Hello and welcome to my new post of 2021 ! Happy new year to you and I hope you had a great one too. With the new year comes new goals. This year why not try “Veganuary” if you haven’t already that is 🙂 .
I thought it would be an amazing way to kick-start this this year with an all new fashion post dedicated to ‘Leather’.
WHY NO LEATHER:
Did you know that leather is not a by-product of animal industry but rather a direct production on its own. The source of it is not only exclusive to cows but also calves (yes baby cows!), sheep, lamb, goat, pig, cat, dog, snakes, crocodile, alligator, elephant, zebra, kangaroo and so on. Most of them are bred and kept under inhumane conditions (factory farms) or hunted cruelly and slaughtered when they are still young. The process of removing skin from a living, breathing animal is unthinkable, nailed to trees/decapitated/ they stay on conscious long after the skin is removed from their bodies. Then this product of cruelty is used for shoes, clothes, bags, car seats and where not.
One’s suffering and life just ends up being an accessory. Have you seen the movie ‘Perfume’? If this is done to humans we are considered psychopaths but with animals it is just another business venture. Not to mention the heavy chemicals used in tanning industries are harming the people working there. And the huge impact it causes on our mother Earth (animal agriculture contributes to 70% of climate change).
I’m barely scratching the surface on the horrors of leather industry. We are not early men anymore to be wearing animal hides for clothes. Nature has given us abundant alternatives that is good for our animal friends and the planet.
ETHICAL LEATHER – the one and only:
If anything this pandemic has taught us it is ‘to make the switch and do it yesterday’. Honestly it has never been easier! being vegan or purchasing vegan fashion especially with so many high fashion vegan brands being now available.
This was my birthday month and my husband was going to gift me a vegan leather bag, when he asked me to choose which one I wanted, I was simply dumbstruck. With all these options, how does one choose from ? ha ha..
Here are some vegan brand options below, that are new to me as well (personally don’t own pieces from them but would love to venture into). And hopefully below list helps me to make a decision on my birthday gift soon 🙂 .
KINDS OF GRACE:
This whole blog post was inspired by the idea and sources I gained from Maddie (special shout out) from the “Kindsofgrace” brand. They reached out to me, to see if I would be interested in sharing about their brand. When I looked into them, I was genuinely bewitched. A female owned, Peta certified, all-vegan luxury brand. The brand owner Grace Newstead, is a vegan herself and she is very vocal on promoting ethical alternatives in the fashion industry. (I love a brand that stands up for our animal friends and planet.) Her inspiration comes from nature and wildlife and her design interests are of bold colours with animal prints.
Kinds of grace offers a good range of vegan bags and wallets, made from eco-PU synthetic leather. Their recent addition includes a ‘Pinatex‘ bag which is made of pineapple leaf fibres! (how innovative is that). They also donate 20% of their profits to charities.
If you love their collections, Click here to shop from them. Additionally they were so kind to give us a discount code, use VEGANDIARIST at checkout for 20%. 🙂
Some cool pics below from their brand:
ALEXANDRA K:
Founded in Poland is this luxury, women-owned, peta certified brand. The materials they use are quite interesting like plant derived corn, apple and pineapple leathers. They call it freedom leather (their own proprietary formula). In addition, they too include non-toxic, high quality and environmentally friendly materials in their manufacturing. Just by the looks of it, their products look high quality. Fun fact: The first birthday gift Megan Markle received as princess was from their brand. There is an up-to 30% off sale currently ongoing in their website on selected pieces (if you are interested to check it out).
AHIMSA:
The CEO of this company (similar to my story) was a vegetarian turned vegan. This Peta certified brand offers a wide variety of vegan friendly footwear’s (with men/women and unisex options). Fun fact, “Ahmisa” is a Sanskrit word that means non-violence. There is a 10% off first purchase provided in their website, if you are in the market looking for a new pair.
BEYOND SKIN:
UK based independent all-vegan brand, established almost ~20 years ago. All their shoes are hand-made in Spain. Plenty of women’s vegan shoes to opt from that is accessible for all seasons (boots, trainers, even bridal shoes!) in leather and suede materials. They have it all from bright bold colours to chic designs. Offering 10$ off on first purchase and there is an up-to 60% off sale ongoing currently in their site.
GOOD GUYS DON’T WEAR LEATHER:
What a fun name. Peta approved brand founded in Paris by Marion (also a women owned brand). She studied fashion designing and created this brand after going vegetarian. They even own leather that is sourced from apples! who knew apples can not only keep the doctor away but make great shoes. An exceptional variety of Men’s and Women’s shoes offered in their site. You can also get a 10$ off on your first order.
VOTCH:
Peta approved, women founded (Laura), UK based company. After suffering from skin related issues with the use of ‘leather’ products, Laura was inspired to start her own brad with ethical alternatives. Their brand presents a delightful range of cruelty-free watches and mainly made from Pinatex (Pineapple leather). Additionally they donate to charities, every 3 months. A cool feature they provide is a ‘mix & match’ option, whereby the straps (available in different sizes) can be interchanged for an all new look. You can get 10% off with your first purchase.
TIME IV CHANGE (TIVC):
Another Peta approved vegan watch brand option, based from Australia. They are providing world wide shipping with global warranty and 14 day free return policy. Also offering 10% off first order. These watches are made from recycled materials and provides some classic and elegant designs to select from. To make a personalised gift, you can also get your watches monogrammed here!
This is a small list out of the many VEGAN brands out there. Last year was a troublesome difficult one for all of humanity. But we make better choices everyday and learn from our mistakes and experiences. My hearty support to everyone who is making the switch or even thinking about it.
Thank you for visiting us and I sincerely pray and hope you are safe.
Until next time…… Vegandiarist 🙂
*Disclaimer: This post uses affiliate links and images from the brand’s website.
