Current state of the alternative leathers market

Experts and startups are recognising that relying solely on the fashion industry can hinder the commercialisation of novel biomaterials¹.

Fashion often presents challenges such as longer development times due to trial and error and a lack of the large-volume demand necessary for significant production scale-up, especially in initial stages. This has led pioneering alternative leather companies to expand into other applications like automotive, hospitality and furniture, which, while having longer development cycles due to high performance standards, offer the larger order volumes critical for material production companies to increase capacity¹.

Commercially available materials

MycoWorks

MycoWorks, a California-based biotechnology company, cultivates mycelium using patented Fine Mycelium™ technology to create Reishi™, their flagship biomaterial known for its strength, durability and luxurious feel².

In February, MycoWorks announced its new Rei-Tanning™ technology, enhancing Reishi’s performance for intricate luxury product construction. This development allows for sophisticated techniques like stitch-and-turn and edge applications.

The company also launched its first ecommerce site, making Reishi directly available for online purchase. Recent third-party testing has validated Reishi's advantageous durability and resistance, setting new benchmarks against traditional materials in areas like flex, abrasion and colourfastness³. 

Through these efforts, MycoWorks is expanding Reishi's applications beyond fashion into furniture, interior design and luxury book covers. As Ginevra Boralevi, director of communications at MycoWorks, states: "We are not here to replace leather. We are here to introduce a new category of material, more aligned with our values and our time.”

Alt. Leather

Alt. Leather, an Australian company, develops high-performance, 100% bio-based, plastic-free leather alternatives. Their material mimics traditional leather's aesthetic and feel, available in various textures and expanding colour ranges⁴. Founder, Tina Funder, notes Alt. Leather’s material's "aesthetic looks and feels amazing – the general response from brands is that it is the best they have experienced."

Alt. Leather has significantly refined its material's performance since founding, enhancing mechanical properties and durability. The business is currently focused on footwear and soft interior surfaces, with commercial development underway for automotive and upholstered furniture.

Collaborations include a luxury wine label for waste upcycling, an Australian footwear brand for testing, and a Japanese designer, alongside material transfer agreements with automotive, footwear and accessories brands. This highlights growing interest beyond fashion, especially from European manufacturers seeking plastic-free and compliant options.

Modern Synthesis

London-based Modern Synthesis, co-founded by Jen Keane and Dr. Ben Reeve, transforms bacterial nanocellulose, a natural fermentation byproduct, into responsible textiles and coatings using advanced material science⁵.

Modern Synthesis has just recently announced (June 2025) its involvement in the Korvaa Consortium – a joint collaborative venture between Modern Synthesis, Ourobio and Evocation. This collaborative effort unveiled what claims to be the world's first concept shoe constructed from a novel combination of biomaterials.

For this project, Modern Synthesis developed the shoe's upper from bacterial nanocellulose. The Korvaa shoe also features a sole grown by Ecovative using mycelium and a 3D-printed scaffold base from Ourobio, which utilises bio-based, biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)⁶.

Revoltech GmbH, a German company, is innovating the material landscape with two materials designed for circularity and scalability: LOVR™ and MATTR™⁷. 

LOVR is a single-layer material composed of 60% European hemp residues and 40% plant-based additives, including natural oils, waxes, minerals and pigments. It presents a low carbon footprint, with emissions reportedly 99% lower than conventional leather, and is both recyclable and compostable.

Revoltech recently achieved large-scale production of LOVR™ in 1.60-meter-wide rolls, with a natural brown-grey tone and various surface options. This material is in an exclusive development partnership with Volkswagen for automotive applications with Revoltech is also exploring collaborations in fashion, accessories and interiors. 

MATTR™ is a two-layer material featuring a 90% algae-based foam bonded to a cellulose-based backer, offering a soft, stretchable and entirely plastic-free alternative. It supports a broad natural colour palette and is currently produced in lab-scale sheets, with pilot-scale production planned for summer 2025.

Morgan-Lee Wagner, Revoltech's communications, partnerships & PR lead, highlights that: "Unlike many alternatives that rely on synthetic binders or remain lab-bound, our focus has been industrial readiness from day one."

Von Holzhausen

Von Holzhausen, a Los Angeles-based (US) company, adopts a dual approach by both developing innovative leather alternatives and integrating them into their own line of finished luxury products⁸.

As Von Holzhausen representative, Lilly Ghesquiere, emphasises: "At Von Holzhausen, we’re on a mission to lead a plastic-free world that fights climate change with plants. Our latest breakthrough, Liquidplant, is the world’s first 100% plant-based, performance plastic alternative aimed at solving the microplastic issue and reducing our reliance on petroleum." 

Beyond Liquidplant, Von Holzhausen also offers Technik-Leather™ – a vegan leather alternative, and Banbū Leather™ – made from bamboo. These materials are featured in their extensive range of luxury accessories, including handbags, wallets and technology accessories, as well as in automotive interiors through collaborations with leading car brands like Mercedes-Benz.

Following the successful launch of their Ripple Shoe as a case study for Liquidplant, Von Holzhausen is actively developing new initiatives to highlight how plant-based materials can effectively merge design, sustainability and high performance across diverse industries.

Uncaged

Uncaged Innovations is bringing to market a leather alternative named ELEVATE, made from plant-based polymers and agricultural waste. The company targets luxury and performance markets⁹.

A recent development for the company is the formation of The Uncaged Collective, which includes partnerships with ten independent global fashion brands across nine countries, including the UK, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, India, Australia and the United States. The goal of the project is to showcase ELEVATE's versatility in products ranging from wallets to watch straps¹⁰.

Beyond Leather

Beyond Leather, based in Denmark, is the innovator behind Leap®, an alternative leather derived from apple waste. The company focuses on transforming this agricultural byproduct into a sustainable, high-performance material for various applications¹¹.

A recent announcement is their collaboration with Copenhagen-based furniture brand TAKT. TAKT has integrated Leap into eight of its iconic chair designs, offering consumers a new animal-free upholstery option¹².

In terms of material development, Beyond Leather has created Leap Flex – an enhanced version designed for superior mechanical strength, making it ideal for demanding applications like furniture upholstery, especially around edges. Leap® is already commercially available on 1.5m wide rolls and has USDA BioPreferred® certification, confirming 91% bio-based content.

As Sarah Pricka, Marketing & Communications Specialist at Beyond Leather, highlights: "We developed 2 lines of Leap to match the quality for each industry that we are currently targeting – small leather goods and furniture upholstery."

The Organoid Company and Lab-Grown Leather Ltd. have joined forces to engineer what they claim to be the world's first T-Rex leather. This partnership signifies a radical shift in alternative leather development, venturing into the realm of cultivated biological materials¹³. The project is being supported by creative agency, VML.

Lab-Grown Leather is focused on the concept of creating leather from the genetic material of extinct species, leveraging its proprietary Advanced Tissue Engineering Platform (ATEP). Meanwhile, The Organoid Company specializes in growing organoids, which are miniature, simplified versions of organs, often used in scientific research.

This "first-of-its-kind" endeavour aims to cultivate leather using genetic material derived from a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The resulting material is envisioned for luxury products, with early discussions suggesting potential applications in handbags and high-end fashion accessories.

HyphaLite

HyphaLite™, developed by ISA, represents an interesting approach to alternative leathers with its focus on enhanced technical features. HyphaLite is a reportedly 100% bio-based, biodegradable and compostable material. Its composition includes certified natural latex, FSC-certified regenerated cellulose fibres and mushrooms¹⁴.

ISA engineered these components to optimize HyphaLite™ for the specific physical properties required by the footwear and accessories industries. This includes attributes such as hand feel, softness, durability, and cost-effectiveness, in addition to its notable breathability. The material is designed for various applications within the footwear and accessories sectors.

3DBT

3D Bio-Tissues (3DBT), a biotech startup based in Newcastle, has produced "tissue-engineered skin" grown solely from cells¹⁵. In collaboration with the University of Northampton, which provided tanning expertise, 3DBT has developed a product that is structurally and genetically identical to traditional leather. Unlike farm-based leather, 3DBT's lab-grown leather eliminates the need to harm animals and can be tanned using either traditional or ecologically sensitive processes, allowing for diverse colours and appearances¹⁶.

The product is created using immortalized cells sourced from an adult female horse through a painless bioethics process, which are then grown into a skin/hide structure in a lab over six weeks. This is done without the use of additional supporting materials, like plastics or cellulose. 3DBT's process is unique due to their patented, serum-free and animal-free cell culture media supplement, City-mixTM, which accelerates tissue production and reduces costs¹⁶.

Distribution & Manufacturing

Alternative Leathers Co.

Alternative Leathers Co. is positioning itself as a pioneering supplier and distributor within the alternative leather market, notable for being one of the first platforms to offer materials from various companies directly to a broader audience. This initiative marks a significant step towards democratising access to these innovative materials, moving beyond exclusive partnerships with large brands or specialised R&D projects¹⁷. 

They currently stock and distribute materials from Piñatex, Desserto and Vegea, offering materials in various quantities suitable for both sampling and production runs. Options typically including diverse colours, finishes and sheet or roll sizes, providing flexibility for designers and manufacturers¹⁷.

Veshin Factory

Veshin Factory is a conscious manufacturing partner that helps brands transition to cruelty-free leather alternatives by providing expertise, craftsmanship and sourcing both next-gen materials and petrochemical-free dyes¹⁸.

Recently, Veshin announced a significant global expansion, establishing itself as an international manufacturing group leveraging international partners. While their core factory remains in Guangzhou, China, they have expanded into Italy (with Cartiera), Colombia (with RICAL Leather) and São Paulo, Brazil (with Ahimsa, for footwear).

More recently, Veshin has partnered with The London Leather Workshop in the UK, offering low MOQ production, R&D services and localised supply chains for both startups and established brands. This was followed in July with the onboarding of La La Land Production & Design, in Los Angeles, US. Likewise, the US-based partnership unlocks localised bulk production of handbags and accessories utilising next-gen materials, presenting R&D opportunities and reported tariff-free sourcing for US-based material innovators.

Author: Daniela Rondinone, WTiN