Tocco Report: Unleather Leather 2025-2026 Edition

Ultimate Guide on Future of Animal-Free Skins

Leather alternatives are on the rise, and not a moment too soon. Traditional leather remains one of the most resource-intensive, pollutive, and land-hungry materials in fashion and automotive. But a wave of new innovators are rethinking what “leather” can be, using plants, fungi, lab-grown collagen, and food waste to build materials that look and feel like leather, often with a fraction of the footprint.

This report examines five distinct categories of leather alternatives, each defined by a specific material basis. It evaluates leading actors and innovations within each category, referencing industry data and expert interviews. Conceived as a measured and deliberate undertaking, this report is the Tocco team’s contribution to an ongoing material discourse, one that favours clarity over idealism, and places substance above trend.