Blondie star Debbie Harry wants us to stop screwing the planet. At least that’s the message she was sending when she took to the London catwalks recently, in support of sustainable label VIN + OMI. Known for experimenting with fabrics such as pineapple leather, environmentally friendly latex and leather-style mushrooms, the brand’s spring-summer 2018 show at London Fashion Week was designed to highlight the issue of plastic waste. And they couldn’t have had a better frontwoman.
Draped in a golden gown and flanked by the design duo, Blondie was also joined on the runway by models wearing “wake up” and “hope” slogans, as they made their way through the clear plastic that was strewn on the floor. “I think that [VIN + OMI has] a great purpose and a great focus in trying to make these sustainable fabrics that are part of the future,” the 72-year-old musician explained after the show. “I think it’s very important for everybody to recognise it and to be involved in it; because we all are inevitably.”
Most of VIN + OMI’s collection was made from materials crafted out of recycled plastic, as well as a number of other sustainable fibres. “We’re now looking at locally-sourced chestnuts,” says Omi, one half of the design duo. He added that chestnuts have the same texture as pineapple and could offer a new alternative to this form of vegan leather. “We want everyone to do it so we can create a global awareness of what can be done,” added his fellow designer Vin. “And then governments will change and there will be more processing plants and we can hopefully just get everybody wearing what they’ve thrown away.”
