Why we chose to never use animal leather
I've never really liked leather.
Not in an aesthetic sense.
In an instinctive sense.
For a long time, I didn't try to understand.
Like everyone else, I accepted it as a given.
In fashion, leather is everywhere.
So, you don't ask questions.
Then a turning point
When I started imagining BIKKOU, a simple question came back:
Can I build a brand while being perfectly aligned with how I feel?
Not half-heartedly.
Not by turning a blind eye to certain aspects.
Et the answer was not comfortable.
Leather: a given that isn't questioned
We are told that leather is a byproduct.
That it's almost recycling.
But the more I dug, the more I understood that reality was less simple.
Leather is an industry.
Structured. Organized. Demanded.
And fashion is part of it.
What bothered me (beyond the animal)
Of course, there's the animal question.
Impossible to ignore.
But that's not where it all played out for me.
It's also:
- the environmental impact
- chemical processes
- and this vague impression that we're not facing everything head-on
As if some things were easier not to see.
The myth of leather: quality
I grew up, like many, with this idea:
leather is better.
But in reality:
- I've seen treated, corrected, covered leathers
- I've seen expensive products... that didn't last
And I understood that the material alone guarantees nothing.
What matters is how a product is designed.
Seeking something else (without compromise)
I just didn't want to make "an alternative."
I wanted to make desirable shoes. Period.
So I searched.
I discovered:
- cactus leather
- Piñatex
- recycled materials
- innovations that are still imperfect... but moving forward
And above all, I understood that we could create differently.
This choice is not obvious
Choosing not to use leather means:
- giving up habits
- accepting more complexity
- facing technical limitations
But it's also:
- creating with intention
- taking a clear direction
- not cheating
Why BIKKOU does not use animal leather
We have chosen not to use animal leather and to favor alternatives such as cactus leather.
Because I believe that luxury can evolve.
That it can be precise, demanding... without being rigid.
And above all, because desire does not depend on a material.
I'm not saying everything is perfect.
But I know why I'm making this choice.
