SI Swimsuit Rookie Jennifer Atilémile Talks Ethical Fashion and Labor Rights

The franchise’s newest model is passionate about highlighting sustainability in the fashion industry.

Jennifer Atilémile.Monica Schipper/Getty Images

While Jennifer Atilémile can rock anything from a swimsuit to full-on glam and everything in between, she’s incredibly passionate about sustainability efforts in the fashion industry. The Australian and French model, who became Victoria’s Secret’s first Australian curve model three years ago, will make her SI Swimsuit debut this May.

We chatted with Atilémile to learn more about how she uses her platform to facilitate conversations about issues that are close to her heart like ethical fashion and sustainability.

Labor rights in the workplace

Atilémile points out that one critically important aspect often gets overlooked when it comes to sustainability in fashion.

“With sustainability really being on the forefront of people’s minds these days, I really feel like part of the sustainability conversation that oftentimes gets left out is ethical fashion, when it comes to labor rights in the workplace,” she says.

While the use of sustainable and recycled fabrics and dyes are often the focus of sustainability in the fashion industry, Atilémile believes that proper attention should also be given to the people who make the industry function.

“[People] really forget about the workers, the people who really make your clothes,” she says. “The reason why our clothes are so cheap is because people are being exploited, and the conditions in which they work are horrible.”

Fast fashion alternatives

Atilémile has a double master’s degree in international relations and journalism. She focused on human rights at Monash University in Melbourne, where she wrote her thesis on the ethical rights of women garment workers in the fashion industry.

“We’re going down a really worrisome path when it comes to fashion and fast fashion specifically, and it’s a real problem, too, within the plus-size industry,” she says. “There are no other alternatives to fast fashion, because no one wants to make bigger clothes.”

By bringing awareness to the downsides of fast fashion and poor working conditions, Atilémile hopes to help facilitate change to make the industry more sustainable.

“We’re in this loop of poor decisions and it’s not necessarily by choice,” she adds. “But if we can start to shift the conversation to labor practices, then maybe we can create some more sustainable solutions for everyone.”

Shop responsibly

In order to be a more responsible consumer, Atilémile suggests shopping vintage as a way to negate the negative effects of fast fashion. She also suggests being a smart shopper and says to look for a transparency report on brand sites before adding items to your cart.

“I think everyone should be really trying to shop more vintage, because there’s so many already existing clothes out there and we all need to learn how to sew so we can tailor them to our bodies,” she says.

In addition to shopping more responsibly, Atilémile says knowledge is key. She notes that Fashion Revolution, Model Alliance and The Garment Worker Center are three excellent organizations that provide great educational content on sustainability and labor practices in the fashion industry.

“They’re just doing really amazing things to protect the workers’ rights, which are usually minority, Black and brown women,” Atilémile says. “It’s a cause that’s really close to my heart.”

Meet Jennifer Atilémile—read the 2023 SI Swimsuit rookie’s full feature profile here.