We believe that the Earth has sufficient resources for everyone to live well without diminishing the planet's resources. As a result, we're exploring what it means to live thoughtfully and mindfully in this day and age. With all of this in mind, it led us to think about the production of leather goods. Our stance is that no piece of clothing or accessory is worth taking an animal’s life, however, what if that animal has already died? What do we do with these garments now, simply discard them? And you would be well within your rights to ethically say I do not want to wear leather or promote the use of it.
At Kindly Vintage, we intend to be sustainable but also realistic in our endeavours. We aim to take leather garments that would have been discarded and left to live a dreary life in a landfill and instead give them new homes and lease of life.
Our main focus is to use leather ethically and sustainably. This is why we believe in the recycling of leather garments and not creating anymore. Whatever stance you choose to take, unfortunately, the animal has already paid the highest price with its life.
There are conflicting feelings concerning the use of leather, aside from our intentions around it. The idea that an animal lost its life to end up on a pile of rubbish is horrifying and the newfound opinion that using leather is cruel and heinous is a positive step forward. It is still using an animal’s life for clothes, which is hard to digest. On the one hand, we want to keep as many garments out of the landfill as possible. Do we, on the other hand, wish to devote the time and energy, to the circulation of leather goods?
The main pro to keeping leather goods in circulation is that they don't end up in landfills which is the worst-case scenario. We believe that there is no place for leather in the fashion industry, there are great vegan alternatives that are not only ethical but still allow designers to create amazing pieces. But when it comes to old, vintage leather goods we believe that it is a better and sustainable option to keep them in circulation. The stance on using animals lives for fashion has shifted and that movement is here to stay. It is about being realistic but also moving forward with respect. That is our overall arching goal.