I skateboard for fun but I take my fashion quite seriously. What I mean by that is fashion or what I wear is an expression of who I am and what I believe in. I only wear what I feel good about wearing – so if there’s a trend and everyone’s wearing it – you’ll only see me in it if I’m feeling comfortable in it.
I don’t think clothes have to be dramatic or edgy or uncomfortable or anything else to be fashionable. I think clothes need to work with you – the old saying “wear your clothes don’t let your clothes wear you” is gospel to me.
So t-shirts – fashion or not? Fashion 100% and a billboard for what you believe in. One artist who agrees is Jacky Wasserman – she’s a graphic designer and LA DJ who’s brought her life’s passions: design, food and music to life in her clothing line Beet x Beet.
Jacky was a skater girl in New York skating at Chelsea Piers Skate Park near where her father lived. She’s a Vegan and uses her clothes to inspire others to consider the Vegan option.
And yes before we begin the interview – I am not a Vegan – I’m not a Vegetarian – I’m not even a healthy eater. But I respect people’s diet choices. I don’t think what you eat makes you “good” or “bad” – I believe you should have the freedom to eat as you choose and that all life – including plants & animals should be treated with respect and kindness.
I respect and admire people who stand up for what they believe in while treating others with respect – it’s always better to be introduced to new ideas in an atmosphere of fun. So here goes Skatingfashionista interview with Beet X Beet founder Jacky.
SF: How did you come up with the idea to get
your message out there & educate through clothing –
clothing is totally a walking billboard but it’s usually
just used for promoting brands/logos – how did you come up
with idea to make it more meaningful?
JACKY: When I first moved to LA two years ago I was
searching online for a t-shrit with a vegan message. There
were a few out there but none that really got me excited or
that I would actually want to wear. So that’s when I
decided that given my background in graphic design and
knowledge in the apparel industry it made sense for me to
create my own t-shirt line. But I wanted it to be a little
different from others. I wanted to promote not only veganism
but important messages about things involving food that
needed to be heard as well such as GMOs and Monsanto. I am
really passionate about my vegan lifestyle and i’m also
passionate about the environment so I wanted to combine
those two ideas because I think they naturally go hand in
hand.
Having people wear BEETxBEET shirts provokes a
thought and is a conversation starter so the messages on the
shirts are being talked about and given a voice so people
are able to spread the word wherever they go and wherever
they live. It’s also great thinking about a vegan
athlete wearing one of our shirts in the gym and maybe
turning heads because the common myth and misconception
about being vegan is where we get our protein from so if
other athletes see strong men and women in the gym sporting
a vegan tee, they can help educate those who might be
interested. The goal here is to get people to start thinking
differently about how they eat and how much the choices they
make everyday impacts the world around them. We are all in
this together and we can all help make a difference towards
a more thriving, positive, and peaceful
world.
SF: I agree all it takes is one step at a
time to make a difference and we can do it together – how do
you measure if Beet x Beet is making a difference? Are you
non-profit?
JACKY: To answer the first question, I’m not really
sure how exactly we can measure if we are making a
difference in terms of people going vegan or getting
educated because of our shirts but the point of it is that
we are getting the message out there. We are trying to do
our part to be a part of the solution. Most of the customers
we have are already vegan or are aware of GMOs etc. We have
gotten very positive feedback from fans and the community
which is really cool to hear. It seems like more and more
people are becoming aware of what being vegan is and we are
seeing the numbers rise as far as demand in restaurants etc.
which is a good sign. More well known fashion brands are
switching over or offering vegan leather or synthetic
materials to appeal to the vegan community which is amazing,
such as Free People. There are also new vegan fashion brands
popping up all the time which has made it so easy to have
a cruelty-free wardrobe these days. We also participate in
marches and protests here and there when we can to
stay involved in the community and help educate through
that route as well.
Although we are not technically a non-profit
organization, all of the profits we have made so far have
gone back into the business itself. We
are currently working toward being able to parter with
different non-profits/organizations each month to where a
portion of our proceeds go to an organization of choice.
SF: Do you think all your customers who buy
the Pro Vegan items are Vegan? Like I love the Go Vegan
Right Meow but I’d be conflicted on wearing it – totally
want to let my Vegan readers know about it so they could
wear it.
JACKY: I think most of them are but it’s
interesting because our variety of shirts caters to everyone
really. Even meat eaters. I’ve had lots of people buy
for their friends or family members who are vegan which is
really thoughtful and awesome of them. Also, for example,
the shirt’s with ‘In Plants We Trust’ message
has been purchased by some of my non-vegan friends who are
Acupuncturists and Herbalists because the message can take
on a broader meaning that way. The Tofu Bishes has been
purchased by vegetarians before and the GMO and Monsanto
ones have been purchased by non-vegans as well. I have heard
some people say the same thing as you though. They are drawn
toward a certain design but may not be vegan so they would
feel conflicted wearing it. But even that thought right
there is something to make you at least think about
what that means to you right? So in that regard, we have
done our job.
Thank you so much for spreading the word with
your readers!
Above a happy customer of Beet X Beet – tangue. And to me that’s what fashion should do – make you happy – inspire you to have the best day possible in your skin & what you’re wearing. And if fashion educates you – bonus – thanks skateboarding for introducing me to Jacky & Beet X Beet hope to see her and more of her t-shirts soon!
Would absolutely love if girls sent/tag me pictures of themselves skating in Beet X Beet t-shirts – more girls do skate as they see girls skateboarding and we encourage each other!
And yes Jacky – I am encouraging you to get on a skateboard soon!
