The GCC Stylist Handbook
Re-wear
Re-Wear addresses waste and over production in fashion head on. It is a strategy that we have used from the very start of the GCC.
While the stigma is slowly evaporating, rewearing was considered a taboo until fairly recently on the red carpet and at other major events. In 2018 we worked with Cate Blanchett’s styling partner, Elizabeth Stewart for Cannes. Elizabeth Stewart told us wisely, ‘I think the stigma around re-wearing a dress is arbitrary and makes no sense. 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 The Green Carpet Challenge has been a great forum to demonstrate that.’ Re-wearing a look from a previous event, celebrates timeless heritage fashion, and sends a strong message that garments need to be kept and reused for a lifetime. The exact opposite of today’s throw away fashion.
Zendaya, Green Carpet Fashion Awards
Laura Dern in Armani, GCFA 2020
Laura Dern is among the growing list of celebrities making sustainability statements on the red carpet by re-wearing past outfits. For her Green Carpet Challenge look, she re-wore a Giorgio Armani black classic gown that Laura has donned for a number of past events spanning from 1995 to the 2020 post-Oscars Vanity Fair Party. Giving pre-existing gowns the glory and glamour they deserve, Laura’s Green Carpet look aligns perfectly with the GCC concept and proves that good garments should never have an expiration date.
Celeste in Gucci, GCFA 2020.
Celeste’s stunning evening gown was originally made for the Cruise 2020 collection and is re-worn on the digital Green Carpet. The black silk moiré crew-neck gown with asymmetric skirt is made from responsibly sourced viscose and embroidered with Swarovski lead-free Advance crystals, worn with salmon pink cady long stretch gloves. Gucci has long-standing history with the Green Carpet Challenge, first dressing Elizabeth McGovern in 2011 in an upcycled wool dress and most recently winning the Responsible Disruption Award at the 2019 GCFAs with its I Was A Sari project.
Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey in Giorgio Armani, GCFA 2020.
For his Green Carpet Challenge debut, Robert Downey Jr. selected a timeless Giorgio Armani tuxedo. It is a black two-button shawl collar tuxedo, from the designer’s archives. This outfit can be worn time and time again while retaining its classic modernity for which Armani is known. As Mr. Armani has underscored many times in recent months, a timeless style and fine craftsmanship make fashion more sustainable as designs are created to last over the years. Susan Downey is re-wearing an Armani look from 2018, with Stella McCartney shoes. As we always say, wearing an existing outfit has the lowest environmental footprint of all, and something can still be new to you even if it isn’t new new.
Alexa Chung in Prada, GCFA 2020
For the 2020 digital green carpet, Alexa chose to re-wear a vintage cocktail dress crafted from gold lamé brocade that she wore to the Vogue 100 event in 2016. Prada is a regular Green Carpet Challenge supporter, most recently dressing Matilda Lutz at the 2019 GCFAs in a custom gown inspired by twentieth century walking dresses and made from certified organic silk and embellished with Swarovski lead-free Advance crystals.
Olivia Palermo in Tommy Hilfiger, GCFA 202o
Olivia’s backless orange gown was selected from the Spring 2019 TommyXZendaya capsule collection, inspired by iconic women of the 70s and co-designed by global brand ambassador Zendaya. The gown was hand-beaded by highly skilled artisans and was originally worn by Priyanka Chopra at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2019. Fashion can be fast-moving, but we are breaking down the stigma of re-wearing garments that took time and skill to create, celebrating the time and creativity that went into bringing them to life. This notion is integral to concept of the Green Carpet challenge, and is shared by Tommy Hilfiger’s Make it Possible program, the label’s most recent endeavour in committing to 24 bold targets around circularity and inclusivity towards 2030.
Isabeli Fontana in Missoni, GCFA 20218
The dress has been completely created using materials from the Missoni archive, and repurposed components from vintage Missoni prototype garments. Multicoloured cotton yarn has been used to create brand new fringing over the repurposed dress base.
Arizona Muse in Alberta Ferretti, GCFA 2020
Alberta Ferretti is a longtime friend of Eco-Age and a frequent supporter of the Green Carpet Challenge. Arizona chose to rewear a gown that was made for the Venice Film Festival and is created from certified organic silks that have been produced without chemical pesticides. Organic farming helps support biodiversity, a key priority for the future.