Vilda Magazine
I was reading on Twitter when I came across some Tweets about Vilda. I was excited to find out that Vilda is the world’s first totally vegan online fashion and lifestyle magazine.
The other bit that tickled me was the name! It’s Swedish for “the wild one”! :)
I approached Sascha Alexandra Mejeritcher, the Founder and Editor in Chief of Vilda Magazine and requested a guest post for you.
Read on to find out what Sascha has to say!
What does Vilda provide for those who visit the website?
We provide something that hasn't been done before - a new view of vegan and ethical fashion in a chic, cutting-edge light. There are many vegan magazines out there, both online and print - but none of them focuses on fashion and beauty the way that we do. The people who work for Vilda Magazine have an understanding of fashion and trends, as well as a good eye for picking out what might appeal to a non-vegan customer, thus reaching a wider audience that might be interested in ethical style. Aesthetics and style is crucial to anything that makes it onto the pages of Vilda - you won't see frumpy floral bags or "comfortable" shoes in our magazine. Just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's in. Attention to detail and focus on fashion is what sets us apart from the rest.
Why do you choose to specialise in reviewing and recommending vegan products exclusively?
I chose to make Vilda a niche brand because I noticed a gap in the market - no websites are currently focusing on vegan fashion the way that we are. There are several that cover ethical fashion - with leather and silk often popping up, which can be quite frustrating for vegans who seek out the ethical fashion brands because they care about looking chic with a conscience. Also, most vegan magazines and websites are very much based around food.
Where are you and your team based?
I'm based in London but Vilda's editorial team is scattered all over the world. Our Art Editor lives in Paris, the Tech Manager is in Canada and the writers live in places like Sao Paulo, Milan, Berlin and New York City.
Does Vilda only review internationally available products?
We rarely include brands and products that don't ship internationally, as Vilda is meant to be very inclusive and we'd love our readers to be able to buy anything they see in the magazine. Plus, as both the readers and the team are located all over the world, we can't possibly focus on just one location.
What inspired you to create a business that solely focuses on plant-based products?
I've been vegetarian since I was 11 (which means almost twenty years!) and vegan for almost two years. Going vegan was such an amazing life change: it intensified my whole life experience. I got in touch with other vegans and noticed how much more we, as a group, struggle with fashion rather than food. Being a digital creature (I work as a digital writer and editor), I looked into websites for vegan fashion and found that there was little to no info to be found, except quite frumpy and un-trendy offerings. That, in combination with my career background in fashion, was how the idea for Vilda was born.
Is there anything we can do to help these products be provided by more companies?
What we all need to do is show that we're interested in cruelty-free. If the market speaks up, the companies will listen. Supporting the smaller companies that do create amazing vegan fashion, like Delikate Rayne, Jill Milan and OlsenHaus, is another very important action that we can all take today. It is as easy as sharing this on the many forms of social media.
Are you owned by, or in partnership with, another company that does test on animals or sell non-vegan products?
No. Vilda is only mine.
Tell me a bit about yourself before you launched this company
I was born in Russia, grew up in Sweden, studied Fashion Marketing in Italy and was, until recently, a freelance fashion and lifestyle writer in London. I'm a long-time vegan and a blogger.
What is your vision for the future of Vilda?
I'd love to add an online store soon!
I'd be so chuffed if there was one place, online, from which I could buy plant-based fashion items. I'd be happy to support their business and I wouldn't have to think twice about what I was paying for, because everything would be...vegan! :)
If you haven't had a gander at Vilda, please do. I'm sure that, like myself, others would love to hear your thoughts about Vilda, so do use Twitter, Facebook or Google+ and comment away. :)