VAUTE Opens First Manhattan Vegan Clothing Store

This weekend, vegan fashion brand VAUTE Couture will open the first permanent vegan clothing store in Manhattan. The Lower East Side store is the second incarnation of VAUTE’s retail storefront, with the company’s first retail location in Brooklyn. “Being in this neighborhood—with all the beautiful stores, restaurants, and hotels—means people will come check out cruelty-free fashion and maybe realize that what you eat [and] what you wear makes a difference,” founder and CEO Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart said. Items available in-store will include VAUTE’s signature wool-free coats, a new swimwear line made from recycled carpet fibers, and organic bodysuits, along with a selection of vegan snacks at the in-store café. Saturday’s grand opening party will feature free vegan cupcakes from chef Chloe Coscarelli, macarons by Sweet Maresa, and lip tar from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, while all clothing will be 50 percent off during opening weekend and 40 percent off during the first week of operation (August 15–22.)