Karishma Mehta of Humans of Bombay Embraces Cruelty-Free Fashion, Sells Luxury Leather Collection
Karishma Mehta of Humans of Bombay Embraces Cruelty-Free Fashion, Sells Luxury Leather Collection
Karishma Mehta, the founder and CEO of Humans of Bombay (HOB), has embraced a cruelty-free fashion lifestyle by deciding to sell her collection of luxury leather items. On Wednesday, the Mumbai-based entrepreneur shared her decision on Instagram, posting pictures of designer bags and shoes from renowned brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, and Fendi. Mehta revealed that all proceeds from the sale would be donated to animal welfare organizations.
“As a vegetarian, I avoid eating meat because consuming a living being feels wrong to me. How can I justify participating in a market that calls itself ‘luxury’ while basing its value on the skinning of animals?” she wrote, explaining her motivation behind this change.
Humans of Bombay, the storytelling platform Mehta founded in 2014, has grown to over 2.8 million followers on Instagram and has featured interviews with prominent personalities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Ratan Tata.
This announcement follows the 2023 controversy when Brandon Stanton, founder of Humans of New York (HONY), accused HOB of imitating HONY’s format. The accusations came after HOB filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against People of India (POI), a similar platform. In response, HOB defended its intellectual property rights in an open letter while acknowledging HONY’s influence on its creation.
Mehta’s decision to transition to ethical fashion reflects her commitment to her values and her aim to drive positive change beyond the world of storytelling.
