NATALIE PORTMAN - PORTMAN TO LAUNCH VEGAN FOOTWEAR RANGE

NATALIE PORTMAN has collaborated with a U.S. fashion firm to launch a range of vegan footwear. The Natalie Portman Collection - made in partnership with specialty shoe retailer Te Casan and the actress' stylist Kate Young - will feature 20 pairs of limited edition, hand-crafted designs that are completely animal-friendly, with a price tag of $200 (GBP100) each. The Closer star says, "As a vegan, I don't wear leather, fur, or feathers. Shopping for clothes hasn't proved too difficult, but finding chic footwear has definitely been a challenge." Yaniv Shirazi, Te Casan president, adds, "We met with Kate and Natalie to discuss what Natalie was looking to do and it was immediately clear that this would be a fantastic collaboration. "There are so few animal-free collections out there, and Natalie's ideas were really great, in terms of style." The line will debut in stores 1 February (08) with 100 per cent of proceeds benefitting The Nature Conservancy, an organisation dedicated to protecting the environment.