JW PEI vegan leather: what it is, how it wears and how to clean it

Every JW PEI bag is vegan (the clothing is nearly so, one wool-blend coat aside), which raises the questions the searches keep asking: what is the vegan leather actually made of, is it good quality, does it last, and how do you clean it. Luxury Shoes ’s fashion editor answers them from the brand’s own product data and its founders’ statements, without the marketing gloss.

Key facts

• No JW PEI bag uses animal leather, fur, silk, wool, suede, feathers, shearling and down; the brand was founded as a vegan bag label in 2018. The clothing is nearly all synthetic and plant cloths, with one wool-blend coat the exception in the current range.
• The main material is a polyurethane-based vegan leather; the brand lists it as “Vegan Leather” on every product page, in smooth, pebbled, grained, croc-embossed and ostrich-effect finishes.
• Other materials at Luxury Shoes : faux suede (176 colourways), croc-embossed (9), faux straw, rattan and woven textures (147), plus canvas, denim, satin, faux fur and artificial crystal.
• Co-founder Stephanie Li said in April 2022 that the brand used a certified fabric made from recycled plastic bottles and was working towards more than 50% recycled material in future collections.
• Linings are polyester, faux suede and vegan leather; hardware is gold-tone on most styles and silver-tone on a few.
• The brand describes its products as imported and does not name a factory country on any product page.

What JW PEI vegan leather is

Vegan leather is a fabric backing coated with a plastic film, in JW PEI’s case polyurethane, embossed to look and feel like grained calf. It is the same class of material as most affordable bag brands use, and the same class as the “faux leather” of the last decade, but the current generation is thinner, softer and better at holding an embossed grain. On the clothing side the brand lists it as Polyurethane 50%, Cotton 50% on a couple of pieces, which shows the construction: a textile base with a coating. It is lighter than leather, does not stretch, and takes colour evenly, which is why JW PEI can offer the Hana tote in more than sixty colourways.

Is it good quality?

For the price, yes, and reviewers who have carried the bags for years say the same: the stitching and zips hold, the crystal pieces keep their stones, and the shapes stay structured. What vegan leather does not do is age. Calf leather develops a patina and softens; polyurethane stays as it was on day one until, after several years of hard wear, the coating can crack at the stress points, usually the corners and the handle roots. Treat a JW PEI bag as a three-to-five-season bag carried often, and as a much longer one carried for occasions. The Gabbi Ruched Hobo and the Hana Medium Tote are the two to judge the material on.

The other materials

Faux suede is a brushed polyester that reads as suede and marks like suede: the darker shades can transfer colour to pale clothing, which the brand warns about on its own product pages. The Lily Faux Suede Shoulder Bag in Dark Brown shows the finish. Croc-embossed vegan leather, on the Joy Croc-Embossed Faux Suede Shoulder Bag in Beige and others, is the most durable finish in the range because the embossing hides scuffs. The faux straw and rattan bags, like the Elise Faux Straw Handbag in Brown, lighten in the sun over time, again by the brand’s own note. The artificial-crystal evening pieces, the Arlene Artificial Crystal Heart Shaped Crossbody Bag in Light Pink among them, are satin set with glass crystals and can shed a stone if knocked. The denim bags, like the Velora Denim Shoulder Bag in Blue Denim, vary slightly in wash between batches, which the brand also discloses.

How to clean and store a JW PEI bag

Vegan leather needs no conditioning. Wipe dust with a soft dry cloth, marks with a barely damp one, and let it dry away from heat. Never use alcohol wipes on it. Faux suede wants a soft brush and no water. Store every bag in its dust bag with the shape supported, out of direct sun, and keep the dark suedes away from cream clothing. Do not overload a structured bag; the coating creases at the corners before the stitching gives.

Is it sustainable?

Partly. The bags are animal-free, and part of the brand’s fabric is certified as made from recycled plastic bottles, with a stated aim of more than half recycled content in future collections. But polyurethane is a plastic derived from oil, it is not biodegradable, and a bag that lasts five seasons rather than twenty is not a low-impact object however it is made. The honest description is vegan and partly recycled, not sustainable in the full sense, and that is how Luxury Handbags describes it. The brand publishes no factory country, which is the other gap in the story.

Frequently asked questions

Is JW PEI real leather?

No. Every JW PEI bag is made in vegan materials, chiefly a polyurethane-based vegan leather, with faux suede, canvas, denim, satin, faux straw and artificial crystal on other styles.

What is JW PEI vegan leather made of?

A textile base coated with polyurethane, embossed to look like grained calf. The brand lists it simply as “Vegan Leather” on product pages, and on two clothing pieces as Polyurethane 50%, Cotton 50%.

Does JW PEI vegan leather peel?

Not in normal use over a few seasons. Like any coated fabric it can crack at the corners and handle roots after years of hard daily wear, so treat it as a three-to-five-season everyday bag and store it properly.

How do you clean a JW PEI bag?

A soft dry cloth for dust, a barely damp cloth for marks, dried away from heat. Faux suede takes a soft brush and no water. Keep the darker faux suedes away from pale clothing and store the bag in its dust bag.

Is JW PEI sustainable?

It is vegan and partly recycled: no animal materials, and part of the fabric is certified as made from recycled plastic bottles. Its vegan leather is still an oil-derived plastic, so Luxury Handbags describes it as vegan rather than sustainable.

Where are JW PEI bags made?

The brand describes its products as imported and does not name a factory country on any product page. The company is based in Los Angeles and ships its American orders from Ontario, California.

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Is JW PEI a luxury brand? JW PEI reviewed. The best JW PEI bags. Who is JW PEI? Shop JW PEI bags at Luxury Shoes .