If you have an idea for something to “change the world” in your own little way, get out there and try it! It doesn’t matter what your background is, you will learn so much along the way, and even if it doesn’t work out, it was time and money well spent.
Until very recently, “vegan leather” was just a fancy way to say vinyl and brought to mind visions of hippie-sans-chic girls in poor fitting dresses carrying garishly colored bags. Or maybe that’s just my vision! But you get the idea. Fortunately, so much has changed and the evolution of materials is never ending. And as the materials change, so do the bags. I was thrilled when I discovered Lost Woods. A handbag line where the products are as chic as they are animal and planet friendly! Read on to learn about the founder, Holly Edwards and she decided to (re)invent the vegan bag.
NKM/Katya: Tell us a bit about your background. Is it in fashion?
Holly: No, actually, it’s not! I started out as a graphic designer, then a digital marketing manager for a swimwear brand. I was always interested in fashion, though—I interned at a fashion magazine as a copywriter when I was a teenager.
I created the first concept of my handbags as my final design project at university. We were tasked with creating a brand that we “thought the world needed.” I’d been a vegetarian since I was 14 years old because I simply adored animals. As I got older, I did more research into the dairy, egg, and leather industries and realized that all animal industries were interlinked, exploitative, and abusive—so I decided to become vegan.
I was very frustrated that there were no chic, sustainable alternatives to animal leather. I searched the web and discovered cork leather, a material made from cork oak tree bark pressed onto fabric. I ordered some, cut it on the university laser cutter, and hand-stitched some very basic clutch bags—they were very rustic looking, to say the least, lol.
After I graduated, I went on to work for different advertising agencies and brands, but the idea of a luxury, sustainable vegan handbag brand always stuck with me. I ordered samples of a bunch of different materials over the years and tried out prototypes with different manufacturers—until I finally found the perfect material and workshop and launched Lost Woods.
Many of our readers prefer to shop for vegan items over leather. But the awareness that a vegan bag is essentially plastic and comes with all the associated problems is just beginning to penetrate. What was your “AHA” moment around plastic?
Yes, unfortunately, most advertised “vegan leather” is just the same old fossil fuel-based pleather that’s been around forever. Whilst it is technically vegan (made with petroleum, not animals), it’s terrible for the environment. Big brands saw an opportunity to greenwash their crappy plastic products by capitalizing on the eco image that people associate with a vegan lifestyle – which is very sly and calculated.
There are a bunch of more recent “plant-based” options made with plants like cactus, mushroom, and pineapple. They are much better than 100% polyurethane or PVC, but I was very disappointed to learn that they actually still have a decent plastic coating on them.
I can’t remember an “AHA” moment because for as long as I can remember, I have been annoyed about the cheap, low-quality, plastic-based vegan options. The environmental problems that plastic poses are quite well-known and drummed into us as children. That’s why I preferred “real” leather when I was a vegetarian, thinking it was natural and “only a by-product”. I had no idea that animal leather is one of the most greenwashed materials on the planet.
Apart from exotic animals killed specifically for their skin, most leather comes from the beef industry, which is thought of as a good thing – recycled waste, right? But the global leather industry is projected to reach $708 billion by 2030. Leather is hardly a waste product. In reality, it’s an important co-product, propping up a cruel and unethical industry that is steadily ruining the environment.
Cattle grazing for beef and leather is responsible for 80% of the deforestation in the Amazon.
(Images from Lost Woods website)
The UN estimates that livestock production accounts for about 14.5% of all human-induced emissions. Animal waste runoff pollutes waterways. Excessive use of antibiotics in livestock can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. I could go on.
Then you’ve got the tanning. Between raising the animal and processing the skin, the Water Footprint Network estimates that it takes 17,000 liters of water to produce 1 kg of leather. Plus, it takes a lot of chemicals to stop skin from decomposing (gross). 90% of leather is tanned with highly toxic chromium sulfate, and tannery work is linked to 9 types of cancer. While it’s true that leather can biodegrade, the tanning chemicals pollute soil and water when it does.
Also, do you know what is really crazy? A lot of animal leather is coated with plastic! It is SO common for brands to coat their leather with polyurethane or acrylic for waterproofing and to create different colors and textures. I feel like most people don’t know this, as it’s never disclosed.
All of this to say, the world is screaming out for a better option than both animal leather and pleather.
So instead of plastic-based materials or even natural materials with a plastic coating, you use Mirum by NFW. Why did you choose this material, and how did you discover it in the first place?
Yes! A round of applause for Mirum, it’s amazing. It’s made from 47% natural tree rubber, 26% natural fibers and fillers, and 27% plant oils and waxes, and is backed with natural fibers like cotton and Tencel.
Did you know that natural rubber comes from tree sap? Sustainably managed rubber farms can actually result in net negative carbon emissions because of the carbon that the trees absorb from the atmosphere.
It’s produced in a renewable energy-powered factory in the USA. It can be recycled infinitely into new MIRUM. It’s up to 10 times less greenhouse gas emitting than conventional animal or plastic leather.
I first heard about Mirum when I read a Vogue Business article that mentioned the US start-up Natural Fiber Welding (now known as NFW). I couldn’t believe my luck when they mentioned that the material they were developing was completely plastic-free.
Their Instagram barely had 5 posts at the time. It looked like they were still in the R&D phase, only doing preliminary collaborations with big brands like BMW, exhibiting at trade shows, and raising funds.
Sure enough, I tried to reach out, but I didn’t hear back.
A year or so later, I was about to bite the bullet and start production with the next best material that I could find (roughly 10% plastic)—when the NFW team emailed me. That really threw me through a loop.
They sent me samples, and they were soooo nice—thick, soft, reflecting the light beautifully—everything that I was looking for.
I decided that I needed to use it, which meant starting all over again with my product prototypes, canceling my production booking, and pushing back my launch back another year—but it’s slow fashion after all, ha.
Do you feel like there’s more awareness of the problems with vegan leather than when you started?
Perhaps? It differs among circles. Unfortunately, a lot of companies don’t break down what their “leather” is actually made from—that applies to both vegan leather and animal leather.
Whenever I see it publicized that vegan leather is mostly plastic, it seems to be used as a “gotcha” moment, not mentioning the eco options on the horizon and supposedly proving that vegans are wrong and that everyone should just keep using animal leather for the rest of time.
This is incredibly ironic, considering animal leather has one of the highest production footprints in the world—and considering it’s often coated in plastic itself.
What has been the biggest challenge so far with Lost Woods?
Well, apart from the massive expense of producing ethical, sustainable products and trying to compete in a giant, heartless industry as a one-woman brand with a limited budget, lol—I’d say producing a plastic-free product is the hardest because plastic is EVERYWHERE.
The Mirum is obviously the bulk of the product, but there are so many other components that go into a handbag! There is the leather, interfacing, lining, hardware, zips, edge paints, glue, thread, packaging, etc. Considering my background is not in fashion, I was naive about all of this at the beginning. I felt overwhelmed when I realized that nearly every one of these layers normally contains animals or plastic. I struggled to find alternatives and nearly didn’t launch.
I ultimately decided that it was better to launch with an almost plastic-free vegan bag—which is still better than anything else on the market—than to give up. I managed to find natural structural materials for inside the bags, made from plant cellulose and bio fluff. My lining is organic cotton. There is nothing special about my hardware in an eco sense, but I am talking to a workshop in Italy about using recycled brass for future collections.
The things that I cannot find plastic-free are glues and edge paints. I’ve tried a few test products from different startups, but no luck yet. I’ve currently got some samples of a partially bio based edge paint in the mail—not perfect, but better.
I am completely transparent on every product page that the bags contain small amounts of plastic in the finishing materials. Everyone in the industry, whether they are using vegan or animal leather, is using these synthetic glues and paints—they just don’t disclose it, so I try not to beat myself up too much. It seems like a natural option doesn’t exist yet—if anyone reading this has inside info, please slide into my DMs 😉
Which bag is your personal favorite and why?
Oh, that’s a tricky one!
I think it has to be the Willow bag. The way that it sits up on a table when I’m out to dinner, with the chains cascading down the front and candlelight bouncing off the golden hardware and leather grain, always has me staring in admiration. That was a little poetic, wasn’t it?
On a practical note, it’s such a great size – it will fit your phone, sunglasses, lipstick, keys, and general daily essentials. You can wear the strap long – as a crossbody or over your shoulder – or you can double the chain up and wear it as a shoulder bag or dressy evening bag over your elbow.
If there’s a person you’d love to see carrying your bag, who would it be and why?
Probably Billie Eilish, because she’s an amazing talent, style icon, and always vocal about animal rights.
What keeps you hopeful about the future?
My customers and peers in the industry!
I don’t think I could work in fashion if it wasn’t in this niche. I love design and art, but the regular fashion world represents a lot of values that I don’t like—overconsumption, pretentiousness, an obsession with status—and overall exploitation of people, animals, and the planet for profit.
However, the ethical fashion and animal rights worlds are amazing. Full of so many inspired people trying to make a positive change in the world.
The conversations that I have online every day with my customers, influencers, and fellow brands really uplift me and give me hope that one day, we will no longer be a tiny minority.
I’ve become friends with multiple customers and even had some invite me over to their house! That is not something that I ever imagined would come from starting this brand, and I couldn’t see it happening in the regular corporate world very often. The sense of community, activism and friendship is really strong—it keeps me going.
Anything you want to add?
If you have an idea for something to “change the world” in your own little way, get out there and try it! It doesn’t matter what your background is, you will learn so much along the way, and even if it doesn’t work out, it was time and money well spent—I’ve learned more from my first year in business than from my whole degree. Plus, you will meet incredible like-minded people along the way.
Holly’s Favorite Things:
Books: To be incredibly unoriginal, Harry Potter – I’m such a Potter nerd that I even proposed to my fiancé at the studios in London. I also love a good crime thriller. My favorite nonfiction book is Sapiens – such an interesting overview of human history and has a sneaky section advocating for animal rights.
Movie/Series: So hard! Potter movies are a comfort watch, obviously. I love Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. I’ve shed many a tear watching Downton Abbey. I adore a good deadpan comedy like The Office, Flight of the Conchords, What We Do in the Shadows, and People Just Do Nothing – that show is ridiculously funny, and barely anyone knows about it.
Creative Inspiration: Everywhere! Other designers and artists, stylish people on the street, travel, music, architecture, nature. There are no straight lines in nature, and in the future I would love to do custom hardware with really organic, fluid shapes.
Food: Mexican for the win. If you are what you eat, then I am 50% taco. Then I’d say pasta, pies, Thai food, Indian food, fruit, cashew cheese, dark chocolate, and wine. That is a chaotic category list. I used to hate tofu, but now I’m a connoisseur – I’m not at the ‘eating it raw’ final boss level of my partner yet, though.
Trend that you like Trend that you hate: I’m glad it’s becoming more trendy to be sustainable. But at the same time, you see constant microtrends on social media encouraging people to buy and wear the randomest crap, e.g., “mob boss” aesthetic. I pray that the trend of constantly needing to “express yourself” through new purchases will die out one day.
Quality in a human being: Honesty, compassion, humor.
Person you admire: There is an Australian politician called Georgie Purcell. She’s a young woman in the Animal Justice Party – she fights every day in parliament for animal rights, human rights, and feminism. She’s smart, witty, modern, stylish, and she isn’t afraid to share that she worked as a stripper when she was younger – she’s really smashing stereotypes on all fronts about who a politician can be, how they can dress, what their history can be, and what they can advocate for. She’s a millennial with a new approach to everything. I think she’s incredible, brave, and a much better representative for the general population than a lot of the old guard.
Quote to live by:
“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” – Dumbledore 😂
I think it’s really applicable to those of us who are activists at heart and get really sad and depressed about the state of the world sometimes. We need to lift each other up, try to laugh, find the light in the dark, and keep going.
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