The vegan leather pieces you need to add your wardrobe pronto

vegan leather
(Image credit: 2019 Christian Vierig)

I have a new obsession: vegan leather. Once considered cheap and undesirable, faux leather has had a chic makeover and the catwalks (and streets) at fashion month were positively awash with it.

A.W.A.K.E produced the most lust-worth orange belted trench straight out of a Farrah Fawcett movie, whilst Alexander Wang's black trousers made me want to risk a Ross-style talcum drama.

Then of course, we have the likes of Nanushka, who has been pioneering the faux leather trend for the past few season, with sell-out items such as the Insta-famous quilted coat and belted dress.

This season, it's all about the western shirt, which I've got in my virtual basket in both buttercream and black.

The high-street is joining in on the act too, with the likes of Zara, Kitri and Warehouse all serving up chic separates to be worn together or mixed in with your favourite pieces.

vegan leather

Shop now: CONTRASTING FAUX LEATHER DRESS for £59.99 from ZARA

vegan leather

Shop now: A.W.A.K.E. MODE Belted faux leather coat for £1,000 from Net-A-Porter

vegan leather

Shop now: TIBI Croc-effect faux patent-leather midi skirt for £415 from Net-A-Porter

vegan leather

Shop now: NANUSHKA Ana cutout vegan leather jumpsuit for £520 from Net-A-Porter

vegan leather

Shop now: Faux leather boiler suit for £96 from Warehouse

With the conversation around ethical fashion now stronger than ever, now is the time to invest in some chic vegan leather clothing which will last you a lifetime. Shop my favourite buys above now.

The beauty of the pieces is that you can either wear a full leather look, or mix and match. A vegan leather pencil skirt or culottes will look chic with a chunky cashmere knit, or layer a faux leather coat or jacket over jeans and a white shirt.

I personally love a jumpsuit, and will be wearing my Nanushka over a thing roll-neck and with knee high boots.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.