What is Next for Asif Ali Gohar’s Vegan Leather Company?

The landscape of fashion and design moves very quickly and changes frequently. As new styles and items roll out each season, and overall trends take over years at a time, the constant fluctuations can be hard to keep up with. Since we last talked to Asif Ali Gohar about where his company was headed next and what projects to expect, many things have changed, projects have been completed, new products launched, and old products retired. Here we check in and see what is next for the company and its owner. 

Where is your focus now, and has it changed from where it was last year or even last season?

My focus has changed, and the company is moving in a direction that is still very similar to where we were focused before but has shifted a little. We are now working on using less water to process the materials, and are finding ways to clean and recycle that water so that it can be reused in certain parts of the project. Water conservation has become a big focus for us, both because of how the world has been changing but also due to further research on how much better it is for the environment compared to other changes we could make, as well as some employees and what aspects they are most interested in. 

When a member of the team is strongly interested in one aspect they are going to make more progress on it than having them work on other areas. That interest spurs creativity and energy, and it can change how the entire room feels and create excitement in the rest of the team as well. By allowing them to adapt things to use less water, use fewer raw materials, or look for ways to reuse wasted materials, wherever the interest is naturally turning, then they will make great improvements in that area and we can focus on the next part after this. 

What do you think will be the next big development that you release?

We are working on a new version of the material that can be used to replace even more materials that are made in harmful ways. Things like canvas, vinyl, and others are all traditional materials but they are not always environmentally friendly to make and some are not easily broken down at the end of their lifespan. While it is good that they can be used well for so many years, that’s a definite advantage to the consumer and protects the environment, but when they do reach the end of their usefulness they do not break down easily and are filling up landfills around the globe. If we can replace some additional plastic-based products and bring in more rice materials, maybe even address single-use plastics at some point, then we can help to improve the world in more ways.

Do you have years of the company’s future laid out or do you adapt to things as you go?

I have found that the path the company is traveling often veers from my expectations, but it is always focused on good products that are better for the environment and better for society.