Vegan Fashion

What a year 2020 has been!

For many it has been a time for reflection. 

For those of us in the fashion industry; with factories shuttered and design houses battening down the hatches, many shows cancelled altogether and runways the world over (of both the catwalk and airport variety) non-operational, 2020 has provided a pause for thought. 

It has not just been Covid-19 that has provoked this period of introspection. Across the world the effects of climate change are more evident; with record temperatures worldwide and unprecedented wild fires ripping through many parts of the world.  

Maybe we should all be looking at 2021 as an opportunity to rethink priorities and about how our decisions impact the wider world. 

This is particularly relevant to the Fashion industry. Ours is the 2nd biggest polluter on the planet. Also one for which many animals are harmed and killed for. Yes, fur is out, designers including Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier and Burberry have pledged to not use fur and more are following suit. With others, including Chanel and Victoria Beckham, consigning other exotic skins; such as crocodile and lizard to the realms of fashion history. 

But, what about other animal products? 

Studies by the leading scientists confirm that the best way to reduce your environmental impact and carbon footprint is to go vegan. This is the lifestyle choice that an estimated 500,000 people in the UK and 78 million people worldwide have already made. With, quite possibly, many more set to do so following this Veganuary. 

But Vegan fashion is about more than fur and other exotic skins. 

The basic rule of vegan fashion is that no animal is killed, harmed or otherwise abused. 

This means no animal ingredients including:

  • Fur

  • Skins

  • Feathers/down

  • Leather

  • Wool

  • Silk

  • Beeswax

  • Pearls

  • Mother of pearl


And no animal testing, ingredients or any other kind of cruelty. 

Vegan clothes and accessories tend to be increasingly created with sustainable and ethical materials and production methods. The highly un-environmentally friendly vegan leathers are largely a thing of the past. Modern alternatives use cutting edge materials and recycled fabrics and are what earn designers the coveted vegan badge of honour; the Peta Approved Label, as well as a place on the wish lists of celebrities and fashion editors. 

Vegan brands and designers use a wide variety of materials from recycled plastic bottles, recycled nylon and recycled polyester (rPET) to plant-based fibres such as bamboo, cork, pineapple skin, hemp and orange peel. Stella McCartney, as always a leader in ground-breaking cruelty free innovations, is working with Bolt Threads; a manufacturer who by studying the DNA of spiders silk, have created a synthetic silk made from yeast and sugars, among other ethically sourced ingredients. 

Indeed, cutting edge fabrics mean that style no longer takes a back seat when it comes to cruelty free clothing and accessories. 

Another stumbling block for those seeking vegan clothing in times past was practicality. Vegan options were all well and good in the warmer months but when the nights draw in and the frosty winds blow many of those good intentions went out the window as people opted for the winter staples of down, leather, wool and sheepskin. Even if the majority eschew real fur for faux. New innovations from leaders in vegan clothing production mean that there are now stylish and, critically, warm alternatives. So you can being cosy without wearing another animals coat, whatever the weather.

In fact the alternatives are so good that the Peta 2019 Company of the Year: Save the Duck, provided a snowsuit that has summited Everest! 

Who are the designers and fashion houses to look for this Veganuary and beyond? And who are the names and brands disproving the stereotype that, for some, vegan fashion still holds.

  • Stella Mccartney’s range of vegan clothing is, of course, stunning. And even though her entire range is not vegan as it includes wool albeit largely from her own ethical managed farms and some non-vegan silk, she still warrants the top spot on any vegan fashionistas list. This is due to the fact that it is largely thanks to her and her uncompromising dedication to cruelty free and sustainable fashion which has put vegan fashion firmly on the map. Her infamous vegan Falabella bags reached the eyes of the world and elevated the status of vegan accessories by magnitudes as did her collaboration with Adidas.

  • Vivienne Westwood, has always advocated for animal and human rights and the environmentalist movement and uses her status as one of the most iconic British designers to champion these causes. Although, her quirky, vibrant and often provocative ranges are not completely vegan her advocacy for the anti-extinction movement ensures her place on the list.

  • Benedetti Life are Peta approved, toxin free, Italian made and luxurious. Drawing inspiration from nature and combining it with some stunning silhouettes, the winners of the Eluxe Award 2020, for Best Fashion or Beauty Brand, fuse art with fashion and luxury with sustainability.

  • Nanushka, the self-styled Modern bohemian, Sandra Sandor, believes functionality creates its own beauty and that beauty need never include the suffering of animals. The London College of Fashion graduate Sandra Sandor fuses informality from a range of cultures and eras with stylish modernity.

  • Jill Milan’s Italian made and completely vegan luxury clutches can regularly be seen on the red carpets of Hollywood, New York and Europe. Celebrity endorsements aside Jill Milan bags are fabulous for the office, a weekend away or, if you’re lucky a red carpet event.

  • Other notables include: Matt&Nat, Olsenhaus and Denise Roobol.

When it comes to the high street choices are expanding continually as well. New Look were among the first high street fashion chains to bring out a vegan range back in 2019, Top Shop have a vegan shoe range  and H&M’s Conscious range includes Pinatex a vegan leather made from Pineapple fibres and Orange Silk made from Orange peel. 

Maybe it will be a while longer before we see a completely Vegan Fashion week. But with established and emerging designers opting for cruelty free and sustainable ranges and collections there are an increasing amount of choices for ethically conscious aware fashionistas.

What better time to indulge in a guilt free spree than this Veganuary… now where’s my credit card?

Miranda Holder