It is not easy to have leather clothes without animals (and without cruelty, waste of land and water). Yet it is worth saving resources and living beings: this is why research is engineering yeasts to produce collagen proteins during fermentation. It happens to Modern Meadow, one of the most advanced New Jersey companies in the field.
Once fermented, the "leather-yeast" receives a good cleaning and a bit of "fabric" is ready which can closely resemble animal skin: it can be sewn and tanned, you can make a nice studded and vegan nail.
It will be necessary to refine the research, of course: dozens and dozens of attempts and crosses are allowing scientists to produce thicker or thinner "fabrics", with different textile resistances depending on the destination (clothes, coverings and more).
We're still a little bit away from coming up with something resistant, malleable, beautiful and convenient, but there's a lot of interest in this challenge that crosses biology, design, fashion and respect for animals and nature.
