Aulive’s Piña Collection Is Turning Pineapples Into Vegan Leather Bags

I was around 10 when I stumbled upon images of how leather is made; the harrowing images haven’t left my mind since. Over the years, I have made a conscious effort to avoid all things leather and have even attempted to convince my friends against ever buying a Birkin. While it is the ethical aspect of leather that deters me from purchasing any leather-based product, the environmental costs at stake are even higher.

The demands of the fashion industry for leather fuel a pattern of both animal cruelty and environmental damage. The process of tanning involved in the making of leather products releases toxins that are harmful to the ecosphere and those involved in its production.

As the new world paces towards a sustainable ecosystem, consumers have started to demand conscience and ethical practices.

Taking up this challenge is Aulive, a sustainable brand, which labels itself as “Genuinely Not Leather.” While all their products are manufactured using ethically sourced artificial leather, it is ‘The Piña Collection’ started in 2019 that caught my attention. The wallets and slings in the collection are made from Piñatex®, a type of vegan leather made entirely from the fibres in the pineapple plant’s leaves. They source their pineapple leaves from the discarded batch during the pineapple harvest season, thus reducing the environmental strain on acquiring resources. They say that “Piñatex® has a textural expression and carries the features of softness, pliability and strength.” Their wallets that double up as sling bags are chic and have ikat print fabric for lining. To add to it, the plant-based leather alternative used in this collection is both long-lasting and biodegradable.

All the bags are handcrafted in India, thus providing employment to local artisans. Aulive, in their own words, is an ethical fashion brand and they “embrace innovation and will constantly strive to be at the forefront of ethical, sustainable alternatives without compromising on style and quality.”

Aulive encourages its customers to recycle the bags they purchase from them.

Find more information here.

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