Zouk Vegan Creators Day & Awards Sets Mission To Shape 100,000 Vegan Creators In India

27th November, 2023, Mumbai:  Following the triumphant debut last year, Zouk, the epitome of Proudly Indian Veganism committed to ethical living, collaborated once again with PeTA India to orchestrate the 2nd Edition of Vegan Creators Day & Awards on November 26, 2023. This year's spectacle unfolded at an iconic Mumbai venue Balsa, Mumbai, assembling over 60+ mega creators for an immersive experience of live performances, fun activities, expert panel discussions, and a prestigious awards ceremony.

Zouk seamlessly blends the contemporary and the traditional, infusing subtle elegance into your lifestyle. Each creation is meticulously handcrafted, cruelty-free, and proudly Indian, bringing the vibrant tapestry of Indian culture to the forefront. As a PeTA approved Vegan brand, Zouk ensures that every creation is crafted without harm to animals, aligning with the ethos of cruelty-free living.

The event boasted an impressive lineup of personalities, each contributing to the celebration of Vegan Creators Day and Awards 2023. Lataa Saberwal, renowned for her role in ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai,’ joined the gathering, adding her influence to the promotion of a vegan lifestyle. Chintan Rachchh, recognized for his recent appearance in a Netflix series ‘Class’, lent his support to the cause, while Dhanashri Kadgaonkar, a prominent Marathi actress, actively participated, highlighting the importance of veganism. Roop Durgapal, known for her role in ‘Balika Vadhu,’ further enriched the event with her presence, collectively contributing to the advocacy and celebration of the vegan community's creativity and dedication.

Organized in collaboration with PeTA India, India’s top vegan creators came together to share their vegan origin story. These creators share their daily stories of how they adopt a vegan cruelty-free lifestyle, be it in bags and footwear or in food or cosmetics. That is a big draw for Indian consumers who are now very conscious of the impact on animals post the pandemic. Well-known content creators like Jhanvi Bhatia, Shruti Iyer, Ekta Maru, and Shweta Java graced the second edition of Zouk's Vegan Creators Day & Awards, infusing the event with their noteworthy presence.

 Zouk itself, with close to 300,000 followers on Instagram is an active voice in this space. They are credited with making Vegan, Cruelty-free lifestyle products like Bags, Wallets & Footwear very popular in a space dominated by animal-based materials. They now have over 6 lakh happy customers pan-India. In 2021, Zouk even won the Best Vegan Wallets brand award from PeTA India Fashion Awards 2021.

The afternoon began with a soulful musical performance. Adding a touch of fun to the proceedings, Raveena Taurani, Chef & Founder of Yogisattva Cafe conducted a fun game aptly named 'Vegan Bingo,' an activity where creators tasted vegan dishes and guessed the ingredients using a Bingo card. It was followed by a lively panel discussion on the topic, Shaping 100,000 Vegan Creators In India: The role of brands, creators & consumers, featuring Monica Chopra, Manager of Fashion, Media, and Celebrity Projects at PETA India, Palak Mehta, Founder & CEO of Vegan First -India’s leading plant-based media publication and events company, Raveena Taurani, Chef & Founder of Yogisattva Cafe in Bandra, Amy Aela, Actor & Animal Activist, Co-founder of Meat Less Meet More and Pradeep Krishnakumar, Co-Founder of Zouk.

 The event was elevated by the esteemed presence of actress Aahana Kumra who graced the event carrying Zouk’s Sara Ali Khan Satchel - Nawabi Couture, interacted with our creators as well as awarded some of the winners.

Zouk's commitment goes beyond crafting exquisite products; it extends to promoting cruelty-free lifestyle choices and supporting a responsible, ethical way of living. The Vegan Creators Day & Awards serves as a spotlight on content creators who are actively shaping a more compassionate world.

Overwhelmed by the success of the event, Disha Singh, Founder of  Zouk, shared her thoughts saying, “Zouk has been a Vegan brand from the start and we are delighted to host the second edition of Zouk Vegan Creators Day, celebrating the outstanding work of many Vegan Creators. As a digital-first brand, we've partnered with hundreds of Vegan Creators to promote cruelty-free products.

Since last year, we've connected with more Vegan Creators inspired by previous awardees, contributing beyond our products to encourage awareness for Veganism in India. Our mission is to support and inspire 100,000 out of India's 3.5 million creators to promote Veganism in the coming years.”

While talking about Zouk, Pradeep Krishnakumar, Co-founder of Zouk, said “At Zouk, we've disrupted animal-based leather categories with our Vegan Bags and Footwear. From the early days of people asking "what is Vegan Bags," we now have delighted customers proudly sharing their Vegan Zouk Bags. The support of Vegan Creators has played a crucial role, and today, as we celebrate, we've connected with ~2x more creators talking about Veganism than last year.  That is very encouraging and we hope we can play a large role in spreading the goodness of Vegan products in the years to come, via the digital channel.”

PeTA India, a long standing supporter of Zouk's commitment to a cruelty-free lifestyle, continued its association with Zouk for the Vegan Creators Day & Awards. Monica Chopra, Manager of Fashion, Media, and Celebrity Projects at PETA India, stated, “PETA India is excited to join with Zouk in recognizing the wonderful work of vegan content creators who help make the world a kinder place. We thank Zouk for leading the way for others to follow as an ethical brand.”

 Zouk’s Vegan Creators Day & Awards was backed by Balsa, Mumbai, as the official venue and F&B partner. Balsa's specially curated vegan menu, designed exclusively for Zouk and its guests, elevated the culinary celebration at this remarkable event. Amidst the vibrant and inviting ambiance of Balsa, attendees experienced not only exquisite vegan cuisine but also the warm and welcoming atmosphere that added a touch of sophistication to the overall event experience.

Other partners for the event included Digital partner - Adgully one of the most trusted online news sources that obsessively covers the activities stirring up the realm of media, marketing, and advertising, Lifestyle Media Partner - Hauterrfly, a platform that brings engaging, fun, sassy, bold, unapologetic, and intersectional takes on trending news, entertainment and pop culture, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, health and wellness, information from experts, and opinions from fellow women, Community Media Partner - Local Samosa, a hyperlocal discovery Platform which covers Local News, Events, Workshops, Food recommendations.

And what made the event even more spectacular was the way WeCurate Events transformed Zouk’s Vegan Creators Day and Awards into a breathtaking experience with their impeccable decor, showcasing creativity and sophistication.

Zouk's commitment to a cruelty-free lifestyle and ethical choices continues to shine through events like the Vegan Creators Day & Awards, showcasing its dedication to spreading awareness and supporting the growing community of Vegan Creators in India.

About Zouk

Zouk effortlessly defines a modern Indian classic. Bringing together the contemporary and the traditional, Zouk weaves subtle elegance into your lifestyle. Handcrafted, Cruelty-free, and Proudly Indian, Zouk brings the vibrant Indian culture to the modern world.

Zouk was founded by IIM Ahmedabad batchmates and husband-wife duo, Disha Singh and Pradeep Krishnakumar. The idea of Zouk was born when Disha visited Kutch for an IIMA course. She saw that her friends loved the local handicraft items but did not buy any, given they were not functional.

Zouk is building a large startup lifestyle brand from India for the world. So far, they have over 5,00,000 happy customers who have bought from their startup website and other marketplaces. Customers love their Proudly Indian and 100% PeTA-approved Vegan products.

 Zouk won the PeTA India Fashion Award for the Best Vegan Wallets brand in 2021. Their bags have also organically appeared in movies and series. It has also been taken as gifts from India by Indian dignitaries visiting abroad. The company has upskilled and supported 400+ expert artisans who make Zouk’s handicraft products.