If you're new to the vegan lifestyle, you should know that ethical fashion is a relatively new trend, having taken off only in the early 2000s. However, nowadays vegan designers work relentlessly to finally end the suffering for our sentient animal friends. As animal allies, it's important to support those in the vegan industry offering fresh, cruelty-free alternatives to everyday products.

Keep reading to learn all about these vegan designers' ethical fashion brands, and their thoughts on veganism!

Stella McCartney

Since the birth of Stella McCartnery's self-titled brand back in 2001, this vegan designer has made a huge impact on the fashion industry. Along with her team, she has proven that it is possible to create high-fashion pieces without the use of animal skin. “People really don’t want to talk about the fact that the fashion industry’s biggest impact is its use of leather. The animals it kills, the toxins, the chemicals, the cutting down of rain forests, the food and water and electricity it takes to make a leather bag . . . " she shared with Vogue. "It’s way more than a synthetic bag."

Check out her compassionate collections here.

Tina Tangalakis (Della)

Tina Tangalakis, founder of vegan fashion brand Della, extends her compassion to not only animals, but to humans, too. In fact, 'Della' is named after the first person she met on a volunteer program in Ghana! All pieces are hand-sewn by West African women, and according to the brand's website, "every dollar earned at Della goes toward providing employment, education and financial stability for women and men in Ghana." Wow!

Having studied costume design at California Institute of the Arts, Tangalakis has always been a lover of art and culture. She fell in love with "how social trends reflect in how people dress," and tries to incorporate Ghanian textiles into her modern designs. Check them out here!

Tiffany Watson (ThreeSixFive)

Made in Chelsea star Tiffany Watson shared her vegan story with Veganuary: “I myself, decided to go vegan after discovering the truth about what happened in the dairy and egg industry from going to a PETA talk and seeing behind the scenes footage. Personally, once you see that sort of thing I don’t think you can ever forget it, and even to this day it still plays on my mind. I instantly decided I was going to cut out dairy and eggs and haven’t looked back ever since.”

That's why last year Watson launched the vegan and sustainable company ThreeSixFive, which now offers ethical vegan leather handbags, phone cases, and notebooks. They even come in recycled paper packaging! Make sure to check out their cute designs here!

Joshua Katcher (The Brave Gentleman)

Fashion designer Joshua Katcher is 100% dedicated to ending animal cruelty in fashion. In addition to having launched his menswear brand Brave Gentleman, he has also written a book on animal exploitation in the fashion industry, 'Fashion Animals,' and is constantly educating others on this topic.

Brave Gentleman is now one of the top vegan brands out there, having appeared on the cover of British GQ and having been featured by COMPLEX and Forbes! In addition, PETA has named Katcher 2015's "Most Influential Designer." Check out his incredible work here.

Rachel and Debra Denniston (HFS Collective)

Rachel and Debra Denniston vegan designers

Rachel, the daughter in this mother-daughter power duo, has shared the story behind their brand HFS Collective, with Remake: “We first became interested in sustainability once we started investigating what materials to use. [...] we have been doing our best to continue to learn, explore and choose only the most sustainable and responsible materials currently on the market, including Piñatex, eco-suedes made from entirely recycled plastic bottles and/or recycled polyester fibers, and natural fibers like cork, organic cotton, and hemp.”

HFS Collective now offers all types of bags and even face masks, made from sustainable, vegan materials! You can browse their collections here.

Julia and Laura Ahrens (Miakoda)

Here's what Julia Ahren had to say to The Debtist about the idea behind Miakoda, the ethical athleisure brand she founded with her sister, Laura: “After going vegan, I no longer wanted to wear or create clothing that exploited animals and used animal fabrics/skins/fibers. I worked in the industry and felt so conflicted when asked to work with these materials. I tried to look for a company that I felt comfortable supporting and designing for, but there were so few 100%-vegan-companies and they weren’t hiring (and most were pretty small!). This was my initial reason for starting Miakoda.”

Their love and respect for animals, fashion, and yoga has led the Ahren sisters to found Miakoda NY, which has been offering a range of high-quality vegan athletic clothing and accessories since 2013. Additionally, all of their pieces are made in an ethical factory and with sustainable materials! According to their website, their mission is to "change the way we consume, the way we shop, and most importantly: the way we treat our planet, our animals, and each other!" Support this compassionate brand by browsing their collection today!