Portman to launch vegan shoes

Natalie Portman has collaborated with a US 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 (€137) 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 February with 100% of proceeds benefitting The Nature Conservancy, an organisation dedicated to protecting the environment.