Can fashion be beautiful and kind? We believe yes.
This article takes a clear, honest look at the animal cruelty hidden behind traditional materials like fur, leather, wool, and exotic skins - and shows how choosing vegan fashion lets you stay stylish with a clean conscience.

The Hidden Cruelty Behind Common Fashion Materials

Fur: million of lives for decoration

Around 100 million animals - including minks, foxes, and rabbits - are killed just for fur every year. Most live their entire lives in cramped, dirty cages before being killed by cheap methods like gassing or electrocution. All for a hood trim or pom-pom on a hat.

Leather: a billion animals each year

Leather isn’t just a byproduct of meat. It’s an enormous, profitable industry that kills over a billion animals annually. Cows, pigs, goats, sheep - many raised in factory farm conditions - are slaughtered for their skins. Exotic leather goes even further, targeting wildlife species simply for “luxury.”

Exotic Skins: luxury built on suffering

High-end fashion still uses skins from crocodiles, alligators, snakes, and ostriches. Many of these animals are factory-farmed in cramped enclosures or killed young in extremely cruel ways. A handbag or pair of luxury sneakers can cost an animal its entire life.

Wool: not as harmless as it seems

Wool is often described as harmless - but many sheep endure painful procedures like mulesing, where strips of skin are removed without pain relief. Shearing itself can be rough and rushed, leaving sheep injured or stressed. Globally, over 1.1 billion sheep are exploited for wool.

The conclusion is simple: behind many “normal” fashion items lies real suffering. But the good news? More and more people are choosing compassion and say 'no more'.

Why Vegan Fashion Matters

Ethics Are Becoming Mainstream

As people learn the facts, opinions change dramatically. After exposure to the truth, fashion students who believed using animal skins was wrong jumped from 37% to 93%. Awareness creates compassion.

It Matches Modern Values

A growing global audience - from Europe to China - is choosing animal-free materials because they align with kindness, sustainability, and social responsibility. Major brands have already dropped fur, and cruelty-free options are now widely celebrated.

It’s Better for the Planet

Animal-based materials come with a heavy environmental cost.

• Leather from cow skin has 3× higher environmental impact than vegan leather.

• Wool is around twice as polluting as polyester.

Vegan and animal-free materials such as pineapple fiber, or recycled textiles often use less water, fewer chemicals, and generate less waste.

Choosing cruelty-free fashion usually means choosing a greener lifestyle too.

The New Orchard: Cruelty-Free Style Done Right

At New Orchard, we prove that ethical fashion can be stylish, comfortable, and beautifully crafted.

Innovative Vegan Materials

No leather, no wool, no fur — ever.
Instead, we use eco-friendly alternatives, including banana-fiber insoles, faux furs made of recycled microfibres, and durable European-sourced textiles.

Italian Style meets Swiss Quality

All our boots are handmade by artisans in Italy’s Marche region - known for luxury footwear. Each pair is crafted with precision, comfort, and longevity in mind. 

Timeless, Unisex Designs

Our signature basic collection works for everyone and every season - warm, waterproof, and versatile enough for everyday wear.

Ethics Beyond the Product

We donate 10% of profits from our green products to animal charities, especially dog adoptions.
Your purchase doesn’t just avoid harm - it actively supports good causes.

Choosing The New Orchard means choosing comfort, craftsmanship, and compassion.

Green Week With Purpose: Our Collaboration with VGT

This Black Friday - which we call Green Week - we’re partnering with VGT (Verein Gegen Tierfabriken), one of Austria’s leading animal-welfare organizations.

Who Is VGT?

Since 1992, VGT has pushed for meaningful reforms, exposed cruelty, and helped close all fur farms in Austria. Their victories prove that activism and public ethics can drive real change.

Why We Partner

Because we share the same mission: a fashion future without suffering.
A portion of our Green Week sales goes directly to supporting VGT’s work.

Shopping vegan becomes an act of advocacy.

A Must-Watch: Slay by Rebecca Loviconi

If you want to understand the reality behind fur, leather, and wool production, Slay is essential viewing.
It exposes the environmental, ethical, and human costs behind animal-based fashion - and has changed countless minds.

You can stream it on WaterBear or Apple TV.

Fashion Without Suffering Is Already Here

Kind fashion isn’t a trend - it’s the future.
When you choose animal-free materials, you’re choosing empathy, sustainability, and modern style. Whether it’s a faux-fur coat or a pair of our banana-fiber-lined winter boots, every purchase sends a message that cruelty in fashion is outdated.

At The New Orchard, we’re proud to help make that choice effortless - and beautiful.

Let’s step into a kinder kind of fashion. Together.