INTERVIEW #177 JONATHAN OHAYON

Name: Jonathan Ohayon

Occupation: Entrepreneur

Based in: Los Angeles

Website: https://www.fakemovement.com

Instagram: @fakemovement

Hi Jonathan Welcome to A Sustainable Closet! Can you please tell us more about yourself?

My name is Jonathan. I like to call myself an animal rights entrepreneur, as I decided a decade ago to become an entrepreneur to create businesses that always promote animal rights. My Fashion journey began in Paris, surrounded by my family's heritage in the industry. My grandparents were tailors, and my father was a fashion accessories retailer, so fashion has always been part of my life. In 2014, I became vegan, which led me to co-found Arsayo in 2015 with my father and brother. We gained recognition for our secured city backpack with two gold medals and a medal from the French Ministry of Interior for best invention. Arsayo now creates vegan and ethically made accessories.

In 2019, I founded the F.A.K.E. Movement to promote vegan fashion through pop-up events in cities like Los Angeles, Paris, and Tel Aviv. I also released "The Fashion Industry Doesn't Want You To Read This Book" to educate consumers about ethical fashion and help them avoid greenwashing. The book is for anyone interested in making more informed and responsible fashion choices. It became #1 Best Selling book on Amazon!

Can you tell us more about F.A.K.E Movement, what is the purpose and what is it that you do?

Absolutely, the F.A.K.E. Movement, which stands for Fashion for Animal Kingdom & Environment, was created out of necessity. When I moved to Los Angeles, I noticed a lack of venues showcasing vegan and ethically made fashion brands. This inspired me to create a platform where like-minded brands could display their products aligned with their values.

The primary goal of the F.A.K.E. Movement is to elevate ethical fashion by educating people on the impact and ramifications of our fashion choices. It started with ethical fashion popups in LA, and very fast, it grew, and we started doing events worldwide, such as in Paris, Tel Aviv, and Los Angeles. F.A.K.E. is a community of consumers, designers, and activists passionate about sustainability and animal rights. Our website offers a vegan and ethically made fashion marketplace, along with podcasts and blog articles.

I always try to create innovative ways to attract people and educate anyone on ethical fashion; in 2019, I created the very first Vegan Fashion Museum (a 3-month exhibition on vegan fashion) and did many screenings, conferences, fashion shows.

Now, after three years in the making, I have released my latest project, a book aimed at educating consumers and helping them understand what ethical fashion truly is and how they can avoid falling into the greenwashing trap. "The Fashion Industry Doesn't Want You To Read This Book" is designed for anyone who is interested in fashion, including enthusiasts, designers, students, social, environmental, and animal rights activists. 

What is the problem of the fashion industry related to animal welfare?

I actually have a whole chapter on animals in fashion in my new book!  The fashion industry’s impact on animal welfare is extensive and troubling. The use of materials like leather, wool, silk, fur, and exotic skins involves significant cruelty and exploitation. For instance, leather isn't just a by-product of the meat industry; many animals are killed specifically for their skins. Wool production involves painful practices like mulesing, and often injures sheep during shearing. Silk production boils silkworms alive, and the fur and exotic skins industries keep animals in inhumane conditions before brutally killing them. Down feathers are often live-plucked from birds, causing immense suffering, and many fashion products are still tested on animals.

These practices are not only cruel but also environmentally damaging, contributing to deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, and water pollution. Ultimately, animal welfare cannot exist for dead animals, as their well-being has been irreversibly compromised, highlighting the inherent contradiction in associating animal welfare with fashion. 

What are some of the common practices that most people are not aware of? 

It will be difficult to pick between all the different common practices: Greenwashing, fast fashion model, sweatshop labor, toxic chemicals, exploitation of natural resources, microplastics, animal cruelty, waste and overproduction, undisclosed supply chains, fake labeling, etc.

I literally worked for three years in order to put them all into a book! If I had to choose one, I would probably talk about dog leather (labelled as "genuine leather")! This topic always made me think, "Why are people disgusted with dog leather but are ok with cow leather?"

In what ways would you say animal rights and the environment are connected? Can those two areas in sustainable fashion sometimes be contradictory? 

In order to get an animal "product," you need an animal #BreakingNews. This means using food, land, water, and other resources. Once we have the animal skin, feathers, or hairs, they need to be processed, most of the time using harmful toxic chemicals, to create leather, wool, etc.

Animal rights and environmental sustainability are deeply connected. However, there can be contradictions. Some vegan materials, like PVC and PU leather, are derived from fossil fuels and aren't biodegradable, contributing to pollution. Materials like cotton and bamboo can involve intensive farming that disrupts ecosystems. It is important to choose organic when it comes to natural fabrics.

A study from global fashion agenda called "the pulse of the fashion industry" ranks the fabrics and materials used by the fashion industry from the most harmful to the environment, workers, and animal welfare to the most respectful. We can see that leather, wool, or even silk have a greater negative impact on our planet, which proves that even though vegan fashion isn't always sustainable, sustainable fashion should always be vegan.

For brands truly to take responsibility, what should they do and what are some of the common mistakes that you see?

For brands to truly take responsibility, they need to embrace transparency, sustainability, and ethical practices across their entire supply chain. However, ultimately, the consumers are the ones who vote with their money. It is important for us to be educated on how to identify an ethical brand vs a brand that contributes to the destruction of our planet. We must ask for more transparency, sustainable materials, fair labour practices etc.

The common mistakes I see for brands are mainly greenwashing. Brands will often exaggerate or fabricate their sustainability claims. This misleads consumers and undermines genuine efforts in the industry. They, as well, implement superficial changes without addressing the root causes of sustainability issues. However, many ethical fashion brands are doing their best to be as transparent and sustainable as possible! We must support them.

What is your style and what does your closet look like?
Oh, you might be disappointed if you see my closet! I have some T-shirts that are over 10 years old, and a few jeans. I try to avoid buying more clothes, and if I do, I will either buy second-hand or a nice organic product from an ethical fashion brand that will last years! Everything I own is either vegan, sustainably produced, or second-hand. I avoid fast fashion and opt for brands that align with my values of sustainability and animal free!

How can people get engaged in the F.A.K.E Movement? 

Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on social media, or send an email at info@fakemovement.com

Anything else you want to share?

Yes, I'd like to leave everyone with a simple yet powerful message: You are a superhero, and your superpower is your choice. 

Every decision you make as a consumer has an impact. By choosing wisely, you can support brands and practices that align with your values and contribute to a more ethical and sustainable world. Remember, the goal isn't to be perfect but to be more conscious of our choices. Start small, whether it's by choosing second-hand clothing or supporting a brand that practices transparency and sustainability. Every step counts.

Lastly, don’t feel overwhelmed or guilty about past choices. The fashion industry has been very good at keeping its secrets and manipulating our desires. The important thing is that we start making better choices NOW! Educate yourself, stay informed, and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Thank you for having me and for being part of this important conversation. Together, we can make a difference and create a fashion industry that is kind to animals, people, and the planet.