If you haven’t heard, Cri de Coeur is a completely vegan and amazingly awesome line of shoes created by Gina Ferraraccio. The collections are now designed by both Gina and Julie Dicterow and keep amazing me collection to collection because come on, these shoes are VEGAN? So I got the lovely chance of doing a short Q&A with Gina about the Cri de Coeur line and her efforts to keep the world green and safe.
ladies of Cri de Coeur
When and why did you start designing shoes? What were your goals when starting?
The concept behind Cri de Coeur emerged because, as a shoe-loving vegetarian, I felt bad supporting such a leather-based industry, but there were virtually no vegan shoe options that were actually fashionable then. When it finally came time to launch, the main goal was filling the niche for forward-thinking contemporary vegan footwear.
Why shoes?
The footwear industry is one of the most toxic, environmentally. Considering that raising livestock is the leading cause of global warming, and that the chemicals used in tanning ultimately end up in the ecosystem, our mission is to provide an eco-friendly alternative.
No way are these shoes vegan! How do find these materials and in what ways are they better for the environment?
Sourcing is an ongoing challenge for us – finding materials that are durable enough for footwear and are also eco. We use a lot of polyurethane – or PU. It’s made from environmentally friendly raw materials, doesn’t emit any toxic gasses, and contains no volatile compounds, which are found in vinyl or PVC. It’s also naturally breathable and hypoallergenic. Other materials we utilize are ultrasuede made from recycled plastic and textiles like hemp and organic cotton.
What were your goals for the Heart of Darkness line?
We launched the diffusion line Hearts of Darkness for spring 2010 as a response to customer feedback that they wanted more affordable options. It carries over the same edgy Cri de Coeur aesthetic, but makes it accessible to a more mainstream audience.
What were the inspirations for your Cri de Coeur Spring 2010 line? And what’s next for Cri de Coeur?
The inspiration for the spring season started with romantic and feminine ballet-inspired references. As the styles developed, this original concept united with Cri de Coeur’s signature sexy androgynous influence, and the collection manifested itself in ‘bondage ballerina’ sandals, flats and booties.
The Fall 2010 collection is inspired by the idea of women on the frontier, a little rough and unkempt, but still edgy and forward thinking. Plus we’re expanding the collection to include handbags!
Other favorite eco-designers?
We love Popomomo, of course, and think our shoes really complement your clothing! Other lines we’re fans of are Lara Miller, Vaute Couture, Feral Childe, H.Fredriksson, Mociun, Study NY, Bahar Shahpar…there are so many talented eco-designers out there!
Check out their Fall 2010 collection here and to hold you over, some personal favorites…
