Humans of Bombay (HoB) founder and CEO Karisma Mehta on Wednesday announced that she will sell her luxury bags and shoes soon. Mehta said that growing up, women are conditioned to see magazines with beautiful images of the ideal woman.
The entrepreneur has shared pictures of her Prada, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Gucci and Fendi bags and shoes on Instagram. “As we get older, we start circling our 'dream bag' and 'dream shoes,' dreaming of a walk in closet like in the princess diaries,” she wrote in her post.
She wrote that she decided to sell her luxury leather goods as she embraces cruelty-free fashion in 2025.
“As a vegetarian, I don't eat meat because it doesn't sit well with me to consume a creature. So how does that sit well with me to share in a market that taxes them and prides itself on being “luxury”? On the quality of the skinned animal.” Isn't it so?
She also said that she has decided to avoid buying any kind of leather goods. “Since I've decided to stop buying just any kind of leather, I'm really looking forward to using the leather I've already bought.”
Mehta also said that the proceeds from the sale will be channeled to NGOs working for animal welfare.
“I hope this small act opens your eyes- still dream, your biggest dream yet- think relentlessly, relentlessly conquering. But do it from the heart, do it with kindness. Here's to a kind 2025 and being leather-free for life ( sic ),” she said at the end of the post.
Mehta's announcement to go leather free in 2025 won praise from netizens. “Amazing! I'm glad you did this (sic),” one user wrote. “Very well said and of course we removed animal skins for these luxury bags,” said a second user.
“Few people truly understand this and even fewer translate it into action. Unfortunately animals are exploited not only in the food system that includes meat, dairy and seafood, but also in fashion and makeup (animal testing and (using animal ingredients) We hope you take this step, it inspires us all to be a little more mindful of everything that is part of our lifestyle (sic) not just as food. wrote