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The Duchess of Cambridge tends to speak through her clothes. That isn’t unchartered territory for a royal—The Queen speaks directly to the public rarely, and her granddaughter-in-law tends to follow suit. But Kate’s commitment to sustainable fashion is obviously a personal passion project, facilitated through her strategically thought-out sartorial decisions.
Take, for example, the dress Kate was wearing in the portrait shared yesterday on Instagram, featuring the five-person Cambridge brood with avid environmentalist Sir David Attenborough. The post was announcing the launch of an upcoming environmental documentary, Prince William: A Planet For Us All, featuring Prince William and Attenborough (who incidentally just joined Instagram in a truly delightful style)—and many likely missed the subtle nod Kate made to the cause in her denim mid-length dress.
The dress was a new-season creation by Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst, who is among the most notable pushers of sustainable business practices in the industry. From the pre-fall ’20 line, the dress is made of repurposed denim, while the rest of the collection features upcycled cashmere yarn. In 2019 Hearst told Harper’s BAZAAR—”Oscar Wilde said ‘a small act of kindness is more important than any great intentions’ and I believe in that. It’s about the actual stuff. With sustainability, it’s not about talking; it’s about the doing. I think if you put restrictions on someone’s creativity, it gives them more focus.”
Kate’s championing of sustainably-run companies has been ramping up in the last six months. She promoted sustainable Balinese brand Faithfull The Brand during an outing in June, Beulah—a British brand which provides employment and raises funds for victims of human trafficking—in July and was regularly spotted in ethical jewellery brands like Daniella Draper and Monica Vinader during her various charitable Zoom meetings in lockdown.
Considering the ‘Kate effect’ appears to still be in full-swing (the Gabriela Hearst dress sold out worldwide shortly after the photo was shared), it’s encouraging to watch the Duchess put her massive global influence to such good use.
