Vegan Fashion Celebrated at Madras Couture Fashion Week

This year’s Madras Couture Fashion Week held at the Grand by GRT Hotels in Chennai showcased not only a wealth of creative talent but also a commitment to ethical fashion. PETA pal and Audacious designer Nimisha Sara Philip teamed up with menswear brand The Alternate by Sahil Jain – making The Audacious Alternate – to raise awareness of how cruel the leather and exotic-skins industries are by creating and promoting vegan fashion.

Photo Caption: Designers Sahil Jain and Nimisha Sara Philip

“Sahil and I, being lovers of animals, knew that the Madras Couture Week would be a perfect platform to drive home to our audience the exceeding need to reduce animal suffering”, says Philip. “We hope through The Audacious Alternate collaboration show, we inspire a revamp in the fashion industry through our statement clothing, accessories and shoes that will beckon our clients to ‘take The Alternate move’ and ‘Be Audacious'”.

During The Audacious Alternate’s show, PETA’s “cow” mascot strutted down the runway carrying a placard to protest the leather industry, which is violent and inhumane. In India, cattle are often crammed so tightly on their way to slaughter that they suffocate, and many die while en route.

PETA representatives gave guests our “Fashion Forward” leaflet, which explains that animals used for clothing suffer, including dogs in China who are abused and beaten to death in order to make leather gloves, belts, jacket collar trim and other items. Of course, no label says “dog skin”, so unsuspecting consumers around the world don’t know who they’re wearing when they purchase these items .

The list of designers who use vegan leather continues to grow. Real fashion fans know that inhumanely confining and barbarically killing crocodiles and alligators so their skins can be made into bags, belts and watchbands  is wrong. Guests even wore their couture compassion on their sleeves with PETA’s “Go Fake for Animals’ Sake” badges.

Attendees of The Audacious Alternate’s show also received goodie bags full of fun vegan materials.

What You Can Do

You can prevent animals from being slaughtered for their skin by wearing only vegan clothing, footwear and accessories. Compassion is “one size fits all”, so try it on!