Emma Watson casts her magic over ethical fashion

She remains best known for playing the youthful wizard Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films. But now Emily Watson is weaning teenage shoppers away from mass-produced chainstore clothes in favour of ethical fashions made on a small scale in some of the world's poorest nations.

Watson is to lead a new collection by People Tree, a mainly mail-order retailer which works using strict Fairtrade and environmental guidelines. Her spring-summer 2011 line-up will be launched at A Garden Party to Make a Difference, a 12-day environmental festival next month organised by Prince Charles in the gardens of his London home, Clarence House.

Fashion experts say Watson, now 20, has a considerable amount of influence among girls and young women who have watched her gradually shed the image of the somewhat frumpy Hermione to emerge as a fully fledged fashion icon. "I think a lot of young women have grown up with her, seen her develop her style," said Emily Sheffield, deputy editor of British Vogue. "She is a classic English rose."

Changing perception

Traditionally, ethical fashion is a sector associated with older consumers more concerned with provenance than design. But Orsola de Castro, co-curator of Esthetica, the British Fashion Council's eco-sustainable initiative, believes this perception is changing and Watson is part of that. "We have to make ethical fashion available and interesting and glamorous for the public," she said. "Celebrity support is providing that platform."

Watson says she wants to create clothes for people of her own age, introducing younger lengths and fitted shapes to the People Tree brand. "Emma appeals to younger people and the collection has sold incredibly well on [online fashion outlet] Asos," said Safia Minney, founder of People Tree. "When clothes are worn by someone as lovely as Emma, it brings a whole new customer in."

Watson's previous collection, for autumn-winter 2010, is for sale from People Tree. Watson is excited about it. "Although I wasn't centrally involved in the design, I had a great fun in helping People Tree select some gorgeous Fairtrade textiles," she said. "There are even a few party dresses, such as the little black satin tulip dress which can be dressed up or down to suit any occasion."

Endorsement from such a fashion plate is priceless for this, or indeed any, brand.

The paradox is that while People Tree is relatively affordable — items cost as little as £20 (Dh113) — Watson is herself a highly visible fan of upmarket fashion and haute couture.

Long a Chanel favourite — she wore the label to various red carpet events from the age of 17, and now attends their shows — Watson has starred in two Burberry campaigns, with the brand's chief creative officer, Christopher Bailey, praising her "classic, effortless beauty" and "modern edge". She is now a regular on the front row at London Fashion Week, attending Burberry and Christopher Kane shows. She wore the latter's designs when she appeared on David Letterman's chatshow in the US.

Watson's style influence is now such that her recent dramatic haircut, shedding Hermione's curls for a gamine pixie style, revealed in pictures on her Facebook account, brought widespread attention.

"Although I wasn't centrally involved in the design, I had a great fun in helping People Tree select some gorgeous Fairtrade textiles. There are even a few party dresses, such as the little black satin tulip dress which can be dressed up or down to suit any occasion."

Emma's upset with ‘fast fashion'

Emma Watson says visiting garment factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh, as part of her role with ethical fashion label People Tree, was an "upsetting" experience.

"I had some preconceived ideas but nothing prepared me for the reality. It was upsetting to see the conditions in which these people live, but I was incredibly moved by their spirit and friendliness in spite of such apparent adversity," contactmusic.com quoted her as saying.

"Having seen the slums in Dhaka and the conditions in which these people live and work to produce ‘fast fashion', I would say to those people that this is not the way we should be making clothes in the modern world."

— IANS