This is the first 100% plant-based fur
The textile industry is shifting towards a new future, driven by innovation and the revival of indigenous practices, as luxury runways increasingly turn away from animal leather and its main alternative, synthetic fur, due to its high environmental cost from microplastic pollution.
Leading textile companies are developing faux fur options that rival the quality of natural fur.
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Current alternatives
- Bio-based, which includes blends of plant-based materials and biopolymers.
- Haute couture textures are created from ocean-recovered polyester.
- Materials designed for disassembly and reuse.
For example, the Paris and New York-based startup Bio-Fluff INC developed Savian, the first 100% plant-based alternative to fur, shearling, and plush.
Photo by Bio-Fluff INC
Unlike traditional petroleum-derived synthetic fur, Savian uses organic fibers, which significantly reduce the carbon footprint by 40-90%.
According to recent research by Textiles Exchange, featured in Forbes, the use of synthetic materials in the fashion industry accounted for 57% of all fibre production in 2023.
Due to their lack of biodegradability, simple pieces of polyester can take between 20 and 200 years to decompose, thereby contributing to environmental pollution.
Photo by AFP via Getty Images
Nothing is wasted
Vogue highlights an essential conversation: For many communities of indigenous designers, the use of animal fur is not an act of cruelty but rather an expression of food sovereignty and ecological respect.
In these cultures, fur is a byproduct of subsistence hunting; nothing is wasted.
A well-cared garment made of natural leather can last for generations and is fully biodegradable, in contrast to the disposable nature of industrial fashion.
The future of fashion is a fabric woven from materials science, as in the case of Bio-Fluff, and a deeper consumer ethic that learns from ancestral traditions to move away from plastic altogether.
Photo by Golga Oscar
Sources: Bio Bluff, WWD, Forbes, Vogue
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