Sustainable Bags By SEGAN (Win!)

A Vancouver-based brand, SEGAN, is working hard to redefine fashion by bringing sustainable handbags to market. The label uses a material called mirum, a 100 per cent plastic-free, vegan, plant-based leather, has a zero-waste production process and plants eight trees per product sold. We chatted with founder Mahdi Terani to learn more. —Noa Nichol

Hi Mahdi! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

I’m a designer at heart and a believer in positive changes. I founded SEGAN to change the way people look at luxury/high-end fashion and its impacts, but keeping a movement going is always much harder than starting it. I have been lucky to have amazing people joining this movement. We believe fashion is much more than seasonal trends and the pursuit of emptiness. Fashion should be about self-presentation, connection and meanings. 

When and why was SEGAN launched? What niche were/are you aiming to fill?

We started SEGAN in 2020 with one goal: to make fashion meaningful. Fashion has transformed us into trend-seekers and consumerists, unaware of the impacts of our choices on others. We wanted to stop that by bringing awareness and transparency to fashion. We implemented a qualification system to build a caring community. We get to know interested individuals through a form, and only those who show their care for people, planet and animals can purchase the pieces. Although this is a hit to our sales, SEGAN community is now full of people who genuinely want to make a positive difference. After over two years of research and development, we launched in August 2022 with our first piece, Carry-S handbag, which goes beyond sustainability to focus on ethics and meanings. That’s why our community calls Carry-S a “symbol of care”.

What products do you currently offer, and what makes them unique?

We started with Carry-S handbags in different varieties, and are carefully working on some other pieces. While most fashion brands live on trends, we take the opposite approach by constantly questioning trends and staying away from them. Instead, We focus on timeless pieces that will stay relevant for years. 

SEGAN is an acronym for: Sustainability, Ethicality, Gender equality, Activism and Nature. Can you tell us more about how these pillars make the brand?

We named SEGAN after our values to be a constant reminder of our purpose, and to encourage every Segan-holder to be an advocate for these values. We focus on each value differently. Sustainability and ethicality are maximized during the production process, gender-equality is championed in design stage, and activism and nature are powered by our continuous collaborations with non-profits such as PETA, One Tree Planted and Fashion Revolution.

Sustainability is becoming more commonplace in fashion, and what we choose to shop for. How is ethicality the next frontier?

While everyone feels the environmental impacts of fashion, the human impacts are mostly contained in developing countries (that produce most fashion pieces with minimal pay). Therefore, sustainability has become a “must-have” for brands, but ethicality and labour rights are lagging behind. We decided to go beyond sustainability to pioneer true ethicality. By publicly introducing our artisans and our team on every digital and physical avenue, we ensure that their efforts are appreciated and credited. We want SEGAN holders to know who handcrafted their pieces. 

What’s your personal favourite SEGAN style for Winter?

Style matters, but values matter more to us. We always say, SEGAN is not for everyone, it’s only for those who care and want to send a statement with what they wear. Summer and winter are not different. We made something classy, timeless and seasonless that always carries beautiful stories, values and meanings. 

segan.earth

Win! A $250 Segan Gift Card!

Congrats Mary M. of Gibsons, BC, who will receive a $250 Segan gift card! Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadaily.ca. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.