Why These Influencers Matter
For decades, the leather industry has been an insider's secret. We talked to ourselves, tanners talking to brands, brands talking to designers, and designers talking to each other. But in the last few years, something started to shift: consumers began asking questions we weren’t answering publicly.
“What’s real leather?”
“Is vegan leather actually better for the environment?”
“Why do some leathers last forever while others fall apart?”
The truth was always on our side, but the storytelling wasn’t.
That’s where influencers like Tanner and Peter come in. They’re not marketing agencies or PR teams, they’re educators. They simplify complex topics and make them emotionally resonant. They give consumers access to the industry’s inner world, not as an advertisement, but as a conversation (more trustworthy).
Watching how Lineapelle embraced that this year was exciting. Every fan photo, every conversation, every packed event was a reminder that transparency is now the ultimate form of marketing.
The Consumer
As powerful as the week was, it also sparked an important realisation: our work can’t end within the walls of the industry. The millions of people who follow voices like Tanner and Peter online, the ones who buy, wear, and cherish leather, are the reason this industry exists.
We have to reach them where they are.
Consumers are the heartbeat of our market. Without their understanding and appreciation, even the most innovative products lose their value. If they stop believing in leather, everything we build loses its foundation.
That’s why connecting with and educating consumers must become central to the leather industry. People can’t value what they don’t understand, and for the past decade, many have been misled by marketing narratives that favour convenience and profit over truth. Rebuilding that trust starts with transparency, storytelling, and honest communication about what makes real leather so extraordinary.
How We Got Here: The Rise of Leather Alternatives
For thousands of years, leather had no real competition. It was the obvious choice: durable, renewable, and part of a natural cycle tied to food production. Then, synthetic “alternatives” entered the market.
At first, these materials were positioned as cost-effective substitutes. But over time, they were rebranded as ethical and sustainable. Brands realised they could increase their profit margins by replacing real leather with cheaper, plastic-based materials while marketing them as “vegan” or “eco-friendly.”
That’s where the narrative began to shift. Massive marketing budgets were poured into telling consumers that petroleum-derived materials were the moral choice, based on skewed data, biased studies, and half-truths.
They had to spend billions convincing people to believe it. Because if they hadn’t, no one would have ever chosen plastic over leather.
And it has worked.
Real leather’s market share has steadily declined over the past decade, while synthetic alternatives have continued to gain ground.
You don’t need a chart to see it, just ask anyone in the industry, and they’ll tell you the same thing: it feels different out there.
