Amanda Hearst takes us inside Maison de Mode’s Sustainable Style Awards 2020

When we started the Sustainable Style Awards in 2018, it was because, as a sustainable fashion company, we saw that Hollywood was beginning to take a genuine interest in ethical fashion. Actors were beginning to dress sustainably on the red carpet, stylists were asking us for advice. And as we very well know, once the film and television industry embraces a trend, it trickles down to the mainstream. And, our goal and hope is to make sustainable fashion the industry norm.

This year, one of the key highlights and achievements for me was to see that almost everyone dressed sustainably. Amber Valletta wore a sustainable Alexander McQueen dress, Margherita Missoni wore pieces from M Missoni made with upcycled and vintage materials, Nicky Hilton wore an eco-friendly AMUR gown and ethically created jewellery from lab-grown diamonds by Âme. I wore a borrowed 100 per cent silk Vivienne Westwood gown embellished with eco-friendly Swarovski crystals, and my jewellery was from Chopard, which uses 100 per cent fair-minded gold and conflict-free stones. I accessorised with all-vegan accessories, and we all had our hair done by Aveda, a sustainable and cruelty-free company—and also the associate presenters for the evening.

No evening is complete without an end goal, where all contributions are finally put into action. This was the first year we officially partnered with one charity for the evening, and we chose Charity: Water because of their success in providing clean water throughout the world. They work on a "100 per cent model", which means that 100 per cent of the money they raise goes to their charitable work (as opposed to funding their offices or throwing events). I recently forayed into starting a non-profit—an animal welfare called Well Beings—and I have to say Charity: Water is the NGO I admire most.

We wanted to make the event as sustainable as possible. Keeping that at the forefront of decision-making for all aspects of the evening—including florals that were repurposed and composted after the event by Repeat Roses and carbon neutral audio by Jacob Co—guests enjoyed a three course plant-based menu by Impossible Foods™ for dinner, finished with vegan ice cream. To top it off, the entire evening’s carbon emissions were offset in partnership with EcoAct, with guests being chauffeured to and from the event in Tesla cars.

As the evening progressed, it was now time to accolade the movers and shakers of sustainability. Margherita [Missoni] recently became creative director of M MISSONI, and she has completely restructured the production line of the company. Now, all pieces are made from vintage, recycled or upcycled materials, or natural textiles. The majority of her accessories are handmade by artisans in countries like Ghana, and proceeds from a number of her pieces go to Africa. It’s actually mind-blowing how sustainable and ethical she has made her company.

And as for Amber [Valletta], she has been advocating for sustainability in the fashion industry longer than anyone I can think of. She was the first one bringing attention to the environmental and social issues caused by fashion—and as a working model, that is a risky thing to do professionally. She also started a conscious consumer platform called Master & Muse, she’s the face of sustainable fashion companies like Atelier Swarovski and Stella McCartney, and she has been spending her weekends protesting in Washington DC. She even got arrested a few weekends ago during a protest, which really shows commitment in my book.

When your event happens days before the greatest night in the film industry, you are bound to have a fabulous turnout. The greatest achievement I would say we have had has been in shining a spotlight on sustainable fashion and proving that it is glamorous, luxurious and cool. So, all in all, I am proud for an event that went off really well.

—As told to Akanksha Kamath

Also read:

At this year’s Oscars, stars turned the red carpet green

Why sustainable fashion on the red carpet should be the norm