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Vanita Bagri is the Founder and CEO at LaBante London, a brand producing luxury handbags and sunglasses. The company, which is vegan-certified, focuses on using materials that are eco-friendly and sustainable, as well as animal-free.
Fashion was always in Bagri's blood. She grew up in the industry - her family had garment factories in South Africa, the Philippines, India, and Hong Kong.
"We supplied the big boys, like Calvin Klein. We had state of the art factories in South Africa and machineries that were too advanced, but there was too little work ethic at that time," she says.
"Export markets were controlled with quotas and that then got abolished, so China flooded the market with cheap goods. It was really hard for factories to sustain themselves. So, we had to shut our manufacturing down."
Although Bagri had plans to open her own fashion business, after graduating from International Business school in Arizona, her parents warned her against the industry. They were wary after their own experiences.
"I was very lucky to take a job in investment banking in Chicago and New York, then moved to London, still working in investment banking," she says.
But she couldn't ever shake the dream of working as a designer.
"When I was 18, to go to university, I had to walk through a market and pass by a butcher's shop," she says.
"Live chickens were crammed into tiny cages. And as I walked past, God forbid a customer came, as the butcher would open the cage and put his hand inside to grab the birds. At that very moment the air would be filled with high pitched almost human screams.
"The sense and smell of fear and pain was too much for me to bear. I had to close my ears and walk past it because it was just too much to handle.
"The smell of the livestock being hacked alive, and the sounds - the fear you could smell - that's what turned me vegetarian. From that experience came one of the greatest transformative times in my life, I knew then that fashion was important to me, but the lives of all species was invaluable to me."
"Eight years ago, I was like, this is it. I knew the corporate world wasn't enough - I still had an impact to make in the fashion world. Just like that, I quit my job, took all my savings and put them into LaBante London."
Her own ethics informed the brand, which was vegan from the start. This was not without its challenges.
"At that time veganism was a very new concept, people hadn't heard of it and buyers didn’t understand it at all. Vegan leather was a new term, buyers only bought real leather or faux leather handbags – ugly and peeling with hardly any sense of style or aesthetic.
"These bags were heaped in a corner with their poor craftsmanship. They were not on any buyers list to actively purchase as they stocked up for key seasons."
Today, things have changed. Thanks to social media, buyers are starting to better understand vegan leather, and how designers like Bagri make their bags - the high level of craftsmanship that goes into it, and how important sustainability is.
"At a nascent level, the understanding of this being a positive ROI [Return on Investment] business is steadily and strongly making progress in the handbag industry," Bagri says.
"We have Sustainable PETA-Approved vegan handbags, and sterling silver jewellery lines that sell in department stores and multiple boutiques across the world. We have recently added a recycled wooden sunglasses line - complete in bamboo boxes - to our collection.
"So the challenges have been consistent and really quite a few, however with sheer persistence, grit and determination to actually make a difference, we have grown slowly but steadily. Today I'm very proud to say my family stands resolutely behind me."
Not content with taking the fashion world by storm, Bagri wants to connect with fashion-conscious women, telling the stories behind their own challenges through a new campaign she’s launched called 'Wear It Like You Own It'.
She explains: "We have faced a lot of challenges but have grown leaps and bounds - and today we are owning it!
"I would love you for you to hear your stories on challenges on how you pushed through."
Send your story to info@labante.co.uk for a chance to win two free tickets to VegFest London and meet the LaBante London Team.
Q. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your brand.
A. Hi, I’m Vanita, the founder and CEO of LaBante London. When I was 18 I would go to university and walk through a market, and there was a live butcher’s shop. For all of you that don’t know what a live butchers shop is like, it’s a counter with alive livestock, in this case chicken in cages. Every time I passed, and a customer walked into that shop, the butcher would take his hand and put it in the cage to grab a chicken. All I would hear was a unanimous roar of squawks, it was like a high-pitched sound full of pain, I had to close my ears and walk past it because it was just too much to handle. The smell of the livestock being hacked alive and the sounds, the fear you could smell it, and that’s what turned me vegetarian. From that experience came one of the greatest transformative times in my life.
I grew up in fashion, my family had garment factories in South Africa, Philippines, India, and Hong Kong. We supplied the big boys, like Calvin Klein. We had state of the art factories in South Africa, machineries that at that time were too advanced and there was little work ethic at that time. Export markets were controlled with quotas and that then got abolished, so China flooded the market with cheap goods. It was really hard for factories to sustain themselves. So, we had to shut that factory down.
Fast forward and I graduated from International Business school in Arizona, filled with enthusiasm and excitement, ready to start my own fashion brand, my parents on the other hand said no way, don’t touch fashion with a bargepole, because of the experiences they had had.
I was very lucky to take a job in investment banking in Chicago and New York, then moved to London, still working in Investment Banking. Eight years ago, I was like this is it, it’s enough. I took all my savings and put it into LaBante London.
It was a Vegan brand from the start and I was very lucky to have an amazing team, we faced a lot of challenges at the start. At that time Veganism wasn’t heard of, it was a very new concept, people hadn’t heard of it and buyers didn’t understand it. So, we went through everything that was in our way, and grew in leaps and bounds, and I’m very proud to say my family stands resolutely behind me today.
We have launched handbag and jewellery lines, sell in Department stores and multiple boutiques across the world. We have recently launched a sunglass line to add to our collection.
Q. Why is sustainability in Fashion so important to you?
A. Sustainability in fashion isn’t given enough importance, especially by the big boys out there. It’s something that is important to us from the get go, years ago you could see the great barrier reef from space now all you can see is a big convergence of trash in the Pacific Ocean. It’s a lot of plastic being thrown in there, it impacts sea life, it impacts those turtles that think the plastic is jelly fish. So, they go and eat the plastic and it goes into their stomachs and stays there, and they can’t get rid of it, so they feel full all the time. So, they inadvertently die of starvation. The baby turtles go towards the can holders thinking its jelly fish, they try to eat that and land up getting stuck in it and it gets stuck around their shells and then they grow up looking like coke bottles. How much more is it going to take for everyone to wake up and see the problem? We can all see the problem on social media someone needs to take a stand.
Q. How are you guys dealing with the plastic issue in your brands and packaging?
A. This is of extreme importance to us, plastic, we hate it. We try not to use any of it. The sunglasses line is packaged in a bamboo case and cardboard box, no plastic. Handbags has one layer of plastic on the top which we are now moving into Cornstarch plastic, as soon as it touches the ocean it turns into fish food. Plastic is a big problem for all of us. All the handbag interiors are made from recycled material as well. Where we can recycle, or whatever we can use that’s recycled we use. It is expensive and requires a lot of research and travel, but we do that, so why aren’t the bigger brands doing this to. Transparency is key, the more brands will join the revolution and more of them will come because they want that customer to buy from them as well. If you are asking the right questions and you are asking for real ethical products you will get it, we need to do more of that.
Q. Top Tips on Repurposing your wardrobe and where to start?
A. If you make everything last a bit longer it just works so much better, so put the handbag back in the dust bag and put it in the wardrobe, take care of it. If your shoes which are running thin, go and have them resoled and they will last you an extra 2 years. So, we must find ways of taking care of our products to make them last longer.
Labante London is a labour of love, born out of a combined love of fashion, animals and the wider planet. My early experiences definitely stuck with me and shaped the brand’s philosophy of Fashion With Respect.
In my early teens I spent many happy hours in my uncle’s fashion company, watching the creation of beautiful garments for big name brands like Calvin Klein; and therein started my love of fashion
When I was a little older and studying at university, another pivotal moment shaped my way of thinking. I used to pass a butchers shop where animals were kept alive and caged, before being killed in front of customers for their meat. It was a pretty transforming and life-changing event in my life and from that moment I became a vegetarian.
After I finished my university degree I landed up in the United States and somehow got into banking for my career, but there was always a niggling thought in my head that called me to combine my passion for vegetarianism and fashion. I believed there was a gap in the fashion industry to make high quality products that were not only beautiful and vied for, but were also cruelty free and sustainable, as well as being affordable.
Labante London started out really small in 2012, but grew and grew as we received so much positive feedback and love from vegans, vegetarians, animal lovers and fashionistas all over the world. As we continued to expand, we had the pleasure of meeting fashion buyers who understood that change was coming and that the future was accessible for ethical and luxurious accessories. Encouraged and inspired, our brand flourished and we have gone from strength to strength. We promise to develop more beautiful and sustainable designs that will always be made with love and we hope you will wear with pride.
#fashionwithrespect #kindnessisbeautiful
Love Vanita x
Founder & CEO
We are delighted to treat you all to the new LaBante London Sheridyn collection. This gorgeous collection is the result of collaboration with Sheridyn Fisher, renowned Australian model, humanitarian and author of nutrition book Plant Based Life.
LaBante London is so is proud to have Sheridyn on-board as a muse; personally, we just loved working with her. Sheridyn is super amazing, and the best part was her humility such a rare gem.
A truly beautiful and influential woman, who is without a doubt beautiful both inside and out, Sheri started modelling at the tender age of 15. Also a dedicated yogini and mum to a gorgeous little boy, Sheridyn is perhaps best known these days for her love of a plant base lifestyle; she was actually recently awarded her third certificate in plant nutrition studies from Cornell University in the USA. Well done that lady!
Her new Plant Based Life launched January 2018 and is available to order now. Including mindful eating, delicious plant based recipes and inspirational photography that is all her own, Sheridyn takes a holistic approach to life and nutrition.The collab between LaBante and Sheri was so perfect due to both sides being so much in love our stunning nature and the ethos of working hard to give back to our planet. Both of us literally share the same values.
Chicly inspired by the beauty of the natural world around us, LaBante London’s Sheridyn collection features themes and from the flora and fauna of spring and summer. The exquisite collection brings forward both the soft colours of the seasons –delightful butterflies add texture and accent a number of the perfectly handcrafted pieces. Bags are finished in either silver or gold hued metals and boast fabulous recycled interior linings.
Look for the collection online on labante.co.uk and in House of Fraser and now also available on Amazon.
Despite being known as an all round lifestyle blogger and vlogger with social media platforms from Instagram, YouTube and blogger; Rhian is also known for her amazing body tattoos. Ditching the British life for a new beginning as a wife in the States- hints where the title ‘wifelife’ came about. Rhian stands out by far, from the other vloggers as she discusses issues such as mental health, well-being plus teaching us ladies a few DIY techniques on her YouTube channel.
You have over 30k subscribers on your YouTube channel which is understandable, as you literally cover everything from DIYs, Beauty and Food. What we want to know is how long did it take you to become such a well known and successful Youtuber?
I started by sharing my favourite products or techniques on Tumblr and then Instagram, over time people kept asking me to make YouTube videos so I finally gave it a whirl. I’ve been on YouTube for 3 years now and started by posting very sporadically and just for fun, but recently switched to a more consistent upload schedule this year which I am loving.
Where did the idea for Wifelife come about?
The name Wifelife came about because I needed a username for Tumblr and at the time had just moved to America and married my husband, I picked that just because it fit what I was sharing of my new life at the time and since then it's stuck! I have been tempted to change it, but now people know that name, I think it's here for good!
How do you manage to keep up with publishing content on your blog, Instagram and YouTube?
Lists. Lots and lots of lists and planning. For me, consistency is key in keeping people engaged so I try and stick to a schedule and make sure I have content queued a week or two in advance so I’m covered if life throws a curveball at me.
I also use social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram to let people know when new content is up, it’s a fun way to share and get feedback from people all over the world.
What do you enjoy blogging about the most?
Lately, I’ve really been releasing more videos than blog posts, but I love writing so I plan on getting back to that. I do love thoroughly reviewing make-up, but I also like writing about topics like Veganism or self-care so it’s definitely fun to change it up.
How would you describe your fashion sense?
Simple, comfy chic. Most of my clothes are cotton or some type of soft, stretchy fabric because I just have no tolerance for discomfort. I usually go for more plain items instead of patterns; since I have so many tattoos, I think it can look a little “busy” sometimes. I mostly pick black, grey or white with a hint of denim or faux leather. When everything in your closet “goes” it's a lot easier to pick out outfits!
Top three must have bags from LaBante right now?
I have to mention the Kensington in black since that was my first introduction to LaBante. I’ve worn this with anything from athleisure-wear to a Great Gatsby themed fundraiser so it’s definitely a must have piece for me. For something a little edgier but still with a classic feel, I love the Dunlin in black and for a true classy touch I love the Cypress in Brown!
How long have you been Vegan for?
I was raised vegetarian then transitioned to Veganism slowly over the last 5 years or so. Being lactose intolerant certainly helped me along the way and I feel healthier than ever now!
What would be your advice to someone who is trying to go vegan?
Do what you can and don’t overwhelm yourself. Try not to get lazy about it and always go for vegan junk food or you’re probably going to start feeling pretty junky yourself. I really think cutting out one thing at a time and trying things out to replace those old favourites is the way to go!
How many tattoo sessions have you had and are you planning on getting any more?
I’m honestly not sure, but I was getting them steadily over the last 10+ years and have just slowed down over the last couple of years. There’s nothing I specifically have in mind right now, but… I never say never.
Despite working on your social media site is there anything else you do during your spare time?
I love to go hiking and see new places with friends and family and travel is a big part of my life after leaving the UK for the USA 10 years ago. Other than adventuring I’d have to say yoga and some good old self care… it's the simple things!
To find out more about WifeLife visit:
The wait is finally over. Our Autumn Winter 16/17 Look book and Collection is here and ready for you to pre-order! Inspired by our love for colour it played a dominant role in our Look book featuring bright body paint and coloured powder whilst the collection sees a fun pop of colours from vibrant pink lining against matte grey, rich red against fine brown leather and energetic coral against cool blues.
We had so much fun making the Look book, it was a colour filled explosion of fun in the studio! Check out some Behind the scene photos from the day………
At LaBante we believe that every detail counts by making sure our bags are suited to every busy girls need by introducing our large shopper bag the
‘Avant’ which is inset with laptop sleeves a must have for your everyday use and the feminine ‘Agnes’ backpack perfect for travelling around.
Share the Love, Spread the Change!Love your LaBante?
Now’s your chance to share it with someone special! Introduce a friend to our world of sustainable luxury, and you’ll both enjoy a treat. It's our way of saying thank you for helping grow our eco-conscious community. Let’s make a difference together—one friend at a time!
Help us support a better tomorrow.
