Protect Mother: Re-Wear Your Pre-Loved Garms

CREATIVE DIRECTION & TALENT Isabelle Landicho
TALENT Chani Ra
STYLING Isabelle Landicho & Chani Ra
PHOTOGRAPHY Makiyo Lio
MUA Laura Onea
1st STYLING ASSISTANT Lara Elizabeth
2nd STYLING ASSISTANT Rachel Lilly White 

22nd April is Earth Day, aiming to highlight the importance of protecting the environment. Originally set up in 1970 by US senator and environmentalist Gaylord Nelson and Harvard University student Denis Hayes, the day has expanded to a globally-recognised movement.

Having both grown up concerned about environmental damage in the US following the large oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA in 1969, they came up with the commemorative day as a way to engage the public and push green issues to the national – and international – agenda.

The 2024 theme, “Planet vs. Plastics”, aims to raise awareness of the harms of plastic pollution for human and planetary health. As reported by the Plastic Pollution Co-Alliance, the fashion industry’s plastic pollution travels far and wide – discarded plastic clothing alone is estimated to have released at least 1.4 quintillion (or a million trillions) plastic microfibers into the ocean. 

Each time an article of synthetic clothing is washed, it sheds hundreds of thousands of tiny plastic fibers into wastewater which is eventually discharged into waterways. Most washing machines cannot catch tiny microfibers, nor can sewage systems. To quantify the scale of microfibers in the ocean caused by laundry alone – 35 percent of global releases of microplastics to oceans are thought to be caused by washing clothes.

Looking to harness the sartorial power of pre-loved fashion, creative collaborators and fellow high functioning women Isabelle Landicho and Chani Ra challenged themselves to get creative with their existing wardrobes this Earth Day, sharing the outfits with an editorial shot by photographer Makiyo Lio.

Isabelle is a multidisciplinary creative who has worked within the fashion and image industries for over ten years. Their work encompasses art, fashion and education, delivering their own brand of environmentalism that’s people-centric and planet-focused through serving looks and orchestrating their vision.

“I have always loved fashion and simultaneously feel a deep affinity with Nature. Oftentimes, I feel a push and pull between these two loves, especially in this current climate,” says Isabelle. “Working on the creative direction for something that combines my two passions is joyful, healing and most of all fun.”

As consumers become increasingly aware of the need for sustainable practices, there is a growing movement towards slow fashion – a mindful approach to clothing that prioritizes ethical production, longevity, and environmental responsibility.

Chani began sharing her verging-on-obsessive interest for fashion on TikTok in October 2022 while on maternity leave. She has now grown a loyal community of fashion nerds who treat style like a sport and are looking for knowledge, know-how and looks. She expresses her love affair with fashion through nostalgia, thoughtfully collecting pieces from pre-loved sources that spark joy, and shares her treasures with her audience through educational and accessible videos. 

“When thinking of Earth Day in terms of fashion, I’ve been looking at what ‘new’ means to me,” says Chani. “Being able to reframe my wardrobe in the context of an editorial breathed new life into my clothes. Before buying, it’s fun to push your creativity with what you have.”

Meanwhile, Isabelle engages with fashion through the idea of clothes as stories, sharing the sentiment that true sustainable fashion means serving looks consciously and creatively. Making do with what you have – borrowing, renting and thoughtfully purchasing. 

“It can feel like in order for sustainable fashion to be taken seriously, it can’t have the frivolity that fuels fashion as an act of escapism,” the pair explain. Therefore, Chani and Isabelle express themselves and their version of sustainability amidst a sea of green-washing, minimalism and neutrals. 

Furthermore, Mother Earth was also front-and-center in terms of the team’s production process. The hand painted backdrop was borrowed, catering was plant-based and all beauty products used are eco-conscious. The editorial brings pizazz to Earth Day and features two friends who love fashion and the environment. It’s vintage! It’s pre-loved! it’s consciously crafted fabulosity! Mother knows best.

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