THE VEGETARIAN BLOG

I seldom write about fashion as it’s not really my bag, but I do know that vegans sometimes have a hard time finding stylish shoes. So I was pleased to hear that Fashion-conscience.com has added to its portfolio vegan shoes from designers OlsenHaus, Neu Aura and Melissa.New York designer, Olsenhaus (pictured), is the queen of vegan shoe-ism. Feted for their bold, fashion-forward designs, her pieces have been featured in U.S. Vogue and Marie Claire. Elisabeth Olsen, the creative force behind the brand, is an outspoken advocate for veganism.Neu Aura are designers committed to producing quality footwear without the use of any animal by-products. Their vegan shoes are produced in a factory which adheres to eco standards in recycling and non-use of toxic chemicals where possible.Finally, Melissa specialize on creating little pieces of architecture with recycled/recyclable plastic in their funky shoe collection. The company also adheres to sustainability codes of production.

This is great news for cruelty-free shoppers. Vegan media activist Adam Kochanowicz has released a new free tool to the public which allows users only to verify alcohols, products, ingredients, and retailers as vegan/non-vegan or tested/not tested on animals but collaborate in continuing the size of this vast database the more people use it. It’s a kind of Wikipedia for vegan shoppers.With a clean, uncluttered interface, the wiki works with any browser. Says Kochanowicz:

“All you have to do is type “vegan.fm/” before the ingredient/alcohol/product/retailer to be taken to a page detailing what is known about that topic. At that point, you have the option to edit the entry similar to how Wikipedia articles are edited and maintained by a community. If a page does not exist for your query, you have the option of creating the page yourself adding whatever you know about the product so others may develop your stub.”

Start browsing and adding to the wiki at Vegan.FM/isitvegan

Vegetarian Shoes and Bags, an online retail boutique featuring 100% vegan, cruelty-free shoes and accessories, announced it has changed its name to Vegan Chic. The change was introduced to further reinforce the company’s belief that consumers can “look fierce without being cruel.”

“The name ‘Vegan Chic’ better communicates our core belief that you can be vegan and still be fashionable and glamorous,” states the Vegan Chic management team. “We strive to create a vegan shopper’s paradise, and under our new name, Vegan Chic, we have more room to make that happen.”

Vegan Chic will carry the same animal-friendly line of boots, vegan shoes and vegan handbags from famous name brands such as Simple, Earth, Ecolution, CL Laundry, Madden Girl, Punk Rose, which consumers have grown to love. Additionally, though, the company will now offer a greater variety of apparel, such as belts, wallets and clothing.

The company promises it will continue to donate to animal charities and offer products that support their earth-friendly values, containing natural, organic and sustainable materials.