British designer Hannah Weiland, who specializes in cruelty-free fashion, is set to launch a six-piece collection with vegan-friendly shoe brand Converse.
After a stint at the London College of Fashion, where she received a diploma in Surface Textile Design, Weiland founded the London-based sustainable fashion brand Shrimps in 2013. Playful Shrimps – loved by influencers and street style stars – is known predominantly for its vegan fur pieces; it expands beyond only offering coats and jackets, with a selection of furry bags available too.
Like Shrimps, Weiland is quirky and unique in her style choices and has brought these elements of her personality to the new line with Converse, launching face print and rose doodled joggers, long-sleeved tees, a hoodie, and – of course – two pairs of sneakers.
According to the designer, her signature vegan fur will appear on the back of each shoe. She told Nylon magazine, “Faux fur is how Shrimps started, so, for me, it’s important to always have an element of it in my designs.”
It’s also important to Weiland that all of her collaborations are ethically-minded and sustainable. Her target audience is millennials, a generation known for its commitment to ethics and the planet.
“[Being ethically minded and environmentally conscious is] one of the most important things I look for in collaborations,” said Weiland. “We are designing for millennials who want to change the world and the future of the planet, so we have to help with this and reflect everyone’s amazing efforts towards an ethical and sustainable future.”
Converse is known for its cruelty-free collaborations, recently launching a new shimmery holiday range with vegan, musician, and activist Miley Cyrus.
The Ethical Future of Fashion
Like Weiland and Shrimps, more and more modern brands and designers are choosing to keep their clothes sustainable and animal-friendly. Mink Shoes, for example, only launches vegan, cruelty-free luxury footwear, and is loved by a number of stars – including Cyrus and Pamela Anderson. Older brands – like Gucci and Chanel – are also opting to move with the times, dropping real fur and exotic skins from their designs in the last 12 months.
Even major reality TV stars Kendall and Kylie Jenner have opted to go down the faux fur route for their new “insta-worthy” jacket collection at Macy’s. According to the item’s descriptions, the designs prove that “adding a little faux fur never hurts.”
Weiland’s new Converse collection will be available from December 13.
Become a CLUBKINDLY member today!
