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History of Vegan Leather from Beginning to Asif Ali Gohar’s Rice Leather 

Vegan leather was created as an alternative to animal based leathers for those who avoid the use of animal products. There are several different methods and styles, but they are all rooted in the same need. Fashion must adapt to the trends and the styles that people are interested in, and leather has been a hot topic for decades.  

The first vegan leather was introduced in 2010 but leather alternatives were in use long before. In the late 19th century as Germany prepared for war they required an alternative to leather from animals as these supplies were rationed. This particular version was created with paper pulp over several layers. In 1920, a new leather alternative became popular. In many situations, the alternatives can last as long as regular leather and is able to be used for all of the same purposes. It works in clothing, accessories, and tools.  

As popularity grew, there have been many changes to the product and how it is made. Several different ingredients and raw materials have been used and many improvements have been made to durability and affordability. Each of these new versions has different costs, strengths, and weaknesses. It became known as vegan in 2010 when more designers who choose to live a vegan lifestyle began using it in their designs. This increased its popularity exponentially and led to further development. 

Some of the phases of leather alternatives included paper pulp, plastic, mushrooms, leaves from various trees and banana leaves, pineapple, cork, and now rice. Each of these offers the advantage of using renewable materials and alternatives for those avoiding animal products. There are disadvantages to them as many use plastics and require chemicals for the process of creating them. In addition, these items are not able to be recycled, and are unlikely to last as long as leather will. As technology continues to change there are sure to be further advances in the future.  

Asif Ali Gohar has formed a new way of making items from rice based leather, and is focused on improving the methods to ensure they are sustainable and less damaging for the environment. By keeping, a research and development team focused on improving the process there have already been improvements in these factors and there are sure to be more. Vegan leather has the potential to protect the environment and decrease the environmental impact of leather goods and the fashion industry in general. 

Vegan leather and other leather alternatives have been in use for over a hundred years, and there continue to be ongoing developments and improvements. As new processes and technology are developed there are more and more raw materials that are being found to fit the needs of creating a leather alternative. These go by several different names including faux leather, PU leather, pleather, and leatherette.