Gabbing with Amber Valletta

The Green Dream with Dana Thomas

My guest today is Amber Valletta, supermodel, actress, and climate activist. Amber works with several NGOs, serves as British Vogue’s Contributing Sustainability Editor, and does eco-consulting for brands such as Karl Lagerfeld. This spring, the third Karl Lagerfeld Amber Valletta collection will drop in stores around the world, and includes stylish, environmentally conscious ready-to-wear, such as biker jackets, little black dresses, and suits, as well as accessories. And she takes her activism seriously, participating in Jane Fonda’s Fire Drill Friday protests in Washington and Los Angeles, and even getting arrested for the cause. This activism is deeply embedded in Amber—her mother successfully protested against the construction of a nuclear power plant near their home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, when Amber was a child. Amber watched and learned.

I like how Amber is trying to push fashion towards more sustainable practices from the inside—as her friend Stella McCartney says, “Infiltrating from within.” As the Fall/Winter 23-24 fashion shows unfurl in Paris this week—with Amber walking in several of them, including such eco-conscious brands as Stella McCartney and Chloé—I thought it seemed like the perfect time to have her on the podcast.

• Read the transcript of this episode
• Get to know Dana Thomas and her book Fashionopolis
• Discover the fashion brands Another Tomorrow and Chloe
• Explore the new Green Dream website, thegreendream.studio