Forbes 30 under 30 Names in Fashion and Sustainability

The Forbes 30 under 30 lists are out. The Style and Art list was a laundry list of impactful names, some well known to all, and others well known only in their circles. There were several fashion names that centered around environmentalism and sustainability, which is increasingly where fashion is headed. 

Quannah Chasinghorse

Photo: Evan Benally Atwood via CNN

Quannah Chasinghorse is an Indigenous model and climate justice advocate from Fairbanks, Alaska. Many people first learned about the model when she attended the Met Gala in 2021 and 2022 wearing garments that honor her Hän Gwich'in and Oglala Lakota heritage. The 20 year old model splits her time between the runway, where she has walked for Gucci and Chanel, and environmental activism. She has lobbied in Congress against oil drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. 

Olivia Cheng

Photo: Naoko Maeda via Vogue

This 24 year old is the founder of Dauphinette, a brand that creates luxury outerwear using upcycled leather and fur. Her clothing has appeared on runways at New York Fashion Week, on a number of celebrities, and even in an exhibit in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “Made in America” collection.

Ji Won Choi

Photo via Adidas

The founder of her eponymous brand, this 29 year old Korean American highlights the merging of cultures and sustainability in her clothing. Won Choi has collaborated with Adidas and her pieces, which are sustainably made in Italy, have been worn by A-listers like the Kardashians and Beyonce. 

Nicole McLaughlin

Photo: Nicole McLaughlin

Is she a designer, or is she an artist? McLaughlin is a 29 year old from Boulder, Colorado who reutilizes discarded items. She has made shoes out of old volleyballs and tennis balls, coats out of old oven mitts, slippers out of packing peanuts. She has worked with brands like Nike and Hermes, and even museums, to educate about sustainability.