Vivacious beauty and wide-eyed visionary Silvia Gallo is the proud founder and designer of jeane + jax, a sumptuous luxury vegan handbag and accessory line with planet-forward values interwoven into every aspect of its buttery-soft, sleek designs. Sauntering on the high road of slow fashion for a decade, Gallo refused to compromise her lofty ideals for the temptations of fast fashion, which currently contributes to a minimum of 25 million tons of waste and 20% of microplastics suffocating oceans worldwide, according to Nature.com. Instead, Gallo persevered as an early pioneer of sustainable fashion, patiently testing fabrics to find the most exclusive, ethical animal-free textiles. She also forged relationships with prestigious, socially responsible manufacturers.
This year, Gallo reached a glittering milestone and major coup by presenting a jeane + jax 2024 luxury collection that’s 100% natural and 0% plastic. These stunning jeane + jax handbags were featured at the Vogue Business Fashion Futures event in London, UK, with Gallo’s production partner, the Veshin factory, celebrated as among the world’s top sustainable fashion manufacturers. These coveted handbags—adorably named after Gallo’s middle name ‘Jeane’ blend- ed with her beloved dog ‘Jax’—are fabricated using first-class cutting-edge leather alternative MIRUM® comprised of responsibly sourced natural rubber, plant-based oil, and natural pigments and minerals that can be 100% returned to Earth (once the hazardous-free hardware and linings are separated). The fabric is so durable and posh, BMW approved it for use in its immaculate car interiors.
Another dream come true for Gallo is at last partnering with Italian manufacturers and material suppliers—TBA in her upcoming 2024/25 collections with UPPEAL™ apple-leather and Bio-Fluff, a plant-based faux fur. A Montrealer with Italian immigrant grandparents, Gallo fawned over high-fashion magazines as a little girl and relished family trips to Italy. After working in international business and marketing, plus hustling to earn a design degree, she launched her handbag line inspired by vegan trends in Europe. Finding Italian craftspeople and mills who were solely sustainable-minded took her years—and she’s overjoyed she persisted.
In an exclusive interview for Diary Vol. 11, the ebullient Gallo shares her journey from early adopter to luxury vegan visionary on top.
You started the company as vegan then shifted to sustainable practices. Why? When I first started, the word sustainability wasn’t a topic. It was the word vegan. But back then, vegan plastic could be the worst plastic, with the most polluting petrochemical-based materials (made from fossil fuels). We knew we had to go beyond that, and we had to think about the planet too. So we started using recycled PUs (polyurethane) and then more plant-based apple leather. All this renders it more sustainable. Now we’re eliminating plastic too.
How do you select your vegan fabrics? I love the incredible textures and colors—they’re beautiful! I also test all our alternative leathers to check if they hold up in Canada—to stand up to rain, snow, cold, heat, and regular wear and tear. They must compare to handbags in my closet. This is my slow path as an early adopter! The latest fabric, MIRUM®, is extra tough. It doesn’t have plastic coatings or typical binding agents. BMW did extensive research, testing UV light through the windshield, heated seats, etc.
Why is Italian manufacturing so important to you and your customers? Ten years ago, top Italian manufacturers wouldn’t use material that wasn’t real leather because they didn’t think it was luxurious enough. But now alternative leathers are so amazing that they’re recognizing them as the future of fashion.
For customers, you can’t say it’s Champagne if it’s not made in Champagne, and Italian craftsmanship often means luxury. Of course, we want to target vegans and vegetarians with our plant-based collection, but we also want sophisticated customers who buy real leather to see our meticulous craftsmanship and say: wow, this is an incredible alternative!
For more on the brand and its inspirational founder, head to jeaneandjax.com.