Slutty Vegan Teams Up With Steve Madden for Collaboration

The on-the-move Atlanta-based restaurant Slutty Vegan has joined forces with Steve Madden for a limited-run collaboration.

Launching Monday, there is a pair of vegan sneakers approved by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and a crossbody bag that play up the restaurant’s bold colors, style and attitude. The cobranded items are being sold online on both companies’ sites and through Steve Madden’s Atlanta location.

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The two parties connected last year. During Black History Month in February 2021, Steve Madden partnered with the Fearless Fund to spotlight six women of color who started their own businesses. That endeavor included Slutty Vegan’s founder and chief executive officer Pinky Cole, who hit it off with Madden’s namesake founder on a Zoom call.

The collaboration coincides with Slutty Vegan’s expansion. Having recently opened its fifth outpost in Athens, Georgia, the company will be unveiling additional locations in Brooklyn and in Birmingham, Alabama. The fast-casual, plant-based chain has been covering some ground since opening its first location in Atlanta in 2018. Instagram orders and a nationwide food truck tour are some of the ways that Slutty Vegan is connecting with diners.

Delivering the commencement address at Clark Atlanta University’s last month, Cole offered to provide every graduate who wants to start a business with the ability to register a limited-liability corporation in partnership with Varo Bank. Her plant-based burger operation recently got its own reinforcement. Slutty Vegan raised $25 million in series A funding from Danny Meyer’s Enlightened Hospitality Investments and Richelieu Dennis’ New Voices Fund. The company is reportedly valued at $100 million.

For each collaborative item that is purchased through their respective sites, both Steve Madden and Slutty Vegan will donate $1 to PETA through ShoppingGives. The Possession and Bsettitup bags retail for $99 and $89 respectively.

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