Meet Annick Ireland, Founder of Immaculate Vegan, the Marketplace that offers outstanding choices with inspiration

We had the pleasure of interviewing Annick Ireland and finding out about her story, and Inmmaculate Vegan.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SPECIALIZE IN VEGAN AND SUSTAINABLE FASHION?

I became vegetarian after adopting a greyhound from the Retired Greyhound Trust, and making the link between the pets we love and all animals; and then soon after that the penny finally dropped and I became vegan. But I initially found it hard to find really high quality and on trend vegan bags, shoes and accessories. After a LOT of time on Instagram I finally found several gorgeous brands, but what struck me was that as a committed vegan it was still sometimes hard to find what I was looking for – and in all likelihood the average ‘conscious consumer’ who’s just looking to make some better choices wouldn’t find them.

Real, impactful change will only come from persuading the many, not the few, to choose more ethically and sustainably. And I firmly believe that to achieve change on a large scale, the alternative needs to look more beautiful, more sexy, and more aspirational than the status quo. And it needs to be presented without judgement.

So I founded Immaculate Vegan to do that. Our mission is to help drive the shift to an ethical and sustainable lifestyle that optimises happiness and wellness, for the many not the few. And we believe we can do this by changing the perception of the vegan lifestyle – from alternative to aspirational; and from limiting to transformational.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES YOU FACE?

Starting a new business is always challenging. Initially it wasn’t easy finding great brands in all the categories we want to grow in, but that’s really changing and there are so many beautiful 100% vegan and sustainable brands out there now. Our main challenge now is getting through the current COVID 19 crisis, when overall retail sales are really difficult, which we’re doing by focusing on the amazing stories behind the 100+ small brands we support, and creating useful and inspirational content that helps people make positive lifestyle changes.

Photography by Alessia Chinazzo

WHY IS CANUSSA AT IMMACULATE VEGAN?

Obviously Canussa has exactly the right values for us in terms of ethics and sustainability. But it’s much more than that. We love the premium and minimalist aesthetic of Canussa’s range, the fact that it’s classic and seasonless, and many pieces are unisex. But also that it’s a high end, beautifully designed and exquisitely crafted brand, which demonstrates perfectly that you absolutely don’t have to sacrifice ethics and sustainability for style – you can have it all!