The Harry Potter star has designed a range of ethical clothing. Is it stylish or merely on-message politically?
The thought of a young successful actress designing an ethical fashion range might seem, at first glance, as nauseating as Katy Perry’s public adoration of Russell Brand. Both just seem too dutiful to be taken seriously. Yet, even though I quietly hoped Emma Watson would become tangled at the first hemp-woven hurdle when the collection was announced in September, she has actually created a very clever range for the retailer-with-a-conscience, People Tree.
In terms of its ethical credibility, things don’t get more sound. Fair trade groups using organic cotton make the clothes by hand, and the work this collection provides helps to improve the lives of disadvantaged workers in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
This, of course, we have seen before. What Watson, as Creative Advisor, has done differently, is that she has plaited together several fashionable threads to appeal directly to her peers. She might well be the face of Burberry, and have enjoyed at least one wardrobe deal with Chanel for her red carpet Harry Potter looks, but what Watson provides is an understanding that a bit of Hollister jersey blended into American Apparel basics, and topped off with humorous slogans, will mean that these clothes can transcend their worthy beginnings — and just become cool.
They look comfortable too, which is vital when you consider that Uggs and leggings sell the pants of every awkward catwalk trend: there are cropped tracksuit pants, little sailor-stripe T-shirt dresses, cricket jumpers and hoodies, polo-tops and plaid shirts for the boys. As Watson herself admits, at present her competition is minimal. “I think young people like me are becoming increasingly aware of the humanitarian issues surrounding fast fashion and want to make good choices but there aren’t many options out there.”
She is right. Yes, many British retailers now support the genre of fashion with a heart, but the clothes they offer under the organic or fair trade banner remain dull.
These hand scribbled Union Jacks and Margaret Howell-inspired pleat-front shorts, mean that People Tree can now compete with the brands that look nice but which, because of their manufacturing techniques, can never compete in terms of environmental and humanitarian awareness. I like the slogans too. “I’m not toxic”, written in a graffiti font across a plain tank top doesn’t look worthy, just as the hapzardly written “Please don’t panic. I’m organic”, actually makes you smile.
Watson knows that slogans are working their way back into fashion just as she knows that being twee won’t shift stock. You don’t have to root too far to guess where the "school of fair trade" gold emblems come from. To some, Watson will always be Hermione Granger, and that is just fine with People Tree.
The photography that accompanies the collection continues her youthful, American-college inspiration. There are clean-shaven men, looking simultaneously wholesome and sultry, alongside bright young girls with dorky facial expressions that somehow manage to look cute. If it all sounds a bit cringy then blame my powers of description: it’s a great little capsule collection with Watson’s name close by. In short, it is about delivering an important issue to a young market and, really, there is nothing wrong with that.
The Emma Watson for People Tree collection will be available next month at peopletree.co.uk