People Tree

In 2010, Emma collaborated with People Tree, the sustainable and Fair Trade fashion brand, to produce their Spring/Summer collection.

Acting as a creative advisor, Emma worked closely with People Tree’s in-house design team to create a capsule lifestyle collection for the 16-24 age group.

Emma says “I wanted to help People Tree produce a younger range because I was excited by the idea of using fashion as a tool to alleviate poverty and knew it was something I could help make a difference with.

I think young people like me are becoming increasingly aware of the humanitarian and environmental issues surrounding fast fashion and want to make good choices but there aren’t many options out there.”

80% of the collection uses 100% organic and Fair-trade certified cotton and it is also made entirely by Fair Trade groups, using hand weaving, hand knitting, and hand embroidery, to create livelihoods for some of the most disadvantaged people in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

Emma is delighted with the positive response to the collection which was launched in February 2010 and is excited to see the public reaction to the further high summer drop of eight styles later in 2010.

Clean and easy to wear the collection boasts knitwear, cotton t-shirts, jersey dresses, and poplin skirts and shorts, with some pieces featuring artwork created by Emma.

Emma utilised her love of fashion, great personal style and young perspective to help develop a range that brings Fair Trade and organic fashion to a new audience. Inspired by the South of France, London, and country festivals it is the complete teenage summer wardrobe.

When deciding the look and feel of the collection, Emma said: "I went through my summer wardrobe and thought, 'If I filtered this so that it was just the very basics, what would I want to keep?' The answer was cotton vests, easy T-shirt dresses, nice scarves to accessorise with and some lovely linen pieces. For the boys' range I've done hoodies, which I know they'll love. The clothes are very British, which is why we shot the campaign in an English country garden - it's all very strawberries and cream and tennis."

All royalties made from the collection will be donated to the People Tree Foundation, an independent charity working alongside People Tree the Fair Trade company. The aim of the foundation is to bring the benefits of Fair Trade to an even greater number of farmers and artisans through scaling up training, technical support and environmental initiatives, and through raising awareness and campaigning for fair and sustainable fashion.

The collection is on sale in various outlets in Europe and Japan and pieces can be ordered from www.peopletreeyouth.com which also ships to the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.