Starting from tonight’s Opening gala at The Cannes Film Festival with head of the jury Cate Blanchett re-wearing a favourite Armani gown – The Green Carpet Challenge issues its Calendar for Cannes, for sustainable fashion fans around the world.
The Green Carpet Challenge (GCC) enters its eighth year bringing a dynamic change in the fashion industry to life by showcasing the best looks at the Cannes Film Festival. In the run-up to Cannes, the GCC team of fashion supply chain and fibre experts have worked with A-list talent, design houses, designers, celebrity stylists, fabric mills and textile laboratories as we experience a huge shift in the perception and production of fashion toward sustainability.
Cate Blanchett, president of the Cannes jury, re-wears an extraordinary Armani Privé Couture gown. First seen on Cate at The Golden Globes in 2014 the dress gets a new lease of life in Cannes. In the fast and furious cycle of fashion, the culture of re-wearing is critical to reform. Although it’s often suggested that it’s easy to rewear something on the red carpet, in practice it can be more difficult to track down a piece, store it, refit and get ready for a major fashion outing than to create new piece. It takes skill and dedication.
‘From couture to t-shirts, landfill is full of garments that have been unnecessarily discarded. Particularly in today’s climate, it seems wilful and ridiculous that such garments are not cherished and re-worn for a lifetime.’, says Cate Blanchett.
‘I think the stigma around re-wearing a dress is arbitrary and makes no sense,’ says Cate’s styling partner Elizabeth Stewart. ‘It’s a rule that will fade away like the “no white after Labour Day” rule. We don’t visit the Louvre expecting a new masterpiece each time. True beauty and art endures. I cannot support the waste of perpetuating a “one time only” rule for a beautiful gown and thought this was a great forum to demonstrate that.’
Cate also chose to wear jewellery by Chopard. Launched in 2013 in partnership with Eco-Age, The Journey to Sustainable Luxury is Chopard’s commitment to sourcing responsibly and helping the real people in its supply chain who are all too often overlooked. This year Chopard announced that by July 2018, Chopard will use 100% Ethical Gold in its jewellery and watch creations.
‘For Cannes this year the GCC is very proud to work with screen talent and fashion stylists who are highly engaged in reform of the global fashion industry,’ says Livia Firth, Creative Director of Eco Age, the home of the GCC, ‘They are powerful advocates of change. Between them they will showcase re-worn, low impact materials and cutting edge eco design principles including digital printing.’
‘All of our GCC looks in Cannes this year, highlight the strides that designers and stylists are taking. Each look moves us further down the road towards a sustainable industry. It is no longer far- fetched to imagine that we will soon have mainstream red carpet events entirely featuring sustainable looks. I believe that day is around the corner.’