The leather jacket and pants combo did itself justice (see The Matrix’s Trinity for a prime example). Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow and Iman Abdulmajid also delivered equally inspiring looks during this decade, which have continued to influence our wardrobes today.

With a 90s minimalist resurgence taking place, modern day celebs like Kaia Gerber and Emma Chamberlain are taking the classic look to new dimensions, showing us how we can dress leather up and down. You can see why we want this staple in our wardrobes – but there’s a reason why we haven’t rushed out to add it in. 

Leather has some ethical issues. Its supply chain is linked to animal cruelty, its industry has a large carbon footprint and it’s a major driver of deforestation. The tanning process (treating animal skins and hides) is also highly polluting and requires massive amounts of energy and chemicals. While some see vegan leather as a solution (the demand for which nearly tripled last year and is expected to be worth US$89 billion by 2025), most products are still made from synthetic materials – or, in other words, virgin plastic.

Don’t give up the leather dream just yet. We’ve found an exciting alternative that doesn’t harm animals or the planet: recycled vegan leather. The innovative material has helped B Corp–certified clothing label Arnsdorf recreate its signature Joan Jacket and Tailored Trouser into limited-edition investment pieces that are well worth the dough. 

Arnsdorf searched the world to find this textile made from premium recycled polyurethane (recycled PET water bottles) sourced from Shino Shouten in Japan. “It was a long process of searching for a vegan leather that had sustainability attributes, rather than using traditional PVC,” designer and founder of Arnsdorf Jade Sarita Arnott says. 

Because leather has a certain look and feel, the process to make a recycled vegan leather garment is a little more complicated than making recycled garments from materials like polyester and REPREVE. Along with recycled materials, it means that some virgin plastic is also required during the manufacturing process, which isn’t ideal. But as the definition of modern-day luxury changes, the closed-loop cycle of recycled vegan leather is both enticing and exclusive, and we think this is a step in the right direction.