USA: First Ever Vegan UGG Boots Launch in Collaboration With Collina Strada

From vegconomist.com 

UGG, the Californian brand widely known for its sheepskin boots, has launched the first ever vegan versions of the shoes in collaboration with New York fashion label Collina Strada.

The boots are available in a variety of styles and colours, in line with Collina Strada’s reputation for bold, contemporary designs. They include everything from tall ruffle boots to mini platform boots, and are suitable for all genders.

The range is made from eco-friendly materials such as sugarcane, TENCEL, and recycled polyester microfiber. While UGG is not specifically marketing the boots as vegan, they have been confirmed to be free of animal-derived materials.

UGG joins a range of shoe brands that have launched vegan products in recent years, including Adidas, Allbirds, and Puma. Last year, it was reported that the vegan footwear market had reached a value of $40.9 billion, with further significant growth expected.

                                                                                                                                          © UGG

“Step in the right direction”

The launch has been celebrated by animal rights charity PETA, which has been campaigning for UGG to remove sheepskin from its boots for years. This has included buying stocks in the brand’s parent company to influence it, conducting viral social media campaigns, a plea by PETA Honorary Director Pamela Anderson, and emails from over 30,000 PETA supporters.

Last year, UGG was forced to remove from its website a statement alleging that its animal-derived materials were humanely sourced, after PETA sent a cease and desist letter stating that the claim was baseless.

“UGG’s new vegan boots are a step in the right direction,” said PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is celebrating this victory for sheep and urging UGG to give wool the boot by making all its footwear animal-friendly.”

The boots can be purchased from the UGG website and selected online retailers.

https://vegconomist.com/fashion-design-and-beauty/shoes/ugg-vegan-boots-collina-strada/

Dr Martens' profits up 70% with success of new 'vegan' range

From theguardian.com/business

Equity investor Permira weighs up sale or flotation to realise profits on £300m investment

Profits at Dr Martens surged by 70% in the year to the end of March, boosted by the success of designs such as its “vegan” range of boots.
Online sales also rose by two-thirds to £72.7m, accounting for 16% of total revenues for the company, which is expanding to international markets.
Sales of the vegan range – which replaces the leather upper with synthetic polyurethane plastic – have increased by “multiple hundreds of percent” in recent years, according to its chief executive, Kenny Wilson. Vegan boots now account for 4% of the shoemaker’s sales, amid increasing awareness of the environmental impact of livestock among consumers.

             Dr Martens were first manufactured in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, in 1960.

                                                    Photograph: Dr Martens

Other successful products included departures from the original Dr Marten boots such as sandals, collaborations with the Sex Pistols and designer Marc Jacobs, and versions for children.

Increased margins on the products meant underlying earnings rose by 70% year-on-year to £85m, the company said on Monday.

Dr Martens has almost tripled its revenues – from £160.4m in the 2012-13 financial year to £454.4m in the year to 31 March 2019.                                                          Photograph: Dr Martens

The fast growth comes as the shoemaker’s owner considers options to cash in its investment. Permira bought Dr Martens in 2013 in a £300m deal, but the private equity investor is now looking at a possible sale or stock market flotation to realise its profits.

Wilson, the former Cath Kidston and Levi’s executive who was hired last year, said a decision from Permira “could be coming over the horizon”.
“They are starting to look ahead to when they are going to sell the business,” he said.
Permira, which has offices across Europe, has more than €40bn (£37.2bn) of capital that it has either spent or is currently investing, according to its website. Its standard holding period for investments is five to seven years; it has owned Dr Martens for five and a half years.

During that time Dr Martens has almost tripled its revenues, from £160.4m in the 2012-13 financial year to £454.4m in the year to 31 March 2019.
Dr Martens has been pushing to increase its sales of items direct to consumers, rather than paying a large chunk of the sticker price to third-party retailers. Direct-to-consumer revenues rose by 42% year-on-year to just shy of £200m, accounting for 44% of sales.

Wilson said the company was “empowering rebellious self-expression” for the millions of customers who bought 8.3m pairs of shoes over the year.
Dr Martens were first manufactured in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, in 1960, after R Griggs Group bought the design from the eponymous German inventor. The boots became part of the standard outfit for skinheads, punks and goths, but have in recent years been adopted by pop and film stars such as Pharrell Williams, Rita Ora and Julia Roberts.

Dr Martens had 109 of its own stores at the end of March, including two new locations in the UK and four new shops in the US.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/aug/12/dr-martens-profits-up-70-with-success-of-new-vegan-range