“Personally, I’d be quite happy to move away from leather tomorrow. I don’t like that we have to slaughter all those cows to create leather,” says Land Rover design chief Gerry McGovern. “More importantly I think that fabric gives the opportunity to create a different look and feel.”
McGovern made the above statement in an interview with Australian website Drive after telling them: “The attitude towards animal by-products is changing. That whole world of luxury is becoming more sophisticated and people are looking for ways to reconcile the way we use the world to create these products, things like fabrics that are more sustainable and have a better sustainable footprint.”
In line with this more sustainable approach of like-minded individuals, Land Rover now offers an alternative to animal leather, in the form of a luxurious fabric upholstery option on the new Range Rover Velar.
The option is priced above the standard leather on the Velar R-Dynamic SE, but below the top Windsor leather option and is described as “a premium alternative to leather.” Rather than a fake leather, the company has gone with an upmarket upholstery made from wool blend fabrics that are sourced from Australia and New Zealand and prepared by Danish supplier Kvdrat, while the ‘suedecloth’ is made from recycled plastic.