Based in Montreal, Matt & Nat creates super stylish, popular, and eco-friendly purses and wallets. Their motto is to "live beautifully" while welcoming humanity and the positive aspects of life. From the very beginning Matt & Nat have been committed to not using leather or any other animal based materials in their designs and believe in selling sustainable products. Some of their bags have even contained recycled nylons, rubber, cork, bicycle tires and cardboard. They have been using linings for their purses made 100 per cent of recycled plastic bottles since 2007. Their colourful purse collections can be found in stores across Canada. (Bee Royal - Dwell Collection crossbody bag, $77)

This socially conscious, vegan friendly company is based in Los Angeles, but don't fret, they ship to Canada. Established by a Harvard-trained architect, their designs are modern and reasonably priced, even with the U.S. exchange rate. They believe in pushing the boundaries and the end result is a high level of colour saturation using resilient good quality polyurethane — which they label as "vegan leather." Other styles are made with a superior suede microfibre that is an excellent substitute to traditional animal suede. (Parker Tote in Elephant Grey, $112)

Urban Expressions is a brand known for creating trendy animal friendly handbags. Founded in 2005, their main goal was to revolutionize the industry with their innovative products. Their items are all certified vegan and PETA approved, with a label stating this. They have been featured in mainstream fashion magazines and continue to create luxury vegan accessories to meet a growing need. Urban Expression bags can be purchased online and select styles are available at Winners stores in Canada. (Alice Satchel, $100)

Jeane & Jax, another Montreal vegan handbag success story, believes in cruelty free fashion for an affordable price. Their trendy bags are not only fashionable, but their collections are ethically sourced and the brand is dedicated to social responsibility. All Jeane & Jax bags are PETA approved and they are committed to providing their employees with a safe and equitable work environment. The end result is quality stylish bags that are driven by customer need. Products are available online and at retailers throughout Canada and the United States. (Fringe Crossbody, $80)

This eco-friendly Canadian-designed brand believes in pushing the innovation boundaries when creating their cruelty free vegan couture. ESPE uses sustainable materials such as durable synthetic polyurethane leather that is ethically sourced. They are passionate about constructing the latest fashionable products and are another company that is vegan approved by PETA. Their products, designed in a Toronto studio, change seasonally and are available online, throughout Canada in retail stores, and as far away as France and Switzerland. Bicycle Messenger Bag, $84)