Nina Jobst
Research expert covering South Korea
Vegan fashion market worldwide - statistics and facts
Any item of clothing which is made without using any animal products is technically suitable for vegans, and therefore could be classed as vegan fashion. This encompasses a huge market, leading to valuations of the vegan clothing market totaling hundreds of billions of dollars. However, most of these products are not made with the vegan market in mind, they just happen to be made from synthetics or cotton. A more specific definition of vegan fashion is apparel that would usually be made of animal products, such as leather, wool, and fur but is instead made from an alternative material that resembles the appearance and texture of the animal product, without actually harming any animals. Leather is most commonly replaced by plastics, such as PU or PVC, whilst faux fur is generally made of a mixture of acrylics. Many companies are also working on new materials which simulate animal products using biological materials, which are a lot more environmentally friendly than the synthetic alternatives currently used.
