Earth Day was officially observed for the first time on April 22, 1970. On that beautiful sunny afternoon, then-mayor of New York City, John Lindsay, brought New Yorkers together for a celebratory parade down Fifth Avenue culminating at Union Square Park. With the streets closed for two hours, turning the city’s main shopping areas into the largest antipollution carnival in the city’s history, as noted by WWD on the day.
More than 10,000 people were said to be in attendance to acknowledge causes from clean water, pollution and recycling. Since then, incredible strides have been made to protect the environment with fashion advocating for more conversations around overconsumption and sustainability.
“It’s a beginning,” stated a volunteer from the Environmental Action Coalition, sponsors of the 1970 event. “We can’t go anywhere without a beginning,” reminding us there is more work to be done.
Here’s to honoring the progress we’ve made and embracing the challenges ahead — happy Earth Day 2025!