VEGAN & PLASTIC

A personal reflection on skin and sustainability

I've followed a vegan diet for many years. However, Dolfie's collections include leather footwear, a contradiction I've reflected on deeply and about which I'm frequently asked.

My answer may not be universally agreed upon. As long as the food industry exists, leather will remain one of its byproducts. The leather we use at Dolfie comes from this source, and we choose to work with it for its quality, durability, and ability to last for years.

Many alternatives marketed as plant-based leathers are made from apples, grapes, cactus, corn, or other plant-based ingredients. These are interesting innovations, but some require synthetic components, such as polyurethane, to achieve the necessary strength and flexibility. Therefore, a material being plant-based does not necessarily mean it is plastic-free or has a lower environmental impact.

This doesn't mean we reject alternatives to leather. At Dolfie, we continue to research natural and recycled materials that can offer the quality, functionality, and durability we seek.

Our Save the Ocean project was born from that research, using a fabric made from recovered plastic to give a new use to an existing waste product.

For us, sustainability isn't about choosing a label. It's about understanding where each material comes from, how it's manufactured, how long it can last, and what happens to it at the end of its useful life.

We continue to learn and look for better alternatives, although there is still no perfect solution.

– Bárbara de Assis, Co-founder of Dolfie