PETA France's 'Vegan Fashion Prize' honors the brands that made a difference this year

Jean Paul Gaultier, Asos and Versace are just some of the major clothing brands being celebrated by PETA France this season, as part of the animal rights organization's third annual ‘Vegan Fashion Prize.'

The charity declared Versace, Burberry, Maison Margiela, Diane von Furstenberg and Jean Paul Gaultier the winners of its ‘Biggest Luxury Fashion Moment' for announcing plans to eliminate the use of animal fur from their collections during 2018, while Helsinki Fashion Week, which has banned leather from its catwalks in 2019, was named ‘Most Progressive Fashion Event'.

Online fashion giant Asos was awarded the title ‘Most Progressive Retailer' after banning the sale of collections containing cashmere, silk, feathers and mohair across its platform this year, and Studio Céleste of Galeries Lafayette took the category of ‘Best collection of vegan shoes', for its cruelty-free series of sneakers and boots.

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"The vegan lifestyle is booming, and consumers are turning their attention to products that fit with their ecological principles and respect for animals," Mathilde Dorebessan, corporate communications officer for PETA France, said in a statement. "Designers today are adopting materials that do not involve cruelty and the days of brands that continue to treat animals as textile products are numbered."

Vegan fashion has seen its status transformed over the past few years, as sustainability becomes increasingly important to consumers. This year saw fashion heavyweight Hugo Boss launch a new Boss Menswear shoe fabricated using Piñatex, a natural-based material made from pineapple leaf fibers, while Stella McCartney and Adidas released a vegan leather version of the iconic Stan Smith sneaker. The use of fur has also become an increasingly controversial topic, with multiple brands stepping away from the practice this year.