Founder

Paula Pötry @Paula.Potry

I'm Paula, a Finnish Blogger and Model who is passionate about mental health, environmental sustainability and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

I started working as a professional Model when I moved to London in November of 2016. This is when I created my fashion lifestyle blog Vanilla On Top, where I often shared my behind-the- scenes experiences of my modelling career.

In addition to the fearless adventures, I wanted to be exposed to more perspectives and inspiration for other professional pursuits. In 2019 I launched Vanilla Shanti, my first own eco-friendly premium yoga wear collection. Its debut at Magnesia Yoga Festival had a very positive response.

In January of 2020 I was a part of “The Highest Fashion Show on Earth,” which took place on Mount Everest. Not only was this the experience of a lifetime, but I was also a part of setting a new record in the Guinness Book of World Records. The expedition included three weeks of trekking in extreme weather conditions while climbing to the altitude of 5600 meters above sea level. The event’s purpose is to bring awareness and donations towards preventing climate change.

My motto is: “You’re never going to be 100% ready for anything, so live life to its fullest. Don’t wait for the perfect timing, just give it a go and be fearless. We’d rather learn from mistakes than to never try. Don't be afraid to taking a step into the unknown.”

I truly believe that the Universe points us in the right direction.  I’m happy that I have made crazy decisions to live my life to the fullest. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have accomplished this much at such a young age and I wouldn’t be where I am now. - Paula @Paula.Potry

My Story

Vanilla Shanti is a Scandinavian, eco-friendly yoga fashion brand that focuses on bringing fresh and feminine styles to the yoga community.

The brand exists for women who want to embrace who they are. The purpose of Vanilla Shanti is for you to focus on yourself and to feel accepted, respected, and valued in your life– all while helping to make the world a better and cleaner place.

What started in Finland as just me with a laptop has now grown into a global yoga brand and conscious community. Vanilla Shanti was featured in London Fashion Week and other fashion events globally, and it even took part in the Mount Everest Ecological Fashion Runway Spectacle.

The Mount Everest Ecological Fashion Runway Show broke an official Guinness World Record, it was aired on various media channels like MTV U.S., and it reached millions of people globally – all for the good cause of preventing climate change.

Vanilla Shanti entertains, empowers, and inspires our community through diverse ethical and ecological fashion, storytelling, and optimistic experiences.

“It’s important to have our own foundation of self-confidence, which comes from the process of learning how to know, accept, and love ourselves on all levels – mind, body, and spirit. From there, we can be our own best versions of our empowered selves, which helps us to succeed in our businesses and personal lives. It all starts with good self-confidence.“ - Paula Pötry, @Paula.Potry

I am - We are, Vanilla  Shanti

#VanillaShantiGals  

My Mission

I can't promise to save the world, but I can promise to do my part in trying to leave a positive mark. I believe that when we create something new, it is our responsibility to make sure we leave something positive behind that lasts beyond our lifetime.

An ever-growing issue is climate change and the negative impact that garbage has on the environment. The billions upon billions of items of plastic waste clogging our oceans, lakes, and rivers and piling up on land is more than unsightly. It’s extremely harmful to plants and wildlife.

About 8-million metric tons of plastic are thrown into the ocean annually. Of those tons, 236,000 tons are microplastics– tiny pieces of broken-down plastic that is smaller than your smallest fingernail. Every minute, one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our oceans. Although the outlook seems gloomy, there is hope– and for now, there is still some time.


This is where The Ocean Project comes in. @Vanilla.Shanti is a new premium activewear brand that is proudly made with ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon, which is made out of recycled plastics from the ocean.

When companies choose to use rPET in their products, they provide a market for recycled plastics. Like any business, recycling facilities have to make money– if they’re not turning a profit from the materials they collect, they’ll stop collecting them. When consumers purchase products made with recycled content, they’re sending a message to companies that they value their sustainability efforts.

By creating awareness and demand for recycled products, Vanilla Shanti helps solidify recycling programs and recycled goods as valuable pieces in the production process. Read more about the process and about ECONYL®, Regenerated Nylon Fabrics that we use in our garments here: https://www.econyl.com/

I’m starting with Vanilla Shanti. You decide what we do next. Contact me through social media or via email and tell me what you would like to have made in a sustainable way.


The sustainable active wear.
Vanilla Shanti Made by Me @paula.potry