If, like us, you love your fashion cruelty-free with a side of chic, you already know Compassion Couture, the vegan and eco-friendly online boutique that caters to your accessory needs (and wants!) with a kind touch. As the holidays are upon us, we had a chat with Tracey, one of the creators of Compassionate Couture, about her holiday favourites. What do you typically do for the holidays? The holidays are a crazy but fun time of year for me. In addition to working on Compassion Couture, I still work full time in commercial real estate finance. So it means a lot of back-to-back work related parties and dinners on top of it being our busy season. I actually come from a Jewish family, so we celebrate Chanukah but in a non-traditional way – it’s just about being with family so we have one night of celebrating by having a laid back dinner and exchanging gifts with my parents and sister.
What’s on your holiday wishlist this year?’ This is going to sound funny but the boots I wore almost every day last year, I accidentally burned sitting in front of a campfire a few weeks ago so I really need to replace them – the ones I’m hoping for are the Neuaura Walstans – they are water resistant, classy enough to wear to work and fit virtually everyone.
– I’ve been traveling a ton this past year and will probably be doing even more traveling in 2014 so I’d love some travel accessories like this shoe bag by Hudson + Bleecker.
-People are usually suprised by this but I’m a horrible cook and mainly just use the microwave, so I’d love some vegan cooking lessons from the Nourishing Vegan . -I’m always multi-tasking so I’m in serious need of a stylish pair of fingerless gloves that convert to mittens so that I can still use my smart phone while wearing them. It’s not that easy to find ones that are vegan but my mom actually did some research and found a pair for me.
What do you usually keep in mind when choosing holiday gifts for your loved ones? I think it depends on the person I’m shopping for. I try to pick out something that I know the person I’m buying for is going to love so I try to shop with that person’s personality and taste in mind. There’s nothing better than giving someone a gift that they are excited to get that they wouldn’t have otherwise bought for themselves.
We all have that friend who already ”has everything” or is tricky to shop for. What do you recommend? That’s alwasys tough – when all else fails, I usually try to think of what their favorite store is and get them a gift certificate. Restaurant gift certificates to their favorite place to eat are always appreciated.
I have a vegan friend and I have no idea what to get him/her. Tips? For a girlfriend that’s vegan I would recommend a few things: -one of our necklaces by Christy Robinson. They are all handmade and are engraved with adorable messages that promote cruelty-free living.
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-Wristlets are another way you can’t go wrong. I love how Matt & Nat makes theirs with bill/card compartments inside so you can keep everything organized and not need to bring a bag. The Large Maya is a perfect example of this – its roomy enough for all your essentials and can double as a wallet by removing the detachable strap.
-Of course, if you can’t decide, there’s always a gift certificate!
For a guy that’s vegan, I tend to always gravitate towards items that are made from recycled bike tires, which I think make such cool accessories. We happen to have one unisex wallet by Matt & Nat that is (by no coincidence) made from recycled biker tire rubber.
Lastly, who doesn’t love getting goodies this time of year? There are so many vegan companies that will deliver a gift set of chocolates or cookies but here are just a few to check out – Rescue Chocolate who donate all their proceeds to animal rescue organization, Gnossis Chocolate and Lagusta’s Luscious.
If you could pick one gift from Compassion Couture to give one another, what would it be? Tracey – Being that Jill and I only sell items that we want for ourselves, choosing just one is really hard. But I think I know which shoes Jill really wanted the most, the Olsen Haus Camp Ankle boots, which are trendy, funky and totally her style.
Jill – I would give Tracey the exclusive Compassion Couture Rose necklace handmade by Christy Robinson.
Our top holiday picks:
-Cornelia Guest Nicolas – This bag is sophisticated, versatile and large enough to double a a weekender
-Cri de Coeur Rogue – Because who doesn’t want a cute pair of motorcycle boots this season? 
-Melissa 2 piece Riding Boots – These are more than meets the eye – rain/snow boots that are stylish enough that you won’t just want to wear them for wet weather. On top of that they are really two pairs of shoes in one – wear them as ankle booties or convert them into riding boots. They come in black and brown.
-Matt & Nat Nathalie wallet – The perfect sleek and sophisticated wallet with enough compartments to keep all your essentials organized and an inner lining made from recycled plastic bottles.
