Vegan for the Animals
Haku from the Aloha Animal Sanctuary on O’ahu (my home)
January is Veganuary! I was inspired by the Animal Rights Collective in Portland to share my vegan story so here goes…
My journey to veganism started about 18 years ago. Raised in a family of artists and animal lovers, it became clear to me early on that it is possible to embrace a lifestyle that honors and respects all living beings without sacrificing anything at all with nutrition, apparel, cosmetics, and your overall lifestyle in general. It’s been proven that we don’t have to murder animals and harm the planet to not only sustain our human needs but to joyfully thrive in our human experience alongside our animal friends.
One day I looked into the eyes of my beloved dog, Marley, and I realized that we were both divine beings on this planet and his soul was no different than mine, a cow, a chicken, a pig, or a rabbit. We are all the same. After a very short layover in vegetarian land, and a detour to “ no food with a face” village, I moved my heart, soul, and closet over to vegan town and it has been a beautiful adventure ever since.
Bob Marley, Mar Mar Man, D’Mar, King Marley
My early professional roots are in fashion, beauty, and modeling both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The artistry of the creative process continues to fascinate me and I will always have the utmost respect and adoration for these artistic fields. It has truly been an honor to work with retailers, designers, stylists, models, hair and makeup artists, and photographers that radiate such beautiful creativity while collaborating on a project together. There is something magical that happens at a photo shoot or a fashion show when color, line, shape, music, and lighting merge together with the collective creative vision to produce a truly original piece of art.
Something happened along the way. There were times when a stylist would be so excited about a fur coat made from the skin of a murdered mink, when a photographer wanted to focus on leather “goods” made from the skin of cows, and when designers accessorized their looks with snake skinned belts and it just became too much to bear. Something snapped in me. Once I made the realization that these were not simply “fabrics” or “accessories” to work with but they were actually the skins of living breathing beings, just like me, just like the dogs and cats I had in my life, it made me sick and I needed to make a change immediately.
I’d like to say that I was able to make an immediate transition overnight but that wouldn’t be truthful or realistic. Not eating animals was and is easy for me. People often ask, “Well, what do you eat?” My answer is always FOOD! I eat food! Yummy, nutritious, murder free food that didn’t have parents and that didn’t scream when they were murdered for their flesh. Animals are sentient beings. Not food. (And yes, I get more than enough protein, B12, and iron.)
A beautiful community rally with O’ahu Animal Rebellion activists
Creating a vegan closet was different.
Being in fashion as a model as well as a coordinator behind the scenes came with so many wonderful perks, one of which was free clothes. A lot of free clothes and some, yes, made from animal skins. I really don’t believe there is a right or wrong way to go about creating a murder free closet once you have your spontaneous realization and I completely understand the impulse to grab anything made from an animal and immediately throw it away and get it out of your sight forever. However, there is an argument to be made about what the most sustainable option would be here which wouldn’t be to discard the items. Ugh. I know that’s tough but the reality is, it’s already here in your possession. Some would say that keeping your leather shoes forever and wearing them to the bitter end, repairing the heels, and continuing to love every scuff mark is the more ecofriendly option for the planet and vowing to never buy any “new” animal skin again. You could also donate the items but not all donated items get repurchased and often end up in a landfill so there is that to consider. Again, ugh. I believe in listening to your heart, giving yourself some grace, and doing what is best for you.
After I made the conscious decision to change my personal and professional relationship with fashion my entire world changed forever. I not only needed to know what my clothes were made of, but I had to know where they were made and who made them? Were they treated fairly? This led me to discover more about fair trade fashion and business practices. Then I wanted to know what exactly was in my cosmetics, what these strange ingredient names were, why on earth would my lipstick not be vegan, and why bunnies were killed after mascara testing!
A new rabbit hole was discovered and I had to know more, educate myself, and vow to never stop asking questions, researching, and sharing my findings. This journey is now woven into the fabric of my being. It is a great passion of mine and my goal isn’t to convert everyone I meet but to genuinely spread the message of connecting your values to your purchases, the brands you support, and your lifestyle choices. I’ve since chosen to create opportunities to work with sustainable, vegan, and fair trade designers and other artists in this space that are equally passionate about creating much needed change to protect animals and make the world a kinder and more loving place. I will always be vegan for the animals and vegan for the planet but also vegan for my soul. I personally don’t want death and the surrounding energy of suffering and pain on my plate, in my closet, or in my cosmetic bag.
Niklaus, King Klaus, Mon Petit Chou Chou, Bunny Boss
I regularly offer a virtual workshop on Vegan & Cruelty Free Fashion and Beauty which dives into much more detail with specific industry terminology and brands that I personally love that also share a vision of a world free of animal exploitation.
You can visit my Offerings page to catch the next scheduled date. I love sharing my discoveries with fellow animal lovers and vegan curious folks!
This journey looks different for everyone and progress isn’t linear. Be kind to yourself and kind to others as you navigate this space with an open mind and an open heart.
Discover more at ARCPDX
Ziggy Mama, Ami Shaker, Rasta Princess, Supermodel