Designers are taking the piss

[Iamthewombat]

I was doing a bit of browsing on The Outnet’s clearance section whilst making dinner and for fun decided to find the most hideous garment for sale.

It was a close run thing but the winner was these heinous shoes from Stella McCartney:

www.theoutnet.com/en-gb/shop/product/stella-mccartney/pumps/high-heel-pumps/faux-snake-effect-leather-pumps/24092600057312219

Insult to injury alert: not only are they vile, but they are crafted from ‘vegan leather’. WTF is vegan leather? I looked it up and it is apparently the trendy new name for polyurethane.

She originally wanted £680 for those monstrosities. £680 for plastic shoes! Surely old Stella is taking the piss? Do people actually pay that for hideous plastic shoes?

@Iamthewombat
@LongPauseNoAnswer

Not all leather alternatives are plastic/bad for the environment.

And I’m not sure why people are previous about the use of the word ‘leather’ - it’s just an easy way of describing an item, you don’t have a monopoly on the word @FedUpAtHomeTroels

Some vegan leather is made from cork, some is made from pineapple leaves, apples....

www.wills-vegan-shoes.com/ethical-environmental-policy (plant based vegan leather).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi%C3%B1atex (pinatex - pineapple leather used by several designers)

www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/apple-leather

@Lanique

*Just a shame the environment must have taken a hit instead.

Luckily not all vegan leather is bad for the environment.

I’m guessing you already know that a lot of animal leather is pretty bad for the environment, including because rearing animals for their skin and meat is a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, as well as because 80% of the leather produced uses highly toxic chrome.

It’s nowhere near as simple as vegan leather = plastic = bad and animal leather = fine.

Does vegan aka plastic leather degrade ok in landfill? I think many people might think it’s an eco option and therefore better to buy.

@Notanotherfreak

Does vegan aka plastic leather degrade ok in landfill? I think many people might think it’s an eco option and therefore better to buy.

I just posted above, there are several plant based vegan leathers - vegan leather isn’t all plastic.

@behindmyeyes Help! My eyes are screaming! What in all of holy is that thing??!!!

I agree OP. Those shoes are minging. And the price!!! They shouldn't be allowed to use the word 'leather' - leather is animal skin. Manufacturers should have to use an accurate description of whatever material is used. At least on the site Snezcomb linked to, the clothes were nice and the prices reasonable.
'A fool and his money are soon parted' must be true if people are buying that Stella McCartney shit.

Oh dear God, those shoes in the OP!

They're basically what I wore to secondary school. Please note, that was waaaaay back in the 1970s, commonly known as 'The Decade That Taste Forgot'.

Does no-one remember Patrick Cox Wannabe loafers? They're rather reminiscent of those and just as foul.

While I don't have these monstrosities, I do have a few pairs of Stella McCartney sandals, all bought from The Outnet. They're lovely, were a great price, and am looking forward to wearing them once it is summer. I did not buy them because they're vegan, I purchased the because I liked them.

Leather, by definition, is an animal product. You simply cannot have vegan leather. Why not just use the name of the material being used? Or even fake leather.

Cheap shoes made of plastic or fake leather have been ‘vegan’ for years. Vegan leather is just wanky nonsense.

@Anoisagusaris

Leather, by definition, is an animal product. You simply cannot have vegan leather. Why not just use the name of the material being used? Or even fake leather.

Cheap shoes made of plastic or fake leather have been ‘vegan’ for years. Vegan leather is just wanky nonsense.

But saying ‘vegan’ leather is a clear way of saying they’re not real leather... why does it bother people so much what vegans call their alternative materials?

Do you object to oat milk, vegan burgers etc too? Why does it matter? Does it do any harm?

I had two pairs of Patrick Cox loafers in the 90's I loved them.

I was thinking the Stella shoes reminded me of the loafers of the late 90s, I had a great pair of granny block hill loafer shoes with tassle on the front, and they were very fashionable at the time. I don't think they're too bad, you'd have to have the right outfit though and be stylish in your look. I mean it's no good teaming them up with leggings and a tunic top! 😂

I'm probably being super thick here, but "faux leather" can have animal derivatives in it, whereas vegan leather has absolutely no animal content.

For just £262, you too can look like a mutant tv test card:

www.theoutnet.com/en-gb/shop/product/victoria-beckham/knitwear/medium-knit/patchwork-effect-ribbed-cotton-blend-sweater/4394988609255130

But saying ‘vegan’ leather is a clear way of saying they’re not real leather... why does it bother people so much what vegans call their alternative materials?

If it doesn’t matter what the material is called, why add the word ‘leather’?

Why not say ‘polyurethane shoes’ or ‘pineapple leaf shoes’ (I am agog at the latter. I doubt that it has the same wearing quality as actual leather, or looks like it. I wonder how pineapple shoes stand up to a rainy day?)?

Why persist with pretending that the item is made out of some sort of leather, or leather-adjacent material?

We all know why, of course. To justify charging top dollar for plastic shoes.

I think they state if shoes are 'vegan leather' rather than plastic or 'pleather' because some plastic shoes contain glue which is not vegan .

Ultra high prices will be because of designer . You can get vegan leather shoes a lot cheaper , but you don't know what else they use in cheap plastic shoes eg shoe zone .

Marketing polyurethane as "vegan leather" must be the biggest case of green washing I've seen so far. Save the planet! Be vegan! Buy our plastic shoes!

They look like a throwback to the 70s.

I’d have worn those trainers as a lass!

I’m not sure why people are previous about the use of the word ‘leather’ - it’s just an easy way of describing an item, you don’t have a monopoly on the word

It isn't leather. That is the simple fact. You can't make a silver ring and call it "cheap platinum" because it's not.

It's bloody tedious trying to filter out "PU Leather" etc when what you want is actual leather.

PU leather and vegan leather simply do not exist.

That Zimmerman dress looks like something the cat sicks up

"Leatherette" is the word for fake leather I was trying to think of.

Those shoes aren't the most heinous thing I've ever seen mind you.

@Iamthewombat

But saying ‘vegan’ leather is a clear way of saying they’re not real leather... why does it bother people so much what vegans call their alternative materials?

If it doesn’t matter what the material is called, why add the word ‘leather’?

Why not say ‘polyurethane shoes’ or ‘pineapple leaf shoes’ (I am agog at the latter. I doubt that it has the same wearing quality as actual leather, or looks like it. I wonder how pineapple shoes stand up to a rainy day?)?

Why persist with pretending that the item is made out of some sort of leather, or leather-adjacent material?

We all know why, of course. To justify charging top dollar for plastic shoes.

If you’re agog that shoes can be made out of things like pineapple - and anything other than animal skin you probably need to get out more.

Why not use the word leather? Language changes. We all know exactly what ‘vegan leather’ means. It’s very clear. I’m not sure why non-vegans think they have a monopoly on certain words and are so resistant to those words being used to describe vegan items or foods. It’s such a non-issue.

@SoupDragon

I’m not sure why people are previous about the use of the word ‘leather’ - it’s just an easy way of describing an item, you don’t have a monopoly on the word

It isn't leather. That is the simple fact. You can't make a silver ring and call it "cheap platinum" because it's not.

It's bloody tedious trying to filter out "PU Leather" etc when what you want is actual leather.

PU leather and vegan leather simply do not exist.

Vegan leather does exist. You don’t own the language or the word. Language evolves. We all know exactly what ‘vegan leather’ is.

Vegan leather does exist.

No it doesn't. It is not leather. I am surprised people can't understand that. Leather is a specific thing.

Yes language evolves but that doesn't include calling something by a completely wrong word.

You don’t own the language or the word.

No, but I do know what the correct definition and usage of the word is.

Plastic, cork, pineapples, whatever.... All not leather.

Vegan leather would be leather made from vegans. Which I suspect isn't quite what they were hoping for.