We love the Oscars for all its glitz and glamour, but this year, the red carpet led us in a new direction: eco-consciousness. The 92nd Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California on Feb 10, saw a handful of A-listers exchange opulent bespoke gowns and jewellery for ones with ethical, recycled or upcycled elements. Here are eight of them whose outfits inspire sustainability in fashion.
Known for her role in Netflix miniseries Unbelievable, the actress wore an eco-responsible custom-made Louis Vuitton gown in silk satin embroidered with Swarovski crystals and glass beads. The gorgeous scarlet number follows the sustainable standards of Red Carpet Green Dress (RCGD) – a women-led organisation founded by leading environmental advocate, Suzy Amis Cameron, which aims to inspire conversation and action on sustainable design in the fashion industry.
The French actress and ex-Bond girl wore a custom-made Louis Vuitton gown in organic silk faille and a newly launched RCGD fabric – Tencel Luxe filament yarn – that is made from wood, a renewable raw material. Seydoux paired her elegant gown, which was made in partnership with RCGD and follows the organisation’s sustainable standards, with custom-made organic satin sandals.
Wearing a Stella McCartney gown made with a sustainable velvet, the English actress paired the midnight blue number with bespoke Atelier Swarovski fine jewellery made with responsibly sourced genuine gemstones. Just last week, she was spotted at the British Academy Film and Television Awards in ethical lab-grown diamonds, also from Atelier Swarovski.
Oscar-nominated actor Antonio Banderas took to the red carpet with bespoke conscious pieces from Atelier Swarovski. The 59-year-old accessorised his classic Dior suit with a brooch and cufflinks made with 18K recycled white gold and Swarovski Created Diamonds – a technology where a tiny diamond seed is nurtured with carbon atoms under extreme heat and high pressure to speed up the diamond formation process.
Turning heads in OTT ball gowns one awards show after another, Billy Porter certainly knows how to own the red carpet. Arriving in a Giles Deacon look accompanied with ethical Atelier Swarovski fine jewellery, the American performer didn’t call it a night there. Porter had a whole new outfit ready once the show started, which included an ethical and sustainable lab-grown diamond necklace from Lark & Berry x Diamond Foundry.
There are two reasons why Banks was #goals at the Oscars. One, she looked stunning in a strappy scarlet dress from Badgley Mischka. Two, this was the exact dress she wore to the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in 2004. “It’s gorgeous and it fits…so why not wear it again?!” said the American actress on Instagram. And who would’ve thought that staying in shape could be sustainable too?
Donning a black and white peplum top and periwinkle skirt from Gucci, the Little Women actress looked as dazzling as she did at the BAFTAs. And that might have something to do with the fact that part of her outfit from the recent awards show went into this one. Recycling the fabric from the all-black ensemble she wore to the BAFTAs is Gucci’s creative take on eco-conscious red carpet dressing.
It’s not often that vintage luxury graces the red carpet, but Spanish actress Penelope Cruz went against the grain with this vintage Chanel dress. The sleek number that featured a white flower and pearl string belt was from the French design house’s S/S ’95 collection. She also accessorised with ethical fine jewellery from Atelier Swarovski.