Is Love Island Keeping Its Promise to Sustainable Fashion?
It feels like people have only just stopped talking about Ekin-Su, Davide and…the others…but Love Island is the phenomenon that just keeps on delivering. With a new series starting next week, 3 of the couples from last year have managed to survive till the start of the new series – but has the show’s commitment to sustainability been a one night hook-up or a happy ever after?
The show’s relationship with fast fashion is proving something that is difficult to leave behind (unlike the cast’s relationships with each other), as 2022 runner-up Gemma Owen went on to sign a brand ambassador deal with Pretty Little Thing, following the lead of Love Island megastar Molly Mae. The brand scores very poorly on sustainability rating platforms like Good On You, being labelled ‘Not Good Enough’ for its environmental impact and animal welfare, and ‘Very Poor’ for labour conditions.
On the plus side, ex-contestant Indiyah Pollack was signed up as the face of PLT’s new marketplace for second hand products, while castmate Tasha was announced as an eBay ambassador in the wake of the last series. The show is once again being sponsored by eBay, with contestants in the South African villa receiving a wardrobe full of pre-loved and imperfect items to glam up in. As per usual, this attempt at improving sustainability is a drop in the ocean compared to impact of wear-once fast fashion but the show is at least making an effort to show that a big-night-out-outfit can be sourced responsibly.
Full kudos to Tasha for being a mega-influencer to partner with ebay and doesn’t she look superstylish and gorgeous. Will we see more adventurously styled preloved fashions this year? I hope so. Forecasts show that consumers want their suppliers to take responsibility for the sustainability of their products and will start to vote with their feet. Will the convenience and rock-bottom cost of fast fashion ever meet the criteria for consumers who expect more environmental duty or will they get better versed in greenwashing? It’s a massive topic and as long as it is still being discussed, then we think actions will be taken to improve supply chains.
Ohana Means…Family
Ohana is a Hawaiian term for a sense of family that includes not just close blood relatives but friends and members of the community, who have a shared purpose to take care of each other.
We’re pleased to announce we are joining the ranks of sustainable brands on the platform Ohana – which was started to build a community of brands that have each other’s backs and share the love! Ohana is a Hawaiian term for family, and we’re excited to be part of this one – purpose driven brands and gems you just NEED to discover – your new favorite product is on the horizon.
Don’t you love it when you get tipped off about a new brand that is the bee’s knees or you read a blog and find your new best brand friend. The market for brand prominence is so supersaturated that only the highest paying brands reach the top of the search engines. Ohana is about sustainable brands and sharing the joy. We like it and we hope you do too.
Check out some of their brand recommendations here: Ohana (@joinohana)
