Why Sustainable, Vegan Design Is the Future of Fashion

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and PETA came together to discuss vegan and sustainable clothing as part of the university’s annual Sustainability Awareness Week. PETA curated a special panel for the students, featuring five superstars of the vegan fashion scene: Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart (Vaute), Bianca Moran (SUSI Studio), Joshua Katcher (Brave GentleMan), Sydney Brown (Sydney Brown), and Sugandh Agrawal (GUNAS).

The “How to Make It in (Vegan) Fashion” discussion was moderated by model and activist Renee Peters. Topics included where to find high-quality vegan textiles, why cruelty-free apparel is an unstoppable trend in today’s industry, and, in line with the panel’s title, how to make it as a sustainable designer.

Designers don’t need to contribute to the horrific treatment of animals in order to be successful in the fashion world, which is why we teamed up with FIT to showcase some of the best designers leading the way with sustainable vegan fabrics.

Pick any material made from animals, and there are many high-quality, contemporary options that you can wear instead. Take leather, for example. From Ultrasuede and cork, to surprising materials such as pineapple, kombucha tea, and mushrooms, many new vegan leather innovations are hitting the scene. Thinking about ditching your itchy wool coat? These natural fabrics make for fantastic soft-knit options. Not down with down feathers? Try any of these cruelty-free high-tech fabrics instead. The list goes on and on, because vegan fabrics have hit the ground running—and simply put, they’re the future of fashion.

Take a step toward sustainability with us by supporting vegan leather, fur, down, and wool suppliers the next time that you’re out shopping for clothing and accessories.

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