Top model Amber Valletta is launching her own online store, Muse & Master, which will stock only sustainable fashion items. The model thinks people don’t think enough about timeless, classic pieces when they’re shopping and often look for cheap fashion solutions instead, which she sees as a problem. She explains that there is a price to pay environmentally for fast fashion:
“We’re not buying timeless or heirloom pieces anymore. We’re just buying stuff – and with no thought. We think that cheap T-shirt is the answer because we got a good deal, but ultimately, there’s a price we’re going to pay somewhere along the way.”
The model grew up surrounded by nature and says it made her even more aware of the environment and she has seen how often companies aren’t taking as much responsibility for their impact as they should, which is what inspired her to get involved with sustainable fashion:
“I grew up on my grandparents’ farm, so I knew about environmentalism even before it was a hot topic and I always had a strong connection to the world around me. I also saw that there was a disconnect in our industry between producing things not just responsibly to the environment, but also to people, and paying people fairly. So when I started to think about my next steps and building a brand, I decided that it needed to match my beliefs. So I began researching to see if there were any brands that were like-minded.”
The model explains that being a ‘muse’ is all about being a unique person that leads an interesting life and not simply just being beautiful to look at:
“To master anything, you have to be exceptional and work very hard, and the same for being a muse. A muse is not just [someone] who sits in the corner looking beautiful. A muse is actually an active, powerful word.”
