Online retailer ThinkGeek, which caters to a broad spectrum of fandoms, is set to release a vegan Fallout Pip-Boy 2000 Construction Kit in collaboration with Bethesda Softworks, the company behind the Fallout series.
According to the brand, the build-your-own kit will feature more than 150 precision parts to build a full-size wearable replica, plus all the tools to assemble it, in a red vegan leather case. The launch marks the upcoming fall release of the Fallout 76, an online prequel to the post-apocalyptic series that invites gamers to work together (or against each other) in order to survive. The kit offered by ThinkGeek is a collectible replica of the Pip-Boy Mark VI worn by the protagonist in the trailer for the upcoming game.
The kit is available for pre-order now for $150 and will ship out in time for “Holiday 2018.”
Retailers who choose to use vegan leather are becoming more common, as more consumers than ever before are opting for cruelty-free products. According to a recent article from BloombergQuint, demand for traditional leather is experiencing an all-time low, despite lower prices for animal hides. “The industry has struggled to recover,” said Stephen Sothmann, president of the U.S. Hide, Skin & Leather Association. He added, “we haven’t regained market share.”
Vegan leather is commonly used by many affordable shoe brands, however, rising demand is driving luxury goods producers to launch more products using plant-based materials too. For example, earlier this year, high-end men’s fashion brand Hugo Boss launched a new line of shoes made from pineapple leather. It’s not just fashion brands either, electric car company Tesla offers completely vegan leather interiors as a custom option (professional vegan race car driver Leilani Munter is one of Tesla’s clients) while they search for a suitable alternative to the leather used on steering wheels. CEO Elon Musk even recently hinted that future Tesla cars could feature completely vegan interiors.
Vegan leather production is progressing all the time, recent advancements in technology have led to the creation of Modern Meadow. The startup is a biofabrication brand working towards developing cruelty-free leather using cellular agriculture (the same technology used to create clean meat).
Image Credit: ThinkGeek | Bethesda Software
