Vegan Tiger | Photo by Alexx Mayes
CRUELTY-FREE VFW
Vegan Fashion Week Returns to Los Angeles Event Roster
With the rising popularity of vegan and cruelty-free products over the last few years and greater emphasis on these goods during the past 18 months, Vegan Fashion Week produced its autumn show in downtown Los Angeles. Following a COVID-19–induced hiatus, which impacted most on-site fashion events around the world, Vegan Fashion Week hosted two days of runway shows and produced a marketplace showcasing cruelty-free items. The event took place Oct. 8–9 in the penthouse of South Park Center on South Olive Street, affording breathtaking views of the city, which served as a perfect backdrop for fashions that ranged from high-end style to avant-garde designs.
“Friday was focused on industry and elevated fashion with international designers. I wanted to celebrate female international designers,” explained Vegan Fashion Week founder Emmanuelle Rienda. “Saturday was really a snapshot of L.A.’s culture with local brands. I wanted to show what was happening in the fashion scene in Los Angeles with two different themes—colorful and very goth.”
This emphasis on a global movement toward vegan fashion, while paying homage to Vegan Fashion Week’s home city, saw Nous Étudions from Buenos Aires and Vegan Tiger of Korea, while Fan All Flames and Pure Void Parker Day represented Los Angeles. Additional brands that contributed to Vegan Fashion Week were Anew Atelier, Awear, Desserto, Dr. Martens, Lunar Method, Luxelab, Mistohn, Premium Basics, Sylven New York, R99, Shoes 53045, Solios Watches, Sylth Virago, Veganwear and cruelty-free hair-care brand Maria Nila.
“It’s important to care about the real issues. The pandemic raised questions, but people are really not yet looking at the real issue, which is how we treat the planet,” Rienda said. “All the amazing designs from this new generation—in comparison to sustainable fashion, vegan fashion is really a new lifestyle and a new movement from a new generation that is really looking forward to better resources for the planet. It’s a really deep movement.”
