Wearing a black wool cap pulled down against the biting chill of a Chicago winter morning, Vallas bounds up to the doors of tenements on the city's gritty South Side.
The genesis of the company came from Hilgart's own desire for a stylish winter coat that wasn't "accidentally vegan" because it used substitutes for wool, fur or leather to drive down costs.
As an example, she cited her very first item at Tuesday's presentation: A sleeveless gray wool jumper with a low V-neck and white button-down shirt attached inside.