Ethics.  It’s the current trending issue on every magazine cover with plenty of hysteria (see major athlete’s current  debacle).  These kind of events make you wonder just a bit more about the brands and people that we ‘buy’ into.

Elizabeth Olsen and her namesake brand, Olsenhaus are going far beyond the cursory  and often temporary 'goodwill'  label to which  many in the fashion industry seem to be susceptible.

Before we dig into the label that Elizabeth Olsen has constructed today, one of the very few from the ground-up ethically conscious, earth friendly, animal-free brands in existence, let's find out how Elizabeth got to this point in her life and gorgeous shoe-designing process.

Elizabeth's vegetarian future got its start when she was only 15. After reading about  'factory' farming, circuses and the damage and cruelty that can be inflicted on  animals and the environment, Elizabeth was motivated to create an animal rights club and for the next 21 years a vegetarian and now vegan (source).

It's clear that Elizabeth has always had a driven, motivated streak.  After pursuing studies in Art history at the University of Florida and Accessories Design at FIT, her work history reads like a who's who of hip, cool brands: Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Nine West are just the fashion labels in Elizabeth's very diverse history.  She has also worked as a print, commercial & film stylist for companies such as IBM, Nike  and Universal Studios, lending her a corporate awareness and business acumen that few designers possess.

Obviously, Elizabeth has a keen sense of fashion and is immensely talented. So how do you marry an innate fashion sense with a personally growing conviction that the industry you are in is violating your deepest beliefs? If you're Elizabeth Olsen, you create a company that doesn't sacrifice style, ethics or creativity at every level of design and production.

The materials are sustainable and renewable using plant-based and non-animal materials like ultra suede, organic cotton, velvet  and cork (source).  Not only are these fashionable, fun shoes cruelty-free, the alternative materials are more wholly used and the gorgeous heels are packaged in as few shipments as possible inside boxes made of recycled materials.Even the names of Olsen's shoes inspire a positive and inviting call to change:Karma, Truth, Groove and Love to name just a few (source).

Look forward to seeing Olsenhaus become a major lifestyle brand as Elizabeth plans to expand into clothing and men and kids' wear. The Olsenhaus label offers fun colors, brilliant design and high standards in every social, ethical and creative sense.