Tackling issues on climate change is never new to young activist Greta Thunberg. Everywhere she goes, she wears her initiative like a badge, demanding politicians, world leaders, and her fellow youth to take action in acknowledging environmental issues and finding solutions to them.

Recently, the Swedish 18-year-old reminds us of that by gracing the cover of the September 2021 and inaugural issue of Vogue Scandinavia. Looking like a forest nymph, Greta dons ethically-made and upcycled fashions for the whimsical cover featuring woodland of Stockholm. Shot by Swedish photographer Alexandrov Klum, the images are made even more magical by young activist's co-star Gandalf, the Icelandic horse.

"For this debut issue, I am so incredibly proud to feature Greta Thunberg on the cover," said the magazine's editor-in-chief, Martina Bonnier, in the issue's editor's letter. "Not only is she a singular Scandinavian figure and force of change, she also embodies the love of nature, pursuit of sustainability, and unabashed fearlessness that is at the core of our vision."

Much like the pieces she is wearing, the feature revolves around the sustainability concerns within the closet of the fashion industry, the not chic effects of fast fashion, and our role in making informed decisions on what we put on our bodies.

"If you are buying fast fashion then you are contributing to that industry and encouraging them to expand and encouraging them to continue their harmful process," she said. "Of course, I understand that for some people fashion is a big part of how they want to express themselves and their identity."

In the past years, big players of the fashion industry have been held accountable to the perils its operations have done to the world, from massive consumption of resources and waste problems to unsafe working environments. Although luxury labels and fashion designers are doing their homework in looking for eco-conscious fashion practices, the issue of "greenwashing," where products are being sold as sustainable without creating real change, is also addressed by Greta.

“It is up to us to be brave and take decisions based on the scientific evidence provided in these reports,” she continued. “We can still avoid the worst consequences, but not if we continue like today, and not without treating the crisis like a crisis.”

Read Vogue Scandinavia's full feature here.