PETA and Miomojo are inspiring TV’s biggest stars to wear plants—not animals—by bringing Italian-crafted, plant-based luxury to this year’s Emmys® Giving Suite. Emmy presenters, nominees, and winners will have the opportunity to select an exquisite Miomojo creation during the rehearsal days leading up to the event, as well as during television’s biggest night itself.

We sat down with Miomojo CEO Claudia Pievani to discuss how the exquisite handbags made from apples, corn, and olives her company creates are proving that high fashion doesn’t need to come with a high cost for animals.

How is Miomojo different from other luxury fashion brands?
Today’s fashion system clings to an uneasy balance — loudly proclaiming sustainability while fiercely protecting an economic model built on overproduction, waste, and denial. Beneath its polished surface lies the suffering of billions of animals each year, treated as commodities rather than sentient beings. It’s a model that is no longer viable — for the planet, for its people, or for the future.

From day one, Miomojo chose another path — one guided by compassion and the unshakable belief that aesthetics must meet ethics. That a truly beautiful product must be beautiful inside and out. We have spent years pioneering the future of materials: grape, apple, mushroom, wood, corn. Always animal-free. Always rooted in the conviction that luxury should create desire without causing harm.

We are not waiting for the old system to collapse before building something better. We are shaping the alternative now — piece by piece, bag by bag, idea by idea. Our creations are handcrafted in Italy from next-generation plant-based materials, uniting Italian artistry with innovation to prove that luxury can be exquisite without costing animals their lives or compromising the planet’s future. Luxury must evolve. We have already begun.

What inspired you to repurpose agricultural waste into plant leather?
It began with a simple but profound question: Can fashion be truly beautiful if it causes such harm? From there, I shaped my thinking around three guiding pillars: Is it kind? Is it necessary? Is it useful? When I looked at the leather industry, the answer to all three was an unequivocal no.

For me, as founder and CEO, this was also about aligning my personal values with my life’s work. Having spent years in fashion, I had seen the cruelty and waste that sat behind the glamour. I wanted to offer an alternative that matched my aesthetic sensibility with my ethics — without compromise.

That wish set me on a journey into a new material landscape. Agricultural byproducts — apple skins from juice production, corn husks, olive waste — hold extraordinary untapped potential. By transforming what was once discarded into something of lasting value, we built a supply chain that protects animals and lightens our footprint on the planet. This fusion of beauty, ingenuity, and purpose is at the heart of every Miomojo creation.

How have consumers embraced your product line?
Our customers are drawn to the tactile elegance and timeless design of our handbags, but what truly resonates is the integrity behind them. They value knowing that no animal was harmed, and that their purchase supports a circular, more responsible way of making fashion. For many, it’s empowering to carry something refined and contemporary while living in alignment with their compassion for animals and care for the planet. As Vogue Italia wrote, they are “the bags that save lives twice” — first, by sparing animals through our innovative, animal-free materials, and second, by giving back to the causes that protect them. With 10% of each sales price donated to a charity of the customer’s choice — among trusted partners such as PETA — every bag becomes both a statement of style and a tangible act of compassion.

Which of your handbags are you most excited to share with Emmy® stars?
The ORION clutch feels made for this moment — sleek, architectural, and crafted entirely from apple leather. It’s the kind of piece that draws the eye quietly, then invites conversation about what it’s made from and why. It perfectly reflects our belief that luxury can carry both artistry and conscience in one beautiful form.

What do you think will be the most exciting trend in the vegan fashion world next year?
We’re entering a new chapter where biofabricated and plant-based textiles will set the standard for desirability. It’s no longer enough for luxury to be beautiful; it must also be intelligent in how it sources, constructs, and communicates.

At Miomojo, we’re already moving into this future with a new capsule of smaller accessories crafted from lab-grown materials — in our case, mycelium-based leather. These pieces are not only incredibly beautiful and cool, but come with almost zero environmental impact. Lab-grown from the root structure of mushrooms, mycelium offers the tactile richness and elegance we demand from luxury, without harming a single animal and with a fraction of the footprint.

It’s a genuine game-changer — proof that the most exciting materials of tomorrow can also deliver the highest level of style and sophistication today.

The solutions to the biggest challenges of humanity — our survival on Earth and the care of our support systems, animals and the planet — are already here. We just need to choose them. We just need to choose kindness.

How do you share your compassion for animals with those who aren’t as animal-friendly?
I believe in meeting people where they are. We create pieces that first captivate through design, then open the door to the deeper story — the lives spared, the cruelty avoided, the alternative made possible.

At the same time, we don’t shy away from revealing the reality: the brutality hidden behind glamour, the violence normalised by tradition. None of us is born vegan, but we are all born with empathy — and most people, once they truly see what happens, choose not to be part of such harm. Choosing differently often brings a sense of lightness, authenticity, and harmony — proof that kindness towards animals enriches life in every way.

Any advice for someone wanting to start a vegan business?
Anchor yourself in a clear vision and deliver it with excellence. Don’t aim to be “good for a vegan product” — aim to be exceptional, full stop. Show that your concept can surpass conventional luxury in beauty, craftsmanship, and desirability, all while holding true to a purpose that spares animals and protects the planet. When people see that ethics can elevate, rather than limit, the experience of a product, you’ve created something powerful enough to shift culture.