Cruelty-Free Fashion with Maris Kastanos of Skinless in September

Photography by Megan Weaver

Meet Maris. She’s the stylish woman behind one of my favorite cruelty-free fashion blogs, Skinless in September. Maris is, to say the least, so nice and so fashionable. I’m telling you, every time she’s in New York and we get to meet for lunch, she walks in the room in an absolutely perfect, enviable, fashion-forward ensemble. I recently asked Maris to share her cruelty-free fashion wisdom and expertise with us all and I learned so much from what she had to say. Read our full interview below for her great insight, tips and tricks for the very best in cruelty-free fashion.

What led you to adopt a vegan lifestyle?

I have been an animal lover my entire life. Growing up riding horses competitively since the age of five, I spent my days after school and weekends at the barn for four or five hours a day. Sharing a bond with such incredible creatures has been my biggest passion in life. I was also always the one to rescue any animal in need, whether that be a stray dog off the street (a few too many times if you ask my Mom and Dad) or a stranded Koi fish from an indoor pond in my apartment building complex (a story for another time!). While I was raised by my parents to be compassionate, veganism was not something I had considered until later in life. I went back and forth with the idea of going vegetarian in high school, but because my choice to give up meat would have been an ethical one, that meant I would have had to forgo my designer bags and shoes. This was something that I wasn’t willing to or mature enough to sacrifice in high school.

Never one to eat much meat, my diet gradually veered away from animal protein as I grew older. But there were two elements that really inspired me to go fully vegan. First, Jessica Schlueter of The Tree Kisser and I went to college together and were friends on Facebook. She often posted (and still does) articles that really made me question my decision to consume animal products. I most certainly have her to thank for “planting the seed.” About a year after silently following Jessica’s posts, I discovered Esther The Wonder Pig on Instagram – game over. I immediately stopped eating pork, and about six months later I told myself, “You can do this. You have to do this for all of the animals.” The rest is history and I went full on vegan in September of 2014.

People get to see a glimpse into my life in NYC where it’s pretty easy to be vegan because it’s such a big city. Tell us what it’s like being vegan in Dallas, Texas.

I get that question all the time and it’s honestly not that difficult! I think once you set your mind out to do something you are extremely passionate about, like being vegan, you just do it. There are a surprisingly large number of vegan friendly options in Dallas and they are only growing! With that said, I am extremely lucky to have the support of my Texas born and raised, now formerly highly carnivorous husband, who eats vegan with me about 90% of the time.

Describe your style.

The majority of the time I gravitate towards bright colors and bold patterns. I feel most confident when I’m wearing looks that are classic and feminine, yet unexpected.

Help us shop more cruelty-free! What are some of your favorite clothing brands that are all vegan or have great vegan options?

• ZARA has a ton of vegan clothing options, which means no silk (think polyester), wool (think acrylic or a cotton blend), or fur (only faux!).
• Madewell has been a great source for me to find vegan sweaters and ASOS is also one of my favorites as they have a ton of acrylic options.
• Shopbop is, always has been, and always will be a favorite. They curate the best styles and I like that I’m able to check the materials online before purchasing.
• Vaute Couture has amazing coats made out of recycled plastic bottles and it is the only brand where I have found a 100% vegan hat that looks like it’s made from wool.

You used to have quite the designer purse collection, but as we know now many of those purses are made of leather and inhumanely sourced. What are some of your favorite brands for high-quality, leather-free handbags?

• For high end designers, Stella McCartney all the way! She keeps coming out with new styles and the Falabella is still a classic. Even brands like Givenchy have introduced vegan alternatives into their collection. It really is such an exciting time for vegan fashion.
• For mid-priced designers Freedom of Animals’ bags are stunning, and Viva Creatures styles are also extremely well made. I just received the Victor clutch in the mail and it feels just like real leather!
• For a slightly more affordable option, my absolute favorite is Deux Lux. Their collections are always on trend and it’s nice that the brand is available online and in stores like Shopbop and Nordstrom, respectively.

What are some of your favorite, essential, go-to items in your closet?

Definitely my Stella McCartney blue tote I got for Christmas last year, my Deux Lux card case for nights out when I don’t want to lug around a big wallet and my BHAVA Studio Darcy booties.

What are some of your favorite cruelty-free beauty brands?

I have discovered so many through Petit Vour’s monthly box it’s hard to choose my favorites! The items I can’t live without: Lily Lo mascara, ModelCo bronzer, W3LL bio brightener stick, Tarte maracuja creaseless concealer, Rosebud Salve for my lips, Zabana Essentials Dry Shampoo, Meow Meow Tweet lavender deodorant cream, and Josie Maran whipped argan oil body butter.

What advice do you have for someone just starting to delve into the world of cruelty-free fashion?

First: Don’t feel like you have to do everything at once. If someone had given me that advice in high school, my path towards living a cruelty free lifestyle would have begun much sooner and many more animals lives would have been spared. If you feel that Meatless Mondays is all you can do right now, that’s completely fine, but commit to it. Once you get comfortable with the idea of changing your lifestyle, it will become fun to try new food and cook new recipes, as well as get involved in the expanding world of vegan fashion and beauty. From a former diehard fan of Christian Louboutin and Chanel, I promise you there are a TON of amazing cruelty-free brands and options out there.

Second: Educate yourself. The more you know the more you will be inspired to live cruelty-free. Most people are afraid to watch informative documentaries because they don’t want to feel immense sadness. Yes, it will happen and your heart will be broken, but your skin thickens over a short period of time and you channel that sadness into being proactive.

Third: Be open to trying new brands. I get SO many compliments on my vegan closet. Whether it is a gorgeous faux fur jacket, an acrylic scarf, or a cruelty-free clutch, more often than not people can’t believe how good vegan fashion looks.

Lastly: Always cross reference different sites when purchasing an item from a brand that isn’t 100% vegan. For example, I found a Rebecca Minkoff clutch that was labeled as faux leather on two major online retailers, but listed as real leather on another. I contacted Rebecca Minkoff directly to clarify and it in fact was real leather. The first two retailers completely misled me and unfortunately this has happened on more than one occasion. I would feel extremely guilty if I purchased the real thing and would never want to mislead my own readers, which is why I always double check!

Can you share with us some of your favorite fashion picks for summer?

Mules are really in style this season and BHAVA Studio made a gorgeous pair that I am completely in love with. // For jewelry, I’m loving Rocksbox, a personalized monthly jewelry subscription where you can trade in your pieces for new ones at any time. To get your first month free you can use code skinlessinseptemberxoxo. If you like to accessorize, I highly recommend it! // I have been wearing this Deux Lux London Pouch non-stop and always receive a ton of compliments on it! // These summer flats from BP, which are conveniently available at Nordstrom. A non-vegan friend of mine actually introduced me to the brand.

Be sure to check out Maris’ blog, Skinless in September, for more cruelty-free inspiration!

xo,

Tedi