Can stars use their fame to leverage a more sustainable future of fashion? 

During the early hours of the morning, I watched in awe as each celebrity made their debut down the red carpet. Each year on the first Sunday of May, The Met Gala takes place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  From vintage tiaras to upcycled materials and repeated outfits, this year there was hope for a more mindful approach to fashion.

The 2022 theme was ‘Gilded Glamour’, which is a homage to American history, particularly the turn of the 20th century when America experienced immense economic growth. Unfortunately, fashion is one of the most polluting industries on the planet and one of the most responsible things celebs can do is keep garments in circulation. This theme gave the perfect opportunity to dust off legendary outfits and celebrate iconic looks from the past. 

The artistic director of Louis Vuitton consciously dressed the likes of Emma Stone and Hoyeon Jung in previously worn pieces from the Louis Vuitton archive (image left above). We also saw Kim Kardashian squeeze into Marilyn Monroe’s dress that she famously wore when singing Happy Birthday to JFK IN 1962; a stunning skin tight gown adorned with more than 6,000 hand-sewn crystals by Jean Louis (image right above).

According to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation “Each year millions of tonnes of clothes are produced, worn, and thrown away. Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill”. So, how can celebrities push the boundaries of fashion and encourage innovation within the industry? One solution is upcycling materials which are already available, which avoids waste and encourages imaginative design. 

We were pleased to see Billie Eilish stand out with her completely upcycled outfit by Gucci. The custom ivory and duchesse satin corseted gown certainly didn’t lack imagination. Eilish completed her look with beige platform shoes made from vegan materials and quoted “I just wanted to be as eco-friendly as possible”. 

Another star featuring an upcycled beauty was Camila Cabello, who wanted to explore the possibilities of luxury through the themes of materialism and industrialization. When thinking of the theme ‘the Gilded Age’ she quotes:

“I think of luxury and materialism and industrialization, this to me, having this sustainable dress is kinda celebrating those trends of innovation and ingenuity, kinda applying it to the challenges that we have now.”

The gown was designed by designer Prabal Gurung, who is known for his activism inside the fashion industry. In a recent post on Instagram, the designer wrote “I have always wanted my work to start some critical conversation in culture in any small way possible”. 

These conscious decisions on the red carpet have certainly got our community talking and brings hope that stars can indeed use their fame to inspire a better future of fashion. What are your thoughts?