The Vegan Curator: The Canada Edit

Noize has been making some real noise about cruelty-free fashion, and earning an endorsement from celebrities such as Billy Joel, Brandy, and Jon Batiste since 2010. This brand creates clothing for both humans and animals—catering to all shapes and sizes.

VFR’s pick: Braunwyn Short Length Blazer

Regular price: $ 165.00 CAD

One of the most widely recognised vegan brands, Matt & Nat (short for Materials & Nature) was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1995. The Canadian brand was an early adopter of recycled materials, incorporating nylon, rubber, and even repurposed windshield resin. Each Matt & Nat bag contains approximately 21 recycled plastic bottles, with the brand recycling over 9 million bottles annually for bag production alone.

VFR’s pick: Matt&Nat x Peanuts Belle Wallet – Snoopy & Lucy Edition

Regular price: $ 80.00CAD

The Montreal brand draws on a strong Italian heritage of the founder Silvia Jeane Gallo, while redefining a statement bag. Jeane+Jax’s bags have timeless design, do no harm to animals, and keep a steadfast policy of affordability. Now that’s the spirit!

VFR’s pick: Brooke Vowen Vegan Weekender Bag

Regular price: $ 300.00CAD

Espe, a family business from Toronto, creates cruelty-free bags with a subtle boho touch. The brand donates to the Ontario SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the Humane Society, also using its social media to promote awareness of animal adoption. Just as every purchase decision creates a ripple effect, every effort to find a safe and loving home for an abandoned soul is how the brand—and the people behind it—live by their values.

VFR’s pick: Ness Messenger Bag

Regular price: $ 110.00 CAD

Named after the world’s smallest and cutest deer—the Pudu, a South American herbivore currently endangered but carefully bred and protected by conservationists—this brand offers all things sleep– and home-sweet-home-wear related, with occasional outdoor accessories, made from certified breathable materials and recycled water bottles.

VFR’s pick: Carlie Criss Cross Recycled Slipper

Regular price: $70.00 CAD

Founded by Desirée Chantal Dupuis, who turned vegan at the age of 28 after reading Skinny Bitch, the brand has since been on a mission to create shoes that are as stylish as they are cruelty-free while minimising environmental impact. This means embracing plant-based leather alternatives. Notably, the brand officially acknowledges that the most sustainable choice is to buy nothing at all—an undeniably powerful (and daring) message for a fashion brand.

VFR’s pick: Vegan Chelsea Boots from corn leather

Regular price: $ 358.00 CAD

Founded by Natalie Dusome, Poppy & Peonies is a Métis female-founded, cruelty-free Canadian accessory brand, born from a childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer and the joy of crafting clothes from vintage curtains. Years later, as a mother herself (to a daughter named Poppy), Natalie built the brand on the Indigenous principle of the Seventh Generation, where sustainability is not a marketing strategy but a way of life.

VFR’s pick: Downtown Crossbody in Cognac

Regular price: $125.00 CAD

Like every fashion brand, Pixie Mood has faced its share of challenges. Now add an uncompromising commitment to sustainability and cruelty-free principles, and you get a brand that has endured “hauling bags to festivals and facing trade shows with zero orders.” This year, Pixie Mood celebrates 15 years of making a difference and is a proud member of 1% for the Planet, Terrapass, One Tree Planted, and the Humane Society. Happy Anniversary!

VFR’s pick: Lock Shoulder Bag

Regular price: $120.00 CAD

Founded in 2020 by May Deldari, a visionary BIPOC, queer woman, Maylyn & Co embodies inclusivity and vegan ethics in its lingerie and sleepwear collections. The brand uses cruelty-free and sustainable alternatives to traditional silk, employing innovative production methods that do not harm animals. Every aspect, from soy-based ink to vegan glues used in packaging, is free from animal-derived ingredients. Garments that do not sell through the main collection are either donated to local women’s shelters or offered at half price in the Spring Cleaning Sale.

VFR’s pick: Scarlett Robe

Regular price: $ 336.00 CAD

A shoe brand operating with ambitious SBTi-approved, science-based targets to reduce its climate impact, Native Shoes leads with its flagship initiative, The Native Shoes Remix™ Project. This recycling programme repurposes well-loved (but no longer needed) shoes into new community projects, such as playground surfaces, furniture, or sound panels. It does not get more circular and community-focused than that!

VFR’s pick: Jefferson Sugarlite™ sneakers

Regular price: $ 125.00 CAD

This brand creates bags and shoes using Portuguese cork, harvested at the optimal age of 45 years for durability, without the addition of PVC or PU-derived materials. Handcrafted by skilled artisans in small batches, Rok Cork promotes sustainable craftsmanship. The brand also collaborates with the Toronto Wildlife Centre to encourage the peaceful coexistence of people and wildlife, providing education, expert advice, and medical care to injured and orphaned wild animals, with the ultimate goal of releasing them back into the wild.

VFR’s pick: Carolyna Cork Purse

Regular price: $ 220.00 CAD

The current mission of Lasclay is to restore North American monarch butterfly populations to pre-industrial levels within the next 10 years. To achieve this, the brand manufactures products that showcase milkweed’s exceptional properties while supporting milkweed farming—creating much-needed habitats for monarchs and other pollinators. Wherever possible, the supply chain is kept within Canada and North America. Oh, and they also make cool everyday accessories.

VFR’s pick: Milkweed Fisherman Beanie

Regular price: $39.99 CAD

Founded in 2017 by Mélissa Lambert, Lambert Design was born from her determined search for a versatile maternity bag. Today, it is a leading Canadian vegan bag and luggage brand, with over 280 points of sale across Canada and its own distribution centre.

VFR’s pick: Mia Vegan Leather Diaper Bag

Regular price: $ 189.99 CAD

Call It Spring is a brand committed to ethical production, conducting thorough testing on its finished products, from footwear to handbags. The Corporate Social Responsibility team selects styles for testing, ensuring that each supplier is included in the process. Notably, their insole, B.E.D Foam™, is made from 30% post-consumer waste—primarily recycled mattresses!

VFR’s pick: Chaney lace-up shoes

Regular price: $ 89.99 CAD