Oscar Night, the ultimate in glamour and fashion, is also becoming a platform to make statements about our troubled world. However, much before red carpet activism became a hashtag, Suzy Amis Cameron, actress, environmental advocate and wife of filmmaker James Cameron made news with her ‘Red Carpet Green Dress’ initiative. Eight years ago, Suzy decided to use the power of designer dresses and the red carpet to create awareness for sustainability issues and the values that mattered to her. “I wanted to have a story behind the dress, and the story to point to the environmental work that we were doing,” she explains.
As part of the initiative, the dresses worn by celebrities who sign up are sustainable and made with innovative materials. But there are challenges, admits Suzy, referring to the peace silk incident. She discovered that some farmers were using children to harvest the silk because of their nimble fingers and were also using slingshots to kill the birds which were trying to eat the worms. “So very quickly, it became not just an environmental responsibility but also a social responsibility,” she recalls.
“It’s not just about the dress but the idea is to bring awareness to the fact (that) we wear clothes every day and the kind of impact those clothes are having on our world.”
Going Westwood
The Red Carpet Green Dress initiative invites students of fashion to send in designs for eco-friendly dresses and the winning design is worn by a star on the red carpet. In the past, student designers have created some of the dresses using recycled materials as well as hemp, seeds, candy wrappers and even recycled bottles. In the first edition in 2010, Suzy herself walked to the Academy awards in a dress made of peace silk, fashioned in a no-waste pattern with reclaimed lining. It was designed by the winner Jillian Granz, a Michigan State University senior. Last year, the campaign format was altered to include an internship with designer Vivienne Westwood, to encourage more students of fashion to focus on sustainability in addition to creative thinking. This year’s Oscar’s red carpet will see Lion actress Priyanka Bose in a sustainable gown custom-made for her by Vivienne Westwood, teamed with Atelier Swarovski’s first fine jewellery collection.
Power of one
For Suzy and her husband James, this initiative is a small part of the many things they do to promote a sustainable, plant-based lifestyle. “So, it’s a big quest but it’s something everyone can do. They can look at what’s on their plate — not everyone can afford a hybrid car or an electric car. Not everyone can afford putting solar on their houses. But everyone can recycle and everyone can change their light bulbs. The impact that one person can have by making a choice of what’s on their plates is enormous and it really empowers people,” she elaborates.
(Lavina Melwani, a New York-based journalist, blogs at Lassi with Lavina. Follow @lavinamelwani)
