Greta Thunberg Blasts Fashion Industry as She Appears on Vogue Cover

© AFP 2021 / CARL-JOHAN UTSI

The 18-year-old activist accused the fashion industry of “pure green washing” and said that in today's world, fashion cannot be mass produced or consumed sustainably; she believes the industry is crying for for systemic change.

Greta Thunberg has been photographed for the front page of the maiden issue of Vogue Scandinavia.

In the photo session shot amid trees and stones, Thunberg appears wearing an oversized coat, petting a horse.

In the press release, Vogue Scandinavia said that the 18-year-old shares the magazine's values about sustainable living and environmental protection. It also said that all the clothes that Greta Thunberg wears in the photo shoot are made of durable, recycled materials, some of which are leftover parts from Swedish and Danish designers.

“The love and respect for nature and animals is something that unites all the five Nordic countries,” Vogue Scandinavia's editor-in-chief Martina Bonnier said.

However, the climate activist herself, who posted the image on social media, showered the fashion industry with harsh criticism.

Among others, Thunberg called the fashion industry “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 green washing,” the climate activist wrote in what may be seen as a jab against Vogue itself.

The press release from Vogue Scandinavia said that the magazine aims to become the “most sustainable fashion magazine on the planet”. Consequently, Greta Thunberg was chosen for the front page to be able to raise awareness of the climate crisis among a new audience.

“While we understand that no brands or publications can really be sustainable, we believe that offering activists and climate activists a platform can help build a movement for the fashion world reducing its impact on our planet,” Vogue wrote.

“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,” Thunberg mused. In the Vogue interview, she said it has been three years since she last bought new clothes, and they were recycled. Otherwise, she admittedly borrows clothes from friends and acquaintances.

Greta Thunberg, a teenage climate and environmental activist from Sweden, rose to international fame and recognition across the world as a 15-year-old through her solitary Friday climate strikes in front of the Swedish parliament. While enjoying undivided media attention, Thunberg rose to the status of a climate icon and a guru, as well as the face of the international climate movement. Ever since, she has been delivering emotional speeches and lecturing world leaders on their failure to address the climate problem properly, while receiving countless prizes and trophies and partnering with celebrities turned eco-activists.

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