Top Designers Launch Collection of Luxury Vegan Leather Bags Across Asia

We’re excited to announce that top fashion designer Jason Wu—who has dressed style icons such as Michelle Obama and Meghan Markle—and Nicole Wong, a Malaysian designer for Sometime by Asian Designers, have joined forces with Zalora to launch a new collection, named Edie, of eye-popping vegan leather tote bags.

Edie totes are available on Zalora‘s website and can be shipped to Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan.

What’s so great about vegan leather? Only everything. First, it’s not made from the skins of dead animals. Second, it’s easier on the planet—and it’s très chic.

Most vegan leather is made of polyurethane, a polymer that can be customized for any designer’s whim. It can sparkle, have a nice glossy sheen, or be saturated in a variety of shades that put traditional leather to shame.

Every year, the global leather industry slaughters more than a billion animals for their skins. In Asia, much of the leather is made from the skins of cows and their young, who had previously endured all the horrors of the meat or dairy industries. When the milk production of cows on dairy farms wanes, the animals are sent to slaughter, and their skins are made into leather. The hides of male calves born into the dairy industry—who are raised for veal—are made into high-priced calfskin. Buying leather directly contributes to the suffering on factory farms and in slaughterhouses.

Turning skin into leather also requires massive amounts of dangerous chemicals, and studies have shown that people who work in and live near tanneries have higher rates of cancer and other diseases.

Whether they’re cows, cats, dogs, or snakes, no animals need to die so that humans can wear their skin. Vegan leather offers a killer look without any actual killing.