Billie Eilish is redefining the standards of superstardom: Between her music career and vegan activism, the 20-year-old pop icon balances art and advocacy effortlessly. Eilish just announced that she is partnering with Nike (again!) to launch a new entirely plant-based sneaker and apparel collection, including a vegan redesign of Nike’s signature Air Force 1 sneakers for this collaboration.
Eilish – who received PETA’s Person of Year award last year – balances her stardom with vegan activism. Using her position in the mainstream, the Grammy-award winner consistently advocates for vegan and plant-based living. This new Nike collection will become one of the major company’s most sustainable selections. The new shoes – featuring a simple mushroom color – use vegan nubuck leather made from 80 percent recycled materials, including 100 percent recycled polyester.
Nike’s sustainable collection will be heavily inspired by Eilish’s signature oversized clothing. The Nike Air Force 1’s will be adorned by chunky midfoot straps, inspired by two Nike classics: Air Trainer 3’s and Alpha Force Lows. The collaboration will also include mushroom-colored hoodies, sweatpants, and t-shirts which will all feature a silicone “Billie Eilish” graphic and the Nike logo.
“The challenge and opportunity with this collection was to respect the originals, but make them my own,” Eilish said in a statement. “It was also important for me to mix in environmentally preferred materials where we could and present them in a way that felt fresh.”
The sustainable shoes will be available on Eilish’s website starting April 24. Nike will make the full collection available on its website on April 25.
Billie Eilish’s Vegan Apparel and Cosmetics
The Nike Air Force 1 Billie will join the star’s growing vegan shoe collection. Last September, Eilish debuted the leather-free, vegan Air Jordans, featuring her signature slime green color.
“I’ve always loved Jordans and it was such a crazy, surreal, exciting, overwhelming experience to create these. Like a big part of that was the sustainability aspect,” Eilish said at the time. “We worked really hard on making them all 100-percent vegan, no leather, no animal anything. They’re over 20-percent recycled materials. Which is so dope to me. We can make cool sh*t and you don’t have to be wasteful.”
Eilish’s collaboration with Nike will provide sustainable and fashionable streetwear to all her fans, but she also made sure high fashion entered into this new era. During the 2021 MET Gala, where Eilish served as co-chair, she convinced legacy fashion house, Oscar de la Renta, to ban fur from all its products.
“With all eyes on Billie Eilish at her first Met Gala, she turned the spotlight onto the plight of animals killed for food and fashion,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said. “PETA is happier than ever to celebrate her for pushing the fashion industry toward its sustainable vegan future.”
Eilish’s Vegan Tour
Currently, Eilish is traveling the world for her Happier Than Ever tour. Kicking off on February 3, Eilish’s tour (without any surprise) is highlighting vegan living and putting local non-profit organizations in the spotlight. Teaming up with her mother Maggie Baird’s nonprofit, Support + Feed, and vegan brand Wicked Kitchen, her tour is encouraging people to take up “The Pledge” – a promise to eat at least one plant-based meal a day for 30 days.
Before leaving the US on her world tour, Eilish is headlining both weekends of Coachella. Even though Eilish’s Eco-Village will not be as prominent at the legendary music festival, Coachella is providing guests with an impressive selection of plant-based options.
Check out The Beet’s guide to eating plant-based at Coachella.
