LaBante - vegan & fair bags and accessories from London

Vanita, the founder of LaBante already grew up in the fashion world, her uncle owned a sewing shop and so she developed a passion for fashion at an early age. When she walked past a butcher's shop during her studies and saw animals just being herded into the backyard, her outlook on life changed and she went vegan. She combined her love of animal welfare and fashion, and LaBante was born. The first collection was launched in 2009, and since then the company has been growing steadily as "Fashion with Respect" has happily become more established in the fashion world.

Production takes place in Guangzhou, China, there are no "sweatshops" in this province. Guangzhou is one of the richest areas in China and stands in stark contrast to the working conditions that sometimes prevail in this country. The workers in Guangzhou receive very high wages in comparison and the overall working conditions are at a very high level.

LaBante is very socially committed, 10% of the profits are donated to charities. They are committed to empowering women worldwide, so the design and production team is 99% female. They only work with productions that are SEDEX certified. LaBante ensures that female employees receive maternity leave and they regularly visit the production sites themselves to ensure that the products are made in a safe and ethical environment.

They only use vegan and recycled materials for the bags and accessories. The environmental approach is also reflected in the production, which produces no waste through a zero-waste programme.

The bags by LaBante are vegan, sustainable and fair all around - and very chic to boot!