‘The last time I bought something new was three years ago’: Vogue Scandinavia launches with Greta Thunberg on the cover

Teenage climate activist fronts debut cover of Condé Nast magazine

(Alexandrov Klum)

Vogue has launched a new Scandinavia edition with climate activist Greta Thunberg fronting the debut issue.

Condé Nast announced it would be adding the new title to its roster of international Vogue publications last year, with Martina Bonnier unveiled as its editor.

The publication has launched with a sustainability focus in mind, committing to being certified carbon neutral from the day of its launch.

For the debut cover, which was shot by Swedish conservationists and artist duo Alexandrov Klum, Thunberg is pictured sitting at the base of a tree in a woodland alongside a horse.

She is clad in a peach trench coat and a yellow and white sheer gown.

In the accompanying interview, Thunberg opens up about the consequences of fast fashion.

“The last time I bought something new was three years ago and it was second-hand. I just borrow things from people I know,” she said.

In a social media post to promote the cover, Thunberg went on to call out the fashion sector as a whole.

“The fashion industry is a huge contributor to the climate-and ecological emergency, not to mention its impact on the countless workers and communities who are being exploited around the world in order for some to enjoy fast fashion that many treat as disposables,” she wrote before going on to call out greenwashing in the sector.

“Many make it look as if the fashion industry is starting to take responsibility, spending fantasy amounts on campaigns portraying themselves as ‘sustainable’, ‘ethical’, ‘green’, ‘climate neutral’ or ‘fair’. But let’s be clear: This is almost never anything but pure greenwash.

“You cannot mass produce fashion or consume ‘sustainably’ as the world is shaped today. That is one of the many reasons why we will need a system change.”

Vogue Scandinavia has outlined its commitment to environmentalism on its website.

“While we appreciate that no print publication can ever be completely sustainable, we have taken every measure to ensure the materials we use and the 450 tonnes of carbon dioxide that we offset over the course of our first year leaves the lowest impact possible on our planet,” it states.

“We hope that the inspirational people that we feature, and the values we share with you, will help our readers take a larger step towards creating a lifestyle that has a smaller impact on the planet we all call home.”