Tell us a little about yourself!
I am a mother of 3 and originally a dietitian by profession. I have always been an animal lover - as a 10-year-old child I would gather signatures from family and friends for petitions to ban the Canadian seal hunt and the culling of kangaroos. I stopped eating meat at the age of 16 and in the last 10 years or so I have been gradually reducing my use of all animal products, including leather. It was my search for high-quality, fashionable and affordable vegan leather bags, shoes and accessories, and a desire to make these more available here in Australia, that led me to establish Humankind.
Why did you stop wearing leather?
Although I stopped eating meat many years ago, the more I read and watched and learned I realised that if I really cared deeply about animals and wanted to avoid harming them, I needed to stop wearing leather too. Many people view leather as a by-product of the meat industry, however, as animal skins, sold as leather, are very valuable, they should really be considered more a ‘co-product’ of the meat industry, which contributes to an increased demand for more animals to be raised and killed.
What are the benefits of not wearing leather?
Knowing that you are not contributing to the harming of animals.
What is the biggest difference in wearing vegan leather alternatives?
The biggest difference would be that no animals are harmed in the process of making vegan leather alternatives.
Is vegan leather better for the planet?
A lot has been written criticizing vegan leather but the truth is animal leather is terrible for the environment. This is because of the tanning process, which conditions the skins, involves the use of many toxic chemicals, which are hazardous to the environment, waterways and the workers who work in the tanneries. The alternative leather industry has developed methods to produce materials from natural products, such as pineapples and mushrooms, and is continuously evolving. I think we’re going to see a lot of new leather alternatives, that not only avoid harming animals, but also avoid harming the environment, in the next few years.
How can people find fashionable alternatives?
When I stopped wearing leather about 10 years ago it was really hard to fashionable vegan leather bags and shoes. I would carry around a grungy canvas bag and wear Converse sneakers in the winter and Havaiana thongs in the summer. Things have changed so much since then and there is a great range of products now available, especially online. Humankind is a great place to start ;-)
