Hi, in this article we want to pay tribute to some of the great people who are making a positive change in the world of fashion through their on the ground work and presence on social media - namely Instagram. It’s not just the amazing images they share via their Instagram accounts that capture our imagination, but the underlying message that in the world of fashion, ethics don’t need to be compromised to look great.
So here are our top 7 Instagram influencers who we love following - in no particular order (it's bit of a long list. We want to share their story in a little bit more detail unlike other articles)
Livia Firth
No lengthy introduction is required for this brilliant lady. She is in the forefront of creating a movement which places ethics and sustainability at the core of business. Eco Age Ltd, which she founded, helps organisations throughout the world to create and implement sustainable values and processes throughout their business.
Livia leads by example, be it wearing a dress made from ethical materials to the Met Gala, or traveling to countries such as Bangladesh, Kenya and Zambia where she sits down with the very people who make our clothes to learn first hand what can be done to improve the fashion industry supply chain. Through initiatives such as the Green Carpet Challenge, Livia has engaged the services of other celebrities and notable persons to further spread the word of ethical fashion.
For someone who is so influential and high up on the social ladder, her posts are highly relatable and her Instagram feed gives the sense of a person who is grounded and approachable. We are always inspired by the content she shares and it continuously reinforces in our minds that the ethical fashion movement is strong and growing.
Jennifer Nini - Eco Warrior Princess
Jennifer, originally from Melbourne, Australia is a truly inspiring story for all of us who are working to make the world of fashion a fair and compassionate place.
She started her blog “Eco Warrior Princess” back in 2010, when the ethical fashion movement was still at its infancy. She is one of the true pioneers of it, persisting with her message through thick and thin. Today, over 29k people visit her blog (ecowarriorprincess.net) and she has over 17k followers on Instagram.
Browsing through her Instagram feed, you immediately see how effortlessly she has combined fashion with sustainable values, creating a message that you can look great without compromising on ethical principles.
Her work isn’t confined to fashion and reaches into other sectors as well. She is the co-owner of a certified organic farm in Australia and helps other ethical minded businesses through her digital marketing and copywriting agency “The Social Copywriter”.
Katie Roberts - Sustainability in Style
Katie set off on her ethical fashion mission back in 2011 with a series of clothing Swap events at her university under the banner “Sustainability in Style”. Since, her efforts have morphed into a blog and social media presence which have garnered over 19k followers on Instagram.
Brought up in a family that values a sustainable lifestyle, Katie has a wealth of life experience behind her having studied multiple subject areas - starting with fashion, then to tourism and settling with science - and travelled to multiple countries in support of charity.
Katie is an inspiring influencer to all of us at Kantala given her constant effort to educate and reinvent herself - she is currently following a masters in sustainability. She is doing all this while consistently delivering her message of sustainable fashion through her blog and beautifully curated social media presence.
Natalie Kay - Sustainably Chic
Armed with a background in fashion and an insatiable drive for curating chic sustainable and ethical fashion outfits, Natalie has seen her following on social media reach the tens of thousands with over 77k following her on Instagram.
True to her blog and social media title, Natalie has developed a penchant for effortlessly curating chic outfits which continue to reinforce in the minds of her followers that sustainable fashion does not compromise the aesthetics of fashion.
Her posts move beyond the fashion element and explores the values behind the brands she features. From a Haitian social enterprise supporting teenage boys as they transition into adulthood through jewellery making to Malaysia where a social enterprise which is helping women step up from poverty through batik fashion accessories, Natalie ensures the bigger picture is always highlighted.
Valarie Hinojosa - WaterThruSkin
Born and raised in Bolivia, Valarie channeled her passion for the conscious lifestyle into an online blog and social media presence after having endured 5 years of the craziness the world of private investment banking is.
Valarie is another one of our favourite influencers who has reinvented herself overtime taking into account her life experiences and resources around her. She’s both a certified yoga instructor and a certified vegan-chef - now that is definitely impressive. While she identifies herself primarily as a “conscious lifestyle and eco-travel blogger”, Valarie turns out some great fashion outfits - all of which are from ethical brands. Her beautifully shot posts all deliver a consistent message of an ethical lifestyle.
While her travel posts make us pretty envious we love the fact she ranks Asia as one of her favourite destinations.
Hannah Theisen - Life Style Justice
Hannah is on a mission to champion social justice through the choices we make in everyday life. Through her social media presence and blog, Hannah advocates a conscious lifestyle and the importance of slow fashion and responsible travel.
She brings a unique perspective to how the ethical fashion movement interacts with the everyday consumer. You’ll find her addressing questions like “how can ethical brands educate and encourage the not so well to do consumer to embrace conscious fashion?”. We love her efforts to go all the way up the supply chain and explore where our clothes come from.
Hannah has a great sense of fashion and style. Coupled with her values of conscious consumerism, Hannah consistently comes up with some great outfits on her Instagram feed. Just like the other influencers above, we draw a lot of inspiration and ideas from her posts on Instagram.
Safia Minney
Safia is another pioneering lady in the world of ethical fashion. She is the founder of People Tree, which for over 25 years has been championing the ethical fashion movement. From its humble beginnings, People Tree has grown to become a pioneer in ethical and environmentally sustainable fashion.
At Kantala, Safis’s story is one we think of when we have our hard times. While in a country such as Sri Lanka - were the domestic consumer market is very small and the ethical consumer movement is still in its infancy - the humble beginnings of People Tree and the perseverance of Safia give us the motivation to continue moving forward.
She is often on the ground, visiting the people who work behind the scenes, educating the next generation of business leaders or working on her own sustainable footwear brand Po-Zo. Following her on Instagram we find a lot of motivation from her diverse areas of work and little snippets of advice.
There are more amazing influencers on Instagram and other social media platforms who we love. But in the interest of highlighting the influencers we follow closely we had to narrow them down to the top 7. But, below are some of the influencers we have to give special mention to in brief.
If you are an ethical consumer, an ethical fashion designer, social entrepreneur or an ethical fashion/lifestyle blogger just getting off the blocks, make sure to follow these amazing people on social media. I am sure you will be inspired by them as much as all of us at Kantala are.