The fashion industry has given birth to rising environmental issues, animal cruelty, and labor exploitation such that it becomes the responsibility of each one of us to do our part in bringing a change. Seemingly, some ethical fashion influencers have taken it upon themselves to create awareness about sustainable choices of fashion. They are leading the bandwagon of educating followers not only with the new and multitude style of dressing but also opting for ethical fashion. These top fashion influencers in 2021 understand that they can impact the purchasing decisions of their followers and have put this power to good use. People who follow fashion trends have become conscious about ethical and sustainable fashion, thanks to these influencers. Their social media is an excellent source of inspiration for people around the globe and helps followers make informed decisions. Ethical and sustainable fashion is the reason these influencers have thousands of followers, which is why they have successfully created an online ambiance of everything eco-friendly. Today, we introduce you to a few of those sustainable fashion influencers in the US and around the world who educate followers on ethical choices of fashion and thoughtful living. But before that, let us understand why and how fashion influencers have created this niche.
Why and how did Ethical Fashion Influencers create the niche of sustainable fashion?
Fast fashion has a catastrophic impact on the environment right from production to disposal. Apparently, the fashion industry is the second largest polluting industry in the world, leading to a 10% greenhouse gas emission apart from animal cruelty and labor exploitation. However, there are alternatives to mitigate the impact on the environment, animals, and labor.
First off, there is a need to create awareness, and secondly, the need to shift our choices from fast fashion to sustainable fashion. In recent years, fashion influencers, being the ambassadors of the fashion world, realized the need to make a positive change and used different platforms to share knowledge on sustainability and mindful consumption. Brands and designers too joined hands with the influencers to educate people on adopting sustainable fashion. They make good use of social media platforms to raise awareness on fast fashion, and why not? Sustainable fashion is trendy and stylish while at the same time eco-friendly.
Let us dig into Instagram and get to know a little about these influencers who have the right to stay on top of our feeds with their mindful choices of fashion.
Top Ethical Fashion Influencers on Instagram and other online channels
These ethical fashion influencers of Instagram and other style influencers will inspire you on your journey to living a more sustainable life with mindful purchasing.
1. Kathleen Elie, @consciousnchic
With over 28 K followers on Instagram and a successful lifestyle blog, Kathleen Elie’s core focus is promoting sustainable and ethical fashion. Her belief, “progress over perfection,” comes alive with her way of making fashion eco-friendly and sustainable. Kathleen is one successful female sustainable fashion influencer in the US who strives to bring a positive change in the way people dress without harming nature or any other living beings. She believes in making the world a better place with her zeal to promote ethical living. Not only fashion, but she has also evolved her profile with sustainable beauty, food, travel, and tech.
2. Michelle Chavez, @michelleforgood
Michelle is an avid believer in ethical and sustainable fashion. This style influencer is also a vocal advocate for conscious consumerism wherein she promotes not only ethical but mindful consumption too, for the sake of the environment, because she feels “what is not needed, sooner or later, ends up in the trash, impacting our environment.” She is also the co-founder of @thetoteproject that focuses on empowering sex trafficking survivors. Her blog and Insta feed in an inspiring peep into an ethical and sustainable world of fashion.
3. Francesca Willow, @ethicalunicorn
Francesca’s blog and her Instagram take a holistic approach to sustainable and ethical living while shedding light on social injustices. She focuses on facts-based problems in sustainable living and bursts some myths about people’s perceptions of an ethical and sustainable lifestyle. She inspires her followers to live a more conscious and informed lifestyle that does not come at the cost of nature or any other living being.
4. Shannon Buckley, @shannydoots
Based in Chicago, Shannon is on a journey to explore more of the ethical world while keeping her followers informed at the same time. Her Insta feed is full of her love for eco-friendly fashion and brands. This female sustainable fashion influencer offers great style tips to help people walk on the path of sustainable and ethical living.
5. Kara, @theflippside
Kara is a sustainable fashion influencer in the US who believes in slow fashion, and her love for ethical and sustainable fashion shows in each of her posts. Her style inspiration comes with neutral and light colors in eco-friendly and sustainable materials like linen. Her love for vegan leather handbags is visible in her posts. She believes buying locally sourced, second-hand, or vintage fashion helps to protect the environment and local artisans. It also helps to save money for ethical and sustainable fashion that would last longer and promote conscious consumerism at the same time.
6. Emily, @emgdwn
Emily is a rising top fashion influencer in 2021 whose feed is a popular mix of sustainable fashion, self-love, and body positivity. She is a firm believer of slow fashion and focuses on buying less and educating her followers on mindful purchasing. She inspires people to invest in versatile and vintage pieces that stay in their wardrobe for a long time. Apart from fashion, her posts on body positivity are inspiring and relatable at the same time.
7. Zach Thomas, @thequarterrican
Based in Boston, Zach loves to blog about his passion for slow fashion and how he created a vintage wardrobe with his mindful choices. He believes slow fashion does not impact the environment and humans in a way fast fashion does and, at the same time, is good for our pockets and mental health. This male sustainable fashion influencers’ Instagram feed is a fresh breath of air with neutral and bold colors advocating for ethical fashion.
8. Dan Pontarlier, @dpontarlier
Dan is a sustainable leader and a fashion activist who successfully combines nature and fashion to help people create a sustainable wardrobe of their own. He inspires people to invest in mindful purchasing and promotes conscious consumerism. Recently, this male sustainable fashion influencer ventured into writing a book titled “From trash to runway” in which he focuses on upcycling menswear into runway-ready clothes. He believes upcycling already existing clothes in your wardrobe not only helps the environment and workers but is also pocket-friendly and gives a fresh twist to your wardrobe.
9. Jasmine, @msjasminerose
Jasmine’s Insta feed is a peek into styling everyday looks while staying sustainably fashionable. She is also an avid promoter of plant-based food and cruelty-free skincare. Her Instagram is a great inspo for people looking to shift their choices to sustainable fashion, vegan food, and organic skincare.
10. Venetia La Manna, @venetialamanna
Venetia is a slow fashion activist, a podcaster, and a promoter of plant-based living. This style influencer is on a mission to clear the cloud fast fashion has blown in the minds of people and inspires them to concentrate more on mindful consumerism. She focuses on buying vintage to create a well-balanced and sustainable wardrobe and presents her ideas on how and where to buy vintage. She also brings out the fact that fast fashion companies neither care for the environment, neither pay fair wages to their workers on time and also participate in active racial discrimination.
All these ten sustainable influencers prioritize ethical and sustainable lifestyle with a bang on fashion statement. Not only is their profile a heavy check on fashionable style, but also gives a ton of info on living sustainably and ethically. Check out their profile on Instagram and their blogs to get to know them and follow them to start your journey of sustainable living, protecting the planet and the living beings in it.