While the use of leather in fashion is questionable, the latest eco fashion collaboration between Livia Firth and Gucci is worth mentionning.
Their new bag is 100 per cent traceable and free of links to deforestation. Leather and deforestation? That’s when this story becomes interesting.
Brazilian ranches represent the biggest commercial herd of cows. Leather is a direct bi-product of this industry. According to Lucy Siegle “One cow hide makes approximately 40 pairs of sandals or 30 small bags, while a medium-sized ranch ‘processes’ 80,0000 cows a year.” Cattle ranches have expanded rapidly encroaching on rainforest land and Lucy Siegle mentions that their activities are now driving three quarters of all tropical deforestation. Greenpeace “Slaughtering the Amazon” report states that “the cattle sector in the Brazilian Amazon is the largest driver of deforestation in the world, responsible for 14% of the world’s annual deforestation”.
Enter Livia Firth, Gucci and National Wildlife Federation. Working together they have teamed up with a Brazilian cattle farm, helping them work more efficiently without cutting down trees.
The result is this new Gucci fully traceable deforestation-free leather bag that will set you off a little bit over £1000.
With only 250 bags currently being produced this is unlikely to save much of the rainforest in itself but it could be a high profile way to highlight a important issue and support the efforts fo National Wildlife Federation to stop deforestation of the Amazon.
