion industry is changing for the better: 61% of respondents believe(s) that the use of fur is ‘cruel,’ and 57% believe(s) that using leather from exotic animals is, too. On top of this, 37% believe(s) that the use of cow leather is cruel as well, with more than half (54%) slamming the use of calf leather. 

In 2019, Vogue reported that the stocking of vegan-fashion products increased by 258% across the UK and the US, and this rise doesn’t appear to be slowing down: the global vegan woman’s fashion market was valued at $396.9 billion in 2019 (vegan footwear accounted for 41.3% of this), – with revenue forecasted to reach $1095.6 billion by 2027.

In total, 95% of shoppers openly welcomes more vegan-verified fashion with almost half (48%) stating that they’d like more vegan-verified items across all fashion categories.

Also, 35% said that they want to see more vegan options for items that normally use(s) animal leather, such as jackets and boots, for instance. 32% desire(s) more vegan-friendly leather bags and backpacks. 32% percent of respondents said that they’d like to see the use of pleather extended to general footwear such as boots, heels and sandals, with 28% stating that they’d be interested in buying vegan trainers that use vegan leather. 

Encouragingly, 35% of respondents desire(s) more vegan leather options with almost three-quarters (74%) stating that they would be willing to pay more for plant-based leather compared to animal leather (this includes plant-based leathers created from several types of plant materials, such as pineapples, mushrooms, apples, cacti and succulents, – which presents an ethical, durable, and sustainable alternative to animal-based leathers).

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On top of this, 55% of respondents said that they already owned, or were interested in purchasing items made from plant-based leather, with 42% stating that they think it’s sustainable: 34% believe it’s ethical, and 31% say it’s ‘modern’ – the highest percentages for all materials The Vegan Society has surveyed. 

Em Mendoza, the Head of Business Development at Vegan Trademark holder, Ananas Anam, said:

“In the past year, we have seen an increase in demand and awareness for plant-based materials such as ours – Piñatex. To create change and impact, collaboration is key. We need to work with more brands and encourage them to make more conscious and mindful choices.”

“We are happy to see that more and more brands are opening up to using Piñatex within their collections and transitioning into using alternative materials – but we still have a long journey ahead. They particularly like Piñatex because using our material will not only significantly decrease their environmental impact but they also contribute to positive social impact as well,” Em added.

As of last month, the Vegan Society’s vegan-certification scheme, The Vegan Trademark had registered around 4,500 fashion products – almost double the number registered at the start of 2021. This includes accessories, bags, footwear, clothing and sportswear from various high street and luxury brands, including New Look, Forever New, Off Duty Ldn, and George at ASDA. 

You can find out more about The Vegan Society here, The Vegan Trademark here, and you can check out the full ‘The Rise of Vegan Fashion’ report here.