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09th Aug 2021

Greta Thunberg praised for her Vogue cover photo

Charlie Herbert

She used her appearance in the magazine to speak out against the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

Greta Thunberg has been praised for her appearance on the front cover of Vogue Scandinavia, with the environmental activist also speaking to the publication about the importance of sustainable fashion.

The fashion industry is second only to the oil industry in terms of its environmental impact, with the more cheaper and more disposable nature of clothing meaning that more and more textile waste has been produced in recent years. Sustain Your Style report that an average family in the western world will dispose of 30kg of clothing every year, with just 15% of clothing being recycled or donated.

In her interview with Vogue, Thunberg highlighted the harm that fast fashion does to the planet.

She said: “If you are buying fast fashion then you are contributing to that industry and encouraging them to expand and encouraging them to continue their harmful process.

“Of course I understand that for some people fashion is a big part of how they want to express themselves and their identity.”

The 18-year-old encouraged readers to reassess their consumption choices, saying that when “one person starts doing something that has a snowball effect and spreads to people around them.”

In a post on Instagram, Thunberg shared the cover of the magazine and called out the fashion industry contributing to the climate emergency, exploiting workers and communities and “green washing.”

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She wrote: “The fashion industry is a huge contributor to the climate-and ecological emergency, not to mention its impact on the countless workers and communities who are being exploited around the world in order for some to enjoy fast fashion that many treat as disposables.

“Many are making it look as if the fashion industry are starting to take responsibility, by spending fantasy amounts on campaigns where they portray themselves as ‘sustainable’, ‘ethical’, ‘green,’ ‘climate neutral,’ and ‘fair’.

“But let’s be clear: This is almost never anything but pure greenwashing. You cannot mass produce fashion or consume “sustainably” as the world is shaped today. That is one of the many reasons why we will need a system change.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Greta Thunberg (@gretathunberg)

The cover has been praised by many, with one user describing it as the “best Vogue cover ever,” whilst another praised the magazine for “allowing its platform to be a place wherein the negative impact of the fashion industry can be discussed.”