Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank has transitioned her sustainable clothing label, Mission Statement, to Ecofashion Corp and steps into a pivotal role on the conglomerate’s executive team.
Mission Statement, the luxury label launched by Hilary Swank in 2016, is now part of the Ecofashion Corp, marking the group’s first luxury brand. Ecofashion was launched by serial entrepreneur, Marci Zaroff in 2019. As part of the acquisition, Swank will stay involved with the brand and take on new responsibilities including serving as a design director and brand ambassador, collaborating closely with Zaroff and creative director Nigel Barker, the renowned fashion photographer and former “America’s Next Top Model” personality.
“We are a disposable culture — food, movies, toys and clothing. As a mother, I want to look at the future for my babies […] I’m being conscientious about what they’re wearing, consuming and the toys they are playing with,” Swank told WWD, highlighting her concern over the pervasive throwaway culture and its impact on future generations.
The “Ordinary Angels” star, 49, launched Mission Statement to help Americans shift away from fast fashion, highlighting a statistic from the “You Are What You Wear” author Jennifer Baumgartner — most Americans wear just 20 percent of their wardrobes 80 percent of the time. Swank says that makes the case for paying more for higher quality items that will last longer than the pervasive fast fashion that ends up in secondhand stores, secondary markets, and landfills. Fast fashion has increased by nearly 40 percent since 2009, according to the United Nations’ Environment Program. Swank says consumers have lost sight of how significant this impact is. “I don’t think they’re even aware of what’s happening and how that’s damaging our planet,” she told WWD.
“We know that fast fashion is just so dangerous to the environment. It’s so dangerous to the people who are making it. Our bigger vision is to transform the [nearly] $2 trillion global fashion industry into a force for good. We have a love for people, the planet, and purpose,” Swank said.
Swank’s personal journey from her modest upbringing in Washington to Hollywood stardom, has been marked by a frugal ethos, which she believes has shaped her character and approach to fashion. “Growing up, when we bought something, it had to go the distance. I had to wear it until it wore out completely, or I grew out of it,” she said. “That’s just what has made my character. It was most likely due to being in a lower socioeconomic background that led us to that. But I’m so grateful for that. I’m glad that I didn’t have ten pairs of tennis shoes. I had one pair and they went the distance. That infused who I am.”
The Ecofashion Corp launched officially in 2019, but Zaroff has been a leading voice in sustainable fashion and home goods for decades, even claiming to have coined the term “eco-fashion.” She’s a longtime advocate for sustainable cotton farming, working across India via the first vertically integrated, regenerative cotton farming program. The initiative, dubbed RESET, stands for regenerate the environment, society, and economies textiles. In addition to Mission Statement, the platform’s portfolio includes the labels YesAnd, Farm to Home, and MetaWear. Barker joined the company in 2022.
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