Misfit Panda is a PETA-approved vegan brand that launched in January 2017 and has come a long way since then. Just as fashion continues to evolve, the brand has also evolved since its inception by striving to be more aware and responsible. While Misfit Panda has always been an animal-friendly brand offering stylish yet pocket-friendly shoes for the ambitious Indian woman, it became increasingly important to take the next big step by finding sustainable alternatives to the raw materials used. Aiming to be more environmentally friendly, the new and evolved range being launched is exciting as it uses eco-friendly materials such as vegan cactus leather, fabrics made from recycled PET bottles, natural fabrics, organic fabrics, soles made from recycled truck tires and artisanal Indian textiles such as Khes.
In an effort to support our Indian heritage, crafts and rural artisans, the Khes fabric is sourced directly from the weavers in Khurja, Uttar Pradesh. In this ongoing journey to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly, the brand has stayed true to its core values by sourcing most raw materials locally. All beautiful shoes, bags and accessories are made with love in India.
Juveca Panda, the founder of Misfit Panda, says it was important to her to align her beliefs with the future of the brand. Of course, introspection was a precondition for this. “In a world where it is increasingly important to stand up for what you believe in, so that you see actual change, I had to ask myself: what do you believe in? What do you stand for? I didn’t think the answer would come so easily, but one day I woke up and decided that I didn’t want to eat meat or buy animal leather products anymore. At the same time, I also decided that Misfit Panda would no longer use PU leather because it is still harmful to the environment,” she says.
And it’s not just about being current for her. Panda says these are serious concerns that require attention. She explains: “I realized that sustainability is more than just a hot topic, it’s a responsibility that needs to be taken seriously. When I wanted to take Misfit Panda to the next level by making it a more aware and responsible brand, it was a wake-up call for me to also reach a higher level in my daily life. It has now been over a year since I made a conscious decision to stop buying leather products. The impact of the meat and leather industry on our environment is far worse than we realize. While we’ve been told that leather is a by-product of the meat and dairy industry, many well-researched articles addressing the carbon cost of our leather goods have addressed how animal husbandry for leather is a concern.”
PV Sindhu Shows Off Misfit Panda’s Latest Shoe Collection at Lakme Fashion Week 2019
She confirms her belief for a sustainable future by adding that small steps can lead to bigger goals. “We can all do little things in our daily lives to reduce our carbon footprint. Reducing our consumption, buying products that are made more sustainable, shopping from brands that make high-quality sustainable products and repairing items from our existing wardrobe are all small steps that make a big difference. Lucky for me I have the opportunity to do this not only in my personal life, but also to shape the future of animal-friendly and sustainable fashion in India and hopefully one day worldwide!”
These decisions are particularly important to her as animal cruelty cases continue to amaze people around the world. “I recently became a dog mom and this has further cemented my position in cruelty-free fashion. While I’ve always loved animals, like many non-vegetarian animal lovers who use leather, I found myself living in a paradoxical world where it was acceptable to love animals in my limited sense,” she admits.
“In fact, there are also many vegetarians who say that they do not eat meat for ethical reasons, but end up buying high-quality shoes and bags made of calf leather or exotic leather. It’s important to change this mindset – and as a conscious brand in this space, I feel a responsibility to do this by offering quality non-leather alternatives.”
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