Cork Leather: A Vegan, Eco-friendly Leather Alternative

Hello hello♡ Autumn is finally here! In Israel, we don’t actually get to experience a proper autumn, as the weather is relatively hot during fall. But, as I’m writing this post it’s raining outside (finally!), the days start to get shorter and the weather chillier. I love starting my morning with a hot cup of chai latte, burning a candle, wearing cool vegan jackets and dressing as if I’m in Berlin. What do you like to do when the weather is getting colder? let me know! As the weather is getting colder we all start looking more into (vegan) coats and jackets, and that’s why I wanted to introduce you to one of the coolest materials to start your autumn with- and it is- cork leather! But first- let’s talk about…

What’s wrong with leather?

If you are a veteran on my blog, you know that the leather industry is one of the cruelest, most polluting industries in the world. You can read more about it on my What’s Wrong With Leather & 11 Amazing Vegan Alternatives post.

From bark to bag: what is cork & how it’s made?

Cork is made of the bark of the Oak-tree– a tree that grows primarily in Portugal, Spain, and France. The bark is stripped from the tree once every nine years. Unlike other trees, the Cork Oak is the only tree in the world that can be stripped of its bark and not die, and that’s why cork is truly sustainable, as none of the trees are harmed.

Why should I choose cork leather?

Cork Is Eco-Friendly& Sustainable

Cork is one of the most eco-friendly resources on the planet. In fact, it’s harvesting can help in the fight against global warming. Each time the cork is harvested, the tree absorbs more CO2 to aid in the bark regeneration process. This means regularly harvested cork trees store three to five times more CO2 than those left unharvested. Interesting- ha? cork trees can live for up to 300 years, one tree can supply cork for many many generations.

Recyclable And Biodegradable

Cork has a smaller environmental footprint: There is very little processing involved in the extraction of cork. The ecological footprint from extraction until the final product is incredibly low as it is both recyclable and biodegradable. This means that even during the manufacturing process, cork waste is reused and ground to make agglomerated cork products such as shoe soles or coating panels: never going to waste. Good news for the planet!

Supporting cork means supporting nature

Just think about it: the more people buy cork, the more cork oak trees are planted, which in turn creates a virtuous cycle that is healthy for the environment and our planet. So when you buy cork, you are basically being an eco-hero 🙂 feels good doesn’t it?

Cork is super durable

Not only cork leather is sustainable, but it’s also durable, being water and fire resistant, wear and tear resistant, lightweight and easy to clean, making it an awesome material that is made to last. From my experience with this material that it is awesome. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been constantly using a cork card holder from The Lovely Things UK  that I know will for sure serve me for years and years from now. Quality over quantity is the way to go!

Nothing like it: cork leather is genuinely unique

Unique in its appearance, cork is a real eye-catcher! Cork is one of the most interesting, unique materials available out there. Each product is as unique as a fingerprint, as there are no two equal pieces of cork. When buying a cork item, you’re buying a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

But… Cork Can Made With Different Backings

Cork is a great material but to have structure it has to be glued to a certain backing material, that can be eco-friendly or not- sometimes it is made with organic cotton, for example, and glued with water-based glue, which is great, but it can also be made with poleyaster which is less great for the environment. Either way it is way better than animal leather : )

How To Style Cork: My Cork-Leather Jacket

A few months ago, two young designers, Alexia and Juliette, contacted me to introduce me to their amazing brand named Ovide. it is a vegan, eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable french brand that’s creating mainly vegan outwear pieces such as jackets and coats, using eco-friendly materials. Their products are produced in France and Portugal in ethical, human-friendly factories. One of the materials they use in their collections is no other than Cork! this camel cork jacket was kindly sent to me by the brand to style and share with you all. It’s so perfect for fall, look at how it matches the fallen leaves 🙂

“The Cassandre Cork Jacket”

Wearing this beautiful jacket makes me feel special. Since not a lot of people go around with cork jackets (yet), this unique biker jacket stands out in the crowd. It’s a good conversation-starter, as people see it and immediately ask about it. As the conversation evolves you are actually getting to make people more aware of vegan fashion and super-cool leather alternatives. I’ve mentioned the fact you’re becoming an eco-vegan-hero when wearing cork? oh yeah!

Apart from being beautiful and unique, this jacket keeps me warm, and it is a necessary factor when it comes to colder days. For autumnal this look I paired my jacket with an old, simple HM sweater (similar here), old Stradivarius skort (similar here),  a pair of over the knee boots (also old, similar here*) and my well-loved JW PEI Fiona bag*. Those basic, must-have items allowed the jacket to do what it’s doing best: making a chic statement and standing out effortlessly.

2020 update: OVIDE were sadly closed. Find cool cork bags here and here

So, did you enjoy today’s post? because I certainly did! it was so fun and educative for me to learn more about cork through the process of writing. I really hope it educated you as well!

What are your thoughts about cork? and about my jacket? I cannot wait to hear from you!

See you soon,

Noa

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**This is not a sponsored post. Both the jacket and Card Holder are PR samples. affiliate links are marked with a (*). the discount code for the jacket is an affiliate code. resource: Corkor