Melvin!!! and me at the California Farm Sanctuary :)

So the highlight of my very first (and very much highlight filled!) Cali tour was definitely visiting the California home of the Farm Sanctuary, and hanging with tiny and thoughtful Melvin. Melvin was bred for his long beautiful hair, and after enduring cruel factory farming conditions would’ve been slaughtered after only a few years of life, when he was of no use to the wool business. Apparently he is somewhat of an outcast (hard to believe if you met this little guy!)… and I could’ve spent hours just cuddling him and his bff Alicia (named after, who else?). The two of them keep each other company in the amazing and beautiful haven that is FARM SANCTUARY! Ah la la how I love this place! If you live in Cali or Upstate NY you owe it to yourself to plan a visit STAT. now. run! I mean it.

What this post needs is- MORE MELVINNNN!

Other fun packed into less than two weeks included… a visit with the amazing VegNews staff! Seeing staff writer Abigail Young & Miss Vegansaurus herself the amazing Laura B (who has a new VegNews column and will answer your deepest darkest questions about being Vegan!, email her at AskLaura@VegNews.com- fun!) create a musical on stage masterpiece of joy and love, not to mention glitter galore!, an awesome time with inspiring wonderful LA peeps! (thanks Nik!), Gracias Madres (empanadas!!), Cafe Gratitude (sushi bowl!), Cha-ya (udon!), Vegan Cupcakes, judging  the SF Veg Fest Model Castings (so many veg hotties in SF!), Millennium (Chocolate Midnight at the bar-hollerrrr) Native Foods (TWICE!- that (vegan) Fish Taco is TO DIE FOR!), a hike on the top of a SF National Park Mountain! (the views! the fresh!), an incredible and inspiring day at the HSUS Hollywood Offices (with a visit from the lovely Emily D!) and fun times with the bubbly adorable gals from Spork Foods.

the (vegan) Bacon Cheeseburger (Native Foods, LA!) & Avocado Fries (a dreammm....At Farwood, near the CA Farm Sanctuary)

LA Pop Up Shops at HSUS Hollywood (left with my hometown girl Catherine) & Spork Foods (right, with my new town girl Annette)!

Super glorious filled hike with the incredible Val & Nestor- the adorable face of Berkeley East Bay Humane Society!

Two of my California Gurls!! Polly Walters of Veggywood (LA), & Laura B of Vegansaurus (SF)

SF Pop Up Shop at the A.Muse Gallery with Ciara, left (AnimalFriendlyShopping.com) & the adorable Jo & Jenny! (right)

SUN. SMILES. and lots of LOVE to you Cali! I’ll be back for more, miss you already!

(Full album coming soon to Facebook.com/VauteCouture)

warmest,

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Yes, it’s here! Our NYC Pop Up Shop!

Come hang out and say hi!! I’ll be there giving out free hugs & cupcakes, looking forward to some quality time with you! Grab a piece from our first collection at a Sample Sale in person 55%+ prices! Come preview and preorder one of the new coats (Men’s too!) from our upcoming FW10 collection, at a special only in person preorder price of 50% off (IN PERSON ONLY! Better than our online preorder price will start at! All your cross country friends will be jealous!) Also check out our new 100% organic cotton hand dyed minidresses & upcycled windbreakers at Sample Sale Prices too! Tees and tanks will also be on hand for take home.

When: Saturday September 11th (2-7pm), Sunday September 12th (1-5pm), Tuesday September 14th (3-8pm) and Wednesday September 15th (12-5pm). Email us to make your appt with your ideal time (i.e. 3-5pm Sunday!) and we’ll email you back with your very own 15 minute appt. slot for some one on one time. Bring up to 3 friends!

Where: MooShoes NYC, where else?! 78 Orchard Street in NYC

How: Come shop, hang out, see & try on! And enjoy a vegan cupcake of course! Mastercard & Visa taken too! And feel free to bring up to 3 friends for your appointment (those 2nd and 3rd opinions, priceless!)

What’s the new FW10 collection look like? Oh, you’ll see! Introducing men’s, urban snow coats, & knits!

RSVP to Sales@VauteCouture.com, can’t wait to see you!

warmest,

Had such a blast doing an East Coast tour last January… here’s a three city Cali tour next Sunday-Sunday!

MINI PARTIES & POP-UPS! There are a couple of open events (parties!), but if you want some face & try on time to check out the new FW10 collection (to preorder and get a discount for doing so!), special remaining pieces from FW09, and current summer/early fall pieces to try on and purchase on the spot- we’re taking appointments for the first time, at the Pop Up Shops (by appointment only)! Check out the open times and email me ASAP to book yours. Feel free to book for you + BFF for that second opinion

TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT for a CALI Pop-Up Shop!

1. Email Sales@VauteCouture.com with “CALI Appointment” in the title.

2. THE APPT: Send me your location, date, and ideal time for appt, with a 2nd choice if 1st isn’t available.

3. HOW MANY? Let me know if you’re bringing a pal or 2 (+1, +2)

4. YOUR INFO: Full name, email address, and CELL Number, please!

5. CANCELLATIONS: I’m only in your city for a few days, so PLEASE if you need to cancel, let me know asap and at the very least 24 hours beforehand so I can open up the spot for someone else

5. SPECIAL NOTES: If you are looking at anything in particular, feel free to let me know! (i.e. a certain coat from last season in a certain size/color… this way I know what you like!)

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CALI POP-UPs! THE DEETS!

1. What will be there? Oh, just a sneak peek at the new FW10 coat collection for you to preorder your very own! (yes, this means mens’ too!) Current collections (new organic hand dyed mini-dresses, upcycled windbreakers, tanks/tees!) and the remaining pieces of our first coat collection at special event only prices!

2. When should I arrive? Since each appt is only 15 minutes, it’s best to arrive 10-15 min before your scheduled slot. The next appt. will start right after yours!

3. How can I pay? Credit card (visa/mastercard) or cash is accepted with glee!

4. What about returns/exchanges? Please check your purchase before leaving, but returns/exchange policy is same as always. Let me know that week if you need something different or to return it, no worries!

5. Must I shop? Heavens no, darling! If you’d just like to see me or the collections in person, that’s plenty reason to make an appointment and hang out for a little bit. And free hugs, of course!

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:::::::::::::::::::THE CALI TOUR:::::::::::::::::::

1. the OC- the THREAD SHOW Sunday 8/22 (indie fashion designers galore!) at the OC Fairgrounds

88 Fair Dr. Costa Mesa, 11am-6pm. $5. Open admission- no appointment necessary! Booths A3/A4

2. LA Pop-up Shop Monday 8/23 Cupcakes & Coats! Open Party (6-8pm) at SPORK FOODS!

7494 Santa Monica Blvd, W. Hollywood. Street parking galore.

RSVP Sales@VauteCouture.com to join us for cupcakes at 6 & shop a little too.

3. LA Pop-up Shop Tuesday 8/24 from (4-9pm) (NEW TIME!) at the HSUS Hollywood Offices

820 MORAGA DR, LA. Near the 405 Freeway/across from the Getty Museum. Street parking.

Email us for an appt to make face time with the collections (Sales@VauteCouture.com)

4/4:15/4:30/4:45    5/5:15/5:30/5:45  6/6:15/6:30/6:45     7/7:15/7:30/7:45     8/8:15/8:30/8:45

(crossed out times are already booked) Email Sales@VauteCouture.com to book yours!

4. San Francisco! POP UP SHOPS: Tea & Cupcakes!

Book your personal shopping session. (bring up to 3 guests!)

at A. Muse Gallery 614 Alabama St, SF. Plenty of street parking!

Saturday Noon-5pm AND Sunday 1:30pm-6pm

Email us with your available time range and we’ll pick a slot for you!

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warmest,

Our upcycled indigo windbreaker- limited run. 100% windproof, water resistant, & fully lined. made in Chicago! Pretty + Protected. Perfect for bike rides, picnics, hiking, and drizzly days.

And psst. this is the last week to get the preorder $50 discount with code "Making Dracket" Click for details and to order yours!

And check out our new sexy eco racerback tanks! Inspired by the words of Gandhi: "To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious." Spread the compassion!

It's an eco-blend sexy racerback including organic cotton, recycled polyester, & naturally occurring rayon, sustainably screenprinted in the USA. $32 Click to order yours!

Perfect for sprinkler runs! This one inspired by my favorite Einstein Quote- "Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures..."

Yummmmm sprinkler drops! Find out what spring tastes like. This racerback also $32 and just arrived! Raw edges & super cute fit. Want to grab your very own? Just click here.

Hope you like! You can shop anytime by visiting our shop, tees, coats, and jewelry/art here.

And of course! Lovely photography by the very talented John Cizmas, modeled by our gorgeous Midwestern beauty Brittney Geissel, and hair/makeup by the wonderful Sopha Kommavang.

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So if you hadn’t guessed, VAUTE COUTURE WILL BE THERE. Can’t wait to see you!

So much to show you. Be the first to snap up one on our gorgeously protective new windbreaker indigo dress jackets made of upcycled windproof water resistant 100% Recycled Closed Loop Zero waste satin ripstop and fully lined in silver mesh. They’re perfect for bike rides, drizzly days, windy hikes, and walks in the park being all pretty like you are.

And of course- the last bit of our first ever line of lovely winter coats are here in person for you to find your favorite and take home that day. Make your investment for next fall/winter & get a steal!

Our new racerback tanks made of an eco blend of organic cotton, recycled polyester, and naturally occurring rayon and inspired by the words of two of our favorite animal advocates- Gandhi & Einstein, have arrived. Plus of course tees, handcut jewelry, and hugs on hand too!

WHEN: Thursday April 29th,  5-9pm

WHERE: 233 W Huron, Chicago

WHAT: Chicago’s 25 Best Designers Spring Shopping Cocktail Party! Including of course- Vaute Couture- as well as Lara Miller, Blake Standard, Jess Audey, and Objets D’envy!

HOW: Tickets expected to sell out! Only $15 to get in and shop to your heart’s content, grab free cocktails, and meet all the designers face to face. Must be 21+. Get your ticket here before they sell out!

I get tons of requests for personal coat try-ons, so here’s your chance! Email me at Leanne@VauteCouture.com and I’ll be sure to bring what you’re deciding between to the event for you to try on.

Can’t wait to meet you!

warmest,

the Bomono in Ivory- super sexy for chilly spring nights. Now Only $145

A giddy warm joy resulting from sweet warmth, sprinklers, and spans of gaw-geous flowers on an otherwise cold Midwestern Day! It’s the Greenhouse Affect. (Here experienced at the Don Hahlbeck Greenhouse in Milwaukee.)

Kinda perfect with shorts, skinny jeans, tights, or a mini.

the Lovely Gray Pea Coat with Vintage Deadstock Buttons from the UK

Now $204 at 45% off for the end of season! Use code "LaunchLove45"

the Ivory Pea is extra pretty for your everyday afternoon frolic through a field of flowers, naturally. you do that, right? yeah me neither. :)

break out the white gloves & champagne. I’ve been meaning to shoot the “I do win friends” Girls tee for a while now (only had men’s images…) so I decided to do so on my macbook today while whit wanted to nap. I said- no sir!  You will be in my photobooth self-picture shoot…

So yeah, this self portrait stuff is a LOT harder than I thought… (pretty sure I’d be the *worst* solo traveler. the worst!) The “I do win friends with salad tee” is 100% Organic Cotton and Sustainably Printed in the USA, $26… You can get it here, if you so desire.

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So for Chicago Vegan Mania (THIS SATURDAY= YOU! BE THERE!) I decided to create a Compassionate Fashionate Guide to go with our little vegan fashion exhibit, to help point conscientious peeps to options for shoes, bags, belts, make-up, etc. that’s vegan and cruelty free.

There are two parts to the guide-*sometimes vegan* (think accidentally vegan like some Target and Bakers shoes- so not all the shoes are vegan but SOME are, get it? as well as conscientious labels with some vegan pieces, like Tom’s Shoes) and **vegan** labels- which are often also eco-conscious and fair trade/locally produced- like yours truly. This is the women’s portion for shoes/bags and we will also have a Men’s Section, Beauty, and also an overview of vegan fabrics…. all coming soon.  So! My awesome interns- Valentina and Caitlin have created a great start which I did some basic editing and organizing of and added some of my favs that were missing, and now I want to open it up to YOU- glorious vegan/conscientious community- to help us edit, add to, and update the Guide so that I can get the best info out there. I know that there are some cool guides already out there- so if you wrote one, and want to help, I will love you forever!  Please note that this draft here has not been checked- THIS POST IS the checking. So please, don’t use this guide just yet! And hey- by no means do I consider myself an expert in this, I just thought it’d be fun to get all this info together in one place. xoxo

Okay so I don’t got no fancy WIKI programming, that allows you to edit here and now! But I’d love to get your expert advice and updates via blog comment or email, if you would be so kind*** ::PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE::

leave a comment or email me at Leanne@VauteCouture.com if you have any:

1. corrections- misprints, labels/stores that aren’t vegan,  correction of what is vegan in their line (or what isn’t), or any other details to correct.

2. add ons- labels/retailers not listed here!!! this is really important and would be SUPER helpful! Also more specific info of what is vegan of their line, pricing range for that line/store, etc. might be great to include.

3. updates- as time goes on, I will upload updated documents so we can know the latest!

Read More

With a limited production run for 2009, it was a holiday picking the boutiques we knew you’d love too. Each one we’re so proud to be a part of and the work that they’re doing makes us giddy from head to toe.  Here’s where you can find our Limited Edition Launch Coat Collection this fall (starting late October.)

PS. If these change, the latest will be updated here. xo.

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*ALSO* Pioneer vegan bag label- Matt & Nat will have their holiday preview on hand. And, local vegan & eco-conscious shoe label Mohop Shoes trunk show too!

And what vegan party would be complete without something yummy for your tummy? Appetizers from Artfully Delicious veg caterer using local label Upton’s Naturals seitan, with smoothies from newbie the Protein Bar will be on hand to delight your t-buds.

Not vegan and want to learn more? We’ll be chatting about the lifestyle, all are welcome!

Vegan Style Night: Monday September 14^th 6-8pm (FREE to attend!)

At: Pivot Boutique 1101 W Fulton Market, Chicago (Directions here).

RSVP: Click to RSVP on Facebook (optional)

Hope to see you!!

warmest,