Today, the Environmental Justice Foundation’s (EJF) launches its collaborative fashion effort with Vivienne Westwood for the ‘No Place Like Home’ campaign. The simplistic, child-like design explains succinctly the detrimental and harmful realities of war and its effect. This campaign focuses on raising awareness on the issue of climate refugees -- people who have been forced to leave their homes because of natural disasters.
Climate refugees are virtually unprotected as they are not entitled to legal protection normally awarded to war refugees; further, they remain unrecognized by the UN. The lack of legal protection and personal security leaves these individuals vulnerable and susceptible to more hardships. Currently, war displaces and creates approximately 38 million refugees.
This is what the ‘No Place Like Home’ Campaign hopes to one day eradicate. The shirt’s design features a sad, black-eyed face on one side labelled war which proclaims, "I have created 10-million refugees;" in contrast, the heart-shaped smiley face exclaims that peace is the way to go.
Designer Vivienne Westwood has used her star status to promote this important issue, suggesting that more needs to be done with regards to climate change and the people it will inevitably effect. The campaign already boasts notable celebrity attention with Gillian Anderson of X-files, Atonement star Romola Garai and The Vaccines, all sporting the climate refugee shirt.
Celebrity Social Campaigns
The Vivienne Westwood ‘No Place Like Home' Project Does Goo
Trend Themes
1. Climate Refugees Awareness Campaigns - Creating campaigns to raise awareness on the issue of climate refugees.
2. Celebrity Endorsement Marketing - Encouraging celebrities to endorse and promote social causes through their platforms and status to create awareness and change.
3. Sustainable Fashion Design - Designing fashion products with eco-friendly and sustainable materials which promote better environmental and societal outcomes.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Industry - The fashion industry can contribute to creating more sustainable and ethical supply chains that promote a better environment and society.
2. Marketing Industry - The marketing industry can use celebrity endorsements to promote social causes and increase brand and social awareness.
3. Environmental Advocacy Industry - The environmental advocacy industry can engage in campaigns that promote awareness of climate refugees and encourage the international community to provide support.