“Vegan fashion is the idea of producing and consuming fashion without harming or using animals. This means avoiding materials such as fur, leather, wool, feathers and silk. Many of these materials have ethical, sustainable, and non-animal alternatives such as plant-based leathers made of cactus, apple, mushroom, pineapple, grapes and even tea waste! Citrus fiber silk is made from the cellulose of by-products of the citrus industry. We can find organic down alternatives such as a natural fiber that comes from the kapok seed pod. In addition to replacing animal-based textiles, many designers made the connection with the importance of avoiding fossil fuel based materials which are also detrimental to the environment. 

The mission of Vegan Fashion Week is to bridge the gap between sustainability and ethics. Sadly, animals are still left out of the conversation when it comes to sustainability or the climate emergency. Raising animals for fashion requires massive amounts of land, food, energy, and water and is causing severe environmental, ethical and social damage. Livestock on factory farms currently play an enormous role in the climate change and sanitary crisis we are currently experiencing. The philosophy around Vegan Fashion Week is to change the narrative around the word vegan as a synonym for “compassion” by healing our fractured relationships with all beings: humans, non-humans and the planet.”

— Emmanuelle Rienda, Founder & President