Is It Even Possible For Red Carpet Glam To Be Sustainable?
There are few occasions that revel in sartorial maximalism more than Red Carpet events like the Met Gala, Emmys, and—of course—The Oscars. Rather than leaning into the wanton excesses and wastefulness of haute couture occasion-wear, a handful of stars are using their platforms, bargaining power, and visibility to advocate for sustainable fashion. I love to see it! But if you think too hard about it, you’ll start to recognize that it’s impossible to justify bespoke high-fashion dresses with miles of fabric, embellishments galore, and fluorescent dyes that are photographed ad nauseam, and therefore exceedingly unlikely to ever be worn again—even if the designer of said dress is outspokenly in favor of eco-conscious practices. The reuse of outfits is so uncommon among celebrities that Tiffany Haddish made literal front page news by wearing the same gown to multiple award shows a couple of years ago. And even though Billie Eilish wisely used her extraordinarily high profile to convince Oscar De La Renta to stop selling fur in their storefronts, I doubt that she or anyone else will wear this extremely large and distinctive dress ever again.
Don’t get me wrong, Billie looked absolutely stunning in this beautiful gown, and I’m so proud of her for leveraging her popularity to denounce the ongoing animal cruelty in the fashion industry. She obviously recognized that Oscar De La Renta needed her more than she needed them, and used that advantage to make a statement against luxury brands that still use animal products. But from the standpoint of environmental sustainability, what in Goddess’s name is going to happen to this dress? Or to any of these high-impact-material dresses that had us gagging at the Met Gala?
Making an ultra-high-end gown for a highly publicized Red Carpet event strains resources and generates products that are unlikely to be amenable to “circular fashion” or the repurposing of a garment and/or its materials to create different products, without having to rely on farming or manufacturing additional raw materials. Nobody will be breaking down Billie’s tulle and satin gown to make pillowcases and baby clothes, I promise you that. So then it ends up on display in a museum, right? Sure, perhaps. But what about the rest of those bespoke gowns, tuxes, cloaks, horse heads, etc.? You simply can’t deny the wastefulness of it all.
How about the smattering of celebs who publicly support eco-friendly fashion by wearing the looks of designers who claim to be dedicated to sustainability? At the recent Met Gala, for instance, Stella McCartney served as the virtue signal for the environmentally-inclined starlets, which I’m fine with—Stella McCartney has a long and consistent history of using sustainable materials that don’t incorporate animal products, as well as promoting transparency in the supply chain and in their labor practices. It is sad, though, that Stella McCartney remains the only name worth considering when it comes to sustainability in the high fashion sphere. Take Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who wore a cheekily provocative gown by Brooklyn designer Brother Vellies—a brand that extols a dedication to sustainability.
Again, I’m very much here for this look, and for the statement itself. We can have a nuanced conversation about the amoral nature of capitalism and disproportionate taxation of the middle class relative to the 1%, but I also love the scrappiness of scrawling “TAX THE RICH” on a dress and wearing it to an event filled with rich people. In addition to triggering fragile Republican dude-bros who succumb to apoplexy every time she so much as sneezes, AOC is giving it all here. I live. But is this brand actually sustainable? Hard to know, based on the vague “sustainability” statement on their website, which asserts that they “strive to lessen the impact of our production practices by continuing to ask questions and make changes each season. We put a lot of thought into what we make for you and we wouldn’t have it any other way.” What does that even mean, in practical terms? What are the labor conditions in the spaces where the clothes are made? Are the materials sourced ethically and through up-cycling, or are they using synthetic materials with minimal chemical processing? According to Good on You, Brother Vellies only gets an “It’s A Start” on their sustainability rating:
“It uses some eco-friendly materials including upcycled materials. It makes products by hand to reduce its climate impact. There is no evidence it minimises the use of solvent-based chemicals in its shoe production. There is no evidence it implements water reduction initiatives.
Its labour rating is 'good'. It partners with independent artisans in Africa. It traces some of its supply chain including all of the final stage of production. It ensures payment of a living wage in some of its supply chain but does not state what percentage.
Its animal rating is 'not good enough'. It uses exotic animal hair and leather. It does not use fur, wool, down, exotic animal skin or angora.”
Well, at least they’re trying.
But my point is, should AOC get credit for championing sustainability with this look at the Met Gala? I’m not sure. Particularly because the dress, while undeniably fierce, is also unlikely to ever be worn again, and may end up in the same extremely luxe landfill as Billie Eilish’s gown.
So what’s the solution? Should we discard the concept of over-the-top, haute couture Red Carpet fashions? OF COURSE NOT. I, a lifelong fashionista and maximalist, would rather chew off my own foot. It’s that deep. But instead of wasteful, high-impact, custom-made gowns, why not embrace the elegance of vintage looks? I don’t mean TikTok’s Addison Rae borrowing Kourtney Kardashian’s Christmas dress from two years ago. (Although I guess that’s fine, from a sustainability standpoint, if not from a fit and color standpoint.) I mean MJ Rodriguez absolutely SERVING in this vintage Versace dress. She knew what she wanted to bring to the Emmys, and found something that already existed. What could be more chic than a practical queen?
My point is, it’s possible for celebs to bring haute couture glam to the Red Carpet without supporting the fashion industry’s ongoing wasteful, environmentally damaging practices. Wearing Stella McCartney (or one of a very few high-end designers other than Stella McCartney who are truly eco-friendly) is one option. Wearing vintage designer gowns is an even better way. Having.a designer custom-make an ultra-luxurious dress for you is probably a delightful flex that I will never experience, but is it worth the damage to our already suffering planet?
