As Mulberry moves to develop a more regenerative supply chain, let's take a look at whether traditional leather can be sustainably produced and why it still has advantages over most vegan alternatives.

From mushroom leather to pineapple leather and cactus leather, there has been a recent trend to ditch traditional leather as consumers become increasingly concerned about environmental and ethical issues (searches for "vegan leather" are up 69% year on year, according to Lyst).

But with many vegan alternatives still in their infancy and often containing synthetic substances, luxury fashion brands are increasingly focusing on how to produce cow hide in a more sustainable way.

Mulberry is one of them.

As part of its Made to Last manifesto, the brand recently pledged to become carbon neutral by 2035.

The company's core concept is to create a hyper-local supply chain model from "farm to finished product," and regenerative farming technologies, including rotational grazing to keep the soil healthy so it can store more carbon, are a top priority.

Mulberry CEO Thierry Andretta told Vogue via video call: "We're pushing the level of sustainability to the limit because that's what customers are asking for and we think it's the right thing to do. The adoption of renewable agriculture also has a positive effect on reducing carbon emissions to some extent."

To ensure transparency and traceability throughout the supply chain, Mulberry only works with trusted suppliers in Europe, including members of the Scottish Leather Group. Scottish Leather Group, one of the UK's largest leather manufacturers, has zero net CO2 emissions from its grass-fed beef and dairy farms. Charlotte O 'Sullivan, Global Marketing and Digital Director at Mulberry, said: "We have a very supportive group of partners and we have spoken to them about our ambition to transition to a fully regenerative model."

It is well known that the cattle industry has a great impact on the environment. According to the World Resources Institute, the sector accounted for 14.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from 2001 to 2015, while cattle and cattle are responsible for 36 percent of global deforestation.

Although leather is often thought of as a by-product of the meat industry, it is an intrinsic part of the industry's business model - meaning that leather isn't just a scrap item for farmers to sell.

While Mulberry's move to a recycled farm will significantly reduce the CO2 footprint of its Leather (Scottish Leather Group says the embedded footprint of its leather is only 1.4kg of CO2 per hide, compared to an average of 17kg of CO2 per square metre, according to Leather Panel statistics), However, for the large market of luxury leather goods, this practice is difficult to implement in the entire industry. "In this particular case, our scale becomes a competitive advantage."

"We know we can do better," Andretta said.

In addition to CO2 emissions, the tanning process (which turns cow hide into leather) is another major problem, as harmful chemicals (such as chromium) are used in the process, which can lead to the release of toxic waste into the environment.

Mulberry says all of its tanneries will be environmentally certified by the Leather Working Group, while brands such as SKIIM Paris have gradually switched to plant-tanning techniques.

Caroline Sciamma-Massenet, founder of the brand, explains: "We are really trying our best to reduce the use of chemicals and prioritise natural plant tanning processes.

But as long as leather is tanned black, chrome will be used, otherwise it will never really be the same color.

But the use of chromium in tanning reduces water consumption, so it strikes a balance."

Leather life

Despite the obvious environmental improvements that still need to be made, advocates of traditional leather claim that it is still the best material on the market.

Sciamma-Massenet said: "In the popular perception, vegan leather is more sustainable, but in fact, vegan leather contains a lot of plastic. Natural leather is sustainable in the sense that if you can keep it for a long time, it's an investment."

For Mulberry, the longevity of leather goods is also crucial. As part of its restoration service, Mulberry restores 10,000 bags a year, ensuring their continued use and legacy, and has launched a new resale platform, Mulberry Exchange (needless to say, buying used leather goods remains by far the most sustainable option).

O 'Sullivan added, "We're doing everything we can to extend the life of a product, and when we receive a product that's beyond repair, we put it into a recycling program so it can be converted to energy." This regenerative approach is working throughout the brand."

New inventions such as Spinnova's recycled leather waste fiber also show the possibility of extending the life of leather even further.

"One of the biggest opportunities is that we can make a true loop by leveraging our technology - that's a breakthrough," said Janne Poranen, CEO of the company.

While alternative leather technology continues to evolve, Mulberry has made it its top priority to produce traditional leather as sustainably as possible and create products that will stand the test of time.

Andretta said: "We are open to alternative materials. But we don't want to compromise on quality, much less on our philosophy of what we Made to Last."