What is sustainability and why are all the relevant celebrities today jumping on the sustainable fashion train? Well to put it simply sustainability means adopting a way of life that aims for people to co-exist safely on Earth for a long time, and whilst doing this balancing environmental, economic, and social well-being. Sounds easy enough to commit to, however, if we factor in all the human behaviours we have adopted over time and how much of an environmental impact we make on a daily basis. The answer is it can, but we have to make the conscious choices to change what we are now programmed to do, and looking at our favourite celebrities and how they are making their own efforts just might be what we need in this reflective society we are living in.
Most recent fashion brand and influencer collaborations
Major changes and movements in the fashion industry have led to an unfortunate marketing tactic known as ‘greenwashing’. Greenwashing is when an individual or business gives false impressions of how environmentally driven they are when behind the scenes they continue to exploit the key components that are necessary to creating a greener and safer planet.
A real example can be seen from fast fashion giants known as Boohoo showing misleading eco claims from a recent collaboration with reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian. The 45 recycled fashion piece collection is just a minuscule effort from boohoo to portray renewability, taking notice away from their thousands of items of clothing that are made harmfully against the planet and against the workers that are exploited in the factories they’re produced.
Although Boohoo is not leading by example, we can look at the love island finalists Tasha Ghoris’s recent collaboration with eBay as their first-ever brand ambassador for sustainable fashion as a positive use of influential power. eBay, already an established fashion brand promoting sustainability, is an amazing example of what celebrity endorsement can promote when it comes to purchasing second-hand clothing. The norm for love island finalists is to sign with fast fashion giants such as Boohoo, Plt, and many others, however, Tasha starting this movement and shying away from the trends may start a trend in itself for more influencers to become more sustainably conscious and hopefully begin an even bigger movement from fast fashion brands.
Your favourite celebrities
Fashion is not the only way businesses and people are becoming more sustainable. Of course, there is no perfect way of living when it comes to being more eco-friendly and in one way or another we will have negative implications for the planet, even by simply being here, we are making an impact! But some of your favourite celebrities have found their perfect way to balance sustainability, through diet, eco-homes, and even their investments into companies that are driving forces for sustainable living.
Leonardo Dicaprio
The academy award-winning actor has more than just a few awards under his belt. His talent for portraying messages to his audiences during acceptance speeches often includes pressing issues that are affecting the planet. Named the designated Messenger of Peace for The United Nations, it would suggest he is more than qualified to be speaking on climate matters as an educated and passionate advocate. Practising what he preaches, he encourages more plant-based eating as he follows the diet investing large sums of money into vegan businesses such as vegan meat company Beyond Meat, and vegan snack maker Hippeas. These being just a few of his investments in his environmental portfolio, he also has an interest in renewable energy usage and is actually an advisor for a clean power organisation called The Solutions Project. His activism is visible on his social media platforms where he is extremely outspoken, we would recommend checking out his platforms to see for yourself.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson has been a prominent sustainable fashion icon for a number of years. Her earliest and most influential use of green fashion is visible in red carpet fashion choices, opting for vintage or recycled dresses at the Harry Potter Movie premiers. This dedication and commitment to climate-conscious fashion have landed her the position of a committee member at Kering, the owner of luxury fashion names such as Balenciaga, Gucci, and Saint Laurent. She will now have a say in how these household designer names make more environmentally conscious choices when creating their high-end products.
Bella Hadid
Supermodel Bella Hadid has become an influence to be reckoned with in recent years after following in her sister Gigi Hadid’s footsteps. Her undisputed natural beauty is often used as the face of major luxury designer brands, but in her personal life, she often opts for pre-loved pieces making her the queen of vintage. Not only is she reducing her carbon footprint through her love for vintage, but she is known for her support for smaller, up-and-coming sustainable clothing brands that she promotes and styles on her social media platforms. She even has a secret re-selling account of the second-hand platform Depop, where she is selling some of her most loved pieces, from christmas party dresses to designer shoes, for a quarter of the cost. This positive use of influential power is surely having a positive impact on her millions of Instagram followers that want to be just like the supermodel.
Angelina Jolie
If you are looking for a guide to achieving the Hollywood smile everyone wants, Angelina Jolie is the woman to look to. An already worldly-known humanitarian, Jolie is also an avid clothing recycler and is known to buy pieces that she can rewear, and even pass on to her multiple children. She has attended many red carpet events with her daughters where it is apparent that her most iconic dresses have been passed down to her children to wear at these events. This is just one of the heartwarming ways celebrities are encouraging sustainability not just to the fans that admire them, but to their own children. Alongside this personal stake, she has invested millions into various climate charities that are fighting for the cause on a daily basis.
Timothée Chalamet
The academy award-nominated actor is often making the best-dressed lists, showcasing his bold statement fashion outfits, whilst putting emphasis on his luxury streetwear. He has even become recognised by the 174-year-old jewellery brand Cartier as a ‘Friend Of The House’ due to the alignment of interests, being a creatively free spirit, and also holding ethical, social, and environmental values close to his heart. Timothée has a strong influence over the younger generations already of his leading-man, heartthrob reputation, but his selective fashion choices for environmentally-friendly fashion are helping change the face of green fashion.
The Duchess Of Cambridge
The Duchesses’ fashion influence has been so profound it has led to the coined media term the ‘kate effect. This alludes to her fashion choices having an immense impact on what the particular clothing items she wears tend to shoot up in demand. Thankfully for the benefit of the planet, Kate often re-wears pieces she has owned for a number of years, and also goes for eco-friendly and sustainable missioned brands, reflecting just part of Kate’s efforts to make the planet more sustainable. Kate is just one of the royal family members who love to go green, but she is arguably one of the best to do it with her pre-loved pieces.
Final Thoughts
Although it takes a weight off the world’s shoulders seeing famous celebrities adopting a sustainable lifestyle, everyone should still go away and find their own ways to incorporate sustainability into everyday life. It’s not just celebrities that have an influence, everyday people and their environmental choices will make the most difference to the future of our planet and how we live sustainably.