London Fashion Week returns this 13- 17th September with the addition of a #PositiveFashion Designer Exhibition, where the creative work of progressive designers will be exploring the most compelling stories around sustainability, community and ethics.
It’s another encouraging step in the right direction for the fashion world, after London Fashion Week became the first big fashion week to ditch animal fur altogether in September 2018.
Change in the fashion industry
With Designers like Stella McCartney making huge leaps and leading the way by dropping the use of leather and fur (and even currently looking at replacing silk with yeast proteins), many big fashion houses have followed suit, announcing their decision to go fur-free in 2018, including Gucci, Versace, Burberry and Michael Korrs.
Vegan ethics are making their way onto the fashion agenda and subsequently onto catwalks and into our wardrobes. Such was the impact of anti-fur campaigners, that in addition to London Fashion Week becoming the first big fashion week to ditch animal fur, February 2019 even saw the first ever Vegan Fashion Week take place in Los Angeles.
The Vegan Society has seen a boom in fashion products registered with our Vegan Trademark over the past year with 119 fashion products being registered with us in 2018, and almost 2000 being registered so far this year.
Affordable Vegan Fashion
But it doesn’t just stop with the big names of fashion. Independent and high street brands are making vegan fashion increasingly affordable and accessible for vegans and the fashion conscious alike. Thanks to the commitment of brands like New Look, Gola, Will’s Vegan Shoes and Blowfish, it’s easy to look great without compromising your vegan ethics. In August 2019, we announced our first ever High Street collaboration with New Look, who launched over 600 (and counting!) shoes and accessories online, registered with the Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark.
Our Vegan Footwear Picks
Whether you are headed to this year’s London Fashion Week and are looking for the perfect pair of shoes to complete your outfit, or you’re in need of a shoe update in general, here’s a handy round up of some footwear ranges registered with our Vegan Trademark to take the stress out of assuring just how vegan that pair of ‘leather look’ shoes actually are. Our dedicated team have done the hard work for you – from ruling out any use of animal ingredients in the fabrics, treatments or manufacturing of the shoes, to ensuring that they are not tested on animals.
GOLA CLASSICS
From the vintage Coaster plimsoll to the original Tennis Mark Cox, Gola Classics has launched a stylish range of vegan trainers for men, women and children. All trainers in the collection are made with no animal materials, components or treatments, and Gola have even added our Vegan Trademark badge to all their vegan trainers online to make it simpler for you to discover your perfect pair of vegan trainers. Get a sprint on over to their website to shop the full range. They’ll also be available in stores very soon!
NEW LOOK
As well as bags, New Look recently launched a range of vegan footwear including their very popular Dark Red Patent Lace Up Boots, along with so many other diverse styles from sandals and flats, to heels, brogues and trainers – fit for any occasion or outfit. New Look will be registering hundreds more additional products, and there will be a with a storewide rollout this Autumn where all vegan items will have swing tags featuring our Vegan Trademark to make it easier for you to shop. Check out New Look’s vegan range here.
BLOWFISH MALIBU
Blowfish Malibu’s wonderful new vegan collection combines on-trend styles that embody emerging fashion trends from Europe and Asia, with the fresh youthful spirit and casual living that is distinctively Southern California. Who doesn’t love comfort and style all buckled up into one? Explore Blowfish Malibu's new vegan collection online.
WILL’S VEGAN SHOES
As well as having their products registered with our Vegan Trademark, Will’s Vegan Shoes is a certified Carbon Neutral company, offering a stunning range of high-quality bags, belts, wallets, knitwear and shoes. As well as offering a great range for women and children, they have a sizeable range of vegan footwear catering for men, from Chicago high tops and moccasins to smart brogues and Chelsea boots. Browse Will’s Vegan Shoes here.
By Vegan Society Digital Marketing Officer, Nishat Rahman
The views expressed by our bloggers are not necessarily the views of The Vegan Society.
