What made you want to get involved with the John Hardy line?
I’ve been doing work with different environmental charities for some time, and John Hardy was a sustainable company before it became trendy. When I got to Bali, I saw their headquarters, which were these huge bamboo structures with rice fields, and saw that they’re employing a whole community of people. So we decided to do a collection based on environmentalism, and we’re donating 10 percent of the proceeds to a charity called ForestEthics, which replenishes forests.
What is your favorite piece from the new line?
These little rings that come with or without stones—I like to stack them.
Do you think you will increase your activism in the future?
My ambitions have changed a lot since I started my nonprofit, the Collage Foundation (which supports grassroots environmental projects). I was very “We have to change the world!” But my ambition levels are much simpler now. I value being present and happy. And before, I felt like I had my career in fashion on one side and my passion for environmentalism on the other side. But now, they are starting to connect and it’s really exciting.
What are your beauty secrets?
I think beauty begins with a healthy mental state. Laughter is the key to youth. But eating healthy and pure organic foods and exercising are key. And hydrating—I have this great water filtration system on my house called Kangen.
What do you think of the industry today? Are the girls too young and too thin?
I love that fashion is this creative industry that really doesn’t have any boundaries. But I would love to see more diversity, because this industry can feed into women’s neuroses. Fashion should be fun, but there is this body-obsessed, youth-obsessed element that comes with it. As a healthy 31-year-old woman with two young kids, the last thing I should ever be feeling is old or fat.
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