Despite how glamorous fashion runways are, the industry has come with many negative impacts on the planet. Vegan fashion is only one of the many ways the industry is trying to go toward greener pastures. The 2022 Vegan Fashion Week partnered with Ukrainian Fashion Week to highlight environmental, socio-economic and political situations on the planet we all inhabit.
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Held at the California Market Center in Downtown Los Angeles, the vegan fashion show opened with a poem about peace and unity, followed by Vegan Tiger who appeared in last year’s show. Then came a collective runway with Ukrainian designers Chereshnivska, Palingenisy, Devohome, Oversized, Gorohova, Sheezen, Reviclo, Roussin, DZHUS, Ochis and Natalia Fedner. Additionally, there was a showroom filled with brands focused on ethics and sustainability from start to finish. Here are some of our favorites.
Related: 5 standout brands from Vegan Fashion Week 2021
As a B Corp-Certified European company, Wildling Shoes works to be regenerative at all levels of its shoe products. Its Rewilding Europe collaboration is made through a 1% for the Planet donation to help restore biodiversity in various landscapes throughout the continent. Moreover, the shoes are made with processed recycled cotton in order to eliminate new, raw materials. The outsoles are made with synthetic rubber, recycled materials and cork, all of which are handmade and built to last.
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Veganologie handbags, wallets and card holders are all made out of vegan leather. The company partnered with RECAPP by VEOLIA, a mobile app in the UAE, to collect your recyclables at your doorstep for free. Each and every material used in its products and packaging is 100% recycled with a Global Recycled Standard Certification. The material consists of recycled PU leather, rPET and recycled suede from plastic bottles that do not damage the environment during the production process.
On the other hand, clean and vegan beauty products from Solo Vegan are made from plant-based ingredients like grapeseed oil and willow bark extract. And if you are concerned about something your skin won’t like, Solo Vegan lists the full ingredients list for every product. Moreover, the brand provides tools and resources to better educate on their recyclable and/or biodegradable packaging.
According to the Bohema website, it is the first company in the world to create shoes out of cactus leather called Desserto. Bohema is also the first in Poland to make shoes out of vegetable leather, such as Pinatex pineapple leather, apple leather or Vegea grape leather. The black and white shoes give off a timeless feel that works for what Bohema calls “plant avantgarde dressed in awareness.”
Another cactus leather Desserto use is through the handbags and apparel from Sentient. Its PANTHERA accessory collection was created to raise awareness and support efforts to preserve the Mexican northern jaguar. For every bag purchased from the collection, Sentient will donate 10% of its proceeds toward Naturalia A.C., as well as efforts to plant trees in Sierra de Guadalupe. On the website, the company is fully transparent in not calling itself “sustainable,” but it has set goals for what still needs to be done.
Ukrainian designer Natalia Fedner’s one-of-a-kind metal couture has been featured on many celebrities, including Doja Cat, Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé. Her designs were also part of the fashion show. Her patented stretch metal textile acts just like a four-way stretch fabric to mold to your body. She only makes a few pieces a year that are all handmade in order to lower her carbon footprint.
One of the makeup partners for Vegan Fashion Week was MOB Beauty. Its Earth-First packaging system is endlessly reusable and refillable to cut down on single-use plastics. Specifically, its outer packaging and shipping materials are 100% PCR and FSC-Certified suppliers that practice responsible forest management. What’s fun is that you get to build your own palette so you get only the colors you want.
Photography by Delaney Tran
