Jamaican-American Pinky Cole, a successful businesswoman and CEO of the “Slutty Vegan” restaurants, celebrated the Juneteenth federal holiday by introducing a new line of shoes. Cole has taken a historic step and made the “Slutty Vegan” the first vegan restaurant to join with a fashion brand – Steve Madden – in a limited-edition collaboration. She decided to introduce the new shoe and matching crossbody bag to provide vegans with a chance to have more fashion options. The new shoe is completely vegan and supported by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). It comes in white, red, and yellow and a classic slogan print.
Cole is excited about her new partnership with Steve Madden. She added that when the opportunity presented itself, it was not hard to make the decision to go ahead, noting that the collaboration was about more than just releasing a shoe. It was about showing people that it is possible to break away from expectations and be disruptive. Steve Madden said that the “bold sensibility” and “exploding popularity” of Slutty Vegan made the collaboration “obvious” as he and Pinky share a “dare-to-disrupt spirit.”
In an interview with Larry Spruill of Atlanta’s Channel 2, Cole expressed her happiness that the day has finally been recognized as a national holiday in the United States, adding, “There’s nothing in the world like being free. We’ve been fighting for our freedom for years.” Cole noted that it was freedom that allowed her to become a businesswoman and entrepreneur. She believes that as a Black female entrepreneur, she has a responsibility to show “what freedom looks like.”
Both Slutty Vegan and Steve Madden will donate one dollar to PETA for every sneaker and/or bag purchased through their websites via ShoppingGives, a top social-impact commerce platform. Both products, the POSSESSION sneaker and the BSETITUP crossbody bag, have sold out on the official Steve Madden website, but the limited-edition products are still available on the website of Slutty Vegan and at the local restaurant in Lenox Mall in Buckhead, Atlanta.
Cole said she is encouraged to continue with her work because she has the example of her forebears who had to sacrifice and work hard throughout their lives for their careers and their families, and to ensure that she would have the life she lives today. Cole plans to continue using her platform to provide opportunities for others to succeed.
In addition to the Slutty Vegan and Steve Madden collaboration, other restaurant-fashion partnerships have been formed, including Red Lobster and Nike, Adidas and Waffle House, and the Wingstop sneaker with The Shoe Surgeon.
Photo – Pinky Cole
