This year, the celebs are unzipping their python skin boots and Lady Gaga is hanging up her favourite meat dress, in favour of a guilt-free, vegan approach to fashion. Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie and Emma Watson have already ditched their old designer habits and are flying the flag for all things ethical, with Emma Watson even starting up her own ethically-produced clothing line. Stella McCartney has long been the high-flyer of fashion veganism, but vegan-friendly clothing is still very much a niche area within the fashion industry.
With an onslaught of celebrities wearing and endorsing ethically produced clothing recently, the demand for vegan designs to become more accessible and available on the high-street, as shown a massive increase. With a huge selection of charity and vintage shops to choose from, Brighton is renowned for its ‘waste not, want not’ approach to all things fashion, but how attainable is vegan-friendly fashion within the Brighton area?
‘Beyond Skin’ is a Brighton-based vegan shoe company, specialising in women’s footwear ranging from cute pumps to high heels. The main aim of the company is to eliminate the stigma that vegan designs are dowdy and unfashionable, and to promote the idea that vegan clothing can be bang on trend and durable, whilst not breaking the bank. Made from recycled suede, faux leather and dynamica (a material made from recycled plastic bottles), Beyond Skin’s shoe range are not only stunning but amazingly comfortable as well.
With their new Spring/Summer ’12 Boutique and ‘Ethletic’ ranges being launched in March, and their Autumn/Winter sale currently in progress, why not kick-start your New Year with a fabulous pair of ‘killer’ heels from Beyond Skin’s extensive range. Shoe shopping has never been so guilt-free! You can find Beyond Skin shoes online at www.beyondskin.com and also in a number of boutiques around the town, including ‘Sirene’ and ‘Igigi’.
