Celebrities And Models Who Support Ethical Fashion
The fashion industry is known to have one of the largest carbon footprints in the world. In fact, it produces 10% of the world’s carbon emissions, as well as being the second largest consumer of water, drying up water sources and polluting rivers and streams. And when it comes to washing fabrics in factories, the industry releases over 500,000 tons of microfibers into the oceans every year. This is equivalent to 50 billion plastic bottles thrown into the sea. It is undeniable how destructive the fashion industry is to the planet. And that doesn’t even include the tons and tons of fabric waste dumped into landfills each year.
Fortunately, companies, fashion houses, brands, and even models and celebrities around the world have started to notice. Having worked in the entertainment and fashion industries themselves, they may have promoted luxury and indulgence in fashion, but have realized the negative impacts of the industry on the environment. Not only are they spearheading the support of ethical fashion, but they are raising awareness and creating their very own sustainable fashion brands. These big names in fashion and entertainment are making sure consumers learn to embrace sustainably made clothing.
Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney may be the daughter of The Beatles’ Paul McCartney, but her celebrity status didn’t hinder her from caring about the environment. She was one of the very first fashion designers in the world to launch a fully vegan label in 2001, and to this day, she has vowed never to use real leather in all of her products, including shoes. Not only does she involve her career in sustainability, but she also lives the lifestyle, too. She takes steps to live an organic and environmentally-friendly life as possible in all of her endeavors. Even her UK stores are powered by wind energy.
Nikki Reed
Nikki Reed is a Hollywood actress famous for her role in The Twilight Saga and her directorial and writing chops in several movies. An avid supporter of sustainable living, Reed breathes and lives ethical fashion as she’s also an environmental activist. Together with her business partner, Reed launched Bayou With Love, a hippie-inspired fashion label that uses recycled gold in their jewelry, sustainable materials in their clothing collections, as well as making use of local artisans.
Emma Watson
Known for playing Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies, Watson is one of ethical fashion’s biggest supporters. Ever since learning about the ethical issues surrounding the fashion industry, such as child labor and animal exploitation, Watson has exclusively worn sustainable high fashion on the red carpet ever since. One of the highlights of her sustainable high-fashion journey was during the MET Gala in 2016, when she wore a Calvin Klein gown made of fabric using yarn from recycled plastic bottles.
Lily Cole
One of the most recognizable faces in the fashion industry during the 2000s, Lily Cole was one of the very first top models to support ethical fashion. A British supermodel touted by Vogue Paris as one of the top 30 models of the 2000s, Cole has been recognized by organizations for her outstanding contributions to environmental and humanitarian causes. Apart from modeling sustainably crafted alternative wear and other apparel, she also launched a clothing line called “The North Circular,” which made a collection of clothing made of wool from rescued sheep. The label is now closed but Cole continues to be a poster child for campaigning for ethical fashion.
Liya Kebede
An Ethiopian-born top model, Kebede launched Lemlem, which is a clothing line producing products made primarily of hand-woven, hand-spun, and embroidered Ethiopian cotton. She also created the Lemlem Foundation, which helps African women have better access to education, healthcare, and employment. Ethiopian cotton is sustainable and environmentally friendly, with Kebede not only promoting ethical fashion but also keeping Ethiopian traditional fabric-making alive.
More and more celebrities and models around the world are becoming aware of the massive environmental impact of the fashion industry, and they are taking active steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Refusing to wear certain brands and materials made from companies with ethical issues, as well as campaigning for better labor practices and the use of sustainable materials, these models and celebrities are bringing eco-friendly fashion to the forefront of mass awareness.
