Those in search of stylish, vegan, eco-friendly footwear have more options than ever. Designer Gina Ferraraccio of Cri de Coeur offers shoes that are both 100% vegan and eco-friendly. While many of the shoes in her line are made from cotton and hemp, even the synthetic materials she uses are more sustainable alternatives. You won’t see any PVC here.
Every pair in this line is made by hand in Europe under strict ethical and environmental standards, and Cri de Coeur has also partnered with Carbonfund.org to offset any emissions that cannot be avoided. Cri de Coeur has also promised to sponsor the planting of a tree for every pair of shoes sold. I recently chatted with Gina to find out a little more about her line and where she gets her inspiration.
What inspires your work? I’m inspired to create beautiful, comfortable shoes that I want to wear everyday! I’m constantly following what’s going on in the fashion industry to keep up on trends, and I try to translate them in my own way into sophisticated footwear designs. Each season has it’s own source of inspiration – Spring/Summer’09 has a sultry, understated sexy ‘glam noir’ theme.
Who are your favorite designers? I love Stella McCartney because she’s been able to create vegan accessories that are taken seriously in the designer fashion world. It shows that designers don’t need to use leather, fur and exotic skins to make accessories that stand out. I also love Rick Owens, Nicolas Ghesquière, Riccardo Tisci and Alexander McQueen for their unique visions.
What are your fashion & beauty must-haves? I have my wardrobe go-to’s that I can’t live without – skinny jeans, v-neck tees and comfy cardigans – and I supplement them with different accessories and layers, depending on my mood for the day and what look I’m trying to create. I’m also a lip gloss addict…I just discovered some from 100% Pure that are fruit-pigmented and vegetarian!
What advice would you give to aspiring designers? Stick to your vision, but be willing to make adjustments and changes along the way. It’ll be way more challending that you can imagine, but when things work out, it’s worth it.
Where can people find your work? Cri de Coeur can be found on Shopflick.com.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
oh wow… vegan shoes are coming along so well these days… i really love seeing designers stick to their guns… especially designers who have guns to stick to. .. metaphoric guns anyway.
Great interview! I love the video too, high quality and explained a lot about her vision.
I also totally agree with her that building a business can be tough work but it’s totally worth it when it works out. Today a store owner described starting a business like “trying to grow a garden in the winter.” It’s a lot of work without much to show for it until the season changes.
As a vegan fashion designer, I always love to hear from new brands.
Its so cool that there are more and more vegan shoe labels!
And I definitely love this one! I want the boot on the first pic! NOW
Looks like a Liv Boot to me!