Emma Spends Gap Year At Green Design House

Harry Potter starlet Emma Watson is currently enjoying her first semester as a freshman at Brown University. But where did the Ivy League actress spend her summer? She was designing for ethical clothing company People Tree and hopes to direct young people to more environmentally friendly and humanitarian fashion.

Watson assisted in the design of a “capsule lifestyle collection” that included cotton T-shirts, jersey dresses and poplin skirts, which will launch in February 2010. All proceeds from the collection will be donated to the People Tree Foundation, a charity which aims to school farmers and artisans on sustainable fashion through training and environmental initiatives.

“I wanted to help People Tree produce a younger range because I was excited by the idea of using fashion as a tool to help alleviate poverty and knew it was something I could help make a difference with,” says Watson.

The clothing is made from organic and fair-trade certified cotton and the accessories will all be created from recycled products. The fresh designs will give young people a great green alternative.

“I think young people like me are becoming increasingly aware of the humanitarian and environmental issues surrounding fast fashion and want to make good choices but there aren’t many options out there. It has been the most incredible gap year project.”