Inside Vegan Fashion Week’s Debut in Los Angeles
With just a few more
days left before the Fall 2019 shows begin for New York Fashion Week, which
kicks off the start of a busy fashion month, the first-ever Vegan Fashion
Week makes its grand debut in Downtown Los Angeles on February 1. Organized
by Emmanuelle Rienda, the founder of creative agency Le Frenchlab and an
animal rights advocate, the weekend included a series of events for
designers, media and influencers, as well as the public, to attend and
learn more about the animal rights movement in the fashion industry.
“It’s really amazing, and I believe that’s the message. We really try to be
inclusive,” Rienda shared with FashionUnited on the occasion’s diverse
audience. “We don’t want to do a vegan [specific] event. We want to do a
mainstream event where we show people what is possible; we want them to
know that we can have high-end products full of compassion and love for all
species and all beings on this planet.”
Vegan Fashion Week launched with an intimate soirée on Friday night at the
Museum of Natural History, where guests experienced a first look at select
pieces created by animal-free designers from around the world. These pieces
would also be part of the main fashion show, which occurred inside the
California Market Center’s Fashion Theater the following night. The show,
which had attendees lined up around the perimeter of the center’s lobby,
also allowed guests to enjoy plant-based cocktails from Los Angeles’ Café
Gratitude and small bites catered by raw vegan chef Marie-Sophie L, the
founder of L’Instant Cru.
Animal-free designers presented collections on the runways of Vegan
Fashion Week
The inaugural fashion show began with a musical performance from Naomi
Greene, a contemporary harpist and songstress, who performed a short set of
songs. Soon after, models from Margaux the Agency, a boutique agency with a
passion for the vegan lifestyle, began to walk down the runway. The line-up
featured avant-garde designs featuring faux-leathers made from pineapple
fibers and apple skins, as well as other items made with sustainable
practices such as natural dyes and recycled materials. With a runway that
showcased items ranging from faux-leather capes and faux-fur coats to ball
gowns, knitwear and accessories, Vegan Fashion Week exhibited the wide
variety of animal-free clothing from its diverse group of designers.
“Vegan Fashion Week is going to exist until every fashion house
decides this is the norm,” she said. “There is no room for cruelty or for
ways of doing fashion that is polluting this planet.”
As for the future of the event, Rienda has no plans of slowing down,
expressing her intentions to make veganism part of the mainstream fashion
industry and culture. “Vegan Fashion Week is going to exist until every
fashion house decides this is the norm,” she said. “There is no room for
cruelty or for ways of doing fashion that is polluting this planet.”
Rienda plans to continue using Vegan Fashion Week as a platform to help
promote brands to a larger audience, but also as a way to raise awareness
for animal rights. “We believe if we all come together, we have a greater
impact,” she shared. “But, this is also activism, because we put people
together that don’t have the same final product.” Rienda explained that the
participating designers fall on a broad spectrum of vegan, with some being
fully vegan while others are fully sustainable but have yet to produce
fully vegan products. However, according to Rienda, the primary goal with
each of the brands is interaction and collaboration, with the result of
redefining the concept of veganism. “What’s important is to put all these
people together and [encourage] them to change technologies, innovations
and to really come up with ideas to [create] the best way possible.”
During the day on February 2 and 3, designers and other exhibitors had the
opportunity to chat with media, buyers and consumers about their brands,
sharing the methods they use to create their products as well as how they
started creating cruelty-free fashion, at the Vegan Lounge inside the
California Market Center. Exhibitors in the lounge included clothing and
accessories designers, skincare and beauty brands, along with vegan food
companies and more. Attendees could also participate in panels that
discussed the biggest issues regarding major issues in the fashion industry
such as animal rights, social justice and more.
Rienda expressed her adoration for each of the designers participating in
this year’s Vegan Fashion Week, highlighting the New York-based Japanese
designer Ran Enda, who once held positions at major fashion labels
including Ralph Lauren and Diane von Furstenberg before starting her
eponymous line, ENDA. “[Enda] was in a very comfortable position [at Ralph
Lauren]. Because of her values, she decided to quit and start her own
brand,” Rienda said, explaining how for most of the designers, veganism is
a lifestyle that affected them to change how they approach the fashion
industry. “That’s what I really love about these people—they’re designers,
but they’re true. They’re honest and they’re not afraid to go against the
masses with their products to show what’s best.”
According to the Rienda, the decision to launch in Los Angeles was a simple
one. “[Los Angeles] is the largest city that has banned fur and animal
testing, and most recently foie gras. I believe California is ready for the
strong message and protecting the animals,” she said. “I also believe that
Los Angeles could be the capital for high-end ethical fashion—I believe we
could be the ethical avant-garde sector.”
As the event finishes with a private fundraiser on February 4, Rienda plans
to take Vegan Fashion Week around the world, showcasing international
designers dedicated to cruelty-free fashion.
Text and photos: Dale Arden Chong for FashionUnited