14 Jul Why I No Longer Work with Animal Leather (and What I Found on the Other Side)

 

For years, my hands knew leather before they knew anything else.

I knew how to place every pattern to use every last centimetre. I could tell the quality and type of leather just by touch. I could tell a good hide from a mediocre one, and even the animal it came from, just by running my hand over it.

I was good at it. And that’s exactly why, over time, I stopped being able to do it.

It wasn’t some lightning-bolt revelation. There was no single moment where I decided to change my life. It grew slowly, the way anything grows that you can’t keep ignoring. Every time I held a hide in my hands, I thought about the animal it had been. Not dramatically — I’m not one for drama — just a real, concrete discomfort that wouldn’t go away.

There was a stretch where I tried not to think about it too much. Which is what we do when something makes us uncomfortable and we don’t know what to do about it. Carry on. Look the other way. Tell yourself that’s just how the industry works and one person isn’t going to change anything.

But the discomfort stayed. And it kept taking up more room.

So I started looking.

I wanted to find something that looked like leather, that lasted like leather, that wasn’t plastic dressed up as a sustainable solution, and that hadn’t cost any animal its life. That felt like a lot to ask for. Turns out it wasn’t.

I travelled. I researched. I asked awkward questions to suppliers who weren’t used to being asked exactly where what they sold actually came from.

And I found it.

Apple leather exists. It’s made from the waste left over from processing apples — the skins, the seeds, everything the food industry throws away — turned into a technical sheet material with properties very similar to conventional leather. Palm fibre exists too. It comes from the leaves removed during the annual pruning of palm trees, which would otherwise end up in the bin.

These are quality technical materials. They’re not experiments. They’re not second-rate alternatives. Materials that look like something they’re not, that last as long as they should, and that haven’t cost anyone their life.

From there, Belén Dols started becoming something else.

I’m not telling you this to change what you do. Everyone makes their own choices, and it’s not my job to convince anyone of anything. I’m telling you because when you buy a Belén Dols bag, I think you deserve to know exactly why it’s made this way, and what’s behind every piece.

I do it for the sake of coherence. And because I believe you can go through this world with style and dignity without it costing any animal its life. I still keep hold of my leather bags, and I carry the clients who trusted me from the very beginning close to my heart.

If you’re curious about the materials, how they’re worked, or anything else, write to me directly. I’ll be the one answering.

 

Un abrazo,

Belén Dols

 

A few frequently asked questions:

 Why did you stop working with animal leather if you were good at it? Precisely because I was good at it. When you know exactly where something comes from, it’s harder to ignore. It wasn’t an easy or a quick decision. It was a discomfort that kept growing until I couldn’t do anything else.

What’s wrong with conventional leather? A few things. The most obvious is that it involves killing animals. But there’s more: conventional tanning uses chemicals that pollute water and affect the health of the people working in tanneries. It’s not just an ethical issue with animals, though that alone would be enough.

Are vegan materials as durable as leather? Yes. Apple leather and palm fibre are technical materials designed to last. They don’t peel. They’re not fabric or plastic. They have properties similar to leather in terms of strength, flexibility and durability. People who touch them for the first time are usually surprised.

Where can I buy Belén Dols bags? On belendols.com. All the bags are limited edition, so stock changes. If something catches your eye, it’s best not to wait too long.

Can I contact Belén directly if I have questions? Yes. On the /writeme page you’ll find the form. I’m the one who answers, Belén, not a customer service team.