By Claudina Hannon
Vegan fashion has been around for sometime, and to dissuade any misconceptions people may have of what vegan apparel and accessories should look like, certain brands are devoted to making sure the vegan pieces produced also look the part for 2015. Every type of material you can think of that may be nonvegan, such as wool and leather, has a counterpart in vegan apparel, and while each brand may manufacture the items with different materials, here are the basics about each of the vegan materials you could be wearing during fall and winter months.
Matt and Nat
This Canadian company has been around since 1995, and it specializes in making handbags out of sustainable and eco-friendly materials. Some of the materials Matt and Nat uses are recycled nylons, rubber and cork, and the lining of the bags is made from 100 percent recycled water bottles.
Brave GentleMan
“We are on the cusp of a post-industrial revolution where materials will be endlessly customizable,” says Joshua Katcher, founder of Brave GentleMan and the DiscerningBrute.com. Brave GentleMan is a one-stop shop that just opened its flagship store on Sept. 26 selling menswear, including suits and men’s accessories like shoes and grooming essentials. Their tweed suits are made from diverted waste cotton and polyester and their shoes from Italian microfiber, which looks like actual leather.
*There are other vegan retailers on the market worth noting, like Stella McCartney, Vaute Couture, Cri de Coeur and Alternative Outfitters.