When People Tree collaborated with Emma Watson on their new youth range the aim was clear; to bring Fair Trade and sustainable fashion to a new audience. The youth of today are the hope for the future and by beginning a conversation with them we have a chance to shape a better future.
People Tree, ‘Love from Emma’ has generated conversation and debate and begun to educate people who had never even considered the impact clothing can have on people and the planet.
Daniel Schoeppl is one of the next generation. Eighteen years old from Austria, Daniel was intrigued by the concept of Fair Trade fashion and since entering People Tree’s ‘Ask Emma’ competition has continued to explore the concept further. We caught up with Daniel to find out why he took to the collection so much.
Daniel shows us the many ways he will be wearing his tote bag
Had you heard of or ever worn Fair Trade fashion before you had heard about the Emma Watson and People Tree collaboration?Yes, in Austria we’ve got an organisation/shop called “WeltLaden” that sells fair trade products from chocolate to handicrafts and recently fair trade clothing mostly from South America and India. But it was when I saw the collaboration on Emma’s official website that I wanted to know more about People Tree.
What are your favourite pieces from the collection? I would say I like all the items Emma designed because they look both good and casual. My mum especially likes the oxford cricket jumper and as we are all England fans we like all the items which are typically English.
Daniel wearing toxic vest
Do you think people your age are interested in Fair Trade fashion and really care about where their clothes come from? Of course they care theoretically, but practically I think they mostly buy clothes which are trendy and cheap as they don’t want to spend much money. It often seems a sport to get as many bargains as possible during a shopping spree. The older we get you start to realise, it’s more satisfying to invest in better quality clothes including buying fair trade labels as they can last longer.
Do you think the price is a barrier? Not necessarily because some of my classmates buy expensive stuff. A lot of well known labels don’t yet sell fair trade clothing simply out of ignorance or indifference. This is why I find it so important that people with high profiles like Emma should support the cause and be a role model.
What are your thoughts on People Tree and its aims? I think it’s great and very important that companies like People Tree exists to provide workers in developing countries with jobs and fair wages. Including famous people in their campaigns is an excellent idea because it helps the cause. And Emma is the ideal person because she is authentic and very intelligent. What I miss though is a male equivalent.
Daniel wears his signed tote bag
How do you and your friends try to live a more sustainable life? Well my family and I buy local organic food or we ride our bikes instead of using the car, because in Salzburg it’s actually faster to get around by bike than by car! On our roof we have got solar panels which support the heating system as well as heat the water. Additionally we separate waste and use bio degradable waste in the garden.
What do you do to promote a more sustainable life? Maybe by reading or exchanging books and films (“A Life Stripped Bare”, “Plastic Planet”, “We Feed the World”) or by word of mouth or simply by setting an example for others.
With the worldwide recession do you think we should all be looking for a new way to do business that puts people before profit? Well I think that’s a difficult question to answer because as soon as people have to fight to keep their jobs or simply to sustain their lifestyles they often forget about the others who might be worse off and choose products that are mainly cheap. Well educated people will of course know that sustainable businesses need to be supported because they also provide work and sustainable jobs but I don’t think people know enough about the consequences of their actions.
What message would you like to give to people your age?
Enjoy don’t destroy – yourself AND the planet you live on.
Enjoyment comes from caring about others.
