EngieStyle Anniversary Celebration Honors First Ever Vegan Fashion Brand Vaute

By Cori Burcham | October 20, 2017

If you find yourself in the NYC area early this week, a fabulous event is occurring on Tuesday that combines high-fashion, animal cruelty-free Vegan clothing, and celebrity guests. On October 24th, EngieStyle, a company that specializes in fashion styling, is holding their annual Anniversary Celebration where Engie Hassan’s celebrity clientele, models, and New York City’s fashion insiders will gather together to commemorate another year of fashion.

This year, the event will be held from 6 to 9pm at the Lovage Rooftop Lounge. Of the many fashion enthusiasts and celebrities in attendance, a few people who will be present include the musical duo Frances Rose and Pop star Jackie Nese. It’s safe to say that anyone who’s anyone in the fashion industry, from fashion insiders to stylists, will be in attendance. The Anniversary Celebration also has an All-Star Host Committee that has collaborated with many partners for a charity raffle that will benefit the Hurricane Relief Efforts of the ASPCA.

The EngieStyle Anniversary Celebration will also be honoring Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, the founder of the bold and innovative animal-conscious fashion brand, Vaute. Leanne is a friend to the Earth and animals alike, since she created the world’s first Vegan fashion brand which includes a new fall collection of Eco-friendly outerwear coats, as well as down-alternative winter jackets.

Leanne was inspired to create her own down-alternative winter line after growing up in Chicago. In an interview with PETA, Leanne stated, “When you’re a child, you can kind of see what’s like really, simply not ok, and I had a sense that we were doing something to animals that no one was talking about.” She continued, “I’m from Chicago and people were wearing animals just to be warm. If I could create an alternative that was as warm or warmer and beautiful for winters, then maybe people would learn they didn’t have to wear animals.”

Making innovative, high-tech 100% Vegan textiles to meet the open market demand meant fabricating a lot of it, which seemed like a risky venture when she first started her company. However, for Hilgart, it was a risk for a worthy cause.

In the interview with PETA, Hilgart goes on to explain some of the horrors that accompany making down winter coats. Many of the companies that make down coats are focused more on mass-production than the humane treatment of animals. A cheap and quick way to gain down feathers from geese requires a painful live plucking system, which geese undergo until their death.

Leanne stated, “The point is that animals just don’t belong in business. You can’t scale a living being; you can’t scale animals that have needs and need to be cared for and need to have life. Vegan is not just a diet. Vegans, we don’t need to exploit or use animals to live. We don’t need to wear, or eat, or use them for entertainment or experiment on them.”

Leanne also commented on the dangers of complicity and the responsibility we have as consumers. “We have to ask ourselves, ‘how is something really being made?’ and ‘whose lives are being affected by what we are participating in, what we’re

supporting?’” said Hilgart. “I mean that’s why we’re called Vaute because it’s high fashion with a V for Vegan; it sounds like vote... Whether you want to or not, you’re supporting the business practices behind the companies that you buy things from.”

If you’re interested in attending the EngieStyle Anniversary Celebration, you can

purchase tickets for $65, which includes one hour of open bar; and while you’re enjoying

your free booze and an important lesson in responsible fashion, you can soak up the

magnificent city skyline on the rooftop lounge. More information about the event can be

found here.

[Originally published on Styleft.com in October 2017]

https://styleft.com/engiestyle-anniversary-celebration-honors-first-ever-vegan-fashion-brand-

vaute/