Vegan Footwear Company Steps Into Growing Sustainability Shift In Fashion Industry
Author: Christopher Marquis
Co-founded by Tina Bhojwani, the Soho store features styles from brands that incorporate ethical practices and vegan materials, including Bhojwani’s new vegan footwear brand Aera. She hoped to have a bio-based shoe, but that currently is not achievable with the materials that exist. Aera styles now are about 50% bio-based materials and 50% recycled synthetic materials. She wants to show that quality, style, and luxury can go hand in hand with sustainability. “As this was such a new concept, most of the consumers coming in were surprised to see that so many sustainable brands exist, or that they were of such high quality,” she said. With Aera and other fashion brands leading the way on materials and processes to reduce environmental impact, Bhojwani hopes to help create a tipping point where operating as a B Corp becomes expected rather than optional.