Can leather be ethical?
Our design philosophy at Yana Dee Ethical Apparel is based on minimizing waste, and maximizing the materials we have to create a beautiful, highly functional item. One of the most efficient ways we do this is re-purposing usable scrap materials from other makers. All of our leather accessories are made with this process, something we feel great about because we prevent this precious material from going to waste, and aren't contributing to more demand. We acknowledge that the creation of leather has a lot of energy input, and honor that process by using the scraps we get as fully as we can.
Our pieced leather purses and shoulder bags are made from salvaged "off-cuts," an industry term for pieces that have flaws. These imperfections include brand markings, irregular shapes, cut-outs, and raw edges. The leather itself is thick, supple, and durable, and will take on even more character and patina with use.
If you're into a more minimalist aesthetic, our market bags are perfect for you! These are made from a lightweight but strong leather that was originally purposed to make airplane seats. These scraps never made in onto a plane, but were large enough that we could cut out entire pattern pieces to give this design a simple, modern look. They come in a wide array of sizes, the smallest being suitable for an everyday bag, and the largest can be used as a chic travel bag for a weekend away (you can even fit an entire yoga mat inside). Moms! This is the non-obvious, sophisticated, roomy diaper bag you have been waiting for.
From our smallest salvaged leather scraps, we make little accessories that are a celebration of detail: minimalist wallets, wrist cuffs, hair barrettes, headbands, pins, coasters, and one of our best-sellers: our lightweight leather earrings. There will never be two pairs exactly the same, and their neutral palette means you will be able to match them to so many things in your wardrobe!
Maybe now you can see why we dare to call these "ethical" leather accessories. Whether the piece measures a couple of square feet or a couple of inches, we are proud to feature the character of this prime material.