Elizabeth McGovern Showcases Sustainable Style On The Chaperone Press Tour
Actress and Downton Abbey star Elizabeth McGovern shows that you truly can marry aesthetics with ethics as she promotes The Chaperone wearing sustainable and ethical choices.
In 2011, Elizabeth McGovern swapped the long skirts and buttoned shirts of Lady Cora Crawley in Downton Abbey for a white Gucci gown made sustainably using up-cycled wool for Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first celebrity to take on the Green Carpet Challenge after it was launched by Livia Firth.
Now Elizabeth has taken on the Green Carpet Challenge once again as she embarks on an international press tour to promote her latest film The Chaperone – which she both starred in and co-produced.
Creative director and stylist Mary Fellowes, who styled Elizabeth for this tour, says: “It has been a total honour to style the twinkling, thinking star that is Elizabeth McGovern for the press tour for the movie she produced and stars in, The Chaperone. The brief from her and Livia Firth – who kindly connected us – was to weave in ethical, sustainable choices, from accessories to RTW, throughout her tour”.
And whilst ‘sustainability’ is seemingly a hot topic in fashion at the moment, building a covetable, conscious and (just as important) comfortable collection of outfits wasn’t quite as easy as Elizabeth and Mary have made it look.
Mary continues: “With regards to red carpet dressing and ethical fashion, the industry has a long way to catch up.” Undoubtedly there are teams of brands doing great things in sustainability, but it needs to be across the board, in every brand’s philosophy and in every fashion PR’s ‘sample set’. So that when Elizabeth has a fitting, we incorporate pieces that have a story to tell, whether its vintage or voted-on by Eco-Age.
And yet, Elizabeth has once again stepped up to the task and executed it beautifully. The Green Carpet Challenge lives on, and here are her looks to show you why…
Chopard
Dondup x Candiani Denim and Veja
Elizabeth wears Skinny black Monroe Jeans from Dondup’s new D/Zero Capsule Collection. The capsule collection is born from the collaboration between Italian label Dondup and denim producer Candiani Denim. All fabrics in the D/Zero collection are produced using Candiani’s lower impact dyeing and finishing methods that drastically reduce the consumption of water, chemicals and energy in the fabric production and laundry process. These jeans have been made from GOTS certified organic cotton.
Elizabeth completes the look with Veja shoes, a brand that is focussed on Fair Trade production and lower impact materials. This ‘WATA’ pair of Vejas is comprised of canvas and lining made entirely from organic and fair trade cotton. Veja places particular importance on fair trade sourcing of their cotton from associations in Brazil and Peru, who harvest cotton with respect for people and the environment. The soles are made from wild rubber from the Amazonian forest; purchasing this rubber has allowed the brand to preserve 120 000 hectares of the Amazon forest since 2004, directly sourcing it from Seringueiro communities. All Veja shoes are made in Brazil.
Vintage Dior and Dondup x Candiani
Choosing to wear vintage is always an ethical choice. Here, Elizabeth wears Vintage Dior Archive paired with Dondup x Candiani Jeans for an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan.
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Vintage Christian Dior and Beyond Skin
Elizabeth wears more archival, vintage brilliance from Christian Dior to the Los Angeles premiere, paired with one of Mary’s vintage belt finds. Her shoes are by Beyond Skin, a brand that has chosen to create vegetarian and vegan products, and is always on the lookout for lower impact materials. Elizabeth’s boots are created using recycled PET faux suede, with insoles made with post-consumer cardboard, and soles made with recycled rubber resin. All Beyond Skin shoes are made in Spain.
Beyond Skin and Filippa K
From the Archives: Elizabeth re-wears an Akris dress paired with her Beyond Skin boots. Completing the look with a Filippa K jacket – a brand that since its inception has stayed true to the idea of minimalist, long-lasting fashion. Its campaign #NotThatComplicated inspires the customer to build a conscious and durable wardrobe with well-chosen high quality garments.
Chopard
For the Sydney premiere of The Chaperone, Elizabeth wears Chopard jewellery, selected for their amazing work in the field of clean stones and fair mined gold.
Dondup, Filippa K and AMUR
Elizabeth re-wears her favourite Dondup jeans and Filippa K jacket, complimenting the look with an AMUR shirt. The brand AMUR (‘As Mindful As Possible’) bases its collections on the quality of design, empowering local communities and making sure their materials that are both luxurious and conscientious. Focussing on natural fibres, cellulosic fibres and regenerated fibres.
Learn more about the Green Carpet Challenge and see all of the GCC looks.
See how Emma Watson wore sustainable looks for the Beauty and the Beast Press Tour.