Sustainability, of late, has been an intense topic under great scrutiny. Minimizing waste, promoting ethical practices and reducing excessive production by reuse and recycling is slowly, but surely gaining momentum. After oil, the fashion and textile industry happens to be the second largest polluting industry, with its ever increasing landfills and vicious fast fashion cycles.
In the midst of the sustainable revolution that is rising, we take a look at people who are doing their bit, be it with respect to promoting lesser known crafts or educating the general public about climate change, one step at a time.
Emma Watson
The 27 year old actress and UN Women Goodwill ambassador took quite a unique route to encourage sustainability. Her several outings for promotions of her movie ‘Beauty and the Beast’ saw the actor opt for sustainable clothing and accessories, from labels which endorsed recycling, traditional artisans and fair practices. Celebrating the skills of artists from Italy to India, her outfits were not only enthralling but consciously thought of. What’s better, is that all of these were chronicled in a separate Instagram account titled ‘The Press Tour’, for the world to see and get inspired from.
Leonardo Dicaprio
Leonardo Dicaprio has never shied away from citing his concern over environmental issues, long before its intensity was known. Since setting up the ‘Leonardo Dicaprio Foundation’ back in 1998, the actor has actively spoken about climate change and ways to curb it. Besides spreading awareness by means of documentaries such as ‘The 11th Hour’ or the soon to be released ‘Before the Flood’, Dicaprio is known to make significant contributions to help save the planet. Which is what we need.
Stella McCartney
When it comes to fashion, most of us bow down and give in to the latest trend without so much as giving it a second thought. For McCartney, sustainability is deeply engraved in the system of her brand, making her one of the initial members of the cause. Besides majorly using organic fabrics and promoting the cause through her campaigns, the designer is also vocal about animal rights and the exemption of fur and leather from her collections. ”Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count,” she says. It really does.
Kriti Tula
Closer home, designer Kriti Tula encountered immense export waste as a design student and with the thought of recycling and putting the fabric to use, the brand Doodlage was born. The beauty of apparel created by Tula and her team is such that along with lesser waste and reuse, it also gives each garment a unique appearance. Functioning in the second largest polluting industry in the world, the brand recycles up to 600 kilograms of fabric on a monthly basis, which frankly, is something what we could all use right now.
Rosario Dawson
She dons several hats; an actor and producer, Rosario Dawson is also the co-founder of Studio 189, a social enterprise that promotes the skills of African artisans. The brand’s focus is on educating the people through workshops and clusters, hence creating such opportunities for the natives which showcase their strong skills. Their mission? “To use Fashion as an agent for Social Change, turning challenges on the ground into opportunities.” We, for one, are rooting for her.
