The Powerhouse Vegan: Heather Mills On Fashion, Food, and Her Journey

By any measure, Heather Mills is a force of nature. Through the years, the former model and record-holding skier has blossomed into a powerhouse businesswoman, while never waning for a second from her dedication to animal rights. A strong voice for all animals, Mills was an outspoken vegan way before most of her celebrity peers even knew what veganism was — and today, her commitment is stronger than ever. Ahead of the relaunch of her newest acquired venture, Alternative Stores, we chatted to the activist icon about life, business, and cruelty-free fashion.

By Sascha Camilli 

Pushing through countless barriers to ascend to iconic status, Heather Mills has always had a passion for charity. Her endeavours began with volunteering as an aid worker in former Yugoslavia during the Balkan crisis in the 90s. On return from the area, Mills was involved in an accident that left her with a fractured skull, a punctured lung, a crushed pelvis, and broken bones, but most importantly saw her lose part of her leg. Never one to succumb to a crisis, Mills became an alpine ski racer, joining the British Disabled ski team. Holding several records, she ascended to new heights in her sport.

Joining the ranks of athletes who live a vegan lifestyle, Mills went vegan before it was the cool thing to do. "In the early days of my life, when we moved from Aldershot, where I was born, to the Northeast, we lived on a farm. I watched my father help a vet pull a baby calf out of the mother‘s womb and absolutely fell in love with animals. We used to have a dog called Ben that knew the Green Cross Code and would walk us to school every day, and we had a goat that used to wander around the house. How could I not connect with these incredible animals?"

Mills' path to veganism was not a simple one. It began shortly after her accident. "My journey to veganism wasn’t straightforward. I was coming to terms with a crushed pelvis, punctured lung and the loss of my leg. I was riddled with infection that continued to spread, heavily dosed up on antibiotics and, having spent five months in the hospital, I was just desperate to get out and get healed. Seeing my frustration and witnessing my leg being amputated, a good friend of mine suggested going vegan to try and help heal my body." Mills did have her doubts at first. "Being a North East sausage and mash girl through and through, I thought she was completely nuts. But I decided to give it a go — why not? I started experimenting with a plant-based diet and within ten days, my health had improved immeasurably. In hindsight, it’s amazing how fast veganism had already started to positively impact my life in so many ways." Today, Mills couldn't be happier with her choice. "It was the best decision I have ever made and I’m so glad I never looked back. Embracing a vegan diet and lifestyle has opened my eyes to a wonderful world of creativity, activism and entrepreneurialism. I have met so many wonderful, kind and caring people in the vegan community."

One of Mills' goals with her sports career was to prove anti-vegan naysayers wrong. "One of my main motivations to become a ski racer at the grand old age of 42 — racing against 20-year-olds — was to disprove the whole protein debate. I wanted to show that a 42-year-old vegan could hold her own and perhaps even beat a 20-year-old meat eater. And it worked! I’m proud to say that I won four gold medals and I think I still hold the Guinness World Record for speed skiing, skeleton, and ski jumping. I certainly won’t give them up easily anyway!"

Mills also campaigned against fur — specifically against the imports of cat and dog fur into the UK. How did she uncover the horrors of the industry? "I was holding a charity fundraiser in Los Angeles for landmine clearing when one of the directors of Sex and the City gave me a video of dogs and cats being skinned alive in China for use in clothing in the UK, Europe, and America. I was horrified." In typical Heather Mills fashion, she set about campaigning to end the dog and cat fur trade. "We spent three years campaigning and lobbying the EU. I made a documentary with the BBC and then we managed to achieve 250,000 signatories. It then enabled us to get the first unanimous vote in the European Parliament against dog and cat fur imports into the UK." 

How has her own style changed since becoming an activist? Durability is a big factor. "I buy from charity shops, cut up clothes, and turn them into great designs. Then, for my birthday and Christmas presents, I get vouchers from my family and treat myself to vegan high-end fashion — most of which doesn’t end up in landfill, unlike fast fashion." Mills' style philosophy is all about quality over quantity: "It’s best to invest in one amazing piece that will last you 30+ years rather than buying cheap clothes, washing them four times, and then being unable to wear them anymore."

Many vegans will hold food brand V-Bites close to their hearts — myself included. The brand's tasty animal-free creations were part of so many people's vegan journey. As founder of the brand, Mills believes we're nowhere near the peak of vegan alternatives. "Plant-based foods are the key to our future. We know that a vegan diet reduces the damage to the environment. We know that fresh vegan foods are the most nutritionally complete option, but that is not an option for everyone. We need to be more inclusive. Plant-based meat alternatives that can be cost-effectively manufactured at scale in an environmentally friendly way can help us move away from industries that are wreaking havoc on our world." She has one prediction about what's next for vegan foods: focusing on gut health. "The one thing guaranteed is that meat and dairy are not good for the gut. The Western world is becoming bloated and obese, with increasing digestive problems. This next generation of foods we are developing are going be a great answer to these issues."

She intends to solve many issues with her newly acquired venture, Alternative Stores. "At Alternative Stores, we believe in an alternative way that values ethics over exploitation, sustainability over waste, and independence over industry giants. For too long, convenience has come at a cost but we are all paying the price. Alternative Stores exist to help people take a stand and rethink how the choices we all make can help us forge a more sustainable, ethical and kinder future."

Her advice to anyone just starting out on their journey with activism? Kill them with kindness. Or rather, with deliciousness. "Hold dinner parties and feed your friends and family great food. People who eat meat and dairy subconsciously feel really guilty talking about it — so don’t make it worse for them. Instead, offer solutions: help them opt out of their favourite animal-based products one by one by replacing them with kind vegan alternatives." She adds, "I have always believed in the power of activism and education and as annoying as some might find me and it, I don’t think you can discuss veganism without holding a mirror to the meat industry, particularly factory farming, which is inherently cruel. But if you’re going to start out trying to convert people, in my experience it's best to fill their tummies with delicious vegan  food first. Make them love the food, and then their ears will open and their minds will clear." Wise words.

By Sascha Camilli

About Sascha

Sascha Camilli is a vegan writer, speaker and activist. Her book Vegan Style is out now on Murdoch Books. For more about Sascha, you can read our interview with her or sign up to her newsletter Kind of Wild. 

Top photos by Sigrid Mayer. Last photo by Andreas Tischler.

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