By Solange James

Vegan Fashion Chic…Until recently, such a statement could only be found in the pages of a Writer’s guide as an example of an Oxymoron.  Vegan ‘leather’ bags were painfully reminiscent of street corner designer knock offs, and shoes resembled collections from the Payless Shoe Store, complete with their distinctly plastic look, smell, and squeak.

 Finally (let’s all breathe a collective sigh of relief!) the days when vegans had to settle for second…no third rate designs, too earthy materials and causal wear, are thankfully over.

 In 2006 Stella Mc Cartney introduced a vegan friendly line of shoes, handbags and accessories that fused high quality workmanship with synthetic and naturally derived materials.

One does not even have to be a vegan to appreciate the exquisite craftsmanship of Mc Cartney’s line, and her designs bring a healthy dose of appeal to vegan and non vegan fashionistas alike.

Joining the foray into vegan fashion is Natalie Portman and her collaboration with Spanish shoe emporium Te Casan. 

Portman, who has been a vegetarian since age 8, noticed a lack of animal friendly (and aesthetically pleasing) products.