#28 | Redefining Fashion: Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart on the Rise of Ethical Couture
Meet ethical entrepreneur Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, founder of Humans We Love, a company specializing in high-couture, ethically created wedding gowns, dresses, jewelry and more.
Drawing on her own artistic talent, her career as a high-fashion model in Hong Kong, her MBA and her lifelong activism protecting animals, Leanne first took the plunge in 2011 to fill a need she saw no one else filling––ethically made high-fashion outerwear warm enough for Chicago winters, using zero animal products, and “no-waste” material sourcing.
“I knew I could combine my love for creating, animal rights, my training in business, and in fashion marketing from modeling - into a way to speak up for animals and create a better option than wearing them.” — Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart
The result was Vaute Couture, a play on words where the V indicates Vegan. Vaute was an instant success, and soon Leanne was putting on a show at New York’s Fashion week. The press praised her pluck, insight and talent.
After eleven successful years at Vaute, it was time for Leanne to explore new terrain, and in May of 2023 she launched Humans We Love. Putting her same core values to work in creating luxe, zero-waste, vegan bridal “everything." Everything means she also carries vintage wedding rings, vegan bridal shoes, and will soon add dresses for non-wedding occasions.
Leanne showing her line at New York Fashion Week
In this episode, we discuss:
• Leanne’s wake-up call that inspired her to fill an ethical gap in the fashion industry
• The value of not knowing the rules of how to start a fashion business
• The importance of seeing the world as holistic and interconnected, whereas when you help one area of the world you help everything else
• Leanne’s early activism and her lifelong efforts to protect animals
• How Leanne wove the threads of her life experiences as an artist, model, and animal rights activist to create businesses designed to help make the world better
• How to deal with imposter syndrome when starting a new business
• Challenges to running an ethical business that honors the environment, people, animals, and all life
