---

When 29-year-old Archana Srinivasan tied the knot, she broke with tradition in more than one way . For one thing, the bride was not decked in the de rigueur rich Kancheevaram silks of her peers.

An animal lover, Srinivasan did not want to buy silk sarees, but couldn't find alternative fabrics with the richness and grandeur of traditional Kancheepuram silk sarees.

After walking in and out of over 25 stores, she finally found one in Bengaluru that sells artificial silk sarees. For those on the lookout for vegan or cruelty-free fashion, the hunt for alternat

ives is not easy . While rising awareness and conscious choices made by customers is driving the market for players like Arture and Kanabis, the space is still niche.

Devika Srimal Bapna is a chartered accountant turned entrepreneur. For her the search was vegan shoes. After experimenting with several materials, she zeroed in on canvas for its sturdy and durable nature. Despite having sold over 3000 pairs to date, Srimal says the market is tricky . “About 70% of the footwear market market is unbranded and quality is questionable. However, brand loyalty is high because fit and comfort is crucial,“ said Srimal. Vegan as a fashion submarket is yet to find its space in India. Srimal says vegan is still attached to non-dairy food.What constitutes vegan in fashion is yet to be clearly defined.While most consider clothes, bags and accessories that do not hurt animals to be vegan, experts say anything non-leather could be considered vegan too. “Executing in this space is not easy . Consumers are spread out. The market has to grow naturally and being vegan (food or fashion) has to become a movement,“ said Pinakiranjan Mishra, partner and national leader retail and consumer products, EY. Monica Chopra initially set up a blog to sensitise people on vegan products ­ food & fashion. She later found that vegan products are hard to come by and set up The Eco Trunk, a vegan marketplace.“We source products from all parts of India and before we put it on the website, we try it on to see if it will go well with the consumers,“ she said.....Read more

 

Source web page:Times of India