Meet Miguel Endara | Founder of Vidara Wear

We had the good fortune of connecting with Miguel Endara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Miguel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Well, thanks to the thousands of articles and videos exposing the way animals are exploited in farms and slaughterhouses, a lot of people who truly care about animals are starting to shift towards veganism as a way of boycotting these cruel practices. Many of these vegans, like myself, enjoy wearing t-shirts that help spread awareness of this systemic issue. The only problem was that most of the vegan t-shirts out there are not too appealing – they’re either too loud in their messaging or they’re just not very creative in their designs. So, leveraging my professional background as an artist, I decided to produce my own vegan t-shirts under the name Vidara Wear.

The Vidara Wear brand thus became an ethical and sustainable vegan clothing company who believes compassion looks good on anyone, and serves as a constant reminder to those who read our shirts that animals are consistently and unnecessarily being abused, exploited, tortured and ultimately killed for the most trivial of things. Like any other past injustice in our history, the only way we eradicate these everyday atrocities is by speaking up. So spreading the message and reminding people that there’s a more compassionate way to live is at the heart of everything we do.
We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others? 
I think the Vidara Wear brand is more creative in its approach to deliver vegan related messages than the average vegan clothing brand, but a more significant highlight that sets us apart is that we use one of the most environmentally and ethically responsible t-shirt suppliers on the market – Stella/Stanley. In a world where every company calls themselves sustainable or ethical, this one stands out as being the most transparent with their practices, ensuring that every step of their manufacturing falls within the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Fair Wear Foundation’s Code of Labour Practices (CoLP).

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
It sounds like I’m having fun doing this, but asking people to not harm animals in a world where harming animals is normalized and acceptable, is really not that fun. This was especially true when I used to work as a documentary filmmaker, where a lot of my work involved witnessing animals being abused and killed right in front of me. It’s just not fun. While in the field, I would often think to myself, if only my friends and family could just see what I’m seeing right now, maybe then they’ll change what they eat and boycott with me. But that rarely ever happened. For so many years, I had to accept that people just don’t care about animals all that much, even when presented with mountains of evidence. All of this weighs a lot on the brain. So yeah, I wish people knew that behind the playful and colorful messaging on our t-shirts, there’s a distressed state of mind at work.

I also want people to know that our brand’s philosophy is simple – leave animals alone and you’ll be ok, we promise. Being vegan doesn’t mean giving up anything important, just old habits that cause misery to others. Cows, pigs, chickens – they don’t want to be mistreated, tortured and killed in the same way a dog doesn’t want to be mistreated, tortured and killed. I mean, this shouldn’t be a hard concept for the average person to grasp, yet here we are. But in this sea of apathy toward animal suffering, are pockets of people who care but never once considered veganism as an alternative way of living. This is why my clothing brand seeks to spread vegan messages wide and far, to remind those people (specifically those who truly care about animals) that there’s a better way to live.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There’s a ton of vegan restaurants to choose from, like The Cocinita, Planta, or even Vegan Cuban Cuisine, but the best spot in Miami is the Farmer’s Market in Coconut Grove. There’s music, food, drinks, and everything else in between. It’s a great place to relax, have fun and enjoy some of the simple pleasures of a vibrant and eclectic culture that Coconut Grove has to offer.

Website: VidaraWear.com

Instagram: instagram.com/vidarawear