Written for Fashion & Beauty Monitor
Kelly Eastwood, aka The London Chatter, is a London-based sustainable fashion and lifestyle blogger and resident conscious style columnist at Hello! Fashion Monthly. Kelly started The London Chatter in 2010 and has been an ambassador for brands such as Matthew Williamson, LK Bennett, Mulberry, Harvey Nichols, Nike, Omega, Tiffany’s Net a Porter, TOMS and GAP UK. Her sell out ‘buy to give’ collaborations, which see 100% of their profits go to wildlife and environmental projects in Kenya where she was raised, such as the Watamu Turtle Pouch with Elizabeth Scarlett, have so far generated over £70,000.
Featured on Mail Online, Marie Claire, The Outnet, Tatler, Evening Standard, InStyle and Grazia, we sat down with Kelly, who is repped by talent agency The Sunday Chapter, to talk issues within the fashion industry, favourite brands and travel plans…
Where did the name The London Chatter come from?
With my background in fashion magazines, retail and styling, my sister encouraged me to start a blog about 13 years ago, and after much back and forth we came up with the name. Blogs were already ‘a thing’ in New York where she lives, but they were less about the person writing them at this time, so not using my own name made complete sense (a divide between person and brand I still enjoy.)
How much do you prioritise your blog?
Aside from Christmas gift edits which sees a lot of traffic, hardly at all. With the rise of Instagram, let alone explosion of creators, people have super stretched focus these days - It’s quicker to read a caption than a blog post! Things may change again, they constantly do.
How did you get started at Hello! Fashion Monthly?
Juliet Herd, the editor of Hello! Fashion Monthly at the time, recognized the digital trend and instead of rallying against it like so many other magazines, decided to incorporate online voices from the very start. I was the first UK Blogger to have her own page in a magazine which was thrilling. Juliet, and her successor Jill Wanless, were both immensely supportive of my journey into sustainability and the increasing sharing of my more conscious content.
What charitable causes are most important to you?
I was raised in Africa, and I feel closely connected to the natural world. Protecting endangered African wildlife and preserving our oceans and marine health are huge passions of mine. I am a proud ambassador for both No More Plastic and Local Ocean Conservation, and regularly support the WWF with their online campaigns.
What are some of the biggest issues within the fashion industry right now?
Overproduction and over consumption is the biggest issue in my mind, with fast fashion and it’s mass manufacture of cheap, poor quality, and disposable clothing at the very centre of this. The majority of synthetic clothing is not able to be recycled, repurposed or donated, so ends up in landfill, frequently in the Global South, taking 200 years or more to decompose. Aside from its environmentally dangerous outpouring of untreated waste water, toxic chemicals, greenhouse gas emissions and plastic microfibres, there are also important human rights concerns to consider, with dangerous worker conditions and low wages being another reason why this currently unregulated and unsustainable business structure is entirely unethical. Tougher laws, accountability and systemic change are crucial in reducing the irreversible footprint this industry is causing on our planet.
What has been your biggest ‘pinch me’ moment so far?
My two collaborations with small British brands, where I was able to raise and send vital funds back home to two very worthy grass roots conservation projects back in Africa. Both sold out multiple times, had phenomenal press support, and saw 100% of all their profits go to For Rangers and Local Ocean Conservation.
What types of brands do you like working with?
I only partner with brands that I feel share common values with me and a commitment towards a safer and cleaner future. I am continuously excited to share innovative ideas and radical rethinking, often being the first to trial the latest, greatest products on the market - which is the coolest.
Are you happy being approached by PRs?
Absolutely! If they know what I’m about and feel I would align well with their brands, it’s always wonderful to start a conversation and learn more.
How would you describe your content aesthetic?
Considered and colourful.
Which brands are you loving at the moment?
DÔEN, Zimmerman and Kalita for their romance. Aje, Anna Mason London, Georgia Hardinge and Zoe Jordan for their cool. La Double J, Lisou and Hayley Menzies for their fun, and My Wardobe HQ, Hurr and Cocoon Club for their footprint-light, glamour-heavy rentals.
Where have you travelled to this year and where’s next on the agenda?
I have been to both Ibiza and Andros for close friend’s weddings and then back home to Kenya for a much-needed chill and reset with my family. Any footloose and fancy-free adventures further afield are on ice until my son is a little older, but the dream would be to see mountain gorillas in Uganda, and tigers in Rajasthan.
If you weren’t a creator, what would you be?
I’d be working in conservation or studying law - I haven’t ruled out either.
What’s the last TV show you binged?
Married at First Sight Australia (sorry, not sorry) and currently, Game of Thrones Season 1 - again, as my boyfriend has never seen any of it… How?!
What do you think people want from influencers in 2022?
More cat content… Or is that just me?
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