Once upon a time ‘Who are you wearing?’ was one of the most commonly asked questions at a red carpet event.
Brands like Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton and Valentino, to name a few, are all instantly recognisable as high-end designers. It would be strange to have an award ceremony without these big names present and, more often than not, these designers will dominate the ‘best-dressed’ lists of fashion magazines.
But these brands are not entirely ethical. The site ‘Good On You’ rates companies on the categories ‘planet’, ‘people’ and ‘animals’. On all three of these the brand Chanel scored a two, which the site says is “not good enough”. Margot Robbie wore Chanel Haute Couture to the 2021 Oscars.
Chanel does not use eco-friendly materials, it received a score of 11-20% in the Fashion Transparency Index, and does not appear to have a policy to minimise the “suffering of animals”, according to ‘Good On You’.
Valentino, donned by Zendaya and Carey Mulligan at this year’s Oscars, faces similar criticisms from the website. The luxury brand has “set a deadline to eliminate hazardous chemicals” but there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target. The company has an even lower transparency rating than Chanel, landing between 0 and 10%.
The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters after oil, and although high-end custom gowns will have less of an impact than fast fashion, they are unlikely to get worn more than once or twice.
One celebrity fighting back against unethical luxury fashion brands is Emma Watson.. At the Earthshot Prize this year the star, who is known for her gender equality campaigning and ethical ambitions, wore a custom Harris Reed gown. The dress, called “the ultimate upcycled piece” by Vogue, was created from several vintage wedding dresses sourced from charity shop chain Oxfam.
Many other celebrities have also taken part in the Green Carpet Fashion Awards (GCFA), Italia. Started in 2017, these awards celebrate sustainability in fashion. The ceremony last year, held virtually due to COVID-19, featured Novelist Tomi Adeyemi wearing a Valentino gown made from chiffon organza silk certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
Although it has negative feedback on ‘Good On You’, Valentino is said to have supported the Green Carpet Challenge since 2012, when it created the famous red gown made of Newlife recycled polyester for the challenge’s founder, Livia Firth.
Livia Firth MBE is a UN Leader of Change and co-founder of Eco-Age, which is a sustainability-focused agency. Firth, alongside Annie Lennox, works with The Circle organisation advocating for equality for women. Eco-Age also has an initiative to improve education and development within the textile industry, and released a report in 2017 calling on the fashion industry to pay a living wage.
Aside from designing new clothes using sustainably-sourced or recycled materials, there are also celebrities re-using their old garments from previous red carpets. This year actress Gwyneth Paltrow wore a red velvet suit by Tom Ford to the Gucci Love Parade in Hollywood, a garment she also wore to the 1996 VMAs.
Cate Blanchett is often seen in outfits she has worn in previous years. She wore the same Armani black lace dress to both the 2014 Golden Globes and the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. In a different sequined Armani gown, the actress attended a dinner party in 2014, then donned it again five years later for the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards 2019 - where she won the Philanthropy Award.
Jane Fonda is another influential figure often seen rewearing previous red carpet looks, and Tiffany Haddish has featured at several events in the same white Alexander McQueen full-length dress. In her own words, Haddish said on SNL: "I feel like I should be able to wear what I want, when I want, however many times I want, as long as I Febreze it."
Campaigners regularly ask for celebrities to represent sustainable goals and use their reach and influence to spread the message. This is no different for the fashion industry. At the 2021 GCFA actress Zendaya was the recipient of the Visionary Award. The award recognises “trailblazers in the industry who have been at the forefront of fashion”, and advocates of sustainability, equality and diversity.
The award was introduced by model Bethann Hardison, who said Zendaya has “considered how she can personally make a difference in the industry, using her platform as an actress and as a creative to open doors and give a voice to those who otherwise would not be able to showcase their talent.
Zendaya said in response that she was honoured to receive the award and that it meant the world to her:
“Throughout my career I’ve had the privilege of being able to showcase other and different types of beauties through the work that I get to do, and being in more positions of power, more creative positions, and I hope to continue to be able to do that until this industry really does reflect the beauty that I get to see every day.”
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