Vegan XO

Quite literally... it is xo for vegan couture!

Last Fall, I was on the lookout for a winter coat that was warm, sustainable, ethical and vegan. The search was going to be tedious, had it not been for Leanne from Vaute Couture. I met Leanne last year at Vegan FNO and fell in love with not just the coats she made, but her enthusiasm for cruelty free fashion. All the coats are made in New York City fashion district with 100% recyclable polyester fibers. The coat liner is 100% recycled and recyclable fibers. This tag makes me happy.

Anyhoo, I invested in a Vaute winter coat, that I see myself wearing for many winters to come; and I wore this winter coat to New York Fashion Week to support Leanne and Vaute. Some photos below. But before that -

What I'm Wearing:

Jacket: Vaute Couture (Vegan, ethical, sustainable)

Collar: ZIBTextiles, Etsy 

Shirt: Basic black from Uniqlo

Shrug: Bought at a crafts market, India

Skirt: Bought eons ago in India

Tights: ASOS.com

Socks: American Apparel

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa (Vegan, Made of recycled plastic, 100% recyclable; Ethical company)

...and they were rescue dogs on the runway, up for adoption! so cute, no?

Clo.List: A Round-up of the Best Vegan Shoe Brands

* Unique Selling Point

Here is a quick round-up of my favorite vegan shoe brands. Some I have tried and others, I look forward to. If you have been following this blog, you'll know that I heart Melissa shoes.  The Steve Madden slouchy boots have held out really well for the past two New York winters. I'm totally digging my quirky Irregular choice shoes and the chic blue Cri de Ceour pumps. I find all the styles I own to be comfortable over long hours. Haven't tried dancing in my Cri de Ceours yet.... but otherwise, rest all pass that test! :)

psst.. click the table for a larger image!

I have reached out to a few of these companies for more details on their material usage and sustainability commitments and will update this table as and when I hear from them, so keep checking back!

Clo.Outfit: Closet Maximization & Jewel Tones

Images by K

What I'm wearing:

Top: Saree blouse (re-purposing a 6 year old saree blouse)

Dress: American Apparel bandeau dress worn as a high top skirt (Made in USA/Downtown LA)

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa (Plastic, Vegan)

Jewelry: Flea markets in Hyderabad, India and New York City

Honestly, I'm feeling quite proud of myself for coming up with this outfit on the fly! We were going to a Indian street festival and wanted my outfit to have Indian influences. 

The shoes are from Vivienne Westwood's collaboration with Brazilian shoe brand  Melissa. This company is doing many things right starting with paying their employees fair wages with good benefits and recycling almost ALL of their factories' waste and water. Apparently, they even recycle overstock goods to make next season collections! Woot! Woot!

The shoes themselves are made of MELFLEX plastic and are 100% recyclable and 100% vegan! And damn, are they comfortable! The shoe bed is very cushy and I've worn these shoes for hours without pain.

The black dress is from American Apparel. Made in downtown LA, this vertically integrated apparel manufacturer prides itself on paying their workers fair wages and believes in keeping it local.

Note to self: never take outfit pictures at/post dusk