Vegan shoe brand Bourgeois Boheme‘s founder Alicia Lai was thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce cruelty-free fashion and eco-conscious style to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Daniel and Princess Victoria during their recent Royal Visit in Sweden. The royals opened the British Embassy’s Creative Industries exhibition at the historic luxury department store Nordiska Kompaniet (NK) in Stockholm, which featured selected UK brands from the design, fashion and creative industries including Bourgeois Boheme.
The event was an opportunity to demonstrate the use of innovation, technology and sustainability in business businesses, and Bourgeois Boheme marked the occasion by showcasing their upcoming SS18 collection, which launches in mid-March and features innovative materials such as Pinatex, EcoStone, cork, Bio-Polyoils and recycled rubber.
Alicia said; “We’re here to show people there is an alternative to what’s out there in the mainstream, to leather, because leather isn’t a sustainable material. For us quality is key.”
She said of Kate and Prince Daniel: “They hadn’t heard of vegan shoes before so it was great to introduce them to this concept and look at the ethos behind our work. They were really interested in our product. [Kate] asked about the materials we are using, how large our range is and our best sellers. We’re a small company, being given the opportunity to showcase our range and receive recognition for what we’re doing is really amazing.”
Bourgeois Boheme is an independent London-based footwear brand for men and women making British-inspired vegan shoes completely free from animal-derived materials. The brand-exclusive, intricate styles are artisan-made in Portugal from the finest eco-friendly Italian vegan leathers. With great attention to detail, Bourgeois Boheme champions slow fashion and re-defines the perception of leather-free footwear.
Regarding the lower quality of many vegan shoe brands, Alicia says; “We believe that a good vegan shoe should be more than just excluding animal materials.”
Shop Bourgeois Boheme here on their website or Amazon stateside.