The Kardashians: climate catastrophe
By Florenne Earle Ledger published 06/11/2023
We didn’t think it could get worse than Kourtney Kardashian joining BooHoo as a sustainability ambassador who’s only move was producing *more* clothes with a “conscious collection”, but thanks to Kylie and Kim’s latest business ventures, Kourtney doesn’t look so bad.
Our take: Kim's new bra
All we can say is... bestie wtf?
If you’ve been living under a rock, Kim has made bras with inbuilt nipples so you can always look cold, even when it’s warm (which is apparently a pressing climate issue, thanks Kim).
Making fun of climate change with light hearted comments such as “Unlike the icebergs, these [bras] aren’t going anywhere” and “No matter how hot it is, you’ll always look cold” literally couldn’t be more tone deaf coming from someone with an incredibly large carbon footprint and enough money to completely avoid all the worse impacts of climate change.
It’s insulting that Kim is being praised (no doubt by herself as well as others) for donating a measly 10% of profits to charity. Last time I checked Kim didn’t need any more money. The extra profits she can cash in from people buying into her product because it’s more ‘ethical’ will cancel out any money she loses from donations. She gets to pretend this product has a positive impact when it has the complete opposite.
If she was passionate about the cause and wanted this bra to stand for something important, that percentage would be more like 50 than 10. And maybe she’d stop flying in private jets as well. Just a thought.
The real question is, who’s making these bras? How much are they getting paid? Where is the garment factory? These are all questions we need answered before anything can be considered remotely sustainable.
Our advice, you don’t need a bra to simulate a natural thing - nipples. It’s cheaper and better for everyone to just not wear one. Simple. If it’s uncomfortable for you to go braless, try a bralette or a thinner bra. Don’t buy into Kim’s green washing.
Our take: Khy
What about Kylie? Her new brand Khy was awarded Innovative Brand of the year by the Wall Street Journal. 24 hours after it was launched.
Because what could be more innovative than nylon and polyester clothing?
Maybe this is a silly question, but how is 24 hours enough to tell if a business is innovative? Spoiler alert, it’s not. This award was almost definitely bought by Kylie and her team (because the $1m profits in less than an hour of launching wasn’t enough publicity).
Kylie launched this line as an affordable version of quiet luxury, but she’s using one of the cheapest kinds of fake leather there is, one that’s 100% synthetic.
Surely if she was an innovator she would use one of the more innovative fake leather alternatives, including those made from pineapple or cacti? Considering it would lower her profit margins, maybe this is too much to ask from a billionaire.
As a result, Khy isn’t giving quality. It’s giving up market fast fashion. Wouldn’t it be better to sacrifice personal profits and keep prices low (bc let’s face it, she doesn't need any more money) but prioritise making something from quality materials and paying garment workers a good wage? She wants to keep the price low, but not at the expense of the money she can make, instead the quality of the product.
What’s the problem?
We’re tired of seeing people with endless money and resources at their disposal making decisions that reinforce individualist ideas, escalating the climate crisis rather than helping consumers be more conscious. Kim has just shown us a master class in Greenwashing. No one can stop her from tricking millions into thinking her product really is sustainable and raking in the profits.
As for Kylie, she’s fueling fast fashion on a mass scale, but people aren’t worried about the polyester in her products and more thrilled they can actually afford to buy something for themselves. Sadly, Kylie’s brand highlights that a lot of people don’t care about the planet if they look cute while it’s burning.
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