Exploring Vegan Shoe Production and Sustainability

Delving into the testing and production journey of vegan shoes, particularly focusing on the quality and aesthetics of apple leather as a sustainable alternative. Comparison between the sustainability of vegan shoes and animal skin shoes, discussing concerns around the use of plastic in vegan products.

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The future is female and made out of apples! Or at least our shoes will be! This week Evy speaks to vegan entrepreneur and sustainable fashion guru, Stacey Chang, the founder of Veerah. Disillusioned by the lack of non-animal, stylish shoe options, and the fashion industry’s disregard for sustainable practices, Stacey decided to design the world as she’d like to see it when she defied all the obstacles and founded the first apple leather shoe brand in 2016. Stacey considers veganism a core value of her brand and is determined to show the fashion industry that beauty and compassion can coexist. Also on this episode…

How Buddhism nurtured Stacey’s compassion towards all creatures and led her to veganism.
Stacey shares about her early experiences in the mainstream fashion industry and how working at big-name brands showed her what she wanted to do differently.
What gave the Stacey the inspiration to try making shoes with apples.
Where do all the apple skins come from?
Do vegan leathers have a greater carbon footprint than their animal leather counterparts?
‘Non leather materials - such as cotton fabric, polyesters - are found to have less than half the environmental impact than their animal derivative counterparts.’
Is it even possible to be sustainable and fashionable?! Stacey shares her tips for making the most of your wardrobe.
What it takes to create a thriving vegan business.
‘Being vegan should be your core value, that’s something you should never compromise on.’
Will vegan textiles ever be price-competitive with their animal counterparts?
We talk about being a woman in a leadership role and how sensitivity can be an asset in intuiting what the customer needs.
Stacey emphasises the importance of tending to one’s own needs to fully unlock our naturally compassionate nature: ‘When we’re in a better state both inside and out then naturally we will be more compassionate’.
Tylor and Evy discuss many vegans’ discomfort about eating vegan options from places like Burger King and McDonalds, and whether or not we should be supporting these options.
A listener question prompts discussion about whether disgust is the right response to taxidermied animals.