5 Vegan Sustainable Brands Owned by POC
I took a break from the blog last week, with the BLM movement resonating so strongly it felt wrong to be posting anything that wasn’t related to it or in support. I hope that we can keep up the momentum and see real change happen across the world – yesterday they tore down a statue of Edward Colston (a slave trader) in my hometown Bristol and threw it in the harbour!
I’ve been using my time over the past week to read up (got a couple of new books on the way which I’ll share with you all on my Instagram), research racism in my country and the role white privilege plays in continuing this system. I’ve also been watching a few documentaries on Netflix, “13th” was particularly interesting, although hard to watch. However, this is not just a week-long campaign that we should pat ourselves on the back for and move on. This is just the beginning, a new awakening and a kick up the ass we all needed. We need to recognise that racism will not go away with a few hashtags, black squares on Instagram and a Netflix series, it requires us to make real, genuine change.
My efforts to make long term changes to my blog to be more inclusive and diverse, and generally raise my awareness, starts today. I want to really expand my research to find more vegan, sustainable brands that I can share on this platform so we can make the sustainable sector more representative of people of colour. Today I’ve looked into brands that are actually owned by POC, and I was so excited by how many I found! I’ve gone with my favourite 5 picks out of the brands I found but will feature more in other blog posts I do as I go on. I was aware of some of them already but a few I’d never heard of before, so I’m really hoping I can share their work and get you guys inspired to check them out…
Proclaim
An inclusive lingerie brand founded by Shobha Philips, Proclaim makes underwear in a range of skin tones. This is a common issue with underwear, they call the tone ‘nude’ and it’s usually just one pink/beige colour that would only suite some white people. This is great to see an ethically made collection that’s actually affordable (a set would cost around £66 – cheaper than a lot of other brands). The bralettes and briefs are made with TENCEL, produced from wood pulp from sustainably managed sources. They’re also really size inclusive too, with sizes ranging from Small to 3X.
Founder: Shobha Phillips
GALERIE.LA
I’d say that Galerie LA is about 98% vegan so I felt I could include it, as you can apply filters to only show vegan products, and I went through all their items and only found a couple of things which weren’t vegan. Founded by Dechel Mckillian, a previous celebrity stylist, she wanted to provide a curated collection of clothes that were sustainable in their materials, and ethically made. There is a great range of easy to wear, relaxed fit clothing and some really nice accessories. I love that you can select options like eco-friendly, local, vegan, and recycled when you’re searching the website, it makes it so easy to shop your ethics!
Founder:
Dechel Mckillian
Selva Negra
“Celebrating personal identity through our Latina heritage with colour vibrancy, expressive design and ethical practices” – I just love their brand description! Founded by Kristen Gonzalez and Sam Romero, Selva Negra brings us bold, feminine energy yet uses masculine silhouettes and minimalist designs. Again, their collections are nearly all vegan (only one piece of deadstock silk used once) but they’re not describing themselves as a vegan company. I’m very tempted to put in an order with this company when I get paid!
Founders:
Kristen Gonzalez + Sam Romero
Lemlem
Founded by supermodel, Liya Kebede, after visiting her native country of Ethiopia and meeting a group of traditional weavers who no longer had a market for their craft. Lemlem partners with local artisan studios that use traditional African motifs and cotton handweaving techniques to create beautiful clothing and accessories. They also have some of the most beautiful swimwear I’ve seen – might have to put in an order before my next vacation!
Founder:
Liya Kebede
Back Beat Co
Ultimate Cali energy here folks – Back Beat Co (formerly Back Beat Rags) is the most gorgeous lifestyle brand founded by Isadora Alvarez. They sell a range of tops, dresses, jumpsuits, trousers and jackets that have that classic LA vibe to them, and they’re made with the best materials; hemp, organic cotton and TENCEL.
Founder:
Isadora Alvarez