Fake Leather: The 'AI' To Real Leather

Every so often I get messages asking about leather alternatives. From students, YouTube viewers, and people who join my Instagram lives. And the question always comes in slightly different flavours:

“What do you think of vegan leather?” “Have you worked with mushroom leather?” “Is pineapple leather any good?”

People have all sorts of reasons for looking beyond traditional leather: ethical concerns, curiosity, weight considerations, or simply wanting to experiment with something new. And while leather is firmly my medium of choice — the thing I love, the thing I’m passionate about, I have tried a handful of alternatives and I’ve seen enough to form some opinions. Some good, some not so flattering.

Let’s get into it.

The Leather Alternatives That Actually Make Sense

Not everything that isn’t leather is trying to be leather — and that’s where the success stories tend to live. Examples we have had available for centuries include the following.

Waxed Canvas

A classic, proven material that deserves more respect than it gets. Strong, durable, and naturally water-resistant, waxed canvas makes excellent:

• Tote bags

• Watch straps

• Wallets

• Outdoor gear in general

It’s not pretending to be leather. It has its own heritage, its own feel, its own charm — and for some projects, it’s ideal.

Coated Canvas

Think Louis Vuitton.This is simply cotton canvas with a polyurethane (PU) coating. And while “PU” has become synonymous with cheap “pleather,” the coating itself is actually extremely tough.

I use polyurethane sheet for other non-leather applications, and trust me, it’s hard to cut and nearly impossible to tear. As a coating, it creates a material that’s lightweight, durable, and water-resistant. Perfect for travel goods and small accessories.

Oilcloth — The Original Waterproof Fabric

Today, if you search for “oilcloth,” you’ll mostly see café table coverings. Thin fabric with shiny plastic on top. Historically, that’s not what oilcloth was.

Old-school oilcloth was:

• Densely woven canvas

• Coated repeatedly with thin layers of boiled linseed oil

• Dried between coats until it formed a flexible, waterproof surface

Before modern synthetics, it was one of the only widely available waterproof materials. It was used for luggage, trunks, and weatherproof clothing.

I’d actually love to create a bag or case from proper traditional oilcloth. If you ever try making your own, do it carefully. Rolled up linseed-oil-soaked rags can spontaneously combust. (No, really.)

Upcycled Fire Hose

There’s a brand in the UK that makes bags and accessories from reclaimed fire hoses. They’re tough, full of history, sustainable, and visually quite interesting.

That’s the kind of “alternative” I can get behind — something with its own character, not something pretending to be leather.

I got hose in different area codes. Elvis And Kresse firehose bag

The Leather Alternatives That… Aren’t Great

Pineapple Leather

I was once sent a sample by a very kind individual. Unfortunately it was one of the worst materials I’ve ever handled.

Imagine a coarse coconut doormat pressed into a thick cloth with a wrinkled plastic coating on the outside. That.

If you like piña coladas..

It looked nothing like leather, felt nothing like leather, and I’ve never seen anyone on Earth get excited about using it twice.

Mushroom Leather — Not Quite There Yet

I get asked about mushroom leather a lot. Honestly, I haven’t had much hands-on experience with it, and part of that is because it just doesn’t feel ready to replace real leather.

My main concerns are durability and longevity. Can it stand up to the stress, the bending, the wear that leather naturally endures over years? I’m skeptical. Those that sell this 'leather' claim it's a cut above real leather in almost every aspect. However, those that have used it say otherwise.

For now, I see it as a novelty — intriguing, but not a true substitute, especially as it costs more than real leather at this time. I'm going to try and get some soon to do a full review and share my thoughts.

Mushroom leather or extra large naan bread? You decide

“Fake Meat” Logic

Years ago, I tried going fully plant-based for six months. It didn’t go well — digestive issues, constant fatigue, needing 10 hours of sleep a day. But beyond that, I never understood the appeal of imitation meats, either you eat meat, or you don't.

Vegan bacon is never going to be bacon. Vegan cheese is never going to be cheese.

And “vegan leather” is never going to be leather.

When something tries too hard to imitate the real thing, it becomes an impostor. It doesn’t capture the feel, the smell, the texture, or the emotional connection the real thing has.

Leather Has a Soul — And That’s Hard to Fake

Real leather has a time and place tied to it. Emotions. Memories.

English bridle leather, for me, reminds me of being at my granddad’s house as a kid. The smell of his old briefcases, the feel of the doctor’s bag, the brass locks on the case that held his trumpet. I didn’t care about the trumpet; I cared about the leather case that held it.

That’s the sort of thing that stays with you for life.You simply don’t get that from imitation materials.

The Future: Lab-Grown Leather?

Here’s where things get interesting.

For years I’ve predicted that one day we’ll see lab-grown leather — real animal skin grown from cells, not from hides. That would allow:

• Continuous rolls instead of hide shapes

• Adjustable thickness

• Custom density

• Potential genetic tweaks for strength

Well… it has begun.

A few companies now claim to be producing early-stage lab-grown leather from biopsied cow cells. Nothing widely available yet, but the technology exists.

Even wilder: one company claims they’re working on creating T-Rex leather using synthesized DNA and fossilized collagen.

You want it? Come and take it!

Will it happen? Probably not the way they imagine — there’s no surviving dinosaur DNA, so most of it would have to be AI-generated guesswork. But the idea is undeniably fun.

I personally would love to craft a velociraptor-hide briefcase. Tell me that wouldn’t be the coolest thing ever!

Will Real Leather From Real Animals Become a Luxury?

Possibly.

Lab-grown leather might eventually be cheaper, easier to mass-produce, and free from imperfections. Real leather, with its stretch marks and natural character, may become the artisan’s choice — rarer, more expensive, and valued for its authenticity.

Almost like comparing AI images to real photography: The synthetic version might be perfect… too perfect. And in that perfection, it loses its soul.

So Where Do I Stand?

Simple:

• There are fantastic materials that can be used instead of leather — waxed canvas, coated canvas, oilcloth, fire hose, tweed.

• But anything that tries to imitate leather fails spectacularly.

• And the truly futuristic stuff (lab-grown leather) will be interesting — but it won’t replace the real thing emotionally.

Real leather has history. It had a life. It still has a soul. And that’s something no alternative has yet captured.

For me — and probably for you — real leather is here to stay.

Have you worked with leather alternatives or imitations? I'l love to hear you opinions. Share your thoughts below!