From the blog Of Course Vegan: The push for more eco-friendly cruelty-free fashion is an important one. Too often, we have heard vegans say they can't find stylish shoes, clothes, and accessories that are guaranteed cruelty-free. Australia's Cassandra Pons is one of the few people across the globe looking to change that for the better. She wants to get the best line of options for people without letting animals suffer and die for our pleasure. And it's vintage style at that.The founder of Make Amend, Pons has shown that individuals with quality ideas and top-level skill can make a difference in this world. We should too. Of Course Vegan sat down with Pons to talk all things fashion, cruelty-free and life. Of Course Vegan: How did you get into fashion in the first place? Cassandra Pons: For as long as I can remember I have been a very creative person and always very ‘artsy'. When I started high school I was encouraged to pursue my creativity more through my studies of Home Economics and Art, and this really got me going. I didn't what I wanted to do when I finished school, but I knew it had to be something that fed my creative spirit. I didn't want to fit into the mould of what everyone else was trying to make me. Being the typical girl that I am, fashion was always something that I loved but I never knew I had a talent for sewing. It wasn't until my senior year of high school where I went through a somewhat obsessive stage of op-shopping that I discovered my love for redesigned and handmade fashion. Once I started I couldn't stop! It all happened so naturally and it brought me so much happiness that I knew that this was what I am meant to do. I'm a very determined person so once I set my mind to having my own fashion label, I just worked and worked and worked to make it happen. OCV: Was focusing on eco-friendly, vegan fashion what you wanted to do? Pons: Yes – I wanted to break down that stigma that eco fashion was musty, moldy or gross. I wanted to make cute clothes that were unique but supported the environment too! I felt frustated as a young girl going out with my friends, but everyone was wearing the same thing. When I went shopping there just wasn't anything that was quirky or unique, so I started making things myself. I realized that using recycled materials and upcycled garments created a much more sustainable approach to fashion, and that you could look lovely and support the environment too. These were all things I was passionate about myself and launching my label Make Amend allowed me to share it with others too. OCV: In today's fashion world, can you make it doing this? What has changed in the industry to be more eco-conscious? Pons: It's certainly not easy to be different, but I believe I'm going to make it. Times are changing and people are more conscious about what they do and how to affects others. It takes something special to start a fashion label, creating unique fashion but doing so in an ethical manner is what I believe makes all the difference. Fashion is a form of art and how I express myself artistically and this in turn gives my customers the chance to support what the label represents too – independent design and sustainable resources. Consumers are thinking about what they do and how they do it more now than ever. OCV: You have a vintage style to the line. What inspired that? Pons: My fashion label literally started out as me going op-shopping with my nanna and finding vintage garments that were totally awesome but needed a bit of tweaking to make them wearable. I just loved all of the classic cuts, colours and styles I found in the thrift stores because I was yearning for something different. I didn't want to wear the same mass produced fashion every other girl my age was wearing. So I guess that is what initially sparked my interest in vintage. This is turn grew and I found the looking into the past was a great inspiration to me, a design challenge in that I asked my self “How can I capture the charm of yesteryear, but make it modern and wearable?" OCV: Are there plans to spread the brand across Australia? the world? Pons: Certainly. Townsville is my hometown and where I have started my label and have received great support from the community. I have found though that there is great interest and appreciation for my label in cities such as Brisbane and Melbourne and my online Etsy store enables me to access these customers. I have also sold overseas to the US, UK and Japan via Etsy which is very exciting too. I would like to expand this further by stocking stores in other locations too. OCV: What separates Make Amend from other companies out there? Pons: Make Amend is an independent fashion label that creates retro inspired fashion and accessories from recycled materials and upcycled garments. My designs capture the charm of yesteryear with a contemporary edge. They are unique, one of a kind, and handcrafted. Recycled materials are used as often as possible creating a sustainable approach to fashion. And to top it all off, they are really cute! OCV: What is Cassandra Pons' favorite thing to wear? Pons: I love to wear my own designs because like I said before, they are my art, they represent who I am and what I believe in. I love wearing cute dresses, and high waisted shorts/skirts with cropped tops. I am in love with bold colours, interesting fabrics and quirky patterns and embellishments. Top it all off with some big wegde heels and I'm set! ** Note: All photos by House of Lucie
