The red carpet has always been a showcase for glamorous gowns and stylish suits, but over the past few years, we have started to notice sustainability weave its way into celebrity fashion choices.
With a range of Hollywood heavyweights, like Jessica Alba, Adrian Grenier and Gwyneth Paltrow, actively promoting green living and eco consciousness, fashion trends are slowly ‘going green.’ Here are the top three trends rocking the red carpet (plus one to look out for!)
1. Participating in eco fashion challenges
Celebrities seem to be signing up as ambassadors for eco fashion, through established programs and competitions, such as the Green Carpet Challenge and the Red Carpet, Green Dress initiative. Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Tom Ford and Nicole Kidman are just a few of the names associated with green choices on the red carpet. But don’t think it’s all just for the ladies, as we have recently seen both Javier Bardem and Bradley Cooper donning sustainable suits for recent award nights. This year’s Oscars also saw actress Naomie Harris in an award winning sustainable design, made out of organic, recycled materials, including old chocolate wrappers!
2. Ditching labels for affordable eco chic
A string of high-end designers support sustainability, but it doesn’t mean they are always accessible or suitable for everyday wear. Many celebrities are getting behind affordable eco conscious brands and in some cases, bringing these to public attention. Actress Helen Hunt rocked the Oscars red carpet this year with a H&M gown, in recognition of their partnership with Global Green USA. She isn’t the only one to have brought H&M to Hollywood, with actresses Michelle Williams, Kristen Davis and Amanda Seyfried, also wearing pieces from the H&M Conscious Collection at various events. Other designers like Threads for Thought, The Battalion and Deborah Lindquist are fast becoming Hollywood favorites of actors like Jamie Foxx.
3. Supporting Vegan Fashion
This year saw the first all vegan fashion line debut at New York Fashion Week and the trend is slowly gaining momentum. Anne Hathaway and Natalie Portman both incorporated strong vegan fashion elements into their respective weddings, but red carpet fashion choices have also been touched by this trend. Portman often wears her custom made vegan shoes from Dior, which she had made when she joined the brand as an ambassador, and she has even designed a vegan footwear collection of her own! This trend has been spurred on by the world’s first Vegan Fashion Awards, recently held in the UK, which celebrated some of the fashion industry’s biggest names including Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood.
So, what’s in store next?
I predict that upcycling on the Red Carpet is going to be the next trend to look out for, after ultimate green girl Livia Firth wore an upcycled gown on the Oscars Red Carpet in 2011, the same year her husband took home the Academy Award for best actor!
Images: Eva Rinaldi, Red Carpet, Green Dress, Jenn Deering Davis