Fashionable Australian vegans share their favourite ethical labels
IMAGE VIA @GEORGIE.PURCELL.AJP/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“I appreciate brands that protect animals, as well as people and the planet we share.”
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Veganism looks slightly different for everyone. While some simply stick to a plant-based diet, others – like the three stylish people below – extend their cruelty-free preferences to their wardrobe. If you’re not sure where to start, supporting vegan fashion labels is a great way to begin shopping more sustainably. Below, Australian vegans share their favourite ethical labels and speak on how their values have impacted the way they dress.
Emma Håkansson, author and Founder of Collective Fashion Justice
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When did you become vegan, and how has it impacted your sense of style and wardrobe?
I went vegan when I was 16 (eight years ago) after making the connection between the animals I considered friends and those I had been unthinkingly eating and wearing. It wasn’t long after that, while still wearing vintage Dr Martens, I rescued a cow called Elira from slaughter.
I was feeding her treats (she loves Weetbix) and when one dropped to the ground, she licked my shoe. I realised she was licking the skin of someone just like her. Now, and since then, there are no animal-derived materials in my wardrobe. I don’t want to perpetuate the notion that an animal is a commodity rather than an individual.
Running a charity all about what I call ‘total ethics fashion’ – that prioritises people, our fellow animals and the planet before profit (it’s called Collective Fashion Justice) – any clothes I now buy aren’t only animal-free, but either pre-loved or made by people paid living wages, using responsible plant-based, recycled and innovative materials. Reconsidering my relationship to my fellow animals was the first way that I totally reimagined my love of fashion, and my unwillingness to compromise on my values when dressing – ethically and aesthetically.
What are your favourite vegan fashion labels and why?
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I appreciate brands that protect animals, as well as people and the planet we share. I’m always impressed by Sans Beast’s commitment to using innovative recycled and bio-based materials, good labour practices and no animals. In NYC this year I met the designer of Sylven New York and I love their boots, made with a partly apple-derived leather-like material in Italy.
I also have to say my own limited-edition label, Willow and Claude – it’s the only 100 per cent Australian-made, animal-free and ethically-made knitwear out there, totally supporting my charity’s work.
What’s the best piece of vegan fashion you’ve invested in?
I’m in a very fortunate position where some of my most precious ‘investment’ pieces were given to me by brands. But back in 2019, I bought a coat from Bianca Spender (at a big David Jones sale, otherwise it was never going to happen) that is so beautiful and structured, and the only one made without wool at the time.
I wear it all throughout winter. I’d really love to see more Australian designers moving beyond the cruelty, methane emissions and biodiversity destruction tied to wool production and offer beautiful pieces like that.
Cathryn Wills, Founder of Sans Beast
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When did you become vegan, and how has it impacted your sense of style and wardrobe?
[In] 2017. Shopping requires more attention to detail – I don’t buy leather, silk or wool and given these animal-derived products are so prolific, I do need to take care more care when I purchase. My style hasn’t changed dramatically though – other than footwear. I used to wear leather heels all the time, and I’m now rarely out of flats. The changes to my style have been more driven by my professional life versus being vegan – I’m generally more casual than I used to be.
What are your favourite vegan fashion labels and why?
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Sans Beast for bags of course, but I also admire Themoire, Mashu and Freja New York. [With] clothing, there’s a gap, so I tend to cherry-pick fibres that are non-animal from labels like Ganni, Acne, Scanlan and very occasionally for a treat, Dries Van Noten.
[For] shoes, [I shop] Stella McCartney and Noskin. I look for brands that offer quality and design strength – these attributes have always been what I’ve sought, I just need to hunt a little more for materials that don’t come from exploited animals.
What’s the best piece of vegan fashion you’ve invested in?
Stella McCartney over-the-knee boots.
Georgie Purcell, Victorian Parliament Animal Justice Party MP
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When did you become vegan, and how has it impacted your sense of style and wardrobe?
I went vegan 12 years ago after watching Earthlings, a documentary exposing just how much needless suffering and violence animals face in our current food and fashion systems. I made the switch overnight, and it means that there are no animals in my wardrobe.
I don’t find it hard at all to dress this way, so it hasn’t limited my sense of style – just added an ethical perspective to it, and I think dressing compassionately is inherently cute. I’m a big op shopper and there’s plenty of non-animal clothing and shoes that already exist and need love, and lots of smaller labels making cute clothes with our furry, woolly and feathered friends in mind.
As I engage more with different issues as a politician in Victoria’s Parliament, it’s influenced my wardrobe too. I recently chaired an inquiry into growing our hemp industry, and have a gorgeous hemp shirt now.
What are your favourite vegan fashion labels and why?
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Outside of my pre-loved looks (shout out to the Woodend op shop near my electorate office that helps to fund wildlife rescue), I get a lot of my clothes from a local boutique called Think Alike Store. Not everything in the store is vegan, but they carry a lot of brands that have some stunning animal-friendly looks.
I’ve got a linen vest and pant set in baby pink from the store, a bunch of dresses and other clothes I wear between Parliament and in my social life. I also have a solid collection of Sans Beast bags. There really are so many options now as more designers have become more mindful of the need to protect animals in fashion.
What’s the best piece of vegan fashion you’ve invested in?
One of my favourite investment pieces came from the Melbourne label, Unreal Fur. It’s a long faux fur coat with a leopard print. As a strong unionist, I appreciate the effort the brand put in to ensure it was made with responsible labour practices…
I’ve worn it before to a Melbourne Fashion Week event celebrating wildlife-friendly fashion policies, which are so important and something I’m working on in Parliament, too. I’d love to see a fur ban in Victoria soon, and the team and I are working to make that happen alongside Collective Fashion Justice. Beyond the ethics of it, it’s also just a super lovely and warm coat.
For more tips on spotting animal-friendly fashion, head here.
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