Now, just because vegans don't want to see a cow die for the sake of fashion, it doesn't mean that they don't know that a leather jacket never goes out of style.
Fortunately, two Mexican friends have created an innovative "vegan leather" made from cactus - and it is taking the fashion industry by storm.
The eco-friendly material was the brainchild of Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez, both 28, who shared the same vision of making the fashion industry more environmentally friendly.
Watch the fascinating leather-making process below:Cázarez said: "We knew the industry was striving for sustainable materials but they were too expensive to be viable on the mass market.
"Most vegan leathers are currently made from plastic which is so bad for the environment."
Both the Fast Company and The Guardian have recently reported how the fashion industry is the "second-largest polluter in the world", and despite that statistic being hotly debated, the leather industry is certainly far from environmentally friendly.
Every cow consumes approximately 1,800 gallons of water per year and the tanning process requires even more water, plus an abundance of toxic chemicals which pollute the environment, per the Vegan Review.
However, the Desserto cactus leather is not only highly sustainable and certified organic material, but it can be shaped for all the traditional uses of leather; jackets, purses, car seats, and any other item made from traditional cow leather.
And Velarde attests that the friends have refused to comprise on quality or cost-effectiveness, while stressing the importance of sustainability. He said: "Sustainability is not a luxury anymore, it’s a necessity in order for the fashion industry to survive."
The two friends first formulated the ingenious idea three years ago.
At the time, both men worked with leather as part of their day-to-day lives - Cázarez in the fashion industry and Velarde in the auto industry.
But after coming up with the idea of making a vegan leather from native cacti plants growing in Mexico, they both quit their jobs to put all their focus on their potentially world-changing project.
After two years of research and development, the pair patented their plant-based product and it hit markets just 11 months ago.
Speaking of the creative process, Cázarez said: "Even finding the right cactus to use was a big task. There are around 700 types of cacti in Mexico alone."
The duo eventually settled on a species called opuntia ficus indica, which they now grow in its natural habitat of Zacatecas, Mexico.
As well as not requiring much water to grow, cactus are naturally environmentally beneficial because they absorb carbon dioxide.
And, in addition to sparing the lives of cows, the friend's farm is also food-certified organic and requires no irrigation or chemicals.
If all that wasn' positive enough, the cactus plant also doesn't have to be killed to be used, as it is the mature leaves that are simply trimmed off for the leather-making process - leaving the plant to simply grow new leaves in a matter of months.
After being cut off, the leaves are then cleaned, mashed, and dried for three days in sunlight. The result is then combined with non-toxic chemicals, shaped, and colored.
The Desserto team insists that the vegan leather costs "about the same" as standard leather, and can withstand roughly ten years of use.
Discussing the impact the friends have had, Cázarez said: "We have fashion designers telling us that is has great potential for luxury products because it feels so soft and yet it’s so durable.
"If you’re not an expert you might not even realize that it isn’t animal leather."
So far, Desserto has won several awards and is in the process of forming partnerships with some big-name international fashion brands and auto manufacturers.
"We have confidentially agreements in place for those global brands," said Cázarez. "But hopefully by early next year we will be able to announce that their cactus-leather collections are being released."
Best of luck to the company! It certainly is a welcome product!
