PETA named Billie Eilish its 2021 Person of the Year, recognizing her commitment to animal protection and activism within the fashion industry. She is the youngest person to receive the annual award; previous recipients include Joaquin Phoenix, Pope Francis, Oprah Winfrey, and Anjelica Huston, among others.
“She gets people to listen-and not only to her music.” the company shared in an official statement. Among the many reasons cited, PETA mentioned the singer’s powerful night at the MET Gala, where she showed up in a floor-sweeping Oscar de La Renta gown (after convincing the team to stop using fur), and used her role as the event’s co-chair to influence the menu (they served exclusively vegan meals). This will come as no surprise considering the Grammy winner’s unwavering commitment to promoting a vegan lifestyle.
Furthermore, her passion for sustainable fashion manifested when the Grammy winner partnered with Nike to launch an Air Jordan shoe collection this year, which featured sneakers that were 100% vegan leather with over 20% recycled material. The following release of her first perfume upheld those same ethical standards as it was made without animal-derived ingredients and wasn’t tested on animals.
“Billie Eilish is making sure that the party’s over for meaty, milky meals as well as for leather, fur, and silk,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk continued. “PETA is happier than ever to celebrate her for seizing every opportunity to point out that vegan fashion and foods are kinder to the animals and the planet we share with them”.
Join us in congratulating the 19-year-old star!
Related: Billie Eilish Agreed to Wear This Met Gala Gown Under 1 Condition: Oscar de la Renta Stops Using Fur
