Zayn Malik, former One Direction bandmate and Gigi Hadid’s boyfriend, was recently awarded a PETA UK Vegan Fashion Award for the vegan-friendly, eco leather collection he created with Versace. The singer partnered with Donatella Versace to design a line that captures the contemporary style sported by Zayn and his friends. The debut capsule collection (Zayn X Versus) combines the aesthetic of several trends for a hip, modern vibe–think athleisure meets edgy glam meets off-duty model meets street style–with a wink of vintage whimsy.
Zayn Malik wearing Zayn X Versus Versace.
“When I see this collection, I see Zayn. His attitude, his energy and his individuality are in every single piece. I am so proud of what we have achieved together,” Donatella Versace said. “The campaign defines everything I love about the new generation today.”
Malik has been praised for using his platform to bring more awareness to vegan fashion and providing more vegan leather options to shoppers–after all, an increasing number of consumers are more aware of the cruelty and environmental degradation involved in manufacturing traditional leather goods and are more likely to demand both eco-friendly and animal-free options.
Bella Hadid modeling some sweet vegan leather pants for Zayn’s capsule collection.
Malik is sincere about taking fashion inspiration from his friends–quite directly, too! No one is off limits. “I steal from Gigi’s wardrobe all the time. Shirts, T-shirts, whatever. I won’t necessarily wear them out publicly, but in the house I will. I don’t care – as long as it looks cool,” he told GQ. “I rob her sunglasses all the time. She’s not too happy about that. I think I’ve lost a couple of pairs.”
Indeed, one of the reasons Zayn Malik has such a spot on personal style is because he focuses on fit and appearance before brand cache. “My dad said you should always wear things that fit you right,” he says, “rather than just caring about the brand. That is something I live by to this day. I’ll wear anything as long as it looks good on me. I don’t really care about where it’s from or the price tag.” Not that Versace is too shabby!
Apparently, this dude was also awarded the Hugo Boss Most Stylish Man of the Year award (2017). Well, of course!
While the collection is super contemporary, it also borrows from the past. Specifically, Tupac Shakur. “He had some really cool Versace stuff back in the day, one-off jumpers and jeans that were just amazing,” Zayn said.
Zayn’s Versus collection also features accessories including hats, fanny packs, and this backpack. See more chic vegan backpacks here!
This insanely pretty plum color…
If this outfit doesn’t say “ultimate cool girl” I don’t know what does.
What’s your favorite celeb-designer collab?
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Photo: Zayn Malik via Instagram, Miss Vogue UK via Instagram
