I watched my first Harry Potter movie last week. I’m not sure what took me so long especially since I am an admirer of J.K. Rowling for her role in bringing children back to books, getting them excited about reading again. Rowling is also the speaker of one of my favourite quotes. Upon signing the book contract for Harry Potter, she is said to have uttered to her agent: “I know I’m not going to make any money off this.” Besides being completely hilarious in retrospect, it proves her honest pursuit of a passion without expectation of return.

A big fan of UK and Irish films I was pleased about Rowling’s insistence that the film franchise stay true to its roots. “No American Harry Potter,” was her succinct way of putting it. I also adore strong female film characters, so Emma Watson’s Hermione Grainger made me smile.

I have also enjoyed Emma Watson in the Burberry print campaign. She’s the perfect muse for the brand: a quintessentially British actress who seems destined for iconic status, and one who will help the label garner a younger audience without alienating the traditionalists. “This is one girl who will never pull a Britney Spears,” I remember thinking while watching Watson in Harry Potter and pondering her choice to represent that most British (and covered-up) of luxury brands.

I began following Watson on Twitter and was pleased to read her bio which described her as a “British actress and fair trade supporter”. It seems in addition to portraying a cool character in the Harry Potter franchise, Ms. Watson has partnered with fair trade clothing line, People Tree, as creative advisor of a lifestyle capsule collection geared toward the younger consumer who wants an alternative to fast fashion. The 20-year-old student described the venture as “the most incredible gap-year project” and said she believes in using fashion as a tool to alleviate poverty. Watson recently visited Bangladesh to observe and participate in the manufacturing process of the collection which is made from 100% organic and certified Fair Trade cotton, providing livelihood for some of India, Bangladesh, and Nepal’s most impoverished people.

“Not only does People Tree make sure the people who make the clothes are paid fairly, they make sure all the cotton is organic so they’re not polluting the environment, and they’re also committed to mitigating climate change. They do three important things and that makes them stand out from other brands,” Watson said in a YouTube Q & A session about her collaboration with the brand.

The cool and casual collection which features t-shirts, dresses, skirts, pants, and knitwear for men and women will make its debut on September 12 at Prince Charles’ Garden Party To Make a Difference, a festival of music, talks, and installations offering new ideas to help us stretch our precious resources. A sculpture of sheep climbing a ladder, for instance, will encourage us to use sheep’s wool for home insulation. The gardens of the Prince’s home at Clarence House as well as those at Lancaster and Marlborough are being opened to the public for the first time to celebrate the event.