Making Sustainability “Cool”

The South African department store, Woolworths  recently teamed up with musician Pharrell Williams as an attempt to “Make Sustainability Cool”. The Grammy Award winning artist will lead the sustainability-focused project in his role as Style Director. The CEO of Woolworths Holdings, Ian Moir said at a press conference in Johannesburg that he hopes the internationally known musician can help the company “Makes Sustainability Cool” for the next generation of South Africans.  He further described Williams, whose textile company Bionic Yarn that creates fabric out of recycled ocean plastic, as a “global icon for social cohesion, advancement through education, and environmental awareness”. Woolworths and Pharrell are kicking off their collaboration with a competition that invites students to submit proposals for a “T-shirt that celebrates sustainability” Pharrell will pick his favorite designs, which will be produced by Bionic Yarn and sold at Woolworths stores across South Africa.
Pharrell has also hinted about broader ambitions. The new collaboration, he added, will champion not only education in South Africa but also “food farming that goes easy on the planet”.
This partnership is part of the larger “harmonizing humanity” effort Pharrell announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January. Also on the agenda is a second run of the Live Earth concerts, taking place on all continents, with the goal of raising awareness about climate change.