British Vogue Magazine enlists actress Emma Watson, designers Priya Ahluwalia, Tolu Coker and Torishéju Dumi, and supermodel Amber Valletta to cover their January 2024 Sustainability Trailblazer edition. In charge of photography was Charlotte Wales, with styling from Poppy Kain, movement direction by Eric Christison, set design by Max Bellhouse, and production by Farago Projects. Beauty is work of hair stylists Eugene Souleiman, Sarah Jo Palmer, and Shingo Shibata, makeup artists Kanako Takase and Janeen Witherspoon, and manicurist Trish Lomax.
For the cover Emma Watson is wearing t-shirt by Maison Margiela and earrings by Otiumberg, Tolu is wearing Tolu Coker total look, Priya is wearing jacket by Ahluwalia and Woolmark Prize Collection, top by Ahluwalia and earrings by By Pariah, Torishéju is wearing total look from Torishéju, and Amber Valletta is wearing trench coat by Burberry, jacket by Toast, shirt by Issey Miyake, hat by Philip Treacy and earrings by Otiumberg.
I would work with stylists and people would literally laugh at me – they thought this (sustainability) was some silly thing that I’d forget about. I think I lost heart for a little while; I did feel so discouraged, if I’m being honest. I kind of expected that the whole world would be different the next day and what I have come to learn is that change does take time.
I’ve had to relearn the difference between staying informed and just kind of leaking all of my energy and creativity. I try to think about the fact that I need to fill my cup so much that there’s a spillover that I can share. I used to let my cup run all the way out empty and then be like, ‘Oh, I feel terrible, and I feel so overwhelmed, and I can’t do this.’ And I think part of me being 33 now is knowing that to sustain yourself you’ve really got to get ahead of your breaking points. – Emma Watson
If I had written this article 12 months ago, I might have quoted you statistics about CO2 emissions and deforestation rates, but you know that the numbers are bad. We all do. And we’re all overwhelmed by it. Paralysed by the scale of the issue. To move forwards, I’ve had to lean into the tenets that have guided me in my sobriety, and remind myself to take each day as it comes. It’s about working together to change our outlook. As counterintuitive – and difficult – as it may seem, we’ve got to shift our mindset about the environment from one of fear to joy and love, of sacrifice to enjoyment. It’s a relief to consume less, to no longer be burdened by possessions you never needed in the first place. Being still and present is a luxury. Every sustainable choice you make, however small, isn’t just good for the planet, but an act of self-care, repaid in whatever your equivalent of Oklahoma skies are. The fact that everyone and everything on this planet is interconnected isn’t a curse, it’s a blessing – and a source of infinite hope. Finding time to be quiet in this overly stimulated and noisy culture is a way to summon more peace within oneself and the planet. – Amber Valletta
The January 2024 issue of British Vogue is on newsstands from Tuesday 19 December. Photography © Charlotte Wales for British Vogue, read more at vogue.co.uk
