[Exclusive Interview]: Get to Know the Designer Behind VEGAN TIGER, Korea’s First Vegan Fashion Brand
After the 2022 Spring Summer Seoul Fashion Week, VEGAN TIGER's CEO Yang Yoona was kind enough to answer some of our questions. As the designer behind South Korea’s first ever vegan fashion brand, we dived into the topic of veganism in Korea and sourcing animal-friendly substitute materials. Yang Yoona also talks about how it felt to have VEGAN TIGER’s debut show as the finale at Seoul Fashion Week, what she thinks about the ways the pandemic changed our styles, and why she would love to work with BTS and BLACKPINK.
Q: For those of our readers who are new to your brand, can you explain a little about the name “VEGAN TIGER”?
Yang Yoona: VEGAN TIGER is also my nickname as a designer. I am vegan and I have a passionate, enterprising, and fierce personality. A close friend once told me that I was like a “vegan tiger.” Usually designer brands use their names or nicknames as brand names. The brand I wanted to create was a vegan fashion brand with strong, progressive, unique and courageous feelings. I didn’t want to make only cotton shirts made of plant-based materials. Isn’t this an item that can be bought from all brands other than vegan brands? “What is the most important item in vegan fashion?” I asked myself, and of course, a substitute for the item that exploits animals the most. Items that replace fur, leather, wool, and silk. Fur outfits but not animal fur and leather but not animal skin. I thought these overlapping elements fit well with the dual meaning of veganism and tiger.
Q: Prior to launching VEGAN TIGER, you worked both in fashion and at an animal rights organization. When and how did you realize you should combine the two?
Y: I worked in the fashion industry for about five years, including a menswear company and a tailor shop. I adopted a cat one day and I fell in love so much that I became interested in the lives of other animals, and wanted to be part of an animal rights organization myself. We had campaigned against fur and prohibited the use of cruel wool every winter, and I became aware of serious animal abuse in the fashion industry. Despite the passionate campaign for animal rights, I felt that it was difficult to reduce the actual consumption of animal clothing. Until just five to seven years ago, there was a strong perception in Korea that artificial fur or artificial leather products were “cheap.” Fall-winter season clothing necessarily included animal materials such as wool and angora. I realized that the “anti-fur campaign” would never end unless a replacement market was ready. So I thought I should make one. Attractive, warm, but non-cruel fashion. I wanted to make a real change by making clothes that even people not interested in animal rights would buy.
Q: When I was in Korea a little over two years ago, even finding a restaurant that offers vegan options was hard. But it seems like there has been a change in relevant lifestyle and fashion trends in the country. What is your experience and thoughts about this?
Y: Yes, indeed, Korea has undergone tremendous changes in the last three years. Veganism began to be easily recognized as a cultural lifestyle rather than a movement that requires some great determination. This is what I truly wished for. I had to explain what veganism is to talk about vegan fashion even back in 2016. It was hard to even find the word “vegan” in the country. But nowadays everyone knows what veganism is. You can easily find vegan food on delivery apps, and recently launched cosmetic brands have vegan products. This may be a trend-like change through social media, but I think it’s in the efforts and practices of individuals in response to the climate crisis.
Q: Korean beauty is known to be cruelty-free, and vegetarianism is becoming a cultural phenomenon. Is this more than a trend? Do you think this is just a trend or something that we can stick to in the long term?
Y: Vegan culture is just rooted in Korean society. There’s a high possibility of further development and it will be prolonged. When this trendy phenomenon reaches its limit, it will continue to be maintained.
Q: Our readers are K-Pop fans from all around the world. Is there an idol or group that you really want to work together with but haven’t had a chance yet?
Y: BTS and BLACKPINK! I love the positive influence of BTS and want to share how fashion can save lives together with them. And BLACKPINK! Rosé wore our fur jacket in the “Lovesick Girls” music video. I want to dress them entirely in VEGAN TIGER outfits if I get a chance.
Q: During the pandemic, we definitely wore more comfortable clothes than ever before. In your opinion, how did our fashion sense, style change? How did this influence the upcoming trends and your 2022 SS collection?
Y: We have become familiar with “1mile wear”, which is comfortable and can be worn indoors and outdoors, over two years. Now we are unfamiliar with outfits that unnecessarily tighten our bodies or cause discomfort in movement. No parties or music festivals were held. We haven’t been able to dress up for a long time. In the upcoming 2022, we will be able to recover our daily life due to “With Corona.” It’s the time to express as much as we want with fashion again. I wanted to show intense color prints, decorative outfits, and maximal style to relieve what I've endured. Our SS collection has “I am the coolest” attitude but still gives a lot of comfort to our bodies.
Q: We really like the approach you took with Innocean Worldwide in the “Super Animal Fur” spot last year where instead of aiming at companies that use real animal fur, you emphasized the benefits of fake fur, raising awareness and showing a possibility/solution of fashion without animal sacrifice. Meanwhile your fake fur coats are very similar to actual fur coats. How do you source these high quality, but still ethical materials? What substitutes are your favorites?
Y: As a fashion brand, we felt that there was a limit to appealing only to ethical values. We always try a cool and meaningful way of delivering messages. Our favorite product is vegan fur. The reason vegan fashion was born is to give an alternative market for fur and leather goods. Artificial fur materials have been developed to the point where it’s difficult to distinguish them from animal fur, and various processing and productions are possible as you want. Technology is getting better and better as the years go by. We are conducting R&D with material companies to make vegan fur by recycling plastic bottles. We are into plant-based leather at the moment. We made the vegan leather outer with wine leather from Italy and cactus leather from Mexico which was very cool. Recently Hanji leather, which is Korean traditional handmade paper, has been developed and being used.
Q: Preparing for the digital runway of 2022 Spring Summer Seoul Fashion Week must have been different from preparing for a usual runway presentation. What was your initial approach?
Y: We contemplated the harmony between the atmosphere of the location with us this Seoul Fashion Week. The collection was shown in a historical, oriental, and colorful place called Gyeonghuigung Palace. We had to show our collection by maintaining our style without being confined to the place. We adhered to the way to maintain our identity rather than how to be suitable to the location. The collection was completed with the imagination that the harmony of tradition and modernity would be wonderful. We have discussed enough with the filming team about how to shoot every individual product. We used different shooting techniques according to the point of clothes and the runway sequence and styling were completed.
Q: The finale and closing is important on every runway or fashion week. How did you feel about taking this role?
Y: This Seoul Fashion Week was our VEGAN TIGER's debut show. It felt like a dream to be in charge of the finale at the same time as our debut. There was a 95% will to nail it and 5% fear. My heart was about to explode with the anticipation of being the first-ever vegan fashion brand to take part in Seoul Fashion Week. Rather than trying to be approved by everyone, I prepared to satisfy myself and without regret. Isn't Seoul Fashion Week a stage for designers representing Korea? This stage is the same as a world stage. Anyone who likes VEGAN TIGER could sit in the front row and watch our show? I couldn't be happier!
You can check our full recaps on the 2022 Spring Summer Seoul Fashion Week shows here.
Thank you VEGAN TIGER, Seoul Fashion Week, and WWD Korea for making this interview possible!