British
model Lily Cole has turned to design to create a special line of limited
edition shoes in collaboration with Veja, an eco-friendly French-based company.
Working as an ambassador for Sky Rainforest Rescue which aims to protect
trees in Brazil, Lily set out to create shoes that are eco-friendly as well as
stylish, designing three pairs of canvas printed trainers. The shoes are
made from a special sap which is named liquid latex and can easily be extracted
from the trees without causing any damage, preventing trees from being cut
down. Opening up on the project, Lily revealed that she believes she is
contributing to saving the rainforest by promoting the use of this wild
rubber: “The survival of the rainforest depends on managing its resources.
With all eyes of Brazil this summer, my collection not only taps into the SS14
flat shoe trend, but also shows how wild Amazonian rubber can be used to make
desirable products for people’s everyday lives."
Lily
even traveled in to the Amazon personally to experience the place for herself
and thinks the team she worked with are assisting greatly in saving trees and
are also creating more of a demand for wild rubber which is an eco-friendly
product that is likely to stop trees from being cut down for other
uses: "During my trip to the Amazon, I saw firsthand the crucial part
that Sky Rainforest Rescue plays in creating demand for wild Amazonian rubber
for companies like Veja, and making the rainforest worth more standing.”
