Warrior to Watch: Series 007
Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart on Courage and Couture Vegan Gowns
Meet Leanne, Founder and Creator of Vaute and two new breakthrough ethical fashion brands, Humans We Love and Animal People.
She is Leanne, an animal rights activist and a seasoned vegan visionary celebrated as a 'game-changer'. She embodies courage, creativity, and conviction, as recognized by Condé Nast and named the 'Most Influential Designer' by PETA in 2014. At the helm of Humans We Love, she pioneers an entirely vegan and ethically-driven bridal brand. Her collection features zero-waste, one-of-a-kind couture gowns, ethically-sourced engagement rings, and luxe vegan shoes (including VEERAH!). She possesses the candor of a calculated risk-taker, radiating wonder and playfulness, and a strong sense of self that complements her determined commitment to protecting all creatures and to making sustainability the cornerstone of fashion. Leanne is a true warrior through and through. Beyond fashion, she extends her expertise by offering branding and strategic services to fellow vegan businesses.
Her hand-painted “ADOPT OR ELSE” tee says it all. Leanne adds a pop of color to her casual look with the Frida vegan pumps in Couture Pink.
VEERAH: We see you as one of the pioneers who championed vegan fashion way before it was "cool", and way before sustainability was a hot word in fashion and beauty. Undoubtedly, you got the attention of revered industry names, and was recognized as “a game changer, embodying courage, creativity, and conviction” by Condé Nast. After creating one successful brand (VAUTE), what made you start Humans We Love (ethical bridal), and now Animal People (human and dog apparel)?
Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart: When I started VAUTE in 2008 with a goal of speaking up for animals in the fashion industry and to create an alternative for wearing them, it was a time when people would ask, “Vegan fashion—what’s that? Can I eat your coats?” They were joking but they really weren’t, they thought of vegan like “gluten free” as a dietary preference. But being vegan is NOT a personal choice or dietary preference, it is a philosophy that expands to every aspect of our lifestyle as humans on Earth—a philosophy that animals are not ours to wear, eat, experiment on, or to entertain us, and that we don’t want to participate in the mass systemic structures of cruelty and suffering built so that people can eat and wear animals. And it’s been exciting to watch things change! In the past 15 years, vegan fashion has grown into its own industry and we are starting to see a shift in how we look at what we wear and how it’s made.
Each new brand focuses on solving a different problem with something I’m excited to create or curate. Humans We Love (HumansWeLove.com) is a collection of ethical bridal everything—favorite vegan wedding shoes (like VEERAH!), ethical engagement and wedding rings from incredible female designers, and zero waste wedding gowns I’ve designed in NYC.
And my newest brand Animal People (AnimalPeople.co)—launching now—is focused on filling a hole in the market for well-made, beautiful, earth conscious, and locally produced apparel and accessories for deeply connected humans and non-human animals: specifically, designs that will increase the quality of their life together. The line is inspired by my best friend, Audrey, who recently suddenly died—for almost two months I wasn’t functioning and certainly not socially, but I found I could work on this brand dedicated to pups like her.
Leanne in a one-of-a-kind, redesigned 1940’s vintage waterfall wedding gown available from Humans We Love, paired with our Venus Stiletto Sandals in White Tuxedo.
V: What inspired you to name your brand “Humans We Love” and how did you go about selecting the designers and brands you work with now?
LH: The idea of Humans We Love is CELEBRATING a human we love, when we marry them in front of all our other favorite people. Also, everything I showcase is made by, literally, a Human We Love. I love finding designers and artists to feature and work with. I see how they create something incredibly beautiful and inspired, which also happens to be 100% vegan, produced with ethical labor, and crafted using sustainable materials.
Leanne in a midi vintage deadstock lace creation worn with the Venus Stiletto Sandals in White Tuxedo.
V: The dresses you create at Humans We Love are beautiful! What makes them unique from the other brands?
LH: Thanks! My gowns are mostly few-of-a-kind couture pieces. This means you and only 1-7 other people in the entire world will have the same design for their wedding! That’s because they are also zero waste and each material is very, very limited. Our gowns are made almost entirely of deadstock (new fabric leftover from another high end brand’s production), vintage (like 50’s Japanese vegan glass pearl beads someone had saved for 80 years), and handmade elements—made by an independent artist (like the hand-embroidered animals from Julia in Ukraine).
V: What advice would you give to other women, creatives, or entrepreneurs who want to start a fashion brand today?
LH: The biggest advice I’d give is—BE TRUE TO YOURSELF. Do not feel that you need to make something that everyone loves, or that big stores or fashion magazines will get. Why? First, you will not work hard enough to bring a vision to life if it’s not truly something that pours out of you, from your heart to the universe. Second, this is what the world needs...YOU! Your heart, your voice, and your authentic expression. Not another whatever brand following trends or marketing statistics—leave that up to the big brands.
If you’re worried about finding customers if your vision is too “specific”, remember that that’s exactly what people want right now. And once you create it, it’s a matter of figuring out the rules of the internet for people who will love you, to find you. That can be figured out but the voice inside you is one of a kind.
“Be true to yourself”—thank you for reminding us, queen! Leanne rocks our Hedy vegan ankle boots in Diamond Dust.
V: How do you unwind and disconnect from work-related stress and find a healthy balance in your life?
LH: “ONE THING AT A TIME” is my motto and what I’ve realized is the best for me. I’m a serial monogamist when it comes to work and to life—I do one thing at a time, because I want to do it deeply and fully, and then move on to do the next thing the same way. To do this, I spent a TON of time strategizing how to create serial schedules of things to focus on, and then move on from. I strategize every evening, every morning, and at the end of the weekend. And then when I’m ready to chill and restore—game nights, karaoke nights, and workouts!
Warrior Lighting Round
Do you have a morning routine? If so, what is it?
My new morning routine is GET UP AT 7am (Leanne a year ago would fall off her chair reading this, a perennial late riser!) and run for an hour, while listening to a podcast through the streets of Portland. Then, I make a soy maple latte and journal for an hour with little miss Audrey, my rescue, next to me.
This is how I get the movement I need first—by moving my energy through my body, and my feelings out of my brain and onto my laptop. By 9am, I’m ready to get shit done! I am pumped and clear-minded. I don’t have things lingering in my brain and heart that need addressing (and had previously held me hostage until I addressed them). Now, I just sit with them first.
Some favorite podcasts?
The Gathering Room Podcast - Martha Beck
The Greg McKeown Podcast (author of Essentialism)
A Slight Change of Plans - Maya Shankar
One song you currently listen to on repeat?
Easy by Misterwives. “It gets easier, but it’s not easy”.
Favorite vegan restaurant in NYC? What do you recommend as a must-order dish?
Soda Club by Overthrow Hospitality. Handmade vegan pasta + natural sodas. Gotta get EVERYTHING but the lunettes (moon shaped vegan ravioli) are my most favorite, and the date cake!
Favorite fashion designer?
I don’t have one?
Favorite book or film or podcast?
Anything by Thich Nhat Hahn, Pema Chodron, or Martha Beck. Essentialism by Greg McKeown.
Favorite quote of all time?
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anaïs Nin
Most useful app?
CANVA!
Your go-to for having a good laugh?
Game night. Or a call with my friend, Elizabeth.
(Last one for the road) I would never leave the house without…
COMFY SHOES! Always, always.
Leanne sparkles at the Bing Mi Food Cart in Portland—who has created vegan JianBing AKA “Chinese Crunchwraps” (available Mondays!)—wearing her cozy “Adopt or Else” sleep dress and the comfy yet stylish Hedy Ankle Boot in Diamond Dust.
Discover more about Leanne and her original creations at www.humanswelove.com. Follow her on social @leannemaily.
Photos by Gary King.
