Animal Welfare Policy
Animal Welfare Policy
What we use, what we refuse, and what we commit to.
Approximately half of every Mariana Malni collection is made from genuine leather. The other half is made from VEGEA, a grape-based bio-material that contains no animal hide. We do not claim to be a vegan brand. We claim, instead, to think carefully and publicly about every animal-derived material we use, where it comes from, and what we will and will not put our name to.
Our material range
To be precise about what is in our products:
- Approximately 50% of our SKUs use full-grain Italian leather, sourced exclusively as a by-product of the European food industry, from a tannery rated LWG Gold by the Leather Working Group
- Approximately 50% of our SKUs use VEGEA grape-skin material — a bio-based leather alternative containing no animal hide, certified PETA-Approved Vegan
- All linings are Alcantara® microfiber, an Italian-made textile reclaimed via Nona Source, LVMH's certified deadstock platform in Paris — the material itself contains no animal-derived components
- All adhesives, finishes, and dyes used in our production process are reviewed for animal-derived components; we are working with our partners to document this in full by the end of 2026
What we refuse
Some decisions we have made and will not revisit:
No exotic leather, ever
We do not use python, crocodile, alligator, lizard, ostrich, eel, or any other exotic skin. Not as part of the main collection, not as limited edition, not as a special-order item. This is not a sustainability claim — it is a permanent design decision. There are enough beautiful materials available without trading on the suffering of species raised exclusively for their skins.
No fur, no shearling, no down, no feathers
We do not use materials whose primary purpose is the death or confinement of the animal that produced them. Our bags do not contain fur, fur trim, shearling, down, feathers, or any similar component.
No animal testing
We do not test our materials, dyes, finishes, or components on animals at any stage of product development, and we contractually require the same of our material suppliers. PETA-Approved Vegan certification on our VEGEA range provides independent verification of this commitment for half our collection.
No virgin animal materials beyond food-industry by-product
The leather we use is sourced from cattle raised primarily for the European food industry. No animal in our supply chain is raised for its hide alone. This is verifiable through LWG Gold traceability protocols at our partner tannery.
The leather question, addressed honestly
The most credible question we receive is whether using any animal-derived material is consistent with calling ourselves a thoughtful luxury house. We take that question seriously.
Our position is that leather, when sourced as a by-product of an existing food industry, processed in a Gold-certified tannery that meets the highest independent environmental and welfare standards, and built into objects designed to last decades, is one of the few uses of animal material that survives close ethical scrutiny. Compared to most of the petroleum-based vegan leathers on the market — which shed microplastics for centuries and rely heavily on virgin plastic — it can even be the lower-harm choice.
This is also why we developed our VEGEA range alongside the leather range, at parallel price points and equal craft. We believe the customer should be able to choose, knowingly, between two materials that both meet our standards. We do not want to be the brand that pushes one option as morally superior and quietly relies on the other for margin.
Our commitments
- 100% LWG Gold leather. We commit publicly that any genuine leather we use, now and in future, will be sourced from a tannery rated LWG Gold or equivalent highest-tier certification. This applies to every Mariana Malni piece without exception.
- 50% non-animal range, maintained. We will continue to offer every silhouette in a VEGEA version at the same price as the leather version, so customers who prefer to avoid animal materials are never pushed toward a less considered product.
- Component-level animal audit. By end of 2026, we will complete a written audit of every adhesive, finish, dye, and treatment used in our production process, confirming the animal-derived status of each.
- Annual review. This policy will be reviewed and re-published every 12 months. We will state plainly when our practices have changed and why.
Concerns and reporting
If you have a concern about animal welfare in our supply chain, or if you believe we have misrepresented our materials, please write directly to the founder: mariana@marianamalni.com. We commit to investigating reported concerns within 14 days. We take this seriously, including when the news is uncomfortable.
Current as of 23 May 2026.
Mariana Malni, Founder.
Paget — Italian Leather
