Recently, something exciting has been happening on the red carpet: The age old question “Who are you wearing?” is becoming, “Who made what you are wearing?” and “What is it made from?”

The red carpet has always been the place to check out the most sensational and glamorous fashions… and it’s now becoming the Ethical Red Carpet!  

There is a growing trend for the rich and famous to use the red carpet to show off their ethical conscience.  Either way, it remains the place where celebrities show off their style and fashion credentials and we can only ogle and dream of being able to wear them ourselves!  And there have been some great eco looks to get inspired by this year.

The Cannes Film Festival event sponsor Chopard used this year’s red carpet to show off their range of Fair-mined, sustainable and ethical gold jewellery. It was a part of the Green Carpet Challenge set up by Eco-age’s Livia Firth. The gold is sourced from small, environmentally sound mines in Colombia and Ecuador.

As well as decking out the stars on the red carpet in the finest ethical jewellery; Marion Cotillard, Kate Blanchett, Karlie Kloss (above), Chopard also made this year’s prestigious Palme d’Or trophy from 100% ethical gold (below). Find out more about their Journey to Turn the Red Carpet Green.

Olga Kurylenko stunned at this year’s Oscar Ceremony in a hand dyed organic silk dress made by ESMOD student Alice Elia. Alice in fact won this opportunity through a competition with Red Carpet Green Dress, another initiative combining celebrity fashion and sustainability.

 

This just goes to show, you really can show off your ethical credentials without compromising style or glamour.

And who says ethical glamour is just for the stars?

Oscar dresses come with a huge price tag, out of reach of most of us… making your own is an easy way to get the look for less! Whether you’re a budding designer; aiming high to get one of your dresses on the red carpet or an inspired home dressmaker: why not try your hand at creating a gorgeous, red-carpet worthy number?

Start With Your Eco Fabric

Offset Warehouse has an exquisite range of eco luxury fabrics just waiting to be turned into red carpet stunners!

Hemp isn’t a word everyone would associate with glamour but these Hemp Silk Charmeuse fabrics are some of the softest and most luxurious silks you’ll find. The beautiful drapey quality is perfect for a long flowing gown.

 

With peace silks you can wear your gown safe in the knowledge that no animals were harmed in the making of your dress.

 And check out the on trend colours in Raw Silks, don’t they just make you want to get sewing!

And Find An Amazing Pattern

For some great inspiration of what you could make (in pattern form) – here’s an amazing selection of vintage evening gown patterns for UK buyers (and here’s one for all you in the US!) These are a few of my personal favourites:

Aren’t they absolutely stunning? I do have to say that I always prefer vintage patterns to modern day ones – but if you come across a great find then do let me know!! And there are a few more patterns via the links that aren’t quite so complex.

Now Get Making!  And if you like these posts, then please do sign up to my monthly mailinglist, where we’ll send you a round up of our most popular posts!