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Association of Textile, Apparel, And Materials news and feature stories
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July 7, 2015
Don't Call It Pleather
Is that real leather? Today's faux leather is difficult to
distinguish from the real thing, and may have fewer
environmental and cruelty issues than real leather. A
rebranding from "pleather" to "vegan leather" and better
material processes have helped drive the faux leather
industry to greater success.
More info...
New Membership Updates for Local Section Officers and Retired Members
Local Section Officers: A 50% membership discount will be offered to Section officers— two discounts
per section; one for the Chair, one for another Section Officer as designated by the Chair.
Retired: Individuals who have retired from full-time employment and are either at least 60 years old
or an AATCC member for 10 years may qualify for Retired Membership at half the regular annual
Individual Dues rate.
More info...
Call for Papers Announced
for AATCC’s 2016
International Conference
Interested individuals should
complete the submission
form and provide an abstract.
More info...
Global Test Method
Training
Learn AATCC and ASTM test
methods from certified
trainers in 13 countries
around the world.
More info...
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AATCC News
Congrats to AATCC's
Outstanding Grad of the
Year Award
Potential Local Section in
Northern California
Interested in joining a new
AATCC Local Section now in
the process of forming in
Northern California? Bring
your interest, enthusiasm,
and ideas to Karen Muhlin
More info...
FIT's Wen Zhao wins AATCC's
Outstanding College
Graduate of the Year award!
More info...
For complete list and updates, visit the AATCC Events page
August 5-6, 2015
NC Aerospace Supplier and Advanced Manufacturing
(ASAM) Summit
Charlotte, NC
more info..
September 16-17, 2015
Antibacterial/Odor Conference
Research Triangle Park, NC
more info..
October 21-22, 2015
Color Management Workshop
AATCC Technical Center, Research Triangle Park, NC
more info..
November 3-5, 2015
AATCC Fall Committee Meetings
Research Triangle Park, NC
more info..
December 9-10, 2015
Introduction to Textile Testing Workshop
AATCC Technical Center, Research Triangle Park, NC
more info..
**If you would like to register for an event please
contact our Education Department.
Local Section Events
October 29, 2015
New England Fall Meeting
Plainville, MA
more info..
Open Enrollment
Textile Fundamentals Web-Based Training
more info...
Online AATCC Test Method Training
more info...
AATCC Recorded Webinars
more info...
Getting White Right
more info...
Proficiency Testing Registration
August 4, 2015
Appearance and Physical Properties
more info....
September 2, 2015
Antibacterial
more info....
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AATCC News | AATCC Online
Don’t Call It Pleather
by Corrie Pelc
Faux leather—or “vegan leather” as it’s now being called—is currently having a Renaissance of sorts. Sales are on the rise thanks to
more top designers producing synthetic leather fashion items and improved textile processes producing a material that feels more like
real leather.
Synthetic leather, or pleather, as it was sometimes called, had some unfortunate connotations of cheapness and
environmental unfriendliness. Recent rebranding as vegan leather has brought new, friendlier consumer impressions of crueltyfree, comfortable, convenient, economical, and trendy. In the face of criticism for the frequent environmental unfriendliness
of leather processing, some forms of vegan leather are becoming more and more appealing.
According to Corinne Trepanier, head designer, and Giovanni Greco, marketing and communications coordinator, for vegan
handbag manufacturer Matt & Nat based in Montreal, Canada, their customers are attracted to more leather-like handbags.
Newer technologies and methods in textile engineering are helping to make it easier to give customers what they want.
Photo
http://www.aatcc.org/pub/aatcc-news/newsletters/0715a-story1/ (2 of 4) [8/12/2015 9:32:38 AM]
AATCC News | AATCC Online
courtesy Matt & Nat
“We’ve seen recycled plastic and even silicone that looks similar to leather,” Trepanier says. “We take a great pride when people
compliment our bag without knowing it’s not leather.”
Morgan Bogle, founder of cruelty-free luxury bag line Freedom of Animals based in New York, USA, also speaks to how the process
for making faux leather has changed. Bogle’s bag line is made from an “eco-faux leather” made from a post-consumer polyurethane
blend, which, according to the company’s website, uses 70% less energy to process than other synthetic fabrics.
Photo courtesy of Freedom of Animals
Although it may take some time, Bogle believes the faux leather and eco-friendly trend in the handbag industry will continue to grow.
“There really is a need to take a sustainable step in fashion, and [it’s] companies like [mine] and a few others that are pledging to change
and (focusing) on an almost entirely sustainable product [that] is changing the demand,” she says.
As synthetic leather processes continue to improve and more consumers—such as the Millennial generation—begin to demand
more environmentally-friendly products, the vegan leather industry certainly looks to be an area of potential growth.
Photo courtesy of Freedom of Animals
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AATCC News | AATCC Online
What’s next? How about real leather, bio-engineered and artificially grown in
a vat, which is more environmentally friendly than current leather products as
well as being cruelty-free?
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© Copyright 2015, American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
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