Indian designer Anita Dongre, who runs the homonymous brand along with her son Yash, has launched a line of vegan luxury handbags and belts, including handcrafted bags made with recycled glass beads.
The new line’s products are made with Mirum, a plastic-free alternative to leather. The plant-based material is 100% natural, 0% plastic, and cruelty-free. It is also 100% recyclable and bio-neutral, leaving a smaller footprint after its time is up.
In an interview with Vogue magazine, Anita stated, “As companies, we need to be mindful of the pain & suffering that is created on helpless animals for the sake of fashion. We have been looking for a leather replacement for the longest that is cruelty-free and kind to the environment. Women today need to express their authentic selves and carrying a bag that reflects their core philosophies is important. The vegan accessories line has been a dream that has only come to fruition now with material sciences answering my decades old question.”
She continued by discussing the material for the collection, “The search for a material that replaces leather while being kind to the planet has been on for years and continues to date. With MIRUM® we found a partner who creates this beautiful material that mimics the touch, feel and age of leather without the cruelty. It does this without the use of plastic, a material that has been a constant in vegan leather but is so bad for the planet. Material science is a field of research and creation that is slow. We’ve gone through various rounds of sampling for over 18 months to achieve this product. Also, as a creative, while designing this line, there is so much we wanted to do but working with sustainable materials comes with its own constraints. For instance, the material is only created in the colour black right now. Even today we are in the midst of sampling various other materials and while it’s a tedious and slow process, we wouldn’t do it any other way.”
