BRIGHT Issue Six

CHILL TIME: HANNAH PIXIE SNOWDON // THE VEGAN SNEAKER SPECIAL // BERLIN: THE INSIDER’S GUIDE // WHY HERO WORSHIP HAS GOT TO GO

BRIGHT ETHICAL LIFESTYLE. CULTURE & COMMUNITY.

ISSUE SIX

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@BRIGHTZINE

@BRIGHTZINES

@BRIGHTZINES

B R I G HT Z I N E .C O Bright Zine is a quarterly magazine produced in London, UK. Copyright © Bright Zine Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted or distributed in any form without the prior written consent of Bright Zine Ltd. The views and opinions expressed throughout are the responsibility of the individual contributors.

Vegan Queen® is a registered trade mark.

BRIGHT ETHICAL LIFESTYLE. CULTURE & COMMUNITY.

ISSUE SIX

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IN THIS ISSUE PAGE 10 INSIDE THE FIRST EVER PLANT BASED BUSINESS BOOTCAMP PAGE 11 THREE VEGAN BUSINESSES WIN VEGAN ‘DRAGON’S DEN’ PAGE 12 PLANTFACED WITH EM-J PAGE 15 ANASTASIA TASOU: THIS OR THAT PAGE 16 BERLIN: THE INSIDER’S GUIDE PAGE 23 BERLIN: DETAILS PAGE 32 VEGAN LEATHER: CHANGING THE FUTURE OF FASHION PAGE 34 THE AIR VEGAN... SAY WHAT? PAGE 40 #SUPPORTVEGANBUSINESS TRAINER BRANDS PAGE 42 SPOT THE BANANA PAGE 44 BEING SAFE AND FEMALE PAGE 49 INSTA HEROES PAGE 50 CHILL TIME: HANNAH PIXIE SNOWDON PAGE 62 VEGAN QUEEN MAKES DINNER PAGE 64 A YEAR FULL OF VEGAN NIGHTS PAGE 66 ANASTASIA TASOU: A LOVE LETTER TO MYSELF PAGE 70 CAN WE ALL JUST STOP WITH THE HERO WORSHIP? PAGE 72 FROM TRASH TO TREASURES: SERIOUSLY COOL UPCYCLED FINDS PAGE 4

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72 16

50 66

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C O NT R I B UTO RS Editorial Vevolution ™vevolution_ Jason Spoor | White Fox Studios Em-J Williams ™emj_mua Anastasia Tasou ™anastasia.tasou Chelsea Harrop ™boxsetsandbooks Daniel Navetta ™theAIRVEGAN Sareta Puri ™saretapuri Lauren Marina ™laurenmarina Roxane Dewar ™roxane_dewar Emma Oldham ™plant_powered_emma

Special thanks Hannah Pixie Snowdon ™hannahpixiesnow Tamsin Callan ™tamsinrose Joel Callan ™jpg.vid

On the cover Model: Hannah Pixie Snowdon Photography: Laura Callan Assisted by: Tamsin Callan Make-up and Styling: Hannah’s own

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LET TER FROM THE EDITOR Hello and welcome to BRIGHT Issue Six.

Releasing Issue Six marks our second birthday, and what a wild two years it’s been. We wouldn’t have gotten here without the support of the amazing vegan community, not just in London or the UK, but the vegan community worldwide.

Talking worldwide, I’m super excited to bring you NY’s own The AIR VEGAN, who is taking on the big name sneaker brands over their unnecessary use of animal products and lack of clear material labelling. Check it out on page 34, with a bumper special on vegan trainer brands #supportveganbusiness.

I could not be happier to have Hannah Pixie Snowdon grace our Issue Six cover. Experimenting and creating this shoot together was so much fun, and choosing just a handful of photos was the most difficult edit I’ve ever done.

Hannah is truly a bright, inspiring and creative force to be reckoned with. I hope you enjoy her inter view and photoshoot as much as we did.

I hope you enjoy Issue Six. Thank you to all our collaborators and contributors for helping make BRIGHT what it is, and of course to all our readers, subscribers and ever yone that has suppor ted us over the last two years.

See you in Issue Seven.

Laura Callan Editor

™ lauralollipop .

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B R I G HT

INSIDE THE UK’S FIRST EVER PLANT BASED B U S I N E S S B O OT C A M P Photos by Jason Spoor | White Fox Studios

In July, we at BRIGHT partnered with events and education company Vevolution to put on the UK’s first ever Plant Based Business Bootcamp; a day of talks, workshops and intensive training for early stage vegan businesses, start ups and entrepreneurs.

We were joined at the LUSH Studios in London by vegan entrepreneurs who flew in from across Europe and as far as Los Angeles and Guatemala.

Throughout the day-long sold out event attendees learnt about finance, investment, social media networking, marketing and self care for entrepreneurs. We heard inspiring entrepreneur stories from

keynote speakers including Planet Organic

founder Renée Elliot and Emma Sinclair MBE, founder of EnterpriseAlumni.

The feedback from the event has been incredible, showing the need for suppor t, training and most impor tantly community in the plant-based business world. The chance for entrepreneurs and creatives to come together and share their

experience,

insight, knowledge and to find oppor tunities to work together and collaborate.

If you didn’t get to join us for the day but would love to get involved, you can join Vevolution’s Plant Based Business group on Mobilize, a free space to connect with other likeminded entrepreneurs and business people.

For more info on future events, including Vevolution Festival 2018, see vevolution.co ™vevolution_

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TH R E E VE G A N B U S I N E S S ES SEC U R E INV E STM ENT AT U K ’ S ON LY V E G A N ‘DR AG O N’S DE N’ Pitch & Plant, the veg an ‘Dr agon’s Den’

Paul

r eturned for a second event as par t of

Emma Sinclair MBE and Tom Smith from

the Plant Based Business Bootcam p.

Crowdcube.

Vevolution and BRIGHT par tnered with

Af ter

ethical investor s BRAN Investments and

pic ked three winner s; One Planet Pizza,

leading

Purezza and FRUU., who won the joint

eq uity

crowdfunding

platform

Crowdcube to provide vegan and plant-

Brown

tough

founder

of

BOL

deliberations,

Foods,

the

judges

prize of £100,000.

based star tups the oppor tunity to win up to £100,000 in investment and product

The

stoc king in Revital stores.

showcase some of the UK’s most exciting

seven

plant-based will

finalists

and

businesses, each

go

three and

on

to

winner s

the

three

The com petition received applications from

winner s

56 plant-based com panies, from which

crowdfunding cam paign with Crowdcube.

create

a

s even finalists were chosen. The finalists pitched to a pac ked live audience and a

Joe Hill of One Planet Pizza, who secured

panel of entrepreneurial judges made up

£25,000 in investment, said, “ The future

of Ashish Goyal of BRAN Investments,

feels bright for ethical, vegan com panies.”

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PLANTFACED With Em-J

Keeping your skincare and beauty routines vegan and free from animal testing companies can seem like a daunting task, so we’ve got pro vegan make up artist and YouTube queen Em-J Williams here to keep you in the know with the best vegan products.

In this issue, Em-J brings you this season’s top five cruelty-free, all-vegan beauty and skincare products.

™emj_mua

1

S O M ET H I N G ELS E I cannot shout about this brand enough. Zao are cruelty free, all vegan apart from their lip balms and free from all toxic ingredients. Packed full of 100% natural ingredients such as shea butter, ginkgo biloba leaf extracts and even remineralised bamboo stem powder which is great for skin elasticity. The most magical thing? The packaging is made from bamboo and most items are refillable. The pigments show that make-up can be all of the above and perform just as well. The Zao Shine up powder highlighter is a dream.

Shine Up Powder Highlighter, Zao £23.50

™zaomakeup

C O F F E E FA C E Not only is this brand cruelty free, vegan, natural and handmade in England, they also use ingredients that would otherwise be discarded, giving them major sustainable points too! Mostly known for their fabulous coffee scrubs, Optiat collect used coffee granules from coffee shops around London and turn them into scrubs. Genius! Coffee is naturally high in antioxidants and known to help to increase blood flow, use it to exfoliate your skin to flawlessness.

Optiat Coffee Scrub £9.99

™optiat PAGE 12

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TA N TA L I S I N G S K I N Summer might be coming to an end, but we don’t have to wave goodbye to our sun-kissed skin. Skip the sun and hit the bottle! There are tons of fake tans on the market it can be quite overwhelming, not to mention trying to work out if they are both cruelty free and animal free too! No matter how many there are, I can’t seem to find one to top Bondi Sands. The colour seems to suit most skin tones and creates a rich exotic tan, not even slightly orange. It is long lasting and seems to wear away naturally without going patchy.

Bondi Sands £26.00

™bondisands

M O N EY W ELL S C EN T

4

There is no denying it, we all smell LUSH way before we see it. They really do have their scents nailed with all the bath and body potions. It doesn’t just stop there though, they have only gone and bottled their nostril tantalising magic in perfume form. The strong and sweet smells of the shop can be overpowering for some, so LUSH really has got every nose-taste covered with a vast variety of scents. Be aware there are one or two from the collection which are vegetarian and not vegan, always check the back of the bottle as they are clearly signed ‘vegan’.

LUSH Perfumes, from £15.00

™lush

V E GA N B R U S H E S Technology has come a long way when it comes to synthetic brushes and we can now use animal-free brushes and achieve just as great results buffing those eye lids! The emJ company collection is made from a new breed of synthetic hair which is specially designed to mimic the science of real hair, resulting in seamless application for both powder and liquid products. The brush hair is hypo-allergenic and antibacterial, the handle is

5

made from wood and each brush is designed to absorb minimal product resulting in less waste.

Not to mention ethically sourced and handmade in the North of England.

The emJ Company Brushes from £10

™emjcompany

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RECOMMENDATIONS ONLY

Written by Laura Callan™ lauralollipop

BERLIN: THE INSIDER’S GUIDE Berlin has a special place in most vegans’ hearts. Before the UK had its own surge in vegan-friendliness, Berlin was a haven, the vegan European capital with its own vegan supermarket, high quality restaurants, cafes and a widespread offering of vegan options.

Now that London’s had its own uprising of vegan businesses, we went back to Berlin to see how we’re holding our own against the original vegan mecca.

But we did things a little differently this time. We went to Berlin and didn’t open HappyCow once. We asked friends, local vegan Berliners and tastemakers for their personal favourite places for a recommendations-only tasting trip. We ate very well, and have put together a list of our absolute favourites. Some of them make flying to Berlin for dinner a totally legitimate option. So here it is, the insider’s premium guide to Berlin.

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FOOD

TOP PIC K:

+84 VEGAN KITCHEN We were told that we absolutely had to come here for the satay skewers and the hard tofu bowl, so we did just that. We actually ate here two days in a row, it was that good. Go here for the satay skewers (and anything else on the menu) and thank us later.

HabersaathstraĂ&#x;e 52 (rechts), 10115 Berlin

™ plus84.berlin

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MOMO’S Momo’s is a super cute veggie dumpling place in Mitte with a range of options and serving sizes that make it perfect for snacks or a meal. There are a lot of vegan options, and you can have them steamed or crunchy pan fried. Everything is organic and the ingredients are ecologically sustainable. Our fave was the Broccoli-ShiitakeTofu. If you like dumplings, do not miss this place.

Chausseestraße 2, 10115 Berlin

™momosberlin

1990 VEGAN LIVING We almost missed out on visiting this place and it would’ve been a travesty. Think tapas but with Vietnamese-inspired

food;

fresh,

flavourful

and

abundant. We ordered a bit (a lot) of everything to share, and were grateful for such fresh veggies and flavours. It’s inexpensive and you get a lot for your money, so go for a selection of veggie bowls, noodle dishes and mock-meats if that’s your thing. The watermelon shakes are great too.

Krossener Straße 19, 10245 Berlin

™1990veganliving

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LUCKY LEEK Lucky Leek is where you go for a more upmarket fine dining experience, the place has a Michelin Star. The fresh, modern menu is headed up by renowned chef and owner Josita Hartanto who cooks fine vegan cuisine including pear and chilli risotto with tandoori cabbage, vegetable consommé with potato and cress ravioli, and nori tempeh rolls. Higher on the price side, but what else would you expect from a Michelin starred restaurant?

Kollwitzstraße 54, 10405 Berlin

™luckyleek

KOPPS A more wide-ranging menu than our other picks, with ingredients sourced locally. They offer dinner service on weekday evenings and open for breakfasts and lunches on the weekend too, with a brunch buffet on Sundays. Think beautifully-plated, wholesome food with a cute cocktail bar feel.

Linienstrasse 94, 10115 Berlin

™koppsberlin

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SHOPPING & NIGHTLIFE A RE A:

ORANIENSTRASSE Oranienstraße (or Kreuzberg in general) is like the Shoreditch of Berlin. By day there

SHOP:

are plenty of independent stores to visit,

VOO STORE

graf fitti and street ar t to see and cof fee shops to stop in.

By night there is a busy

but relaxed nightlife, with restaurants, cute wine bar s, and coc ktail lounges. Chec k

We’ve loved this store for year s and it’s still

out Das Hotel for coc ktails in a cosy rustic

the best place for contem porar y fashion

venue, or gay bar Roses for furr y walls,

from big names alongside more boutiq ue,

neon flashing Virgin Mar y iconography and

independent

leopard skin textiles.

space of fer s diver se, well-curated fashion,

Head there at any time of day, wander

footwear, sneaker s, books, magazines and

around and see what peaks your interest.

ar t, and houses Com panion Cof fee, its own

designer s.

in-house café.

Oranienstraße 24, 10999 Berlin

™voostore

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The

concept

ARE A:

KOPERNIKUSTRASSE, FRIEDRICHSCHEIN This whole area is full of cute boutiques, independent clothing stores covering a range of clothing tastes.

There’s thrift stores and a few shops stocking ethical and organic clothing, homeware and other bits and bobs. 1990 Vegan Living and a couple of vegan ice cream shops are in the neighbourhood too.

SWEETS BRAMMIBAL’S DONUTS If you’re thinking of vegan places to check out in Berlin, you’ve likely already got Brammibal’s on the list. This allvegan doughnut shop has two locations in Berlin, and offers at least 15 doughnut flavours each day as well as coffee, teas, filled bagels and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Maybachufer 8, 12047, Berlin & Danziger Straße 65, 10435, Berlin

™brammibalsdonuts

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SWEETS TOP PIC K:

MANSFIELD PARK Angelina and Gabrielle are a big fucking deal.

They don’t have a shop, but they make the best baked goods and sweets we’ve ever tasted for pick up, delivery and catering. Believe me, we’ve eaten a lot of baked goods, but this is on another level of taste and texture. Their cinnamon rolls and raspberry buns are light and more than fulfilling, and their Chocolate and Mango Mousse Cake was a dream. They even do a vegan version of the German classic Donauwelle.

Quality is important to them, so all the chocolate and the vanilla they use are organic and fairtrade, as is their cinnamon.

If you go to Berlin, call them. Order anything and enjoy. Don’t be surprised if you see me flying to Berlin to pick up a box of cinnamon rolls in the near future. mansfieldpark.de

™mansfield__park

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BERLIN D E T A I L S

>

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M E D I A P A R T N E R B R I G HT

#ANYONECANBEAVEGANQUEEN BRIGHTZINE.CO

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V E G A N L E AT H E R : CHANGING THE FUTURE OF FASHION Written by Chelsea Harrop™boxsetsandbooks

Around 80 billion pieces of clothing are

There must be a fundamental change in how

produced in the world every year. Clothing

clothes are made, used, cared for and eventually

production is the 4th largest pressure on the

disposed of. Our throwaway culture and demand

earth’s resources after housing, transport and

for cheap clothing are pushing the planet to

food. Some materials are more problematic

its limit. So what’s the solution? Are vegan,

than others. Cotton is highly water-intensive,

sustainable and biodegradable fabrics the future

even when it’s farmed organically. Leather

of fashion?

tanning is no friend to the environment and is responsible for huge amounts of chemical pollution, not to mention the damage to the

BANANAS

health of people working in its production.

The natural world is truly amazing and gives us so much in unexpected ways. Who would’ve

The fashion industry is complex. Each stage

thought that fruit fibres can actually be used

of the process has its own environmental

as great alternatives to animal-derived leather?

impact, from growing fibres to transporting the

Banana fibre is strong and supple and can be

finished garments. But our clothes still affect

produced to various thicknesses. It’s used for

the environment after we’ve bought them.

items like ropes, mats and paper as well as

When petroleum-based fibres like polyester are

wallets, bags and clothes.

washed, microfibres make their way into oceans,

Banana fibre is made from the stem of the

increasing plastic pollution and wreaking havoc

banana tree, which would otherwise be burned

upon aquatic life. Textile waste in landfills is

or left to rot (both of which are harmful to the

also a cause for concern. Research from WRAP

planet). Putting a natural by-product to good use

shows that in 2016, 300,000 tonnes of clothing

also creates a circular economy and provides

were thrown away in the UK.

farmers with an additional source of income.

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T H E V E G A N L E AT H E R I N D U S T R Y IS SET TO REACH £66.7 BILLION G L O B A L LY B Y 2 0 2 5 - GRAND VIEW RESEARCH 2018

MUSHROOM

PINEAPPLE to

Yes, you did read that correctly. MuSkin is a

footwear, pineapple leather (or Piñatex) is a

vegetable leather made from mushrooms and

versatile material. Crafted from the leaves of

it’s perfect for shoes, purses, bags and hats.

the pineapple plant, Piñatex is breathable and

Mushroom fabric is soft and breathable with a

flexible yet strong and long-lasting.

smooth, suede-like finish. One of the best things

The leaves are by-products of the pineapple

about this material is that the production process

harvest, so manufacturing Piñatex doesn’t

doesn’t require toxic substances.

Used

for

everything

from

furnishings

require extra land, fertilisers or pesticides. The substantial water, greenhouse gas and chemical

Although the vegan leather industry is set to

footprints

reach $85 billion (£66.7 billion) by 2025, we’re

associated

with

animal

leather

still a long way from mushroom shoes being the

production can be avoided too.

norm. Brands have an important role to play in making fashion sustainable and affordable

CORK

at the same time, which isn’t going to happen

Cork is another fitting material for eco-friendly

overnight. So what can we do? We can be early

fashion. As it’s water-resistant, lightweight

adopters of these new trends, materials and

and hard-wearing, cork is ideal for everyday

products and support the businesses innovating

garments like shoes, bags and purses.

in this space. And most importantly we can do

You may not think it can look fashionable due to

our bit to reduce the damage we cause through

its distinct appearance, but you’d be surprised.

our daily choices. We can start by resisting the

The likes of Chanel, Gucci, Prada and Calvin

urge to splash out on clothes every time payday

Klein have launched products made from cork. If

comes around, buying on places like Depop,

they can make it look stylish, anyone can.

upcycling and using our clothes for longer.

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THE AIR VEGAN …SAY WHAT?

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WELCOME TO THE NEW GENERATION OF SNEAKER HEADS

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Quick intro, I’m a native New Yorker (Ayyyye I’m

Long before it was called “sneaker culture”, I

walkin’ here), I grew up on Boar’s Head cold cuts

witnessed true design brilliance as sneakers

and an agreement with my parents to navigate

evolved before our eyes, and if you ask me,

the streets and subways of Queens, NY on my

Nike was easily the best at everything. So as

own as long as I did not get arrested. Beyond

the wave of retros peaked in the last few years,

that, everything else was pretty much fair game.

new silhouettes have again become a priority.

So with my childhood set firmly against a fast-

With this wave, some incredible feats of design

paced urban backdrop, I grew up around people

have again piqued my interest. Specifically

who flexed their standing in the community with

those that use all cruelty-free materials in

the sneakers they rocked. It was also the golden

their construction (the original Zoom Fly Sp,

age of the sneaker commercial and a guy named

the original Air Max 270 colorways, the Air

Michael “AIR” Jordan was our version of the

max 1 ultraflyknit 2.0 re-design). Amidst the

“King”. This wave of consumerism encouraged

exploration,

me to express myself through my sneakers, and

whether consciously or sub-consciously, that

I’ve come to terms with that. So while rap music

they can make incredible, durable, and stylish

played out of every passing car, and basketball

sneakers without harming animals and blindly

kept me out of any noteworthy trouble, I found

prioritizing fashion over sustainability. This is

my footwear addicted identity. Sneakers were

a good thing. We should celebrate those pairs

an essential part of the equation, and 30 years

as an example of what’s possible and what we

later, they still are.

want to see more of… And so I set forth, into

sneaker

brands

have

proven,

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the deep vortex of instagram to build a new

supporter of the Air Vegan account, Nike Air

resource for all of us- A curated crop of kicks,

Max 270 designer Dylan Raasch, I was able

through the lens of a sneaker junkie, all with the

to get an honest (disappointing) answer about

AIR VEGAN stamp of approval.

some elements of construction. You can read all about it on the AIR VEGAN instagram feed.

As with everything worth pursuing, the project

The hunt did however, shine a clear light on the

comes with it’s challenges. My disclaimer is

issues that need swift improvement.

this, I’m not dealing with the glue issue, I’m a materials fiend, and that’s where my research

The time has come for sneaker brands to

is focused. By day, I am a filmmaker and

provide a full list of materials on their website,

commercial director, so I make time outside of

and more importantly, on the box. This would

my professional obligations to build this platform.

be a simple addition that should be required,

Each post takes between one or two hours of

like nutrition facts, so we all know what we’re

research because one key area in which the

voting for with our purchase. Go ahead, slap it

sneaker community is failing miserably (while

right next to the size info that’s on every box

profits go through the roof), is transparency

and we’ll all be able to fact check for ourselves,

and clarity when it comes to materials. It’s so

a simple no-cost appendage. The other issue

bad, that conflicting information has recently

that I’m obsessed with is the unnecessary

sent me on a two week journey to get answers

use of leather materials when substitutes can

on the early favorite for “Sneaker of the Year”,

easily be integrated. Some of the most popular

the React Element 87’s. Thanks to an early

models from Nike in 2017 and 2018 are designs

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that have small, insignificant components that

and supporting the shoes that prove what is

could’ve easily been synthetic, or replaced with

possible and acceptable to those of us who

a cruelty-free material. Quick examples are the

prioritize the materials. Adidas recently took

leather pull tab on the tongue and the heel of the

a step in the right direction by announcing

new Lebron’s (the rest of the shoe is battle knit-

that they will use only recycled plastics in the

a stronger version of Nike’s innovative flyknit

sneakers by 2024. Nike has helped develop

material), the use of leather in the upper on the

alternative materials, like microsuede in an

Kyrie Irving’s (he’s a plant based diet advocate,

effort to limit the use of real leather products.

go figure), and the React Element 87’s- where

For now, my commitment to finding those rare

Nike used leather only on the eyelets around

instances in which a sneaker is vegan friendly

the laces, while the rest of the shoe is a brilliant,

will continue. I’ve been eating vegan for almost

translucent beacon of innovation. And, If I

five years, and my journey is one that I want to

wanted to make myself crazy, I’d think about the

be inclusive and welcoming to others.

hundreds of millions of Air Jordans that have been sold, in which almost all of the 32 existing

There is room for everyone to find what works

signature models, use leather…UGH.

for them… and if you’re looking for a dope pair of kicks along the way, hit me up for personal

My approach opens up a debate of whether

advice and research, or just follow me on my

I should support a brand like Nike, or any

journey.

other brand that an OG sneaker head claims allegiance to, I’m well aware of the arguments.

The AIR VEGAN

However, there are improvements being made,

™TheAIRVEGAN

and the development of new materials to take the place of leather is in motion. We have to

aka Daniel Navetta,

keep pushing our material-conscious agenda,

Filmmaker. Director. Creative.

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WHAT ABOUT GLUE? Many glues are still made with animal products, so we reached out to some of the main sneaker brands to find out what they use.

NIKE A member of Nike’s customer ser vice team told us: “All the adhesives/glue used in our footwear are synthetic and non-animal based.”

ADIDAS & REEBOK A member of the adidas Product Team at adidas told us: “We are not using any animal-based glue in our footwear products. It’s all synthetic based glue.”

Reebok are par t of the adidas group and confirmed that they use the same materials.

NEW BALANCE New Balance’s website states: “Some of our glues will contain animal products as many glues do. Although the shoe may be made of synthetic leather it does not mean it will be completely vegan.”

VANS A member of the VANS customer ser vice team told us: “The glue that is used with all VANS products is water based and strictly not containing any animal related products.

In addition, almost every model of shoe or jacket in our collection that does not contain leather is vegan.”

™ TheAIRVEGAN PAGE 39

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#SUPPORTVEGANBUSINESS

TRAINER BRANDS

BOURGEOIS BOHEME

WILL’S VEGAN SHOES

Bourgeois Boheme is an independent

One of the first names you might think of

vegan-run company based in London,

when it comes to vegan shoes is Will. Will’s

founded by podiatrist Alicia Lai. They

Vegan Shoes have been going since 2012

specialise in innovative, eco-friendly

and are Vegan Society certified. Their vegan

materials including Pinatex, EcoStone

leather is eco friendly and they have strict

and Cork. The brand of fer both mens

ethical policies to boot. We’re obsessed

and womens shoes and trainers which

with the New Yorks in white and the Paris in

are made ethically in Por tugal with the

black (they’re not all named after cities, but

Vegan Society trademark.

the ones that are, are beaut).

We love the Casey, which comes in

Will’s Vegan Shoes are based in London

both black and silver.

and make a range of sneakers, casual and smar t shoes, and offer bags, wallets and accessories too.

bboheme.com

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wills-vegan-shoes.com

™ willsveganshoes

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OTHER VEGAN BRANDS NAE nae-vegan.com

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BRANDS WITH CERTIFIED FULLY VEGAN TRAINERS VEJA

N AT I V E S H O E S

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a range of shoes and sneakers that

Ve j a

are ethical and “100% Beast Free”

trainers

approved-vegan.

m a d e w i t h ve g a n s u e d e a n d m e s h a

The

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lightweight AP Mercur y Liteknit made

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™p o _ z u

SPOT THE BANANA

#SPOTTHEBANANA

BEING SAFE AND FEMALE Written by Sareta Puri ™saretapuri Illustrations by Lauren Marina ™laurenmarina

When I was young, I used to walk home

life and now, minutes from my doorstep, some

across the Meadows - a large open park - in

sex pest had made me realise that I was not

Edinburgh in the middle of the night without

invincible.

a care in the world. There had been many This is one story. I could tell you many more.

stories of women being attacked on the same route but youth and alcohol meant I thought

All women I know have faced some level of

that I was invincible.

harassment. Be it in the street, at work, in a bar One night I had the final ten minutes to walk down

or club so it shouldn’t be surprising that most of

the main road I lived on. Out of the corner of my

us live in a regular state of fear. Fear that today

eye a man jogged across the road from behind

or tonight will be the day that something takes

me to start walking in front of me. I saw him look

a turn for the worse. That those local stories

back at least once and noticed his arm moving

become your reality.

vigorously. I kept my distance and eventually thought he’d gone round a corner. But I wasn’t

Every year 400,000 women in the UK are

sure so I got my keys ready (partly to open my

sexually assaulted and 80,000 women are raped

front door, partly as a weapon) and sped up. As

(Against Violence and Abuse 2016). These

I walked past the pizza takeaway on the corner

aren’t urban myths - these are real stories of real

before my flat he was in the doorway with his

women and sadly some of us are waiting until we

trousers down, dick in hand (the vigorous hand

are yet another statistic.

movements all made sense now) and he yelled something like ‘come and have a go on this.’ I got

Nowadays if it is remotely dark I am constantly

the final block to my flat and slammed the door

checking around me. Assessing who is there,

behind me without him coming near me. I don’t

preparing my keys between my knuckles as a

even know if he moved from his spot. But that

weapon and making sure I have my ‘good side’

didn’t matter. I’d lived on that street my whole

free to fight off any would be attackers.

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Over the past six to twelve months I’ve had an even more heightened sense of fear. I can’t walk home in the dark solo without my heart racing. Perhaps getting older has made me more cautious. Or coming home sober has made me more aware. The constant fear that some form of attack is inevitable one day - so it’ll probably be today.

A couple of months ago I started self-defence

We are also told that we can mitigate assaults

classes to empower myself and feel safer.

or harassment. Don’t dress provocatively. Keep

Instantly I felt stronger and more capable of

covered. Don’t run in parks in the dark. Don’t use

defending myself. Sparring with men in class

your phone walking down the street. Don’t sit at

has made potential situations seem ever more

the back of the bus solo. All of this suggests that

frightening but that makes me want to fight even

there are things that we can do to could stop an

harder and get even stronger.

attack.

However women shouldn’t have to know how to

I am lucky to live in the UK. If I lived with my

defend themselves. Women should be able to live

relatives in rural India I wouldn’t be able to go out

without fear of being attacked. Women shouldn’t

after dark. I wouldn’t just be scared of strangers,

have to calculate the risks of a particular journey

I would be frightened of men in my village. Maybe

home. Women shouldn’t have to make decisions

even in my family. And that’s rural India. I’m sure

based on potential harm.

most people are familiar with the horrific tales of

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sexual harassment, rape and murder that happen

Don’t be offended by a woman moving away from

in the cosmopolitan cities of Mumbai and Delhi.

you on the bus, the tube or crossing the road as you approach. Don’t be an absolute douche like the

As young women we’re scared with stories of

man earlier this year who accused a woman who

abduction, murder and rape from a young age.

ran away from him in an alleyway of racism because

Friends and I would share stories of ‘dirty old

he is black. Any woman would run from any man if

men’ we’d encountered and big sisters would retell

he started chasing her, yelling and growling.

incidents of being groped on a night out or even on the bus. My dad used to teach me self-defence

Call out other men. If you witness or know men

moves and even made us carry round chilli powder

that find it acceptable to harass women - from

to throw in any would-be attackers’ eyes.

catcalling in the street or talking disrespectfully down the pub or in the office - stand up to them.

This fear exists because incidents do happen.

Understand why this behaviour is not okay or appropriate. If every man that witnessed or

Trying to explain living in constant fear to men can

heard something inappropriate said something

be difficult. They see it as an attack on their gender.

then such behaviour would be less normalised.

As if you are saying that all men are out to get you. Or they think that women are hypersensitive

Women also need to challenge this behaviour.

and that the likelihood of us being attacked is slim.

There’s been many a time when I’ve let a comment

Coming from any place of privilege means that

or action slip - towards myself or other women

seeing the world through a different lens is difficult.

because I’ve been too afraid to say anything - and

But not impossible. Consider how many times you

doing that normalises such behaviour.

or any other man has felt unsafe travelling home or just being out and about. Probably not many,

As a society we need more education around

particularly compared to pretty much every woman

sexual awareness and conduct. Understanding

you have ever known.

consent,

boundaries,

inappropriate

behaviour

appropriate

and

can

that

ensure

So what can men do? Firstly, acknowledge that

harassment and violence against women are

this fear does exist. If a woman says she lives

not the norm. If we can do this then perhaps we

with fear in her life, accept that. We know that not

can create a future that doesn’t have a #MeToo

all men are would-be attackers but that doesn’t

generation.

mean the fear isn’t real. Ask a room split with men and women who has been harassed and there will be a notable difference. Maybe a few hands from

FURTHER READING

men. Almost all from women. Harassment comes in many forms - from inappropriate language to being sexually assaulted. It can be difficult oto

Metro (April 2018) www.metro.co.uk/2018/04/04/

understand something you haven’t experienced

black-man-chases-terrified-asian-woman-alley-

but please believe us when we say that this is real.

prove-black-people-not-threat-7440435

Then it is important to do what you can to make

The Guilty Feminist (April 2018), Episode 96: Safety

women feel less threatened.

www.guiltyfeminist.libsyn.com/96-safety-with-susieyoussef-and-elaine

If a woman is walking in front of you slow down or don’t come up right behind her. If you need to pass

100 Women I Know campaign

her take a wide berth. Cross the road if you can.

www.100womeniknow.com

Don’t cross the road into an oncoming female.

PAGE 46

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INSTA HEROES

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CHILL TIME

HANNAH PIXIE SNOWDON PAGE 50

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Interview and photos by Laura Callan ™lauralollipop

We spent a magical afternoon with artist, creative and tattooing extraordinaire Hannah Pixie Snowdon talking, laughing and creating the most fun, natural and beautiful photoshoot we’ve worked on.

Hannah is bright, passionate, insightful and wise for her 25 years. She’s travelled the world not just tattooing, but exploring, learning, and helping charities and those less fortunate than her. We spoke in depth with this inspiring young woman about life, the universe, art, tattooing and living with intention. Enjoy.

YOU’RE AN INCREDIBLE ARTIST, HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN ARTISTIC?

DO YOU THINK THAT INSPIRED YOUR WANDERLUST AND CREATIVITY?

Super, I was super creative as a kid. My mum was

I think so, the wanderlust a little bit and also just

really good at encouraging that. She was a single

the doodling, it wasn’t always just drawing, but it

mum so she wanted to prove to me that, we could

was always just expression. I think I’ve got quite an

do it you know? She’d always take me to the library

addictive personality to be honest, and I have this

and places, and me and her would just do shit, it

constant need to just express, to get it out, whatever

was our world. She worked pretty much full time in

it is. I used to write journals when I was younger,

the hospital, she’d just graft and then we’d just go

my mum didn’t make me but she encouraged me

away and go to Egypt and see the Pyramids, it was

to write like a journal and that was sick. I carried on

always really educational and we’d see like really

writing for a little while, then I kinda phased it out

interesting things.

when I was fifteen, started getting tattoos, started

I cannot be more grateful of that because I got to

going out and doing all that sort of stuff, lived that

absorb so much cool shit when I was younger,

life for a while.

instead of just sticking me in front of the TV, we

But, I always either wrote journals or took photos,

went out and did shit, it was so much fun. I think that

when I was fifteen I carried around a massive SLR

sparked a lot for me at a young age, particularly with

around my neck, just everywhere. I always took

travelling. We weren’t a travelling family or anything

photos at gigs and took photos of my mates, just to

like that, but any opportunity we could she’d pull me

document it. I have all those memories and would

out of school and my headmaster, oh my god he

scrapbook them down, I love shit like that.

was amazing and he just loved me and my mum, he’d just be like “No worries” because he knew that I was going to be educated when I went away, he knew what my mum was going to do. You can’t really do shit like that anymore, you can’t get away with it.

Mum didn’t like flying so we’d do coach trips around Europe. It was so good. We were with all these old people and they all loved me I was the star of the bus. I didn’t really like people my age cause they’d just talk shit and still do to for the most part.

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WHEN DID YOU FIRST START TO EXPLORE TATTOOING? I actually met the guy that taught me how to tattoo with my best friend when I was fifteen. They were all at university at the time and they were all like “Woah, who’s this little young scallion?” They loved me and I fucking loved them, they were amazing. I used to tell my mum I was staying at a friend’s house on a Friday night and went from

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR MOST AMAZING TATTOO EXPERIENCES?

school to fucking Bradford to their crazy big uni lads house and met, funnily enough, my boss. I was fifteen years old at a basement party with

The first big ones you ever do always stand out for

like 100 people and my boss hired me because I

you, like the first big back piece that I did. But funnily

was dancing on the speaker. He saw me and was

enough, one that really stood out to me was when

like, “You’re fucking hired.”

I was still working at the custom studio in my small

He knew that I drew, but he’d literally seen

hometown, I was almost nineteen and my friend

none of my work and at that point I could’ve

came to me wanting the flower of life tattooed, but

been so shit, but it was just the attitude alone,

I’d never heard of it. He was a really good mate,

the vibe, the fact that I didn’t give a fuck, the

he was like, “I want you to go home, I want you to

fact that I was fifteen and on that speaker just

smoke a joint, I want you to Google this shit and

like fuck it.

then I want you to draw it, properly. I want to find

It was a tiny studio in the middle of nowhere, a

out what it’s all about, I think you’ll be well into it

really scruffy street shop in a small town and it

and I also want you to acknowledge it before you

was just us, it was just fun, and it was before

put it on me.”

tattooing was really as much of a thing. Before

So I did and I was like whoa, and then that sparked

Instagram, before social media was a thing. I

off a lot more. You know when you start looking

was sixteen years old and I would just go there

into the universe and then it starts talking back,

after college and draw and these guys would just

that symbol started coming into my life loads, my

smoke bud and chill and tattoo sick shit! Then

life went on a crazy journey and now I listen to the

two years later, Piercer, the guy who taught me

universe. So that was the moment at which I think

how to tattoo, Tom and James, they just said

I started listening because I got shown that and

they were going to open their own studio. They

then I had a lot of synchronicity coming up, I started

saw that it was a small town, there were no

seeing this shit everywhere, I started seeing loads

custom studios there, it’s all walk-in. They said

of different things.

“if we do it, we’ll kill it!” So, they did it and killed

It was a little one, but it was the first flower of life

it! It’s been going on for ten years and it still

that I did, then I ended up doing twelve-fucking-

absolutely slays, people come from everywhere

thousand more after that.

to get tattooed there now and it’s just this weird

It was really interesting because it really brought

magical hub in my little small town and I love it, I

that symbol into my life, before my ex used it as well.

always go back, I love them.

I met him and he showed me it and I had tattooed it two days previous for the first time, I had never heard of it before that. He was like “I had just found this thing and it’s insane!” and I was like, “whoa, me too.” It was a good memory.

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B R I G HT

HOW MUCH ATTENTION DO YOU PAY TO THE UNIVERSE NOW?

your body with something you want to do it with a really positive intention, because you’re gonna look at that for a really long time. So, at that point,

I pay a lot attention, but I just don’t fucking listen

my relationship was breaking down, I didn’t know

a lot! I’m really good at giving advice and I know

what was going on, I was really confused with how

I’m an intellectual, not to sound too pig-headed, like

I was being treated and spoken to, I didn’t really

I’m not the most academic person in the world. But,

understand what was happening. So I just sat there

I know I’m an intellectual and I can often see and

on the flight and I tapped the window and I asked

listen and learn and hear everything and talk about

for whatever serves my highest. I was like “I want

it till the cows come home and give all of the advice,

to have a beautiful time, but I’m ready, I’m ready

but I don’t always fucking listen to it myself. I’m very

to accept whatever serves my highest. I landed.

guilty of that. I’m there throwing it shade, like, “give

Something happened, and I wasn’t expecting that

me a sign! No not that one…”

to happen. And then that’s why I tattooed “whatever

I was on a flight to New York recently and I decided

serves my highest” on my foot, I asked for it and I

to tattoo myself. I haven’t tattooed myself in a while,

got it. Every time I ask and I get these answers and I

it’s quite hard to do, it’s kind of distracting but I was

don’t fucking want them, I ignore them. But this time

really feeling the blood ritual at that point. If some

I couldn’t. Like, you literally sat there, you asked for

shit’s going down I need to set an intention, I need

it, you got your answer, there you go. Take it. Digest

to bring thought into physical. If you’re marking

it. Grow with it. Stop fighting it.

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WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF BODY POSITIVITY AS A HEAVILY TATTOOED WOMAN? I guess I can only speak from my point of view, but personally it’s helped me more than anything else in this world in terms of accepting myself for who I am. It sounds mad, but I could sit here right now and be completely naked in front of you and I would feel fine, like I’m so comfortable. I don’t feel the need to over-sexualise it, I don’t feel the need to fucking grind up on you and show you what my mother gave me, but I’m really comfortable to swim naked, anything like that, just to be. It’s taken a long long time to be like that and it’s actually been getting through a lot of layers.

When I was younger I had an eating disorder I would say, in terms of control. I didn’t have a healthy relationship with food, I didn’t eat well and I didn’t treat myself well. Because I was young I didn’t think about the love and the respect that I should’ve had for myself and I didn’t realise how much of a reflection what you put in your body is of how much you respect and love yourself.

It’s like the biggest sign of how you’re treating yourself, this is the fuel that I’m putting in my car, this is how I’m gonna run. It’s what’s going affect my mood, my energy levels, it affects everything and at that time I was young, I didn’t know, I didn’t think about it.

I was more bothered about aesthetics, about looking good. I don’t give a shit anymore, but I was in a relationship with someone who was actually, looking back now, severely body dysmorphic.

That actually is what really set me back a few years ago, I wore makeup every single day and developed cystic acne from stress, I’d always been too concerned about my appearance I would say.

I spent too much time and energy on it, I started to cry about the way I looked a lot more which I’d never done before, and the more I stressed, the more my skin got worse. I was just living in energy of basically no self-love. It’s so cliché, but if you can’t love yourself, you can’t love anybody else. So, if you’re with someone who is constantly really questioning themselves, for years, it starts to make you question yourself even more, especially

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if you’re already a bit self critical. I went west with

AND TATTOOS ARE SO PERSONAL TO WHOEVER’S BODY THEY’RE ON.

that, I changed things about myself, I physically had myself altered in a way that I would now never consider. I don’t regret anything looking back on it,

They’re such a personal thing. I’m at the point

but I was insulted by the person I loved the most

now where I’ve got a few things planned and

and so I went away and I had surgery and I changed

I’m so excited to reclaim certain areas and build

something about myself and I would never do that

on certain things. You have to hope people will

now. It’s crazy to think now, but in that moment, that

understand your journey and if they don’t well

person’s opinion mattered most to me and if they

it’s a good job it’s yours right?

didn’t find me attractive, then who the fuck was

It’s definitely helped me in terms of rewriting

gonna? Never again, never again.

what is soft and what is feminine and what is

Funnily enough, I used to be told by that same

beautiful. Because art is subjective, beauty is

person, “you’re gonna hate all of your tattoos

subjective, it’s really what you make it. I think

one day, you’re gonna fucking hate them and I’m

if you do feel if something is beautiful and you

so worried that you’re gonna regret everything,”

carry yourself with confidence that something

because he did. He’d put that insecurity on me.

is that beautiful, then you literally glow. I can

But I’m fine with myself now, I’m finally starting to

see anything walking down the street, whatever

feel comfortable in generally doing whatever the

it may be, and if it has that raw confidence

fuck I want to do with my body, whatever that may

and passion and you can tell it’s just honest

be, so please don’t put that on me. That was a

and whatever it is, if it’s just existing, it’s just

real red flag to be honest, towards the end of that

expressing and it’s just honest then that’s

relationship for me, where I was like coming into

fucking

myself, and that was a little a bit threatening.

beautiful than that.

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gorgeous.

There’s

nothing

more

YOU’RE VERY WELL TRAVELLED, WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR MOST AMAZING TRAVEL EXPERIENCES? At the moment I am most excited about Nepal.

I’ve been once for a month, and it was beautiful.

I’ve been helping out and fundraising for a charity called Raksha Nepal for a few years on and off. I earn a good living and enough to pay my way, so I never really needed to save, so anything that I did make, I’d try and help with. I know people think I have a lot of money, I do well but I don’t have crazy savings or do crazy shit with it, I’ve given it away – If I don’t need it, I give it away. Raksha Nepal are such a good organisation that I wanted to get behind, because they are grassroots, they are legit. I had a friend who’d gone there and she could vouch for them personally, they’re

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just beautiful women from an amazing part of the world and are doing something that is so incredible [helping sexually exploited girls, women and children] and they’ve been doing it for years!

And it’s just, hats off to them, you know?

I mean, everything is self-serving. At the end of the day, we are here for ourselves, everything is self-serving and it makes me feel so elevated and so lifted and so good to be around those women, those powerful women who are just changing the world for these kids, actually changing the world, it’s beautiful to see. We raised enough money to help them put a deposit down to build a new shelter after theirs fell down in the earthquake, and now they have this beautiful big building, it’s like an old hotel up in the mountains, a super secret location, and it’s really really beautiful, really really safe. I was able to go to Nepal, and do some fundraising on the way. I’m going to go again next year and

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have a proper worldwide tour, I’ll do a few guest

people got up and left the room, obviously they all

spots around the world, do a few flash days, raise

ate meat, but I made myself sit there and watch it, I

money for them and have them as the last stop on

thought “nah, you eat this, you sit there and watch

the tour, go there, do more painting for them and

it, you should know what happens” and then I didn’t

give them a big donation. That would be sick, I’m

meat for a while, I broke it a couple of times, I still

going again with six of my friends this October to

drank, I was still young, I still didn’t really respect

continue painting the shelter for them, so that’s

myself or my body. Until you genuinely respect

going to be beautiful. It’s just an amazing place,

yourself and your body, you’re not gonna respect

a beautiful place. I mean, everywhere has got so

anybody else or anybody else’s body and you sure

much charm in the world for so many different

as fuck not gonna respect the body of an animal

reasons, but the people there are something

that you don’t even know! If you don’t make that

special, the kids there, the little girls at that place,

connection, you’re not gonna make it yet, it’s fine,

they’re something really special.

no judgement, but that’s just the way it is, I’ve been there, when you feel it one day, it’s great and your world changes.

WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH VEGANISM?

When I was seventeen, my then-boyfriend was like a real vegan warrior before vegan warriors were around. Nobody was really vegan at that time, he was an OG, still is an OG. He got me onto it, he

It’s been six or seven years. I was vegetarian for a

really made me think and made me feel defensive of

while when I was younger, I first tried going veggie

my choices, and that’s what made me think, the fact

when I was young, like so many kids do because

that it pissed me off because he was right.

they fucking love animals. Kids are not stupid, they

I did the unhealthy vegan thing for the first two years

can put two and two together at some point. I had

eating all the vegan chocolate, ice-cream, cheese

this thing when I was little and I was obsessed at

and all the really crap vegan junk food, which was

finding out what was in shit and I was always like

great I think it’s actually a really good transition into

“Mum! What’s in a pea?” And she’d be like, “It’s a

it. You can still eat all the good shit that you want

pea, babe!” With meat I just couldn’t get it in my

to eat and not hurt anyone in the process and ain’t

head, so I said “Mum, what’s chicken made out

that better?

of?” My mum made a chicken noise and went, “You know, chicken,” and apparently, little four-year-old Hannah’s face just dropped. I couldn’t get it in my

AND YOU’RE WORKING ON YOUR OWN VEGAN COOKBOOK, TELL US MORE...

head. Why would you do that? You pervert! I was devastated. The one that you’re taught to pet and cuddle, and then you can eat it because... why exactly? It’s gonna give you cancer anyway because

I love cooking now, so I’m making a cookbook

it’s pumped full of hormones, so why again?

this year with my friend Maxim, he’s a genius. I

I made the connection then, and my Mum and Dad

want to make a book of really easy cheap stoner

actually asked our doctor if they could raise me

vegan recipes, where you can just throw shit in a

vegetarian, because it was when the big, mad cow

pan and it’s sick, like I make a really good vegan

thing came out and they said “no, no, no, no, no,

mac’n’cheese. These things aren’t expensive,

don’t raise her vegetarian.”

they aren’t fancy and they haven’t got a particular

I carried on eating meat and then in Food Tech in

theme, it’s just cheap, good, easy food. You can

fucking school, they made us watch a video of what

sit there, you can smoke a zoot, you can throw

happens in slaughterhouses, I remember watching

some shit in a pan and you can absolutely just blow

it, it wasn’t the whole thing, but it was a little part of

everyone away. I love doing that, it’s my favourite

it where it was showing the meat industry and the

thing to do, I love nurturing. I can admit that I won’t

dairy industry and I sat and watched it and loads of

really cook for myself as much when I’m home on

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my own, but if I have anyone there, if I have any excuse I’m like boom! “What do you want tonight?

What can I make? I can make Mexican, I can make mac’n’cheese, What do you fancy?” Again, I love to put love into creating anything. Whether it’s food, whether it’s art, you’re putting love into it and it feels good. You can cook someone a nice meal with a good intention, give them something that’s going to taste amazing and make them feel amazing.

SO WHAT IS NEXT IN THE WORLD OF HANNAH PIXIE? We’ve got some really limited edition 100%

My big plan now is to rent a beautiful airy space

hemp backpacks coming out. I’ve got some little

in Barcelona, a home resident studio that my

handmade fully embroidered tote bags, little wallets

customers – especially customers that have big

and bits and bobs. I’ll have some more prints and

continued work – can come and spend like a

some more stickers. I’m actually doing a really cool

day or two and get a couple of tattoos done.

collaboration at the moment with this company

I love to go into a tattoo studio a couple times

called Teemill for Raksha Nepal, they’re a company

a month, that energy with friends is beautiful

that is super ethical, super sustainable, super

thing to have. But when I tattoo I want it to be

traceable, and use organic cotton for everything

a ritual, I want to create an experience for that

and they will print a t-shirt as you order it, so you

person and I want it to be sick and I want them

get it super fast. They handle everything for me and

to walk away with a visual reminder of our sick

I know that they can meet a demand that I can’t.

conversations, whatever they are. So I think

When everything is handmade and magic-infused it

having a home residence will work that way for

is limited and not everyone gets one, they do sell out

me, and I’m lucky that I’ve got loyal customers

in two minutes which is sick. But, it’s nice that there

that I think would come, it’s cheap enough to fly

can be a way of me also putting something out there

there so I’m hoping that it’ll work out.

that can be constantly generating money for good causes, that’s not only for a select few people, it’ll

You can create the perfect temple for that person

be a little bit of magic for everyone.

to come in and have that experience within and that’s what I plan on doing, creating a temple

I’m doing an exhibition next year, but that’s still

and having enough real love and respect in that

in the early stages. I’m really hyped because I’ve

that it is sacred, really sacred.

never done one before, I want to do a physical live art piece, and have not just painting but a lot

™hannahpixiesnow

of different shit in it.

fromhannahpixiewithlove.com

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A YEAR FULL OF VEGAN NIGHTS

inaugural year, we caught up with the Vegan

THE SUCCESS OF THE FIRST VEGAN NIGHTS TOOK YOU BY SURPRISE, AND IT’S ONLY GOTTEN BIGGER SINCE. WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE?

Nights team to find out more about the

We expected the first event to be something low

community around the events, how the year

impact and that it would need space to grow.

has been and what’s next for Vegan Nights,

We didn’t expect the turn out... it was incredible

the team and future events.

and also totally panic inducing! We had to pull

In just a year, Vegan Nights has become a key monthly event in all London vegans’ calendars.

After

such

a

successful

staff and security working on other projects to

BEFORE THE FIRST EVENT, WHAT WAS THE DREAM FOR VEGAN NIGHTS?

help with all the queues on Brick Lane!

The dream was to provide more of an exclusive

to see the evolution of a project that has impact and

platform for the creative Vegan food enterprises

influence with a simple cause at its heart. It feels

that traded regularly in our weekend markets,

pioneering - being able to help steer the impact

and to provide fresh opportunity for newer and

and influence to create a new lifestyle space. At

emerging talent to take the stage. We also

the same time, it also feels heavy - carrying a

wanted to create something that was more than

responsibility to the cause, to all the participants

‘just a market’, so we challenged ourselves to

and all the people that attend. All this has also

make more of an experience by creating a party

catalysed new working relationships within the

vibe with select DJs to ultimately create a whole

different teams at The Old Truman Brewery, which

night out worth of experience.

is refreshing to see and be a part of.

It is so much hard work, but it is also really satisfying

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FOR ANYONE NOT LOCAL, WHAT IS THE LONDON VEGAN COMMUNITY LIKE? London is really a mecca for vegan food and products right now, major restaurant groups and chefs alike are focusing on making sure they have a great offering for people following a plant based lifestyle and the fact that there are so many is keeping the competition and the quality levels high, it’s a really exciting time.

In our opinion this has been kickstarted by a wave of incredible innovative pioneers in the scene like King Cookdaily. Also Temple of Seitan, Jake’s Vegan Steaks and Biff’s Jack Shack have caught everyone’s imagination with what can be done with comfort food and junk food, and who doesn’t love that? There are markets and restaurants popping up everywhere.

That’s just the food side, there are athletes and fitness and wellness personalities, musicians and DJs all living and promoting the lifestyle too.

The Vegan Nights community is a true reflection of this, we’ve got an incredible line up of food traders working with us and every day we are finding new and exciting offerings. As for the crowd coming to the event, we have an amazingly broad crosssection of people, nearly half of the people that come are not strictly vegan but are either curious or just love what’s on offer enough to come in any case. People bring their non-vegan friends and they’re blown away by what’s on offer.

WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT VEGAN NIGHTS? We want people to know that Vegan Nights is for anyone that’s into revolutionary food and great music. Vegan Nights challenges the old perceptions of veganism in an unparalleled experience and environment.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FOR THE NEXT YEAR OF VEGAN NIGHTS? The unexpected… no spoilers for now!

™ vegannightsldn Photos by™hannah_close_photo

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CAN WE ALL JUST STOP WITH THE [STRAIGHT WHITE MALE]

HERO WORSHIP? Written by Laura Callan

â„¢lauralollipop

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Hero worship is defined as ‘excessive admiration

What’s important to remember is that no matter how

for someone’, an idea that they are special or

intelligent, skilled or charismatic the hero is, they likely

perfect, and is commonly directed at people in the

got to where they are down to some form of luck. Right

public eye, celebrities or people that have made a

time, right place, right idea, something aligned to get

name for themselves in one way or another.

them to where they are, but behind that they are simply just human. We just need to make the effort

There are a number of reasons why we do this.

to remain impartial and see these people as people.

Rational reasons for looking for and following a ‘leader’ are hopes of gaining status, power, money or

In vegan, environmental, social justice and animal

entry into a meaningful enterprise, and fear of missing

rights circles there is no shortage of hero worship. We

out if we don’t. Irrational reasons are usually more

queue up to get our photo taken with someone who

influential, unconscious and harder to control, arising

publishes videos on YouTube and tell them how much

from powerful emotions in our subconscious that we

we love them. But why do we love them? They’re

project onto leaders and our relationships with them.

doing something many other people are also doing, so why the idolisation of that particular one person?

The problem is, once we raise someone to hero status they have a lot of responsibility placed on

Perhaps the most worrying trend in hero worship

them, whether they asked for it or not. It’s easy for

in these circles and movements, is the make up of

us to expect certain behaviours of them and project

this elite group of ‘heroes’. They’re mostly white,

our own ideals upon them, and forget that they

almost always male, almost always straight. Why

are just people. Just look at the hero worship and

does a male activist have more followers and more

downfall in public perception of people like Mark

fame than a female activist doing the exact same

Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs, who were lauded for

thing? Why are our stages full of male speakers,

their innovation and success but had a sharp fall

particularly in vegan spaces where the population

when mistakes they made were revealed.

is made of 73% women? We have got to do better.

Now, this is not to say that we shouldn’t appreciate

The fact that on average women have more empathy

people’s successes and look up to them, but once

than men (perhaps a reason more women than

you transfer that admiration into a more intense

men are vegan) doesn’t mean we should put men

worship of the person themselves, you actually put

on pedestals for doing the same work. Men having

yourself, and them, at a disadvantage. If you worship

empathy and caring about animals and social justice

someone you chip away at your ability to see them

issues doesn’t make them entitled to a bigger badge

objectively. You start to see them as unable to do

of honour than any woman in the same position.

wrong, you believe in all their decisions, even the

Our communities are beautifully diverse with many

ones that are clearly and demonstrably wrong,

intersections, they are not made up of predominantly

unethical or unhealthy. You believe that all these

cis straight white men, so why do they make up the

decisions are down to their brilliance, their intellect

biggest proportion of the ‘leaders’?

and aren’t worth questioning. You idolise and trust that person, so of course what they’re saying is true.

By putting endless line ups of white men on

No matter how wild their claims may be.

pedestals we’re playing into and furthering the very white supremacist, patriarchal system we should all

And this is a potentially dangerous situation to end

be fighting to dismantle.

up in. In the extreme you may choose to mimic your hero’s choices and live life as you interpret

Let’s work harder for less hero worship, and more

they would, forsaking your own path and your own

appreciation for the hard work done by people from

individuality.

all walks of life. Not just cis straight white dudes.

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F R O M T R AS H T O T R E A S U R E S - SIX SERIOUSLY COOL UPCYCLED FINDS Written by Emma Oldham™plant_powered_emma

The upcycled fashion, beauty and home decor era are here. Times have changed. We’re no longer tricked into shiny plastic impulse buys. Instead, we’re seeking to buy products that are unique and purposeful and make us feel intrinsically good. We now want a world of items with secret histories and reloved passion. Why? Because we’re waking up to our plastic addiction and fast-fashion bad habitats and we’re excited to shake them off. Here are six incredible companies reclaiming old, unwanted products and transforming them into treasures.

S WIM WE AR, BAT O K O This fun and stylish swimwear brand make ever ything from rubbish. Literally. Ever y single costume is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles, carpets and textiles.

Batoko revolts against fast-fashion culture and keeps their collections small and at a pace that is kinder to the planet.

Their patterns, ranging from sharks to lobsters to dinosaurs and bananas, are all bright, bold and incredibly complimentar y. Each year a propor tion of Batoko’s profits suppor t the work of The Marine Conser vation Society - who so far, has removed 6 million pieces of litter from UK shores! batoko.com

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T OT E BA GS, WYAT T A N D JA C K What to do with a broken bouncy castle or dec kchair? Wear it! This is the ethos behind Wyatt and Jac k. These elegant, vivid bags, made from reclaimed old beach items have saved dec kchair s and broken paddling pools from ending up in landfill. This com pany’s upcycling goals are admirable. You can send them old windbreaks, rubber dinghies and tram polines and Wyatt and Jac k will give them a new lease of life in their wor kshop. Will it be transformed into a bag or earrings? For Instagrammer s, do chec k out their #frombeachtobag hashtag for beautiful inspiration. wyatt andjac k .com

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™wyatt andjac k

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ENDA N G E RED WILD L I F E P E N D A N T S , KAY RE E D SIL VER S MI T H Recycled silver and gold have never looked so good. These delicate designs, ranging from elephants to hedgehogs to sea tur tles, all speak up for endangered wildlife.

The extraction of precious metals isn’t as pleasant a process as we’d like to think. Our precious environment takes an enormous hit.

Twenty

tonnes

of

toxic

waste

is

produced to make enough gold for just one 18ct gold ring. Scale this up, and we have a real ecological disaster. Recognising this unsustainable practice,

Eco-Silversmith,

Kay Reed, is challenging consumers to star t demanding recyclable precious metals.

Upcycling is happening all around us, and Kay Reed is making sure that jewellers don’t take a back seat on sustainability.

Her stunning designs prove that recycled jeweller y is both beautiful and top quality. kayreed.co.uk ™kayreedss

ST R AW R UGS, FA B H A BITAT We’ve all been told to ditch the straws.

But what about the billions which are still floating

around

the

environment?

Fab

Habitat is transforming ocean trash into beautiful eco home decor. Their rugs are par ticularly stunning - made from woven straws

and

recycled

bottles.

They’re

comfy, are hardy to live outdoor s and come in gorgeous mosaic patterns. Their array of products, ranging from throws to doormats, all come at af fordable prices, making eco-home decor more attractive than ever. fabhabit at.com

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CLOT H ING , D U VET D AYS The sassy and sustainable fashion wear of the future. Like a good throwbac k to the 80’s and 90s? Look no fur ther. These brave

unisex

clothes

are

craf ted

from

recycled childhood duvet cover s. Imagine it - all the things you loved as a child Mic key Mouse, WWF, Barbie and Mar vel, you name it - whatever used to cocoon you to sleep can once again snug you.

Duvet Days are bold - ever y single item is bur sting with colour and character. Their upcycling mission is strong, and they don’t waste a single scrap of fabric as smaller pieces are used in children’s clothing and for hair scrunchies. Duvet Days make it all: jum per dresses, shor ts, suits, trouser s, crop jum per s, halter s, shir ts. So no matter the occasion or weather, you can take a flash of your childhood with you. Which nostalgic print will they release next? duvetdaysclothing.com ™duvetdaysclothing

R EC YC LED MOT H ER BOA R DS, R EL A K Look at these beauties. Re-Lak breathes life into unwanted com puter motherboards and

reconstructs

nec klaces,

cuf flinks

them and

into

rings,

earrings.

All

designs are edgy with a futuristic feel of shimmer and metal. Flooded with unusual and bright metallic colour s alongside the motherboard’s veins make these seriously cool.

For

uniq ue-fashion

adventurer s,

Relak guarantee that ever y single piece is uniq ue with its own bodywor k of colour s and com puter chip detail. r e-lak .com

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‘Ghosts’ by Roxane Dewar

™roxane_dewar

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S EE YO U N EXT TIM E ISSUE SEVEN DECEMBER 2018

BE THE FIRST TO GET EACH NEW ISSUE PLUS FREE GIFTS, EXCLUSIVES AND EVENT INVITES

SUBSCRIBE NOW AT BRIGHTZINE.CO PAGE 78

Treasure me. Keep me on your coffee table. And when you’re done with me, give me to a friend, leave me in a cafe or in a library, or recycle me.

BRIGHT ZINE ISSUE SIX © 2018 BRIGHTZINE.CO

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