The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has just named celebrated Lebanese designer Rami Kadi UN goodwill ambassador for sustainable fashion in west Asia.
In his work, Kadi is conscious of the fashion industry’s negative impact on the environment. He has been making efforts to raise awareness and “reduce the planet’s carbon footprint.”
One way is by engaging in and encouraging cyber fashion shows, but on a more practical level, by being mindful of the fabrics and materials he uses in his designs.
His Spring/Summer 2020 couture collection, entitled Kaleidoscope, even featured a dress made entirely out of recycled plastic.
He called it “an experiment where fashion partakes in the circular economy and opens the way for the use of recycled plastic in high-quality applications, thus resulting in lower CO2 emissions in the long run.”
According to a statement released by Maison Rami Kadi, the designer will use his role as Regional Goodwill Ambassador to “shed light on the detrimental impacts of the fashion industry on the environment and promote sustainable practices that can be adopted to build back better after the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Rami Kadi’s elegant and trendy designs, coupled with his eco-friendly couture, are in themselves a great statement: One can be fancy and lovely without damaging the environment or contributing to its damages.