My name is Michelle Rothenburger and I’m the face, stylist, and creative mind behind the vegan fashion blog Harmfree Fashion. My three areas of expertise are vegan fashion, petite fashion (I’m 5’3”/160cm), and thrifted fashion. While I’ve always been a lover of fashion, the journey hasn’t always been the easiest.
I Was Bullied in High School
I was bullied in high school because my fashion style was a bit too trendy for the small New England town I grew up in and it dragged down my confidence levels. While it was challenging, it never stopped me from styling looks how I desired to style them.
Despite some people’s strong aversion to my style choices, my tiny high school voted me Best Dressed my senior year.
Thankfully, despite the hardships, fashion has remained a constant in my life and it serves as a welcome creative outlet. As an introvert, fashion is an easy way for me to express myself without words.
My Switch to a Vegan Wardrobe
I adopted a vegan diet in 2010 (after simultaneously reading The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone and Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer) and transitioned my leather, wool, and silk-heavy wardrobe to be completely vegan in 2012.
From Lookbook to Vegan Fashion Blogger
My modeling journey all began on Lookbook, and then after a few years of styling and modeling looks on Instagram, I finally made the decision to turn my energy toward a vegan fashion blog and in January of 2021 Harmfree Fashion was born.
My vegan fashion blog is a culmination of so many passions of mine including the protection of animals, modeling, styling outfits, researching vegan topics, and shopping for thrifted looks.
Harmfree Fashion’s Mission
The main mission of Harmfree Fashion is to show you how effortlessly and inexpensively you can own a vegan wardrobe and this blog is dedicated to showcasing how chic, trendy, and stylish you can look in second hand, animal-free (vegan) clothing and accessories.
What is Vegan Fashion?
For those who are new to veganism you might be wondering what exactly is vegan fashion? Vegan fashion simply means swapping any animal-based materials (fur, leather, wool, silk, down, feathers, Angora, cashmere, pearl, mother-of-pearl, shearling, horn, etc.) for animal-free (vegan) alternatives.
What You Can Expect to Find on Harmfree Fashion
I’m here to remove your fears and challenges surrounding vegan fashion by offering you inspiration in the form of veganized fashion trends and styling tips. All of the items I wear in my looks are vegan (to the very best of my knowledge) and most of them were also bought preloved.
I also perform thorough research to track down all the best vegan fashion brands (so you don’t have to) and compile them into detailed guides. If a brand isn’t explicitly vegan or doesn’t state that their products are Peta-Approved vegan, I personally reach out to them to make sure their products are 100% vegan. All of the footwear featured in my guides has been confirmed to be 100% vegan, including glues.
I cover such topics as the best brands for wool-free sweaters, which brands carry vegan leather moto jackets, where you can buy vegan loafers, clogs, UGGs, or hiking boots, and many more!
I hope you’ll find some inspiration for how to make your wardrobe more sustainable and animal-friendly.
Feel free to connect with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn or send me an email at [email protected].
