Animals have always touched the deepest part of my soul. There is something about their unspoken language, the love they express, and their vulnerability at the hands of humans that goes straight to my heart.

It is mind blowing to me that society taught me as a child to view animals as a separate thing from what was on my plate at the dinner table or what I was wearing on my feet. Meat was just something we ate and leather was just a material used to make shoes and coats we wore. There was absolutely no relation to meat and leather once being a living, breathing, feeling animal who had an emotional life of his or her own.

It wasn’t until I got chubby as a teenager from eating improperly and began to educate myself on how to lose weight that I learned about the horrors animals are subjected to so that humans can eat and wear them. The moment I read about the conditions in slaughterhouses and the pain, fear, and unspeakable abuse animals were put through was a moment I will never forget. After a long, hard cry, I vowed to separate myself from the herd mentality of turning a blind eye to the suffering of animals so that we humans may satisfy our taste buds and fashion desires. Even now, years later, it is painful for me to think about what goes on in factory farming without becoming incredibly sad.

It was never difficult for me to give up eating and wearing animals once I knew the truth. I did not suffer, crave meat, or wish for the feel of leather against my skin for one second. Instead, I felt joyful and liberated that I was no longer contributing to what I felt was a tragedy of epic proportions.

I am sharing my story because I’ve been asked many times why I have chosen the path I am on, and as I share my story, I hope I can be a source of inspiration to anyone who may be considering adopting a cruelty-free lifestyle.

Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” I couldn’t agree more, and the good news is, it does appear that progress is being made in our country and around the world. There is a movement taking place on our planet right now that is leaning away from meat consumption in favor of a plant-based diet and from using animal skins and furs in fashion manufacturing in favor of their synthetic/vegan counterparts.

There are no perfect solutions in life. Vegan leather is just the first step toward a healthier and more compassionate planet. We are excited by the advent of new technologies that are creating leather substitutes. These new materials are being used to design numerous products, but as of now are not durable enough to be used for things like boots. We look forward to adapting these and other technologies into our designs as they become feasible.

Thank you for reading,
Llynda