Bare Fashion: a review
I was lucky enough to attend the Bare Fashion show in London last week, the first ever vegan fashion show in the UK! I was blown away by the success of the event, a sold-out show with over 20 different brands exhibiting their products. It was so great to be amongst so many vegan fashion enthusiasts, there is definitely a growing demand for cruelty-free fashion. The catwalk and fashion show was curated by magazine Vegan Food & Living in partnership with show producer John Walford and stylist Rebekah Roy and featured Autumn lines from vegan, sustainable and ethical brands.
The venue, the Boiler House on Brick Lane, was perfect for the event, and the outside eating area had such a nice vibe to it. I met up with some other vegan fashion bloggers and it was lovely to be able to chat and catch up at the event. The details of the event had truly been well thought out, even down to the paper straws served at the bar. Vegan cocktails were on offer from the Spread Eagle, London’s first 100% vegan pub, as well as plant-based Thai food from Eat Chay and even vegan soft-serve from Dope!
I loved all the pop-up shops at the event, combining shopping and a fashion show was a truly inspired idea! I knew some of the brands at the event, including People Tree, Kat Von D make up, Aveda, Collection & Co (woo go team Bristol!) and Ethcs clothing. Some new faces included Artisara, Bourgeois Boheme, Optiat, Hetty + Sam, Melie Bianco and Lalla Wandavi. Click here for a full list of the exhibitors with links to their pages. I love discovering new vegan brands and was definitely spoilt for choice at Bare Fashion.
There was a woman there from Scriberia doing fashion illustrations to take away – unfortunately, she was fully booked by the time I got over to her! Eco Glitter Fun was on hand to add even more sparkle to the night offering free glitter makeovers, I’ve never been a huge glitter fan but it was so great to see a company that’s dedicated to making eco-friendly, biodegradable glitter. The DJ at Bare Fashion was amazing, everyone commented on how she kept the vibes up the whole evening!
It was so lovely to meet @marta_canga at the show, top vegan fashion babe!
When it was time for the show to start, everyone gathered around a raised square platform with a brick wall backdrop – those dedicated few who had been sat down for hours before the event were the only ones who managed to get a seat (only complaint for me was that there should have been enough seats for everyone seeing as it was a ticketed event so they knew the exact numbers) The music grew louder as the first model entered the stage, walking first to the centre-back of the stage, then to the front, then around the left edge, before finally exiting along the back wall. I loved this format as it made such good use of the space and enabled all sides of the audience a good chance to see each outfit. (click on the images below for a larger view)
As the show was a collection of Autumn lines from several brands, we saw a range of pieces including coats, dresses, trousers, long-sleeved tops and jumpsuits. The shoes were all fabulous, although most were sandals, which confused the theme a bit; perhaps more boots and heels would have been more appropriate for an Autumn show? The accessories were to die for (luckily, as a vegan fashion show, no one did have to die for them), especially the oversized backpacks by Collection & Co; they made a real statement paired with minimalist white dresses and geometric print jumpsuits.
Some of my favourite pieces from the show were the navy long-lined coat, the Pinatex vegan leather gold jacket, the vegan leather and shearling Aviator jacket, the black and white striped backless dress with peplum ruffles and the long-sleeved rainbow brick Bodycon dress (never seen anything like it!). Some other honorable mentions must go to the gorgeous white t-shirt dress by Artisara, the silver and black skirt and top combo (not sure who’s it was) and the modern windbreaker by Ethcs (I think!).
The catwalk ended with about ten of the key outfits coming back on stage in quick succession, leaving us with a final gasp of “oh wow”, before finally exiting the stage. I thought this was a fabulous show and so impressive for Bare Fashion’s first ever event – definitely suggests great things are to come from them! I feel very grateful that I was able to be there for the first event, and even better that I got to share it with my vegan fashionistas (@thegoldengrenadine @thevegangirlboss & @theprettyplaneteer) – can’t wait for the next one!