Whether you’re a veteran vegan or just embarking on a newfound vegetarian voyage, you may still have a few old leather jackets lying around, or even Grandma’s mink coat collecting dust in the dark corners of your closet. So before tossing them out with yesterday’s trash, consider learning how to repurpose leather and fur – it can be beneficial whether you’re an herbivore or not.

Since adopting a plant-based diet many years ago, I have struggled with something that I’m sort of embarrassed to admit…I still own and wear leather products that I purchased prior to abstaining from other animals products. There, I said it! And yes, I just totally cringed after re-reading that statement.

As upset as this sometimes makes me, I have (mostly) come to peace with the idea that rather than simply donating or throwing leather items away, such pieces are truly better off in the hands of the individuals who care about animals more than most.

So rather than perpetuate the cycle of buying and selling leather when donating to certain charities, or completely wasting the byproduct (and life) of an innocent animal by throwing items away, why not take it a step further and learn to reuse and appropriate them constructively, in honor of the sacrifice?

Ultimately, the important thing to remember here is not to be racked with guilt, but to feel empowered knowing there is something you can do with your old animal products. Wrangle your jackets, gather your craft bin, and call on your bestie, so we can get your DIY juices flowing, because repurposed leather and fur definitely have a new lease on life.

Repurpose Leather

If you’re no longer into wearing leather as-is, then take the liberty to transform it into something else. Turning a leather jacket into a purse is a given, but what if you want something more unique? Why not try out some new home décor with a pair of suede throw pillows for the sofa, or a reupholstered seat cushion from Mom’s 1980s leather trench coat.

Shoes can be a tough item to repurpose, but all hope is not lost. If you’re still hanging on to those worn out western boots from back in the day, turn them into a cool planter for flowers, or fill them with sand and use them as doors stops. Consider donating gently used dress shoes to Dress for Success, an organization that won’t resell your product and will instead put them to good use for disadvantaged women in need of professional attire.

Make sure old leather purses continue their journeys as trusty standbys and keep your emergency first aid kit, sewing kit, or even makeup and cosmetics stashed in an old satchel or clutch – brownie points if it has a structured bottom. Give the little women in your life a chance to play dress-up with a big girl purse, or use them as revamped candy collecting sacks for Halloween costumes.

Repurpose leather belts by making Fido and Fifi one-of-a-kind dog collars, or by crafting some creative drawer pulls for your mid-century dresser. Other ideas include curtain tie-backs, bracelet cuff jewelry, and straps or handles for just about anything. If you’re still stuck, check out The Refab Diaries for more ideas.

Repurpose Fur

Fur coats are a topic of disdain for many animal activists. And while we can’t take back the suffering that was already experienced, we can at least work to make something good out of a bad situation.

Sometimes we’re given items that we never imagined owning, like fur coats that happen to be family heirlooms. So in order to make lemonade from very well-meaning lemons, here are some creative and even cute keepsake ideas for your furs.

Reupholster an ottoman or footstool using your old fur for a really great transformation like the one seen here – if you have enough left over, matching pillows are an option, too. Throw rugs are another great choice for large fur coats, as are throw blankets for the sofa.

Handmade teddy bears, or memory bears, are a popular option for unwanted furs. They are sweet gift ideas for children or relatives and don’t constantly remind one of where they originated. Etsy is a great place to start your search for a seller specializing in custom orders, or you can give Stadler Furs a try.

And last but not least, know that your furs can actually benefit other animals in need. Coats for Cubs, hosted by Buffalo Exchange, holds an annual fur drive encouraging the donation of old furs to help rehabilitate orphaned and injured animals that need a warm reminder of what it’s like to snuggle in comfort.

Fellow herbivores chime in! Did you like our ideas? Have you already tried these? Know something even better to suggest? Let us know your thoughts on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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Image of Woman on Clothes from Shutterstock

The post Donate, Toss, or Repurpose Leather and Fur: The Herbivore’s Dilemma appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fashion labels, like From Somewhere, are upcycling discarded textile materials to turn waste into beautiful, unique garments. 

Upcycling is defined as the act of turning waste materials into a desirable and usable quality objects. This method of manufacturing is right in line with the cradle-to-cradle philosophy, and engages the consumer in an understanding of how their responsible purchase has kept the landfill from growing a little bigger. In the world of fashion, garment designers are realizing the wealth of opportunities in the realm of upcycling and are doing a fine job of proving that style definitely doesn’t have to be sacrificed for the sake of sustainability.

Fashion has become a commodity in modern times, as fast fashion makes the latest runway trends available to almost anyone with a wallet within days of collection show on the catwalks. But with so much fashion constantly produced and consumed, huge waste piles of perfectly usable textiles are forming in landfills, alongside all the other negative effects of an exploitative and far too rapid fashion process. As a response to this destructive behavior, the designers and labels featured below are turning trash into treasures by utilizing waste from car interiors, discarded fabric rolls, used clothing, upholstery materials, and even swimsuits. Their philosophies for waste-reducing fashion processes are inspirational, and offer their supporters the benefits of local production and a fantastically colorful and unique wardrobe.

Piece x Piece

Defining itself as a “thoughtful disruption to the traditional path one usually takes in the apparel industry from fabric mill to land fill”, Piece x Piece creates one-of-a-kind garments from luxury fabric swatches. Their mission is to create beauty from waste, hopefully inspiring reconsideration of our relationship to waste. With a collection of beautiful and elegant, but slightly quirky patchwork style garments, Piece x Piece aims to provide seasonless, timeless clothes that allow us to “progress toward new philosophy about what waste really means and how we address it.”

Goodone

Fashion-forward, sexy, block colors and body hugging silhouettes all define the collection of London based fashion label Goodone. The independent and eco-conscious label is “reinventing the potential of what upcycled garments can be” by utilizing reclaimed fabrics in almost all parts of the design process. The end result is a highly coveted collection of defined, feminine garments that are suitable for almost any occasion. With the mission of achieving positive change from within by visually blending with the mainstream fashion industry, Goodone ultimately aims “to give women the opportunity to feel good about their clothes and work with what already exists to achieve more.”

Platinum Dirt

Platinum Dirt is designer Dustin Page’s creative response to discarded leather materials generated by the automobile industry. He sources material from cars such as Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, Lincoln, BMW and Volvo to re-fashion it into quality leather gear. Platinum Dirt’s handcrafted VIN jackets incorporate the vehicle identification number (VIN) plate from the resource providing car, as well as hood ornaments and zipper pulls made from car logo emblems. The likes of luxurious silk brocade are used for lining and pockets, adding a polished touch to each of these, sleek and structured, one-of-a-kind jackets.

Looptworks

Based in Portland, OR, Looptworks is a consciously minded business that repurposes pre-consumer waste to create limited edition accessories and garments. “From concept to your closet, we can assure you that no new materials were used to create our clothing and that each item is as individual as the person who wears it,” says co-founder Gary Peck. Because the label depends on excess material from other manufacturers for the production of their items, Looptworks only makes up to 500 of any given style, hand-numbering each one to signify its uniqueness. Looptworks is putting forth a new manufacturing method for the fashion industry by cutting down on emissions, production costs, design time and resource use when compared to traditional fashion production. As Peck asserts, “we hope people start to think about what they buy, where it came from, and what natural resources it required to produce it.”

From Somewhere

From Somewhere is one of the first fashion labels that turned upcycling into a real trend, and has been addressing the balance between consumption and disposal since 1997. Run by Orsola de Castro and Filippo Ricci, the label reuses luxury, designer textile waste to make gorgeous clothes that have been featured in upper-scale departments stores, the red carpet and several books on sustainable fashion. The label has even collaborated with Speedo, turning discarded swimsuits into amazing evening gowns and dresses, like the Unity Dress designed to sponsor Speedo’s athletes at the 2012 London Olympics. From Somewhere collections are a vibrant mix of colorful production off-cuts, damaged fabrics and end-of rolls that have been turned into exquisite, high quality garments. Make sure to stay posted for the new collection due out in April!

Images: From Somewhere, Gregoire Vandebussche, Goodone, Platinum Dirt, Looptworks

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