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Model Áine Rose Campbell on the ways to become more sustainable in your own life

As one of the co-founders of the Model Mafia, a 400-strong community of models pushing for change, ÁINE ROSE CAMPBELL has first-hand experience of how collective movements can create positive shifts in their industries – no matter how small they start. Here, she talks about the ways in which sustainability affects us all and how to make impactful adjustments in your own life

Fashion
Áine Rose Campbell

I was in Hollywood at a glamorous Oscar party when I discovered the true cost of fashion. It was 2011 and I was modeling the winning design for the Red Carpet Green Dress competition – an accolade created by former actress Suzy Amis Cameron and her husband, Avatar film director James Cameron. The initiative asks designers to submit a sustainably made gown for the red carpet. The winning dress is then presented at an Oscars event, with some later enjoying official red-carpet outings after being selected by the likes of actors Emma Roberts and Priyanka Bose.

While it was a brilliant concept to promote sustainability at one of the world’s most high-profile events (after all, what celebrities wear on the red carpet is a much-discussed aspect of awards season), I wondered why the Camerons – who enjoy immense privilege – cared about making red-carpet fashion sustainable. I knew all industries were wasteful and contributing to climate change, but this left me [wanting to know more and] feeling like I could no longer earn my bread from fashion in the same way.

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It felt like we were making a difference and taking an active role in transforming fashion – but it also felt like we could be doing more
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I went back to NYC inspired by Suzy and James, and determined to make a difference. I started researching sustainable brands – many of those I found had gorgeous designs but low production value for their photo shoots. I decided to offer them my modeling services at a much lower price than through an agency, so that they could elevate their brand. Every time I did a shoot, I learned about another incredible way to make stunning, sustainable clothes and accessories.

I began sharing what I had been doing with other models and a number of them decided to follow suit. It felt like we were making a difference and taking an active role in transforming fashion – but it also felt like we could be doing more.

So, in 2017, I co-founded the Model Activist Community, aka the Model Mafia, with fellow model Cameron Russell. We are now a global community of 400 models, including big names, new faces, veterans, influencers and everyone in between – and we’re all working together to make the world and fashion industry more sustainable, equitable and just.

We have represented the faces of fashion demanding a cleaner fashion industry at climate marches, modeled in sustainable fashion shows at the UN, raised funds for indigenous groups on the frontline of climate change, and spearheaded the #MeToo movement in fashion by collectively sharing anonymous stories of abuse on social media, which led to industry-wide changes. We are a thriving and lively community, and we know how to use our platforms for good. For us, sustainability is a holistic word, and, in fashion, it takes into account the planet and all its people as part of a connected ecosystem. It incorporates care and equity, and creates regeneration.

Clockwise from top right: Model Mafia members Nimue Smit, Cameron Russell, Áine Rose Campbell, Leyna Bloom and Ebonee Davis (center)
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So, how can fashion lead the way to a sustainable future? Fashion is uniquely poised to be a leader in global regeneration and sustainability because it touches so many lives
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For this to become a reality in all areas of the fashion industry, there needs to be a complete overhaul of our culture. Everything starts with an idea, a belief. Then those beliefs create reality. This is especially important to create longevity for our industry while protecting the planet, which is at risk of irreversible damage caused by rising temperatures, which could reach the 1.5 degrees tipping point by 2040, according to the United Nations’ latest report. Flooding, drought and wildfires are becoming increasingly commonplace.

So, how can fashion lead the way to a sustainable future? Fashion is uniquely poised to be a leader in global regeneration and sustainability because it touches so many lives. In 2016, a Devex report stated that one in six people work in fashion, most of whom are women located in the global south – the region that will be hardest hard hit by climate change [moreover, just two percent of these workers receive a living wage]. If fashion can fully embrace this leadership, it would be one of the most powerful forces for ensuring a liveable future. This would be a fashion industry centered on culture, community and creativity. One where workers are paid fair wages along the supply chain, the environment is protected, the secondhand market is mainstream, materials are made organically with permaculture practices, and people are consuming less and keeping their clothes for longer.

In your own life, try researching whether a brand has a transparent supply chain and is paying its garment workers a living wage – NET-A-PORTER’s NET SUSTAIN platform is a great destination where you can find out which brands are making waves in the eco arena. Mend your clothes when they get holes in them. Buy less and buy better – there are so many sustainable fashion brands out there now that it’s easy to find something you’ll love and treasure. Most importantly, keep the vision that you want to see for the world in your mind’s eye. Models have been an unlikely group of people to create change, but the Model Mafia’s collective action has taught me that big changes are possible when more of us commit to the future we want to see.

Members of the Model Mafia demonstrating at a climate change march in NYC