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Pairadize X {PETA-Approved Vegan} - Interview with the Bässler twins

Animal welfare has always been a high priority at Pairadize. The product range has now been awarded {PETA-Approved Vegan} certification. In this interview, Pairadize founders Julia and Stephanie Bässler talk about why vegan clothing is so important and what added value they see in the partnership with the animal welfare organization PETA. The influencer twins also tell us how they have been involved in animal rescues themselves and what their favorite animals are.

Why do you think it's important for clothes to be vegan?

Julia: Almost all animals involved in the production of leather, wool, fur, down, paint or glue are bred solely for their raw materials. They usually come from countries where there are practically no animal welfare regulations and are kept in catastrophic conditions and stunned and killed in an unprofessional manner. We cannot and will not support this. Animals are living beings and are neither fashionable nor decorative objects. Nowadays, there are synthetic substitutes for almost every animal product, which are even superior to their animal counterparts in many respects. Instead of exploiting animals, everyone should therefore choose vegan clothing.

So no cattle, snakes or leopards have had to sacrifice their skin for your pants?

Julia: I promise! (smirks)

How did the partnership with PETA come about?

Julia: We have long been committed to animal welfare and wanted Pairadize to reflect these values. The cooperation with PETA was therefore a logical step for us to confirm that our products are 100% animal-friendly. This has always been the case, but until now it has been difficult for our customers to verify.

Do you want to create more transparency for your customers with the {PETA-Approved Vegan} certification?

Stephanie: Zum einen ja. Dass Tiere für die Produktion von Materialien wie Leder, Pelz oder Daune häufig Tod und Qual erleiden, wissen heutzutage viele Verbraucher. Ein kurzer Blick auf das Innenetikett eines Kleidungsstücks reicht vermeintlich aus, um sich für die vegane Alternative zu entscheiden. Leider ist das oft zu kurz gedacht, denn lange nicht alle tierischen Produkte sind im Etikett deklariert oder auf den ersten Blick erkennbar. Tierische Wachse, Öle, Farb- und Klebstoffe müssen bisher überhaupt nicht gekennzeichnet werden. Wer zum Beispiel herausfinden will, ob eine als Kunstleder gekennzeichnete Hosen frei von tierischen Kleb- und Farbstoffen ist, muss sich in der Regel direkt an den Hersteller wenden. Mit der {PETA-Approved Vegan}-Zertifizierung ist das nicht mehr notwendig.

And the other?

Stephanie: On the other hand, we hope that many fashion labels will follow our example and, like Pairadize, focus on vegan fashion and transparency.

Julia, you said that you have been campaigning for animal welfare for a long time. Can you tell us more about this?

Julia : Apart from our vegan diet, animal rights are very important to us. Stephanie and I took on animal sponsorships for bears and orangutans many years ago, where we support the animal welfare organization financially. We also support animals in our immediate vicinity, such as Fridolin and June.

Fridolin and June?

Julia: Fridolin and June are Peking ducks that my partner and I took from a farm as chicks two years ago to save them from being slaughtered. However, when June unfortunately died of natural causes, we rescued April a short time later.

April is also a duck?

Julia: Exactly. It was unwanted by its owner at the time and would otherwise have ended up on the plate.

So you live with two ducks now?

Julia: To be honest, there are actually four of them. Quinn came to us after April. We got her as an egg that her mother didn't want to hatch. We then quickly got our fourth duck, Harley, as a sibling chick for Quinn so that she wouldn't have to grow up alone. We want to speak out against speciesism and make it clear that so-called 'farm animals' also deserve to live a life free of suffering. For us, a duck has the same value as a dog or a cat.

And you Stephanie? Have you also been involved in animal rescues?

Stephanie: Yes, indeed. But in my case it wasn't a duck, but Nils, a bull calf. Unfortunately, Nils was born on a dairy farm and because he can't give milk as a bull, he was to be slaughtered. When I heard this, I immediately got together with my sister and bought Nils from the farmer. We also agreed that Nils' mother would never be artificially inseminated again.

Does Nils live with you now?

Stephanie: Unfortunately, that wasn't possible due to lack of space. Nils is no longer a calf, but a full-grown ox and lives with his mother and aunt on a farm in the neighboring village. We pay for his food and accommodation every month and can observe his carefree life on the pasture.

How do you think the partnership with PETA will be received by your community?

Julia: We hope positive! When we posted about Nils and April's rescue on Instagram, we received hundreds of messages from people concerned about their welfare. This showed us that animal welfare also seems to be an important issue within our community.

What is your favorite animal?

Stephanie: My favorite animal is the black jaguar.

And yours Julia?

Julia: My favorite animal is the clouded leopard. It's an Asian cat of prey that looks almost like a leopard, only with bigger spots. 

Learned something new again! Final question for both of you: what can we expect from Pairadize in the future in terms of vegan fashion and animal welfare? Are there any new projects or collaborations you are planning?

Stephanie: We are always looking for new ways to further develop Pairadize and expand our range.

Julia: Without giving too much away, our customers can look forward to exciting new collections and collaborations that reflect our values and push the boundaries of what is possible in vegan fashion.

You can find out more about {PETA-Approved Vegan} here >