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‘Veganism’ is a notion which has taken the world by storm, not only in the much talked about food sector, but also in the realms of fashion, indicating the rise of the conscious consumer. Although popular media has made vegan food habits a mockery of sorts, translating that concept into the fashion world is more than just a superficial fad meant to gain acceptance among peers.
Vegan fashion is basically clothing and accessories made from cruelty-free sources, i.e., neither are animals harmed in the making process or testing nor are any animal parts used for the development of the product. It is worthy to note that this market, whilst pandering to a niche audience, is being embraced with open arms in the developed nations where the market’s growth is off the charts.
Countries like the US, UK, Germany and France are investing a lot in the vegan market. According to the London-based retail technology company Edited, by the end of January 2019, there was a 5 per cent increase in products described as ‘vegan’ in the UK year over year. While the US may have fallen behind in showing such significant growth with only 11 per cent increase year-on-year, it already harbours a significantly larger assortment of vegan products compared to other markets.
France showed a 12 per cent growth, but the fashion capital Paris’ commitment to become the capital of sustainable fashion by 2024 is bound to increase the offering of vegan products in markets. Another country keeping an eye on this booming segment is Denmark, which has seen a 320 per cent increase in products described as vegan, according to Edited.
Brands toiling for a vegan world
A testament to the rising popularity of vegan fashion, are a number of top brands that have vowed to stay committed to eradicating animal cruelty from their manifestos.
According to Edited, one of the most popular trends is that of vegan shoes which accounted for 32 per cent of the footwear market in the US in 2018, up from 16 per cent in 2017. The UK shoe brands have been a bit sluggish in catching up with the trend, however, vegan footwear accounted for 16 per cent of the total UK market in 2018, up from...