Eco Chick Debates: Celebrities and Green – An Endorsement Made in Heaven?
Chloe Sevigny, above, endorses a limited edition cream by Keihls benefitting Oceana.
Celebs; love ’em or hate ’em, they impact how we feel about products and politics, and as much as we’d like to deny it, in recent tussles over Planned Parenthood and the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, plenty got involved, speaking out about their convictions. And some say it made all the difference.
I asked Kate Dillon, a top model who supports eco fashion designers (she has walked for the UN’s EcoChic runway showin Geneva, and The Greenshows, as well as done campaigns for Gucci, Chanel and Missoni), Michael d’Estries, the editor of the go-to site for green celeb gossip, ecorazzi.com, and Sydney Sadick writer and blogger at stylesolutions to share opinions on this question, which is the first in our new series, Eco Chick Debates.
“Does celeb endorsement make an eco product more viable? Does that product become “cool” in such case?”
Kate Dillon, Model
“Celeb endorsements help to bring attention to products, issues, people, etc making them “cool” in the short run, but they aren’t sustainable or even sufficient. In order for an eco product to be viable or cool in a lasting way, it has to actually be a high quality, and yes cool, product regardless of its eco or celebrity cred.” -Kate Dillon
Michael d’Estries editor of ecorazzi.com
“Celebrities have been hawking products for companies since the dawn of advertising, but their opinions are often just another layer of marketing – a recognizable face that draws you in. That’s not to say that some aren’t genuinely behind a particular green product, but in order that item to have a long shelf life, whatever its selling must shine beyond the sparkle of a Hollywood smile.” – Michael d’Estries
Sydney Sadick, blogger at Style Solutions
“Celebrity endorsement makes any product, eco or not, more viable. Once a celebrity name is associated with a product, a customer is more eager to buy it because he or she feels like they have a relatable factor with the celeb. Kim Kardashian is a perfect example of someone who is extremely successful in being popular from endorsements and making the product popular itself.” -Sydney Sadick
Haley
Haley Sherif holds a B.F.A. in creative nonfiction writing from Emerson College. Born & raised in Manhattan, she's currently living in Brooklyn pursuing her dream to write. As an eager fourteen year old she originally joined the Eco-Chick team as an intern, several years later she's happy to be back. Her writing and design projects can be found on her personal site, haleykamilla.com, as well as on The Culture-ist and later and in Perversion's June, 2016 issue.
