About Jo-Anne Vernay
My name is Dyandra Raye, founder of Jo-Anne Vernay luxury vegan shoes made from pineapples. I started this company after my transition into veganism and sustainable fashion almost 3 years ago. After noticing a void in the market for luxury vegan shoes made from eco-friendly materials and not polyurethane, I used my 10 year retail/fashion career and childhood passion for sketching shoes to found Jo-Anne Vernay. Name after my mother Jo-Anne who was my inspiration for a fashion career and my late Aunt Vernay who supported my childhood designs, this brand holds a special place in my heart. Jo-Anne Vernay is on a mission to show consumers how they can merge sustainability with style through luxury vegan shoes and accessories.
I proudly launched our first design, the Mel heel, in March 2020 during a live stream. Impacted by COVID-19 at the onset of the pre-sale, customers soon became unable to invest in luxury goods which impacted money on hand for production. With sales slowing I decided to create an Indiegogo campaign to help us reach the dollar amount needed to complete production in Italy. This campaign will take Jo-Anne Vernay’s winning design from prototype to production during uncertain times, for conscious consumers to enjoy in the late summer months.
Our Sustainable Footprint
Jo-Anne Vernay is more than a shoe line, it's a brand that honors the vegan lifestyle. The main material Pinatex is biodegradable and PETA approved, providing conscious consumers with a product that is better for the planet. Jo-Anne Vernay’s custom packaging is also sustainable, made from recycled materials to uphold our vegan morals. The mission is to provide fashion-focused customers the ability to invest in shoes that they can feel good wearing too.
Challenges & Rewards
Since the inception of Jo-Anne Vernay in 2018, I've overcome the main challenge which is funding for start-ups. Through crowdfunding, angel investors and bootstrapping I've invested $15,000 into sampling, prototyping, marketing and e-retailing. The fruits of labor have been worth the hustle, with customers placing pre-orders during the pandemic, celebrity inquiries, fortune 500 collaborations and most importantly organic press. In order to keep the cash flow positive during the pandemic, I've cut back on certain marketing projects and brought duties in-house that I and my contracted staff now handle.
The Exchange
Jo-Anne Vernay currently needs to raise $10,000 to cover a portion of our production payment in Italy. In exchange for your much-appreciated donation, Jo-Anne Vernay is offering 3 delicious perks including gift cards to use towards your purchase and a future designed named after you. If the unforeseen event that the goal isn’t met, I will allocate all the funds towards production.
Other Ways To Help
If you can't contribute or buy a perk, there are so many ways you can help spread the word about Jo-Anne Vernay. Follow us on Instagram @joannevernay, like us on Facebook @joannevernayofficial and tag a fashionable friend. You can also share this campaign with Indiegogo's share tools to keep the message moving. The more we talk about sustainable style the more conscious consumerism can become the norm. I thank you all for your support along this journey!