The Paradox of Kourtney Kardashian Promoting Sustainability

Boohoo has named its first ever sustainability ambassador, and she or he’s not an activist, marketing consultant or perhaps a slow-fashion designer. A lot to the ire of sustainability and trend pundits, she’s a Kardashian.

Over the following six months, Kourtney Kardashian Barker will work with the ultra-fast-fashion large to launch two capsule collections. The primary is ready to launch Tuesday with a New York Trend Week present that includes garments produced from recycled fibres, upcycled classic items and jackets with removable items for a number of styling choices.

Boohoo has promoted the collaboration as a strategy to lend blockbuster celeb energy and attain to conversations about sustainability (to not point out an enormous advertising push at a time when competitor Shein is snapping up market share).

Kardashian Barker has mentioned she solely agreed to the ambassador function on the premise she might use it to deal with the trade’s affect. She’s going to launch a short-form docuseries exploring the subject alongside her collections with Boohoo.

However critics query whether or not the tie-up is admittedly promoting sustainability, or simply promoting extra stuff.

There’s no denying that with practically 200 million Instagram followers, Kardashian Barker has a platform that far surpasses even probably the most well-known sustainability advocates.

It’s a captive viewers of followers who could not essentially know — or care — a lot about sustainable trend. Non-profits, like anti-slavery organisation Hope For Justice, which characteristic in Kardashian Barker’s upcoming collection, will acquire unprecedented publicity. Her personal self-confessed ignorance might also assist make the subject extra accessible for newcomers.

“I believe probably the most thrilling bit is that she is admittedly open about not figuring out all of the solutions,” mentioned Rosie Howells, Boohoo’s head of sustainability. “She’s going to have the ability to share with tons of of tens of millions of followers the truth that there are not any foolish questions on this house, everyone’s discovering it complicated, and what we’re making an attempt to do is elevate consciousness to the problems of the style trade.”

However critics are nonetheless not satisfied. Boohoo’s low-cost enterprise mannequin is broadly related to unfair labour practices. In 2020, the corporate was embroiled in a public scandal over the remedy of staff in its suppliers’ factories within the UK metropolis of Leicester (the corporate’s present sustainability efforts are partly a response to this). It’s additionally at present under investigation for greenwashing by the UK’s promoting watchdog. Boohoo mentioned it was working carefully to assist the authority in its investigation.

In the meantime, sustainably branded capsule collections are a well-worn greenwashing tactic for giant trend manufacturers extra inquisitive about making a advertising splash than driving actual change, critics say. Different manufacturers which have tapped high-profile figures for sustainability roles have engaged celebrities with present observe information speaking concerning the matter.

As an example, earlier this yr, Wolford named mannequin and influencer Doina Ciobanu model sustainability advisor, whereas Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen introduced in supermodel Gisele Bündchen to advise on environmental and group initiatives. Each are passionate environmental advocates, and their appointments had been tied to sustainability studies and techniques, not product launches.

“Simply being inquisitive about [sustainability] isn’t sufficient,” mentioned Jesse Gre Rubinstein, founding father of LA-based digital advertising company Hey There Collective, which works predominantly with influencers and sustainability-focused manufacturers. The tie-up would have been extra compelling if there was extra proof of Kardashian Barker utilizing her platform to advocate or have interaction her viewers in environmental points within the run-up to its launch, she added.

It additionally doesn’t assist that the Kar-Jenner brand has change into synonymous with a tradition of extra, abundance and overconsumption, reflecting and fuelling breakneck development cycles which have helped mainstream a tradition of throwaway trend. Current controversy surrounding the household contains frequent use of personal jets and, in keeping with a report by The Los Angeles Instances, exceeding California drought restrictions.

And whereas there’s nonetheless time for Kardashian Barker to place her social media presence to good use, it’s at present fairly quiet on the Boohoo and sustainability entrance. As a substitute, the excitement is round her thriller model Lemme, which in keeping with trademark filings reported by The US Solar might be promoting something from trend and equipment to sporting items when it launches.

For Boohoo’s new sustainability ambassador, the influencer advertising and promoting machine trundles on, seemingly unchanged.

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