Though it could be considered reductive to refer to sustainability as a trend, bringing it into mainstream consciousness is essential and for that, influencers are essential.
Leveraging social platforms for message outreach, influencers are some of today’s biggest and most effective communicators. When they choose to harness this power for good, the impact is far-reaching and when it comes to sustainability, there are some individuals inspiring real change, but it’s not all about follower numbers.
It’s easy to get hung up on a figure but in reality, what do they prove? It’s engagement and tangible impacts that are more important and when it comes to inspiring systemic adaptation and open dialogue, the following are some of the best:
Emma Slade Edmondson
Bringing work and play together into one conscious format, Emma is renowned for not only her creative leadership in the marketing sector but also her passion for sustainable fashion consumption. Working with organisations that seek to make significant change, including Love Not Landfill, she offers preloved clothing inspiration as well as practical advice for those looking to embrace circular economy methodologies.
Aja Barber
A voice for those that have been silent for too long, Aja is a phenomenal communicator when it comes to issues of garment workers’ rights, fair pay and usurping the grip that fast fashion has on uninformed consumers. Her no-holds-barred approach is refreshing, honest and not for show. She also opens up discussions about the exploitation of independent designers and BIPOC creatives.
Livia Firth
Founder of the Green Carpet Challenge, Livia is a powerhouse of environmental awareness with a penchant for social justice. Her reach is global and allows her to encourage and instigate real change from her position as a creative agency director, as well as a supporter of sustainable fashion brands. She is unapologetic about her desire to see designer labels embracing more eco-friendly materials, production methods and fairer wages too.
Céline Semaan
Though not an influencer, by her own definition, Céline is an admirable force for good, using her popularity and reach for the proliferation of educational systems, valuable information and social change. A staunch disrupter of oppressive and damaging frameworks, she works a lot in the fashion industry, campaigning for change and drawing on adjacent sectors, such as waste management and design. Slow Factory Foundation is her non-profit operation that highlights critical issues ranging from fast fashion to visibility and colonialism.
Nicole Wykes
Nicole takes a holistic and all-inclusive approach to sustainable living, with her fashion choices being just one, albeit important, facet of her lifestyle. Utilising a chatty and informal tone, she encourages conversations with her followers around the topics of sustainable materials, clothes swapping, size-inclusivity and avoiding fast fashion. Nicole’s relatability is a powerful tool and thanks to her being vegan, she appeals to a wider demographic than some influencers.
Kara Fabella
For anyone that assumes sustainable and slow fashion has to be boring, kara is a must-follow. An advocate of all things bright and colourful, she produces engaging content with a message: to stop making fast fashion the norm. Showcasing brands that have demonstrated a clear commitment to ethical production and styling pieces more than once, to prove that fashion influencers can rewear, she is an advocate of a more considered approach to clothing appreciation. You’ll often find her mixing in thrifted finds to her beautiful ensembles and she even offers a sustainable closet consultation service, to help others make a change in their own homes.
Sustainable fashion influencers have a unique opportunity to make global change, so be sure to follow those that you feel most akin to. It’s only by making conscious consumption the biggest online trend that we will be able to say goodbye to fast fashion forever.