Red Carpet, Green Dress | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Red Carpet, Green Dress

I didn't get to see the Oscars or watch the red carpet parade of gowns but I was waiting in anticipation for Oscar night for one reason and one reason only. I couldn't wait to see the winning gown of the Red Carpet Green Dress competition, a contest launched in 2009 for an award-winning "green" gown that would be made from entirely sustainable fabrics. This global dress design contest was the brainchild of Suzy Cameron, actress and wife of Titanic and Avatar director, James Cameron, who saw the Academy Awards as the best opportunity to promote sustainable fashion.  For this closet Project Runway fan, the Oscars are now a night to anticipate.

And, the winner is...

Venezuelan born designer Valentina Delfino was crowned the winner of the Red Carpet Green Dress contest which was worn by Missi Pyle, who appeared as a silent screen starlet in this year’s Best Picture winner, The Artist. The winning design was made with organic "peace" silk (or Cruelty–Free Silk), hand-dyed with natural mineral pigments, had recycled zippers, and was lined with recycled polyester. Cruelty–Free Silk is silk created through the process that permits the full life cycle of the silkworm pupae.

But Missi wasn't the only red carpet eco-fashonista this year. Meryl Streep, Demian Bichir, Kenneth Branagh, Colin Firth, and Livia Firth joined the ranks of the greenest dressed on the red carpet at the 84th Academy Awards by wearing organic and sustainable gowns or suits. Each of these 6 celebrities took part in the Green Carpet Challenge (GCC), an initiative for designers to create and celebrities to dress in sustainable fashion while walking the red carpet and attending high profile award shows. Is it the dawning of a new era or just a fad? Only time will tell if moments like these will drive an industry historically dominated by excess consumerism into ethical resplendence.
What did they wear?
  • Meryl Streep wore a full-length, gold number that was fit for a goddess and made completely from Eco Certified Fabric.
  • Livia Firth donned a hybrid dress that combined recycled PET fabric along with the Valentino's house silk.
  • Kenneth Branagh wore an Ermenegildo Zegna navy Made-to-Measure tuxedo created with eco-friendly Merino wool.
  • Demian Bichir was in another Zegna's tuxedo designed with TROFEO 600 fabric, which is a blend of superfine wool and silk.
  • Colin Firth squeaks onto the GCC list by "recycling" his Tom Ford wool tuxedo from last year. Technically, Colin, it's considered "reuse" which would be standard for regular folks that don't discard a tuxedo only worn once. (In fact, I think most regular folks rent tuxedos which would be the greenest of all options). But, I'll give you points for trying!
Are you interested in reading more about eco-fashion?
Check out these posts written by The Minneapolis College of Art + Design's Sustainable Design Online program students and alumni.
Oscar image courtesy of @Dave_B_
Categories
Green Biz
Published on
February 27, 2012
Tags
cindy gilbert
eco-career
ecofashion
global innovation
MCAD sustainable design
online courses
students
Sustainability
sustainable design

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