Following the conclusion of the 2022 series of Love Island, viewers were anticipating the return of the now famous influencer brand collaborations. However, this year has been slightly different. Due to the pressure from sustainable fashion activists, Love Island 2022 was sponsored by eBay, with each islander dressing in preloved pieces ranging from second-hand fast fashion to high end vintage. This has led to anticipation bubbling as to whether the refreshing change in sponsor-ship would continue for the islanders beyond the show. So let's take a look at which stars shunned sustainability and which ones em-braced it.
Tasha
Tasha’s looks drew constant attention from viewers for their consistently exciting interpretations of the preloved pieces. As a model before the show, she clearly has an interest in fashion that goes beyond social-media influencing.Out of all of the girls this year, a fashion collaboration from Tasha would be the most authentic and worthwhile. Since leaving the villa, Tasha has collaborated with eBay, the show’s sponsor, making it clear that she is the one to watch in terms of fashion curation. As self proclaimed “first ever pre-loved ambassador” for eBay, we can expect curated collections, most likely of higher end quality, that reflect current trend cycles to draw in Love Island’s fast-fashion-obsessed viewership to more sustainable fashion choices.
Indiyah
Indiyah was another incredibly popular is-lander this year, coming in third with her partner Dami Hope. Indiyah’s collaboration withPretty Little Thing has generated a buzz online, with many express-ing their disdain on social media. Renowned for its unethical practices, PLT has launched a new venture called 'PLT Marketplace', aiming to replicate the success of second hand shopping platforms such as Depop or Vinted whilst maintaining the promotion of their brand specifically. Ex-islander Brett Staniland is consistently outspoken against PLT, commenting in a Twitter thread on the launch as “greenwashing”. Aside from controversy on the brand's sustainability credentials, many were disappointed that Indiyah, dubbed by viewers and PLT themselves as the “It Girl” of the season, was given this collaboration of significantly lower profile than fellow islander Gemma Owen’s partnership with the main brand, which is likely to promote her career more in the direction of the most successful Love Island contestant, Molly-Mae Hague.
Gemma
Many were confused at the announcement of Gemma Owen as an ambassador for PLT. As a child of a famous footballer, she lives a luxurious lifestyle that is reflected through her wardrobe and accessories. Her style leans towards simple and classic, which deviates from PLT’s usual focus on micro-trends and ‘party girl’ aesthetics. On the show Gemma wore minimalistic, expensive pieces such as a necklace rumoured to be worth thousands of pounds. There is also a conflict in that she owns her own swimwear brand, OG. Many were confused as to why she would accept a PLT collaboration instead of promoting her own brand to new heights. Perhaps the spread between the two brands will over-saturate her content and undermine a message her swim line promotes, which is the use of sustainable materials.
Ekin-Su
The winner of this season, Ekin-Su’s post-island business ventures were highly anticipated. A collaboration with Oh Polly is fitting for her aesthetic. Being slightly older than the other contestants, the mature look and higher price of Oh Polly is practical and predicted to be a successful collaboration. The brand was recently shown in New York Fashion Week, offering Ekin-Su the opportunity to potentially break into the US market, which is unheard of for typical islanders. Outside of the fashion sphere, having landed a deal with ITV to host a travel show with partner, Davide, Ekin-Su cements her place in celebrity status.I’m certain that following a successful season that broke many viewing records, the girls this year will go on to be successful in their fashion ventures.Moves towards mindful collaborations are exciting. Hopefully moving forward, the show, having massive influence throughout the country and particularly on a younger female audience, will recognise that more sustainable practices are being sought after and are becoming essential. By showing that second-hand does not have to mean wearing ill-fitting granny clothes, this will promote more of these practices and continue to catapult young women to influencer status in more mindful ways