Animal fur has been a serious faux pas for seasons – designers such as Gucci, Burberry and Versace are refusing to work with it, fashion editors like Anna Dello Russo won’t wear it, and even the Queen of England has renounced it. Entire countries are banning fur farming – Poland and France are the latest...
TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains descriptions of behaviours linked to eating disorders. I remember being eight years old and holding my Barbie doll in my hands, admiring her endlessly long legs, wasp-like waist and unrealistically slender limbs. “I want to be this thin”, I recall thinking. Two years later, when I was 10, my teacher...
From leather to lipstick, vegan living beyond food is becoming mainstream. Among the growing movement for environmental consciousness in the beauty industry, interest for vegan beauty is growing: sales of beauty products labelled “vegan” grew by 38% in the UK in 2018, with global sales expected to reach $20.8 billion by 2025. The GrandView report that...
It’s 9am on a Monday morning as I write this, and my working day is beginning. Similar to many other workers at the moment, I have to face a rather short commute: from my bedroom to my living room or kitchen table. Just like 42% of the entire US labour force , nearly one-third of...
So you’ve got the vegan diet figured out – after Veganuary, it’s all been smooth sailing. You’re also on your way to a cruelty-free wardrobe and a completely vegan makeup cabinet – so now you’re a Level 5 Vegan, right? Well…not quite. Think about it: the place where we spend the most time – especially...
What drives change in fashion? On many occasions, it starts with one – often rather powerful and influential – designer to create a ripple effect. When Gucci decided to drop fur in 2018, names such as Burberry, Versace, Michael Kors, Chanel and Prada all followed suit. And two years later, Gucci still leads the way:...
It’s 8.30am and I’m staring at my laptop, my eyes running over the numbers on its dusty screen while I sip my coffee. There’s still a long way to go, and with each day I’m closer to being forced to face what I’ve always suspected: that we’re not going to make it. My Kickstarter campaign...
In the beginning of 2020, there was a subtle revolution on the menu at one of the best-known fast-food burger chains in the world; the Rebel Whopper entered the Burger King line-up of greasy treats. This wholly plant-based creation was what many vegetarians and vegans, along with quite a few flexitarians, had been anxiously waiting...
In 2018, an unusual story spread through fashion press: retail giant ASOS would be ceasing all sale of mohair, cashmere, feathers, and…silk. While the fashion industry is no stranger to brands banning materials (countless luxury designers have refused to work with fur over the last few seasons, and most retailers have banned angora), a brand...
We are in the midst of what is the biggest public health crisis of our times – and when it comes to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, most experts are unanimous. The disease, which has killed around 300,000 people worldwide at the time of writing, is believed to have started in a Chinese market...
Sustainability has gone from a fringe interest to a crucial factor in today’s fashion industry – brands are racing to prove their eco credentials, and consumers are increasingly seeking out sustainable items. But somehow, as journalist, author and activist Tansy Hoskins notes, the quest for sustainability tends to end at footwear. “I like stories that...
As an unprecedented pandemic sweeps the world, methods of dealing with the public health crisis across the globe differ – some countries, like Spain and Italy, have implemented lockdowns so severe that residents aren’t even allowed out for a walk, while others such as Sweden take a more relaxed approach. Since the beginning of the...