Sustainable Screen Time; The Age Of the Anti-Consumption Influencer

Journalists, industry experts and influencers are in agreement that amongst the mass of cynical commentary concerning the fashion industry, there must be optimism and hope to truly turn the tides.

@kendal___eline shopping in (di)vision in Copenhagen

Sustainable fashion influencers aren't necessarily a new concept, yet now more than ever these voices are needed to turn the tides of overconsumption. So how does climate activism and influencing fit into the fashion? Amidst an industry full of greenwashing, social injustice, exploitation, overconsumption and damage, shines some bright lights who are pioneering change in consumer behaviours through their social platforms. 

One such light is sustainable fashion expert, content creator, model and soil-health enthusiast Kiki Boreel, who speaks about her aspirations for the future of sustainable fashion. Kiki is hesitant around the term ‘sustainability’ due to the blurred lines around what specifically is being sustained, yet personally defines sustainability in her own terms as “Sustainable in a way that everybody's needs are met and that we don't overshoot planetary boundaries.” 

“Every environmental problem, is a social problem” – Kiki Boreel

Within the fashion industry, positive storytelling must be championed as a way to garner the attention of not only uninformed consumers but the entire industry to fully enact change. Kiki agrees with this sentiment adding “I think people are so over people pointing their fingers. There are a lot of people, not aware of how to choose better and what to do instead. There are so many things that are, even for me, unclear about what sustainability is. I just try to help in any way possible to give people that power to make their own choices and I want them to know that that is a really powerful thing to do.” 

Many change-maker accounts today focus on calling out brands for their policies and practices but when it comes to the consumer, having a positive outlook can be especially empowering. Kiki says “That's what's hard on the positive side, you know, showing what labels do check helps, but it's not as sexy. People like to see just this name and shame but I tried to steer away from that, because then you get more to this negative side.” 

©PAUL BELLAART, VOGUE NETHERLANDS, NOVEMBER 2022 @kikiboreel

The power of influential voices, across digital platforms, is the repetition of the message to consume less and consume better. “We need stronger policies and we need companies to step up their game, but what is really important for everyone is our personal space. You can influence others for new behaviour and I very strongly feel like we all need to consume in a different way.” Kiki says, “I just have the privilege that my personal space is a little bit bigger, because it's an Instagram with a following – you too can influence another person that would then influence their friends and then really build this kind of big movement, a movement that could, eventually I hope, shift the paradigm.” 

Aditi Mayer, a content creator, photojournalist, storyteller and labour rights activist, who voiced how best to utilise and harness our frustrations to actively empower others and create change whilst at the Global fashion Summit in Copenhagen last summer. Mayer says “When we talk about climate doomism it's often going to give way to legitimise a feeling of inaction, which is what the folks in power want. Right, it’s that the individual is stripped of their ability to act, so that is one thing we really need to address. It goes into this larger conversation of hope and how hope must and will coexist with grief. But grief can also be the driver to protect what we love. At its core climate doomism exists because we have a crisis of imagination, so if you can engage in that radical work of reimagination, that's the future. But it requires solution oriented journalism in addition to unpacking the realities of our world in a succinct way.” She encourages the industry to name the culprits who are causing the highest degrees of damage whilst also tasking individuals to understand their personal responsibility to make change and mobilise; voices are stronger when they speak together. 

SOPHIA LI, WILLOW DEFEBAUGH AND ADITI MAYER AT THE GFA SUMMIT

Rashi Agarwal, content creator, vintage extraordinaire and feminist also shares her insights on what it's like as a voice for ethical fashion in the digital landscape. On her viral video fueled jump into influencer-dom she says “Suddenly I had all these people following me – and then it clicked in my head that I could do something, like people are watching me, I should say something that is, of substance and of value.” spurring her to create content based around feminism and sharing sustainable fashion resources, two very intertwined topics. 

Originally from a town in India close to a garment production district, Rashi has seen first hand the effects both fast fashion and climate change have on people and the planet. “I don't think the pillars of sustainability can be separated.” She continues “I think a lot of times, people confuse sustainability thinking it’s just about the climate and the environment. But social sustainability is so important because a lot of the climate effects that the global north produces affects the global South, and that's where the workers are.”

RASHI AGARWAL @rashi.agarwal

Using her platform in an authentic way to highlight sustainable businesses and earth friendly lifestyle choices she notes “I think showing that it's possible, and it's easy to do.” Rashi aims to encourage her audience to be considerate through an empathetic and positive lens “I think shaming never works – I don't think individual shaming does any good – unless the laws change and the legislation changes, we're not really going to change. When we shame people, we exclude them from the decision because we say you are bad and I am good. I think the main goal should be to educate and let people make their own choices because you know none of us are perfectly sustainable.”

With rapidly growing audience interest, sustainable fashion has expanded substantially with many of these social media influencers within this ‘niche’ aiming to overhaul a consumption mindset and shift perspectives with their advocacy. These influencers and sustainability experts empower individuals to galvanise, act and create change whilst maintaining and utilising hope as a catalyst for action. There can only be hope going forward, Rashi says “We all have a voice.”