Amàni Bouri is a 27 year old Senior Publicist born in London. Originally studying Politics and International Relations at University, she later discovered a passion for the creative industry. Following this, she interned at several London PR agencies whilst at university with a fashion and beauty focus and landed her dream role as a beauty intern at Elle Magazine.
Since then Amàni has been working in one of the leading PR agencies focusing on everything strategy, creative and PR related for big lifestyle and entertainment brands such as Adidas, Diageo and Ray Ban to name a few. While in quarantine Amàni founded Collective_LDN with friends, a platform created to connect creatives by sharing their stories and journeys.
Amàni was recently a participant of the Noctis x Garment Streak slow fashion week, taking one item of clothing and styling it in five ways to encourage sustainable fashion and help break the negative taboo of wearing the same thing multiple times. #NoShameWearingTheSame
Do you remember when or how you first became conscious of the connection between fast fashion and climate change?
I think it was last year after I read a piece about how many gallons of water it takes to create a single pair of jeans (1,800 gallons!!). This was enough to make me sit up and think about how and where I buy my clothes. It may seem trivial but small changes can make a difference especially with brands like Pangaia and Away That Day that design pieces with sustainability and design at the forefront.
What positive role do you think public figures and influencers could have in the fight against fast fashion and climate change generally?
Awareness and knowledge are key! If people are able to use their platforms to inform and educate their audiences on the impact fast fashion has on the planet it could really tip the scale interns of change. Trailblazers such as Celine Semaan, Executive Director at The Slow Factory and Diet Prada are highlighting the need for accountability when it comes to the impact big brands are having on the planet.
What has it felt like for you to be seen on Instagram wearing one item of clothing multiple times?
I love it! I think the stigma of being seen in the same outfit more than once is archaic. For me fashion is the clothes we buy but style is the way we reinvent an item much like ourselves – we grow and change like our fashion choices so why not reinvent that favourite shirt or skirt to suit the person you are now. The market for up-cycling, customising and renting pieces are thriving with the rise of Depop, Vestiare and HURR simply because people are tapping into the idea that the items we love shouldn’t have a shelf life they should be out always, living their best life.
Besides performing in the Garment Streak, what else should we know about you or what you are doing? Any new work or projects coming up?
Pre quarantine I was your typical PR girl minus the cute dog (it WILL happen soon!) working with brands such as Adidas, Johnnie Walker and Ray-Ban to name a few – but lately I have been working on Collective_LDN a new project to connect creatives from various backgrounds and showcase their stories, passion and advice to inspire the future generation. My goal is to create a platform that gives real industry knowledge with a heart, coming straight from those who have made mistakes and kept going to make it a success. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by many talented people and I am a big believer in championing your circle.