PETA Global 2019 Issue 1

Sasha Josipovicz:

Q & A

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Kindness by Design

PETA: What are people’s perceptions of vegan interior design? Sasha: Intellectual people, people with a calling, philanthropists, these are the people that would be more associated with a vegan lifestyle earlier, but now, all sorts of people are craving innovation and knowledge. Social perception can define people’s habits. It’s a drastic change in the last 25 years. It’s not eccentric anymore. It is a smart life choice. PETA: What steps would you recommend that people take to be kind? Sasha: Ingrid Newkirk wrote a book called Making Kind Choices, and that’s the perfect way to put it. You can peel away your cruelty, like an onion. You take one peel off, like you stop using fur, removing one layer at a time. Somebody can do it faster, somebody takes a long time, somebody never reaches the goal, and somebody never tries. Be the one who tries! Take Action Now Make your abode animal-friendly by putting out the unwelcome mat for wool rugs, down cushions, and leather furniture – and choosing vegan fabrics instead.

Sasha Josipovicz is a witty, ethical, and super-creative international style icon who is in high demand among the rich and famous. He has designed everything from New York pied-à-terres to exotic Corfu villas and Caribbean hideaways. One of the Toronto-based interior designer’s latest projects is Soos, a Malaysian-themed restaurant that goes all-vegan two days a week. He’s also the honorary editor in chief of OBJEKT International magazine, which teamed up with PETA to name lifestyle blogger Molly Tuttle’s Texas residence “Cruelty-Free Home of the Year.” Sasha: About 15 years ago, I designed a house for two important PETA members, but it wasn’t an auspicious beginning. I remember arriving in outrageously expensive Prada sandals. One of the clients looked and me and said, “What is that on your feet?” And I said, “Prada sandals.” “Those are not sandals to me,” she said. “They are dead rabbits.” She added, “I’m a PETA member.” This was the first time I had heard of PETA! I never, ever wore the sandals again, because every time I looked at them after that, I saw a dead rabbit. Sometimes, a simple observation makes a lasting impact on how you see the world. Fur was the epitome of wealth coming from Europe, especially Eastern Europe back then. But no more fur or leather for me forever, and even though I come from Serbia, where a lot of meat is consumed, I’m now a vegetarian. PETA: What do you consider real design game-changers? Sasha: Well, if somebody wants silk curtains, you have to explain in a cheeky way that the sun eats up the silk and it will disintegrate. You’d better invest your money in man made fabrics that have better longevity. There’s a great company called Designers Guild. They make polyester and nylon curtain fabrics that I adore. As a designer, you are surrounded by people with enormous wealth and uncontrollable visions about tigers’ heads and lion skin rugs and so on. If they want animal heads on the wall, I do Indian masks made of beads. There are more exotic, much more beautiful, elegant choices I can make for them. Excitement to me is color. I am a colorful person living in a beige world! The Ultrasuedes and microfibers have been on the market for a long time, but what’s interesting to me is the process of dyeing, coloring these fabrics. They’ve perfected those technologies. We have a shop in Toronto called Primavera Interior Furnishings, where you can indulge in linens, microfibers, and wallpapers that are made out of paper – and are really the ultimate in luxury. PETA: When did you first think about using vegan materials in your designs?

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Sasha (main): Image courtesy of 507 Antiques, Derreck Martin and J. Lee • Sasha (bottom): © Hans Fonk and Alaia Fonk • Living room (top right): © Steven Miric • Kitchen (top left): © Steven Miric • Dining room (bottom right): © Hans Fonk

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Global 19

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