10 Buttery-Soft Vegan Handbag Brands in the UK

With a mission to use vegan leather that is sustainably sourced and uniquely tailored to you, Johnny Loves Rosie is your one-stop destination for all things personalised! It’s all about the little details: firstly, pick your bag, then add your initials, select your strap, and finally, pick your keyring.

These luxury cruelty-free bags look and feel just like leather, whilst having an environmental impact that is up to 24 times lower than their animal-derived alternatives. They have more recently been sampling fruit and plant fibres to expand their sustainable collections even further – so watch this space!

You might need to save up your pennies for a Mashu bag, but I promise you, it will be SO worth it! Art Deco-inspired Mashu are on a mission to create beautiful handbags without harming planet, animals or people. Their 100% vegan fabrics are consciously low impact and prioritise innovative fruit leathers such as apple, pineapple, grape and corn, as well as organic, recycled and repurposed materials.

To buy less and better, Mashu offer a complimentary repair service for life. They’ve also partnered with Renoon to share transparent, evidence-based credentials for each product. With carbon neutral shipping and an OEKO-Tex certified cotton dustbag, 5 trees are planted for every bag purchased via TreeApp.

For Watson & Wolfe, it was working in the leather goods industry for 10 years and seeing the problems first-hand that actually changed the brand trajectory – shaping the compassionate and eco-conscious values that underpin their ethos today.

Their products are made using innovative future leathers like corn, cork, and cactus, with linings composed of recycled polyester. They also importantly provide information about their supply chain. Whilst they only have a small selection, it’s the perfect choice if you’re looking for classic designs that will never go out of fashion.

Cork is a fantastic leather alternative that is natural, renewable, and regenerative (did you know that harvesting cork trees actually stimulates their growth?!). Corkor is headed up Natália and Vítor, a Portuguese couple whose deep appreciation for this material stems from their European upbringing surrounded by native cork trees.

Owning their own workshop means that from design to shipment – they oversee the entire production process. Each certified Corkor product has been lovingly handmade by local artisans, combining small production runs with traditional craftsmanship, which results in their high quality yet always affordable price tags.

As an aspiring minimalist, I adore the concept of London-based label The Morph Bag. Not only do they promote conscious consumption through PETA-approved, 100% vegan products, but they only sell three styles that are designed with ultimate versatility in mind: a clutch, a crossbody and a shoulder bag tote (there’s even the option to purchase as a set).

It’s an innovative concept that means you can build your capsule wardrobe around just a few staple products, which will complement any outfit or occasion. All their bags use recycled PU leather, with linings made from recycled water bottles. Plus, they plant 3 trees in the Amazon for every order placed.

Labante London’s philosophy is ‘Fashion with Respect’ – born out of a combined love of animals, fashion, and the wider planet. They make a point of never using PVC in their designs as it is non-degradable and has a much higher toxicity level than other plastics. Product manufacturing is a circular process that attempts to minimise waste at every step.

Labante is transitioning to more environmentally-friendly leathers like apple, although currently all of their bags include recycled materials. For example, exteriors are manufactured using vegetable by-products and Microfiber, whilst interiors are made from recycled plastic bottles.

For fans of illustrated prints and embroidery details, Fable has a range of cruelty-free vegan bags that possess a playful narrative charm. They work with an ethical female-owned sustainable factory in China to produce their vegan PU products, and are currently in the process of sampling natural vegetable vegan materials.

Fable’s packaging is FSC-approved and their shipping materials are made from 100% recycled paper and plastic. They have further partnered with the environmental conservation organisation Make It Wild to offset their carbon emissions through tree planting in North Yorkshire.

B-Corp certified Elvis & Kresse have a really unique story. Established in 2005, their mission was clear: to rescue and repurpose London’s decommissioned fire hoses (300 tonnes that would otherwise have been destined for landfill!). Rubber is naturally vegan, but Elvis & Kresse also take care not to use animal-based glues or lining materials.

It’s so inspiring to see how seemingly ‘waste’ materials can be transformed through highly-skilled, traditional craftsmanship. Their bags and homewares are now made from 15 different reclaimed materials. Moreover, a huge 50% of their profits are donated to charity, including The Fire Fighters Charity.

Previously known as Luxtra, this B-Corp certified brand recently rebranded as Shaker in June 2023. They relaunched with their hero product – the lovely Twist Cross Body Bag – and excitingly have designs called the Push, the Fold and the Wave in the pipeline.

Shaker ensures transparency within their supply chain and fair working conditions, whilst never compromising on quality, long-lasting products. They also use a variety of eco-friendly and plastic-free leathers made from MIRUM® and AppleSkin. Check them out for some truly beautiful and innovative products.

With each piece handmade from fallen leaves and hand-dyed by skilled artisans, you really are getting a one-of-a-kind product when you purchase a bag from Thamon! The teak leaves used in this process are durable, water-resistant, biodegradable and 30% lighter in weight than real leather. As well as being cruelty-free, the production process is reassuringly free of nasty chemicals.

I must admit that when it comes to PU alternatives, I’m not always the biggest fan of the finished product, so Thamon has done an amazing job! Oh, and for a brand that feels so high-end, I was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable price tag.