By Anna Griffin, Editor in Chief
PC: Victoria Stevens
Nicky Hilton enters the world of sustainable fashion with her first eco-conscious and vegan shoe collection
As a scion of one of America’s wealthiest families, Nicky Hilton is not someone you would necessarily associate with environmental awareness, but despite her privileged lineage, Nicky is mindful about her impact on the planet. “This past year I've given up meat. I try to take shorter showers, and I turn the lights off when I leave the room,” she says. “I personally try to lead a more sustainable life every day.” When asked about her inspiration for living more eco-consciously, she tells me, “I think I've always been aware of the environment and taking care of the environment, but having children definitely inspired me to do more. I think we all can do more.”
PC: Victoria Stevens
A successful businesswoman, author and fashion designer, Nicky is now walking into the sustainable fashion world with her first eco-friendly and vegan shoe collection. “This is my fourth collection with French Sole, and I have wanted to do a sustainable collection for a while now,” she says. Launched on April 1st to coincide with Earth Month, her collection of summer flats are made with an authentic consideration for both our planet and our style. “They have so many amazing advancements in sustainable materials now, so it made the project a lot of fun,” Nicky tells me, continuing, “I had such a great time designing this collection. I found this factory in Spain that actually specializes in sustainable materials. The shoes are made out of a combination of certified recycled materials, and this shoe for example, the Amanda Espadrille, is a plant-based sole, which is pretty cool.”
PC: Victoria Stevens
When designing the collection, her first inspiration was to create the perfect summer shoe, “I really just wanted to design shoes that I can run around in all summer. I feel like during the summer I live in floral dresses and cotton boho dresses, cut off jeans shorts, so I just wanted to create something that paired perfectly with those.”
PC: Victoria Stevens
Offering a modern edge to two classic styles - the Amanda Espadrille and the Sunny Flat - the shoes are named after her childhood best friends, and are available in two distinctive patterns; bold, colored, tie-dye and preppy stripe. “We did the more bright, funky color for someone a little more forward. With the tie-dye, I was really inspired by Malibu and my friend Sunny, who I grew up with and who I named the shoe after. And the stripe version is super chic with a pair of jeans and a button-down, or a white cotton dress,” she says.
PC: Camraface/Early Morning Riot
Initially launching exclusively on her other bestie, Amanda Hearst’s, beautifully curated, eco-chic, online boutique, Maison de Mode, this project is as close to Nicky’s heart as her commitment to living more sustainably. “Amanda and I have known each other since we were in diapers, since we were very, very little, and when I was coming up with the original concept, I instantly knew that there would be no better partner on this than her. She is so knowledgeable and such an inspiration with what she's built with Mason de Mode; how she highlights these local artisans and these eco friendly brands, and amplifies them. She's taught me so much and introduced me to some of my favorite fashion brands that just so happen to be sustainable, like St. Roche and Amur,” she tells me.
PC: Camraface/Early Morning Riot
With philanthropy rooted in her DNA, Nicky is donating to conservation efforts for the month of April, “I decided that for Earth month I wanted to give 10% of sales to Amanda’s organization, Well Beings, which does a lot of great animal welfare and conservation work. When I'm designing, I always like to add a charity component. Giving back, to me, is very important, and I like to give back when I'm making a collection,” she says.
PC: Camraface/Early Morning Riot
Reducing our carbon footprint has never been more en vogue, and as Nicky now steps up into sustainable footwear, she says, “It’s a small-yet big-step in the right direction.”
PC: Camraface/Early Morning Riot
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