Vegan Fashion Week made its return this Oct for the first time after two years. The event took place in downtown Los Angeles showing guests new, ethical and sustainable clothing. Founder of Vegan Fashion Week, Emmanuelle Rienda, shares her excitement towards the event, hoping that this will be a step in the right direction to buying ethical and sustainable clothing. 

The event took place at the South Park Penthouse, with a view of the entire downtown area. Before the show, there was a Vegan Market Place, with 15 vegan designers including Shoes53045, Fleur and Bee, Premium Basic Shoes, Slyth Virago, Aware, Solios, Lunar Method, Pure Void, Pushaoo, Sylven, Nous Etudions, Vegan Tiger showcasing their products. Samuel Leroux, Co-Founder of Solios, said, “all of our watches are solar-powered; they will last forever; our mission is to reduce the carbon footprint and prevent throwing away batteries, along with saving people money. One watch is all you need”. The designer of Slyth Virago said, “our boots are made from recycled bottles, and the boots themselves are entirely recyclable.” The majority of pieces are made in Europe or Japan and are entirely handmade. 

Nous Etudions and Vegan Tiger

The weekend was dedicated to four exceptional international designers showcasing their collections for the first time. On Friday, Nous Etudions opened the show; Romina Cardillo, the designer behind the looks, is from Argentina. Subsequently, this line consists of oversized pieces, blazers, long coats, different textiles like vegan leather, and colorful prints. The models were all wearing vegan Doc Marten shoes with every outfit.

Similarly, the night’s second show was Vegan Tiger, a Korean Vegan company specializing in coats and blazers, all fur-free. Yang Yoon, the face behind these designs, strives to create winter jackets, ensuring that they are vegan and eco-friendly. Yoon incorporated models of all genders, ethnicity, and skin colors when displaying her line. 

Emmanuelle Riendas Goal

“After kick-starting this next-level conversation in the media and the fashion industry. Vegan Fashion Week continues to lead the industry forward by supporting the growth of ethical fashion. We strive to connect the dots by generating consumer awareness and professionalizing this new market by transforming the supply chain.” Rienda says.

Indeed, Rienda’s devotion and passion for ethical changes started in 2008 when she moved to Los Angeles and decided to open her first showroom displaying work from french fashion designers. Therefore, her inspiration came from studying abroad in France. Meanwhile, she displayed wool, silk, leather, and sometimes fur. After becoming more involved in ethical fashion, she wanted to contribute and influence the public to make a change to help animals and the planet. 

“I wanted to raise awareness on the animals used for fashion and communicate to a creative audience with beauty and innovation. I researched the market globally and curated fashion and textile designers embodying this new philosophy and societal shift.”, she explains.

What is Vegan Fashion?

Above all, vegan clothing that is made is 100% cruelty-free. Cruelty-free means that there are no animal-based fibers found in the clothing. To clarify, vegan fashion is to help stop animals from suffering and being used for materials. It is more than just a piece of clothing, it’s a lifestyle, and it requires dedication and commitment. Certainly, Vegan Fashion and sustainable fashion are different, while they are both sustainable, they have different production processes. 

“Vegan Fashion is more than just a fashion trend; it’s a philosophy that is transcending in all areas in life,” says Rienda.

What is Sustainable Fashion? 

Unlike vegan fashion, sustainable fashion mainly focuses on clothing that will help reduce environmental issues. The majority of sustainable clothing at Bamboodetective.com is made from biodegradable and recyclable materials. 

“The biggest downfall of sustainable fashion is the fact that it truly stops at fashion. You could buy a top made from 100% organic cotton, then go home and eat a big mac. Even though you made a conscious choice to reduce your environmental impact by purchasing something sustainable. The carbon emissions released in the creation of your hamburger essentially cancel out the purchase of your top.” (Vegan fashion week website) 

However, the difference between the two is how they are made. Oftentimes, sustainable clothing is made of silk or leather, making it vegan-friendly and vice versa with vegan clothing. 

For this year’s Vegan Fashion Week, Rienda has made it her mission to influence people worldwide to start buying vegan clothing. Likewise, her goal for Vegan Fashion Week was to help bring change into the fashion industry. 

That is to say, in downtown Los Angeles, many designers, influencers, etc., have all gathered from across the globe to be a part of a new positive step in helping the environment and animals. 

“Since our inception, the vegan fashion discussion in mainstream media has finally existed creatively and positively. More and more celebrities started speaking out about their plant-based lifestyle, and the Hollywood awards show (The Oscars, Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards,…) are now vegan events!” Rienda shares.