Natalie Portman teams up with Uncaged Innovations to advance animal-free leather
The actor and long-time vegan will act as strategic partner to the material innovation company, joining them on the mission to make clean, animal-free fashion a reality.
Courtesy of UNCAGED Innovations
Oscar-winning actor Natalie Portman, known for her dedication to animal rights and her vegan lifestyle, has joined biomaterial company Uncaged Innovations as strategic partner.
Portman will collaborate with Uncaged to promote and elevate the ethically made, animal-free materials created by the company.
Uncaged Innovations, founded in 2020 by Stephanie Downs and Xiaokun Wang, is the first company to have used grain by-products to make vegan leather.
Their recent innovation, the ELEVATE material, is made with grains, natural rubber, plant-based oils, mineral pigments and flower extracts. It is made by mixing proteins from grain by-products with other bio-based materials to create a network of fibres that mimics the scaffolding functionality of collagen, which is the main protein in skin, including animal leather.
The resulting material is durable and resistant, perfectly replicating the texture and feel of animal skins.
Uncaged's materials are entirely biodegradable and plastic-free, which is one of the factors that attracted Portman to the project.
Many vegan leathers still include a percentage of PU or similar synthetics for durability – but animal leathers aren't always free from petroleum-derived substances either, with synthetic coatings sometimes added for durability.
Synthetics can take up to 500 years to degrade naturally, and shed microplastics into waterways when washed.
Animal leather is part of animal agriculture – one of the leading causes of the climate crisis. The farming of cattle for human consumptions (which includes fashion) is connected to stratospheric greenhouse-gas emissions, water waste, and deforestation among other factors.
Leather is responsible for 54% of all methane emissions of the fashion industry– methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with many times the global-warming potential of CO2.
It also takes the lives of over one billion animals every year, most of whom live in the factory farming system where they endure extreme crowding, painful mutilations and risk of disease – all before a violent death at the abattoir.
An independent life-cycle assessment of Uncaged's grain-based material has shown that its production is responsible for 95% lower greenhouse-gas emissions, consumes 71% less energy and uses 89% less water than animal leather.
Courtesy of UNCAGED Innovations
Uncaged has already worked with brands such as vegan fashion pioneer Melina Bucher, and handbag labels Sentient and Sans Beast, alongside car interiors for Hyundai and Jaguar Land Rover.
“Uncaged is one of the most exciting businesses in the biomaterials space that I have seen,” says Portman, who has been vegan for 15 years. “The significant market traction they have gained at such an early stage is proof of the demand for materials that are animal-free, luxurious and sustainable.”
The company's vision, alongside the quality of their creations, made an impact on Portman. “I was so impressed by what they had created that I immediately wanted to be part of it,” she says. “To create this bio material that really replicates the feel, the luxury, the quality of leather, but is really eco-friendly and animal free – [it’s] something I’ve always wanted.”
“The biomaterials industry holds the key to a future where materials are regenerative and not destructive,” says Uncaged co-founder Stephanie Downs. “But we are in a race against time to save our planet and evolve the leather industry. By combining biotechnology with design thinking, we’re accelerating sustainable change without compromising aesthetics or performance.”
“We’re incredibly excited to have Natalie on board as a strategic partner, as her voice and credibility bring powerful momentum to our mission,” Downs adds. “Consumers and businesses alike are demanding sustainable alternatives, and together, this collaboration aims to meet that challenge.”
What can you do?
Many fashion brands and designers have made the ethical choice to go fur-free - but Fendi remains one of the worst offenders, continuing to profit from the fur trade by selling items made from the skins of minks, foxes, sables, chinchillas, and bobcats. Join Species Unite in urging Fendi to stop using fur here.
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