(feature story)

Over the past year, the concept of vegan fashion has been added to such already known concepts as vegetarian and vegan diets. So what does this mean?

The direction of veganism was born from the idea of ​​ethical treatment of animals. This is the rejection of all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals, as well as the prohibition of activities that harm the environment. Vegans do not use cosmetics that have been tested on animals, do not wear fur and leather. And vegan fashion is a logical continuation of this concept. It aims to transform the existing fashion industry into a better, more ethical way.

The main inspirer of the movement is considered the Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Rienda, she is also the creative director of Vegan Fashion Week.

Like environmental activists, vegan fashion advocates oppose the use of natural fur and leather from slaughtered animals. But vegans aren’t limited to just these demands. The use of wool also falls under their ban. While sheep are sheared, the animals are not killed, but wool clippers inflict wounds on the skin of the animals. The vegan fashion also taboo the use of silk: in the process of collecting this material, silkworm caterpillars die. Also banned was the use of bird fluff and even the wearing of pearls.

However, the concept of vegan fashion goes beyond ethical treatment of animals ― it’s much broader. Representatives of this trend oppose the use of slave labor.

After such a long list of prohibitions, it may seem that there is no clothing in the world that would be produced without harm to the environment. But in fact, there are quite a few materials that do not fall under the ban of the concept of vegan fashion. This is an ethical silk that does not kill the silkworm caterpillars during the extraction process. Eco-friendly cotton that does not use pesticides. A fabric made from beech wood fibers called modal, tencel, cork and bamboo materials, and linen.

Vegans recommend buying clothes only from brands that are responsible for their production, from companies with transparent, open businesses. Such brands do not use low-wage labor and try not to pollute the environment.

Interestingly, representatives of vegan fashion do not mind people buying clothes in second-hand stores, including those made of leather, fur and wool: the item has already been produced, the damage has already been done, but wearing such a thing can be considered a form of recycling.