August 7th 2008
Will Leona Lewis Become Topshop’s Next Celebrity Designer?
Filed under: fashion, green and famous, shopping — parrish @ 2:38 pm
Don’t get too excited Ecorazzi readers – this is JUST a rumor. So the word on the street (and by street I mean internet) is that Leona Lewis is in talks with Sir Phillip Green to launch her own vegan clothing line at Topshop – a chain of stores abroad owned by Green.
A source told Sun magazine, “Philip and Leona have a dinner booked in later this month. They have fitted it in after he returns from Ibiza and before she heads back to the States. He knows she is emerging into one of the world’s top pop stars and wants to discuss her doing her own Topshop range.”
Now as many of you know Leona was crowned PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Of 2008, but it isn’t just animal issues that Leona supports. It’s a known fact that Lewis tries to live her life as ethically as possible and won’t even wear diamonds because she doesn’t know how they’re sourced.
So would you buy a Leona Lewis designed outfit? Tell Ecorazzi what you think!
via: catwalkqueen.tv
From: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/11/357436.html
***About Arcadia Group (owns Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Wallis, Evans, Outfit)***
Arcadia Group is owned by billionaire Philip Green. In 2005, Arcadia’s profits “rose to £326 million in the 52 weeks to 27th August 2005…As a reward, Arcadia shelled out a £1.3bn dividend to its shareholders, £1.2bn of which went to Green, already the UK’s fifth richest person.”[1] However whilst this was already well and good for Green and Arcadia shareholders it was a different story for the workers who produced the tacky t-shirts for Topshop and their ilk. In a factory in Cambodia in 2004, after over 1000 workers went on strike to protest against poor pay, “19 union leaders and 120 union workers were fired”[2].
In conclusion: not Green by nature at all.
That’s awesome that Leona speaks out about ethical fashion, including jewelry. Gold is another fashion item that often has a sordid background. Communities are often forced off their land by foreign gold mining companies who pollute the waterways with cyanide and arsenic and destroy wildlife habitat in some of the most bio-diverse countries. Anyway, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of clothes she comes up with. It’s nice to hear about designers that can achieve success without contributing to the cruelty to animals that the fur, leather and wool industries cause.