Lily Coles Veja footwear collection for Sky Rainforest Rescue
Although it may seem like Lily Cole has slipped off the radar since she dominated the public eye in 2003, the 26-year-old model/actress/environmentalist has been focusing her energy elsewhere.
She previously launched a sell-out collection of ethical jewellery as part of her role as ambassador of Sky Rainforest Rescue (a partnership between Sky and WWF to protect trees in Brazil).
Now, her latest venture which goes on sale on Monday 2 June is an eco-friendly footwear collection in partnership with French accessories brand, Veja.
We chat to Lily Cole about the collection
Whats the motivation behind producing eco-friendly trainers?
By encouraging companies that have very fair practices, the supply chain will respect the people in the chain who respect the environment. If everybody did that, it would solve a lot of problems.
Why use rubber tapped from the Amazon rainforest?
Deforestation is predominantly caused by local small-scale farmers who dont have a choice but to make a living from the forest. So were giving them another choice. Money goes directly to local farmers and gives them an incentive to protect the forest.
So youve done accessories and footwear. Is clothing the next step?
Last year, Vivienne Westwood and her partner Andreas made an extraordinary dress with a rubber corset that I wore to the Met Ball. It was a talking point rather than a scalable product, but it shows how you can use rubber.
What are you reading at the moment?
Im playing Helen of Troy in a play, so a lot of Greek mythology and texts around that genre. Im also reading The Amber Fury by Natalie Haynes its like a modern-day version of a Greek myth.
Lily Coles Veja footwear collection for Sky Rainforest Rescue
Lily Coles footwear collection is available in Selfridges (London and Manchester) and Topshop (Oxford Street). It is also available online at and
