Ugly Betty star Ashley Jensen, Brit supermodels Lily Cole & Laura Bailey, singers Joss Stone and Sophie Ellis-Bextor plus a host of top fashion talent have backed the Environmental Justice Foundation 'Pick Your Cotton Carefully' campaign
The celebrities joined an international roll call of 23 models from 14 different nations including the US, UK, Brazil, South Korea, Italy, Belgium and the Ukraine in a series of photo shoots to launch EJF’s latest exclusive t-shirts designed by Giles Deacon, Allegra Hicks, John Rocha, and Zandra Rhodes.
The organic cotton t-shirts are designed around the theme of “childhood, lost innocence and hope” to represent more than a million children around the world forced to labour in cotton production. Available from only £30 all profits from the sale of the t-shirts through EJF's website are used to support EJF's work addressing environmental and human rights abuses internationally. The t-shirts are available in ladies fitted and men’s classic styles from £30 on the charity’s website www.ejfoundation.org/shop (worldwide delivery). | ||||
Karlie Kloss, Daul Kim, Hye Park, Ekat Kiseleva, Aline Weber among others are also onboard EJF cotton campaignModels of the world unite: America’s Karlie Kloss, South Korean sensations Daul Kim and Hye Park, Ekat Kiseleva from Russia and Brazilian Aline Weber were among those photographed in EJF campaign t-shirts by top fashion photographer Eric Guillemain
In London, meanwhile, British models Laura Bailey, Lisa B, Jasmine Guinness, fashion guru Louise Roe, top male model Max Rogers and actor Nicholas Hoult also showed their support in shoots with Jane Mcleish-Kelsey, Matthew Eades and Glen Burrows (see full list and images of model supporters below/attached). | ||||
EJF works to achieve environmental security and resolve the profound human rights abuses associated with cotton production globally, with particular focus on the Central Asian Republic of Uzbekistan.
Around the world, whether it is state enforced, or child trafficking, millions of children face severe exploitation in the cotton industry. In Uzbekistan, the world’s 3rd largest exporter of cotton, roughly a third of the population are forced to work in conditions near slavery for the state run cotton industry. Many are children. Schools across the country are shut down for the cotton harvest as children from the age of 7 are sent to work for weeks in the fields, paid little or nothing, but benefiting their repressive government through this forced labour.
Juliette Williams Programme Director, EJF, says “Even in tough economic times, our buying power can be a force for good. Choosing organic and fairly traded cotton actively supports communities in some of the world’s poorest nations, where fair and equitable trade to the west can literally mean the difference between life and death. With public support, companies have been inspired to look at the way the cotton they buy and sell is produced, and high street names are saying ‘no’ to cotton from Uzbekistan until child labour and environmental abuses are eradicated. Together we can change our world”. Ashley Jensen says “I think it’s important for us to be aware of the impact that we all make on the world. Because we do! Even in tiny ways, even in something as simple as buying a piece of clothing can have a profound effect on the life of someone else”. | ||||
Sophie Ellis Bextor says“As a mother, it is inconceivable to me that some of the world's poorest children should be exploited for the sake of the clothes we wear in the West. The Environmental Justice Foundation is making real change in the fashion industry and beyond. By buying one of EJF's gorgeous t-shirts you can lend some stylish support to a fantastic cause.”
Jasmine Guinness says "Cotton production today can be incredibly poisonous to the world’s ecosystems. We have had it too cheap for too long and now we have to pay a little more not just for the quality of our t-shirts but for the quality of the lives of the pickers, the producers and the planet"
John Rocha says "I am delighted to support the incredible work of the Environmental Justice Foundation Pick Your Cotton Carefully campaign. EJF has identified the environmental abuses associated with growing and harvesting cotton crops, it is time to enforce some protection over the children and farm workers exploited. I hope the t-shirt will heighten awareness and raise valuable funds for the project. "
Shoppers can support EJF’s work by buying a t-shirt or giving a donation to the charity through its website - www.ejfoundation.org - helping them train tomorrow’s human rights and environmental defenders, and raise international awareness of abuses and, crucially, the solutions to them.
About EJFThe Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is a UK based charity working internationally to empower people who suffer most from environmental abuses to find peaceful ways of preventing them. EJF partners and supports grassroots organisations in the global south, enabling them to document, expose and create long term solutions to environmental abuses, and the associated violations of basic human rights. At the same time EJF campaigns internationally to raise awareness of the issues our grassroots partners are working to solve locally. www.ejfoundation.org | ||||
EJF raising awareness and cleaning up cottonEJF Cotton Campaign t-shirts have been designed by Christian Lacroix, Luella, Betty Jackson, Giles Deacon, Allegra Hicks, John Rocha, Zandra Rhodes and Katharine Hamnett.The campaign t-shirts have been modelled by Lily Cole, Erin O Connor, KT Tunstall, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Joss Stone, late Dame Anita Roddick, Ashley Jensen, Jasmine Guinness, Lisa Bilton, Nicholas Hoult, Max Rogers, Louise Roe, Kirsty Hume, Coco Rocha, Irina Lazareanu, Catherine McNeil, Behati Prinsloo, Caroline Trentini, Tiiu Kuik, Angelika Kocheva, Suzanne Diaz, Margaryta Senchylo, Heidi Mount, Diana Moldovan, Chanel Iman, Alison Nix, Shannan Click, Siri Tollerod, Lisa Cant, Julia Dunstall, Ali Stephens, Bianca Balti, Aline Weber, Daul Kim, Hye Park, Karlie Kloss, Sessilee Lopez, Sheila Marquez, Anne Vyalitsyna, Eniko Mihalik, Magdalena Frackowiak, Anett Griffel, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Alyona Osmanova, Ekat Kiseleva, Anabela Belikova, Elise Crombez, Kori Richardson, Olga Sherer, Paul Pavlovska. Special thanks goes to Continental Clothing who were early movers in banning Uzbek cotton from their supply chain and very kindly manufacture and sponsor the production of EJF's organic and ethically produced campaign t-shirts allowing us to raise significant awareness and action on these issues we work hard to address.
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 Bianca Balti and Sessilee Lopez in Giles Deacon organic cotton charity t-shirt Photos by Eric Guillemain   Ekat Kiseleva and Elise Crombez in Allegra Hicks organic cotton charity t-shirt Photos by Eric Guillemain  Anne Vyalitsyna and Olga Sherer in John Rocha organic cotton charity t-shirt Photos by Eric Guillemain  Daul Kim and Ali Stephens in Zandra Rhodes organic cotton charity t-shirt Photos by Eric Guillemain
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PRESS RELEASE: Celebrities and models support EJF's campaign for organic cotton that is free from forced child labour |
