The international fashion industry is a trillion-dollar business that may look pretty, but underneath those fancy frocks and designer digs it’s also an industry that kills millions of animals for its fur-trimmings, leather finishes and wool garments.
If that doesn’t sit well with you, don’t toss on a paper bag just yet. These days there are plenty of animal-friendly designers and boutiques out there that still deliver quality clothes, bags, and shoes with a 100 per cent vegan, animal-friendly mindset. Here are 12 of our favourites.
SUSI Studio
This L.A.-based company’s goal is to “inspire compassion towards humanity, animals, and the environment through creativity.” That includes a lineup of vegan footwear that forgoes animal products and relies instead on sustainable materials like canvas, denim, hemp, and faux leather produced from recycled plastic bottles.
Hipsters for Sisters
In case you missed the memo, belt bags (a.k.a. fanny packs) are back in style, and Hipsters for Sisters is determined that you too can have an eco-friendly bag to suit your style. These designs are crafted with “only the most innovative, animal, and earth-friendly materials” they can find, and we’re totally good with that.
In the Soulshine
The clothes at Soulshine aren’t just ethically made, planet friendly, and cruelty free; part of their proceeds also go to various sanctuaries, organisations, and activists that help animals. That kind of makes your soul… well, shine. Doesn’t it?
Brave GentleMan
Vegan men want high fashion too, which is where this company steps up large. Their full lineup of menswear is animal- and eco-friendly, and uses materials like recycled polyester or Turkish future-silk, which is made from recycled water bottles.
Matt & Nat
This vegan brand says exactly what it stands for in its name: mat(erial) and nat(ure). No animal products are used in the making of the company’s gorgeous lineup of wallets and faux leather bags. Not only that, but the linings are made out of 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles, giving new life to an otherwise wasteful product.
WAWWA
The clothing at WAWWA isn’t just eco-friendly, it’s eco-conscious. All of the company’s garments are made using energy from renewable sources that minimize CO2 production, which in turn helps to cut down on pollution. Did we mention they’re also 100 per cent vegan? Add in stylish products and that’s a trifecta of a reason to shop this company, for sure.
Wuxley Movement
This ethical lifestyle brand boasts a love of wildlife and a vision of “warm, animal-free alternatives” when it comes to everything outerwear. In the process, the company claims to “save the lives of thousands of animals.” That’s a manifesto we can certainly shop for.
Rewilder
The bags at this California company are made from 100 per cent recycled materials, which cuts down on fossil fuels and overall waste. That’s not just good for business, but it’s good for the environment and the animals within the environment too.
Groceries Apparel
Like a modern meal, this company traces all of its fabrics from farm-to-factory. You can look up a garment by size or category, or by the “ingredient” within: hemp, vegetable dye, recycled plastic, and more. It puts a whole new spin on the idea of grocery shopping, doesn’t it?
Doshi
Not only is this a company that boasts the “best vegan fashion,” but it also promises to return five per cent of its sales back to non-profits. Meanwhile its “leather” products are actually made of microfiber PU, which is one of the highest grades of synthetic leather available on the market today.
Delikate Rayne
This cruelty-free, contemporary women’s luxury boutique features ethically and consciously made designs that use “innovative animal-free textiles, clean lines, and asymmetrical cuts designed to be seasonless.” Cruelty-free fashion with a unique twist? Sign us up.
Wilby
This award-winning UK vegan accessories brand is all about sustainable apparel. So much so that it ships worldwide in order to help spread the message. Because who doesn’t need another excuse to accessorize?