On Thursday, October 7, PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk spoke about eco- and animal-friendly living at her book signing at Aveda’s Columbus Circle store in New York City. Newkirk spoke to the 50-person crowd about the importance of cruelty-free beauty products and commended Aveda for its earth-friendly approaches and stand against animal testing for cosmetics and haircare products. Newkirk stressed that consumers have the power to make a difference in the way they choose to shop, and concluded the talk by reading from and signing copies of her book, Making Kind Choices. Two other Newkirk books, Let’s Have a Dog Party! and The PETA Practical Guide to Animal Rights, were also available for purchase at the event; in addition, buyers received a free bottle of Aveda Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother with their book purchases. Guests were served vegan food, wine and chocolates, all courtesy of Blossom, a trendy New York City restaurant chain devoted to organic vegan cuisine.
PETA first recognized Aveda for its accomplishments in 2004 by awarding the company a Proggy Award for Best Cruelty-Free Personal Care Products. That same year, Aveda became the first recipient of PETA’s Cutting Edge Company Award for Blazing the Cruelty-Free Trail. Aveda has gone on to win two other awards, including another Proggy. —Ivy Tan