New York shoe boutique Te Casan recently launched Natalie Portman’s new vegan shoe line, and while there might not be thrills and spills involved, I have to say, I like it. I was tempted to call ‘fug’ on a few of the designs, but being charitable, I suspect these shoes look much more agreeable on feet and paired with a great outfit than on their own. I think there are some great basics in the collection, and all the shoes have a pretty sane and comfortable looking heel height.
This shoe from the initial promo for the line is still one of my favourites:
Really though, did they have to be so specific with the ‘faux’ material, that is, ‘faux calfskin?’ I think it’s supposed to sound more exotic than cow. Err, baby cow. But reading ‘calfskin’ just reminds me that people make sexy party shoes out of skin ripped off of baby cows. And that’s a little depressing. You hear me Natalie? I’m trying to drool over your sensible vegan shoes here; don’t be a buzzkill.
Funny, I like all of the shoe designs in red, but the other colours, ehh…not so much. Except the satin ballet flat; it would be a great staple in black too. I love these flats, they look absolutely luscious.
Another great thing about this collection is that all of Natalie’s profits are going to the Nature Conservancy. Vegan shoes that contribute to ecological conservation efforts, that’s pretty progressive.
The only thing that was lacking, I feel (while we’re shooting for the moon here), was information about ethical manufacture. I had a flicker of hope when I went to the ‘About Us’ page on the Te Casan website and they had a link to their ‘Vision and Values’. But damn, what a flaky letdown:
Our Values–Unique
Every human being is a limited edition. We offer every woman the possibility to express herself in her own way – through limited edition shoes.
Apparently, people with $300 bucks to drop on a pair of party shoes are special, unique snowflakes, ‘expressing themselves through limited edition shoes.’
Earth to Te Casan: here’s what I want to know when it comes to your company values. Under what conditions are your shoes manufactured? Are the people who make them paid at least a living wage? How do you ensure their health and safety of your employees? What are you as a company doing to limit your environmental impact? Maybe you’ve got a great ethical track record as a company, but how is the consumer to know this unless you tell us?
Maybe I’m being too demanding here. But this inane crap about self-expression through conspicuous consumption is insulting to consumers’ intelligence. If I really want to express my uniqueness, I’ll go for a dive in the local thrift store.
