Kourtney Kardashian Barker Explained Why She Knew Her Boohoo Collaboration “Would Get Backlash”

Kourtney herself is no stranger to criticism for her environmental impact — this summer, a report found that she went 101,000 gallons over the California drought water limits within her 2-acre Calabasas home. And while she may not personally own a private jet herself, her family’s private jet–setting has certainly come into question in recent months.

Subsequently, the idea of a “sustainable” collaboration between Kourtney and Boohoo raised some eyebrows. “When Boohoo first approached me to collaborate on a line, I was concerned about the effects of the fast-fashion industry on our planet,” Kourtney said in a statement at the time. “Boohoo responded with excitement and a desire to incorporate sustainable practices into our line.”

Well, Kourtney’s collection is out now. While it does include some recycled materials, it also uses polyurethane — which cannot be recycled and can release toxic chemicals in landfills.

“Boohoo approached me to be a sustainability ambassador, and though I knew it would get backlash because the two just don’t go hand in hand, I thought about the fact that fast fashion, or the fashion industry in general, isn’t going anywhere,” Kourtney wrote on Instagram amid the collection’s launch and New York Fashion Week show.

“I thought about the attention this collaboration would bring to people who may otherwise have no idea about the impacts of fast fashion on our planet. I thought about how pushing Boohoo to make some initial changes and then holding them accountable to larger change would be impactful. It’s definitely making some noise which is exactly what I was hoping for,” she said.

“I certainly don’t have all the answers, but for someone who has done a fast fashion line collaboration in the past, which didn’t get backlash because I was not calling attention to trying to make better changes, I feel proud about doing it with intention and purpose,” she continued, likely referencing her 2017 PrettyLittleThing collaboration.

“I invite any experts who have ideas, suggestions (I have already seen some of you and will absolutely be reaching out to talk and learn more) to reach out. I want to help and from my experience so far working with the team I work with at Boohoo, they do too. I will be elaborating on their changes, how we’ve made this line more sustainable, and what I’ve learned we as consumers can do to help… all to come!!” she concluded.