What do you get when you team up one of the most interesting new vegan style bloggers and a premium brand making cruelty-free handbags? That’s the quest we set out on in our latest collaboration – one that saw the impeccably stylish Marta Canga create three everyday outfits with the Windsor bag from vegan accessory brand LaBante London.

Marta first came onto our radar a few months ago, when we noticed her refined and versatile personal style on Instagram. She is a frequent user of the #VildaOOTD hashtag (share your cruelty-free outfits on Instagram with this tag to be featured on Vilda!), which has landed her in our best dressed edits on several occasions. On her blog, Marta shows her wearable, affordable and cruelty-free outfits along with beauty products, travel features and food. We’re hooked.

The Windsor bag is in many ways the perfect daytime bag: it’s roomy, spacious and sturdy, and at the same time sleek and streamlined, making it easy to pair with a variety of outfits, as Marta shows in these photos. As every LaBante design, the Windsor is made from vegan leather and lined with recycled polyester and 10% of the proceeds, as with any LaBante style, go to charity.

“The Windsor bag is a labour of love, designed in-house and complete with custom gold-toned hardware and detachable wallets for the woman on the go,” says LaBante founder Vanita Badlani Bagri. “At LaBante London we care about the planet so our bags are made out of polyeuthrane (PU). We do not use or condone use of PVC in our bags as that is a material that cannot be broken down by the environment.”

What makes LaBante the go-to brand for those seeking on-trend accessories minus the environmental impact and animal cruelty? Vanita has no doubt: “LaBante London was born out of the need to provide stylish wares with compassion – hence our motto ‘Fashion With Respect’. With the design being the central feature of the products and pristine craftsmanship, that’s why our customers love us as much as they do.”

And Marta certainly is a fan: “I love black bags. I liked the fact that it has interior pockets and compartments for carrying your laptop!” On her choice of outfits for these photos, she says: “I am wearing a faux suede baby blue jacket with a striped top, skinny jeans and some Bahatika trainers. I love this casual look for a day in the city! In the second outfit I’m wearing something I’d put on for work: a long duster coat, a white blouse with black trimming, some tailored black trousers and my favourite Matt & Nat mules. For the last outfit I thought I’d share another outfit that is kind of in between casual and formal. I love pairing a nice white blouse and formal oxford shoes from Bourgeois Boheme with a pair of jeans! And I love green, so I couldn’t leave the house without my parka as it was a bit chilly that day!”

When asked who they design for, Vanita is certain: “We design for people who stand for LOVE! Love for the animals, love for the planet and love for humanity! (The LaBante woman) loves with her whole heart, so the pain of the animals drives her to buy ethically made sustainable products. She loves stylish classy products that are unique and make her stand out of the crowd. She knows that when she buys LaBante London she is making a difference!”

And “making a difference” is exactly what Marta is in it for. She admits there are some hurdles to being a vegan fashion blogger, but they are getting smaller and smaller: “I think the UK is offering a lot of great vegan fashion brands at the moment. You can easily find vegan watches, vegan bags and shoes. It’s just a matter of doing some research – like looking out for brands on Instagram. I also find that sustainable fashion is something to keep in mind. However, prices can be steep, so I’m always on the hunt for affordable, fashionable, ethical designs.”

See Marta wearing the Windsor bag from LaBante London out and about in the city in the video below (just off our brand new and shiny YouTube channel, by the way! More info on that coming soon) and find out more about LaBante’s #FashionWithRespect campaign here.

All photos by Monica Chim

Sascha Camilli

Founder and Editor

A passionate changemaker, Sascha Camilli is the founder and editor-in-chief of Vilda Magazine. Born in Moscow and raised in Stockholm, she has also lived in Los Angeles, London, Milan and Florence, before landing in her current hometown of Brighton, UK. She was selected as one of GLAMOUR UK's Most Empowering Nu-Gen Activists and is a frequent public speaker on the topic of vegan fashion and material innovation. Her book Vegan Style is out now on Murdoch Books.