I’m so excited and honored to interview one of my best friends
from college, Julia Ahrens. We met in 2007 at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.
Since then Julia has found her roots as a passionate advocate of the vegan diet
and lifestyle. ***
Julia Ahrens holds a degree in fashion design from Parsons The
New School for Design. She has furthered her education by taking additional
classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Pratt. She has worked and
interned for various designers such as Zac Posen and Club Monaco, and has
created garments that have walked the runway during New York Fashion Week. A
vegetarian since she was eleven, now a vegan, Julia wants her contribution to
fashion to be compassionate, avoiding the harm of traditional production
methods and practices. She started her own women's clothing line, Miakoda, in
February of 2013, which respects and protects the rights of animals, people,
and the earth. She is passionate about preserving the New York fashion industry
and fair labor practices. Miakoda is committed to producing all of their
designs in a factory in NYC where all workers are treated well and paid fairly.
Julia's goal is to dress people in ethical clothing that allows them to look
good and feel good physically and mentally. Miakoda has been featured on chicvegan.com, thetreekisser.com, Good Day Chicago, thelilfoxes.com, and girliegirlarmy.com.
Q. Describe to me what Miakoda is and what you do, your mission
etc.
“Miakoda is an eco friendly and cruelty free fashion company. We
design ethical clothing that is made in the USA with 100% compassionate and
organic materials. No animals, people, or places are harmed during production.
The mission behind Miakoda is to create an option in the market place for women
to purchase clothing that makes them feel good both physically and mentally.”
Q. How has becoming vegan changed your lifestyle? Is there
anything you miss?
“Going vegan completely changed my lifestyle—from the way I eat,
to the activities I do, to the way I shop. Not only do I eat a vegan diet, but
I practice veganism in all aspects of my life (fashion, beauty, etc). I no
longer use any products that contain animal derived ingredients (including
beeswax in chap stick) and don’t wear any animal fibers (wool, silk, fur,
leather). I think that the hardest part about going vegan was giving up
leather, wool, and silk. As a fashion major, shopping and following what the
latest trends were was a huge part of my life. I would religiously stalk out my
favorite (leather) shoes from each season. However, since going vegan, I’ve
discovered so many incredible vegan companies (Bhava, Cri-de-Coeur, Krze
Studio, Stella McCartney, just to name a few) that there is nothing that I miss.
Q. Tell me about some of your favorite vegan beauty products?
“Some of my favorite vegan makeup companies are Urban Decay (I
love that they don’t test on animals and indicate what is vegan on their
website), Tarte, ELF (the best deal—cheap, cruelty free, and quality!), and my
new discovery Earth lab Cosmetics. My favorite skincare company is Simple Care
Products. I use their conditioning oil to moisturize and remove my makeup.
Hurraw is my favorite vegan lip balm company (incredible flavors!). And of course
I love Lush. Their bath bombs are to die for.”
Q. Tell me more about being vegan and what it means to you. What
is the message you
would like to send to anyone interested.
“Veganism means living a completely cruelty free lifestyle.
Veganism means not exploiting animals, which inherently helps people and our
planet. The biggest message that I would like to convey is that veganism,
contrary to popular believe, isn’t about “forcing your ideas onto other people”
or “giving up your favorite food.” It’s about living a more compassionate
lifestyle towards all living beings. It’s about finding new favorites and
trying new things—new foods, new makeup, new fashion to ensure that you are
living a kind life that you feel good about.”
Q. How can becoming vegan help ones’ fitness, beauty pageant and
looking your best?
When I first went vegan I had no idea how healthy it is. There
are tons of documentaries and studies showing how a vegan diet is healthiest
for the human body (for example: Forks Over Knives). I’ve seen so many health
and fitness advocates telling people to increase their fruit and vegetable
intake in order to be healthier. As a vegan, the majority of my diet consists
of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Of course, it is possible to
eat an unhealthy vegan diet (buying processed vegan food), but I have found for
me, since going vegan I eat a healthier and cleaner diet which helps me to look
and feel my best.
You can learn more about Miakoda New York on the following
sites and social media links!
[Please note that I personally am not 100% vegan. My diet does
fluctuate depending on my work schedule. I typically tend to eat vegan during warmer
summer months when my favorite fruits and veggies are in season. If I am
working on any special projects and need to watch what I eat I turn to a goal
of 50% raw vegan diet. I have found that this works best for my body type and
does not bloat me in regards to my various food sensitivities and allergies.]
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