HELL FOR PLEATHER
Can vegan shoes be sexy? One model has set out to prove it.
By Sarah Kennelly
Jessica Miller knows a sexy shoe when she sees one. But the model, who became the face of Calvin Klein at 17, spent years searching for a vegan style with sufficient powers to impress her husband, the Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich.
"The Viviens were the first pair of vegan shoes owned that my husband thought were super-sexy," she says.
The slingback sandals are a style by Aera, a New York vegan shoe brand that Miller name checked when she was interviewed for HTS/ last year. All of its cruelty-free shoes are made in Italy using bio-based and recycled materials. Katie Holmes is a devotee of its Charli ankle boot.
When word of Miller's appreciation travelled to founder Tina Bhojwani, it set in motion a partnership that has taken Miller from vegan customer to investor to campaign face - and feet: she can currently be seen modelling the brand's AW26 collection.
And now she's also a designer. As part of Aera's upcoming SS27 collection, Miller has created her own style, the "Jessica", her first turn at footwear design. The team in Veneto supplied the technical know-how. translating her instincts into a slinky evening sandal. * knew immediately that I wanted to make a bare, über-sexy heel," she says.
The collaboration proves that vegan footwear needn't come at the expense of style. "I felt so aligned with [Aera's] passion for creating beautiful, luxurious shoes while being more thoughtful about the impact to our planet," Miller says.
The "Jessica" will get its big reveal at Milan Fashion Week later this month before arriving in stores in December.
Just in time for party season. HTSI
