In episode two of the latest series of our Sisterhood Works podcast, AllBright Co-Founder Anna Jones spoke with entrepreneur, author, actress and model, Lily Cole, on everything from championing sustainable businesses to owning your power to make an impact. Here’s just some of what we learned…
Lily Cole is a globally recognised name, thanks to a prolific modelling career that saw her grace the cover of British Vogue at the age of 16, and appear as a catwalk regular for the years that followed. Having since added many more strings to her bow as an entrepreneur, actress and vocal environmentalist, Lily joined us to share the inspiration behind her sustainability journey, the impact of her early exposure to the world of fashion, and how you can champion the causes that matter to you most.
Listen to the podcast episode here.
1. Lead With Optimism
Discussing the launch of her book, Who Cares Wins, Lily reflected on one of the key reasons she decided to write it. She told us: “I had been working on social and environmental solutions for quite a few years, and I felt like it was worth sharing some of the things I'd learnt, some of the initiatives that I'm very inspired by, and some of the ideas that give me hope.
"There are lots of reasons to be optimistic. Optimism is a choice."
2. Explore Ways To Champion Your Cause
At AllBright, championing the causes closest to our hearts is at the core of everything we do. So, we were thrilled to hear Lily speak about how you can do the same: “It doesn't mean you need to tie yourself to a tree or railing, it can just be being more thoughtful - about what you buy or the job you do, or being more friendly to the people in your life.” Inspiring us to make small changes to our daily lives, Lily added: "If you feel strongly about an issue, then there's something you can do, no matter if it's big or small.”
3. Use Your Position To Make An Stand
When it comes to the causes we believe in, we all have a responsibility to champion what we think is right. Discussing her perspective on the inner workings of the fashion industry, Lily said: “I was working with fashion brands, but simultaneously with charities, and gained an understanding of the impact supply chains could have."
Lily noted that she “tried to focus on the positive examples of the way trade can really uplift communities and support ecosystems”, as well as celebrating the shift in attitudes towards sustainability in the last 15 years, with “a lot of the biggest brands trying to hire activists or looking at their supply chains in a more meaningful way”.
4. Be Aware Of The Ethics Behind The Businesses You Champion
In 2020, we saw a clear shift in the importance of transparent ethical standards of businesses. If there’s one thing Lily agrees with, it’s that researching and educating yourself on the options that are out there before becoming a brand cheerleader is essential. “I think it feels overwhelming sometimes that the burden lies on us as consumers to navigate a very complex landscape,” she told us. “Politics needs to play an instrumental role in raising the baseline standards, so that when we buy something, we can expect that it hasn't got to us by employees being paid less than minimum wage or people polluting our waterways.”
5. Seek Out Sustainable Game-Changers
Lily also discussed the importance of focusing on the positives. She explained how our main focus should be around "changing our attitude to buying things” and the value we place on materialism, and “paying slightly more for products with an expectation that they are going to last us a lifetime”. Calling upon the companies that are making waves in the sector, Lily told us how she celebrates that more and more business models are innovating to persuade consumers to buy with more caution, and less frequency.
6. Look To The Future (And The Past) For Guidance
When thinking about moving in a positive direction, Lily explained that seeking advice from the next generation, and those that came before us, could be where our best lessons are learned.
Focusing on how the “youth climate movement are leading the way”, Lily told us that “a lot of research suggests that younger generations are more conscious consumers; more likely to be vegan and care whether brands have good values”. Alongside this, Lily suggested how looking back at “less wasteful periods in history” could enlighten us to pursue a more ethical existence.