The history of faux leather

The history of faux leather

Faux leather is a stylish material that is fancied by established designers and doesn’t seem to go out of fashion in the future. But how did it all begin? With a scandal, of course! That’s the subject of this week’s digest. Keep scrolling!

Yves Saint Laurent pioneered leather (back then, real leather) on the runway. In 1960, as head designer at Dior, he introduced his beatnik-themed collection. He got inspired by one of the first movements critical of the conservative views. The looks were influenced by the street style of the time: short motorcycle jackets, high neck sweaters, and lots of black items. Rumor has it that the collection resulted in Yves Saint Laurent’s termination from Dior because the public did not appreciate his artistic vision. But how exciting it is to look at the collection today!

The trend got big only 30 years later – when the fashion world got crazy for leather in the 90s. Then the designers started using it more frequently.

These days, there’s a lot of faux leather on the runways. Faux leather hype is unstoppable – from just a few items we’ve moved on to full-look leather. The Matrix-inspired black leather outfits and colorful leather looks are equally trendy.

Feel free to sew clothes with faux leather because it doesn’t show signs of going out of fashion. And it also, albeit arguable, falls into the global environmental awareness trend. The majority of high-end brands refuse to use natural materials in favor of artificial leather.

The other thing is – technology keeps improving. Today’s faux leather doesn’t require any special treatment; it’s breathable, structured, and more and more indistinguishable from the real one.

Clothes made of faux leather are bound to become any wardrobe’s staple. This kind of texture doesn’t ask for any extra effort – it’s easy to integrate into many looks. But it will look especially chic when paired with contrasting textures like knits or silky fabrics. And certainly don’t overlook the hottest trend of the season – full-look leather. The following Vikisews patterns include instructions on how to sew them with faux leather: Suri dress, Ilana skirt, Gladys coat, Madison jacket, Helen dress, Agnia skirt, Emory dress, Aurelia jacket, Arya pinafore dress. Choose your favorite!

Read more in Vikisews Blog:

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