Television personality Kourtney Kardashian recently announced a new venture as the sustainability ambassador for the fast fashion brand Boohoo, stirring significant controversy among fans and environmental advocates.
Boohoo, a brand known for producing trendy clothes quickly and inexpensively, has partnered with Kardashian to launch two capsule collections. These collections aim to explore and develop more sustainable fashion practices.
However, Boohoo’s reputation as a fast fashion entity, notorious for using cheap, toxic textile dyes and contributing significantly to water pollution, has raised eyebrows and rightfully so.
This collaboration has been met with skepticism and criticism, particularly on social media.
A private-jetting Kardashian worth $65 million is now "sustainability ambassador" for fossil fuel fashion brand boohoo, where she'll chat "with sustainability experts to better understand challenges and opportunities in the fashion industry." We absolutely KANNOT. pic.twitter.com/cmI8zwB3ui
— Venetia La Manna (@venetialamanna) September 6, 2022
Many users highlight the irony in a Kardashian, known for extravagant lifestyles including private jet travels and excessive water usage during California’s drought, taking on a role as a sustainability ambassador. One social media user quipped, “A private jetting Kardashian worth $65 million now advocates for sustainable fashion with Boohoo… a paradoxical scenario.”
The criticism extends to comparisons with other controversial practices in the industry.
The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on the public, with some comparing it to “Burger King teaming up with a fitness influencer.” Celine Semaan, founder of the Slow Factory Foundation, labeled the move as “insulting to the community,” emphasizing the conflict between Kardashian’s image of luxury and the ethos of sustainability.
Celine Semaan, the founder of the Slow Factory Foundation, expressed her disappointment, calling the move “insulting to the entire community.”
She emphasized the absurdity of hiring someone who promotes overconsumption and capitalism for a role ostensibly focused on sustainability.
In her statement, Kardashian acknowledged her initial reservations about the impact of fast fashion on the environment.
However, she expressed optimism about the direction of the collaboration, citing that “there’s still a lot of work to be done and improvements to be made.”
The launch, which has now concluded, revealed 45 pieces incorporating vintage clothing and recycled textiles, with prices ranging from $6 to $100.
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Is this collaboration a step in the right direction, or a mismatch that undermines the seriousness of sustainability efforts in the fashion industry? Or, as is usually the case, is this just another fashion greenwashing trend? Your thoughts and opinions on this are valuable – let us know what you think about this controversial partnership.