Amber Valletta: Actress, Model and Eco Fashion Warrior

Most people know Amber Valletta as an actress and model, but did you also know she is an environmental activist and staunch eco fashion advocate? Perhaps that is why H&M named her the face of their 2014 Conscious Collection.

Her most recent endeavor is Master & Muse, an online store specializing in designer clothing and accessories that are manufactured in ways that are environmentally and socially sustainable. The online shop is a collaboration with YOOXYGEN and provides an accessible and informative one-stop-shop for those who believe substance and style do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Master & Muse Homepage

Valletta uses five vetting principles to ensure that clothes sold through the site align with the values the brand sets forth, with every label meeting at least two of the five principles.

AWARENESS

We work with brands that engage in and facilitate the dialogue with consumers and industry partners about socially responsible fashion.

INNOVATION

We work with brands that offer consumers more sustainable options through innovation in design, sourcing, and production.

COLLABORATION

We work with brands that join forces with others to achieve common sustainability goals.

INTEGRITY

We work with brands that engage in honest, accountable, and transparent business practices.

CREATIVITY

We work with brands that have fashion forward vision and design.

In an interview where she discussed Master & Muse and other projects she is working on, Valletta says that her passion for environmental issues was instilled in her as a child and while she loves fashion, the textile industry is one of the worst polluters in the world.

“We may buy things that are inexpensive, but we don’t realize that it costs a lot more in terms of the environment, in people’s quality of life and poverty to have that cheap price, but I want to start that conversation, to get the big manufacturers to think about how they do what they do. This isn’t a fashion issue, it’s a global issue.”

Below is a conversation where she talks about a variety of topics including being a power player and a fashion renegade.

–MLF