Inside luxury fashion’s sustainability evolution: Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Dior are offering eco-friendly designs, with celebrities from Billie Eilish to Emma Stone voicing their support

Jul 31 , 2022

Zegna’s men’s spring/summer 2023 collection was presented on the roof of the Lanificio Zegna wool mill. Photo: AP

Stars at the Met Gala 2022, such as singer Camila Cabello, donned upcycled looks, while Billie Eilish chose recycled nubuck for her Nike Air Force 1 Billie shoes

Valentino, Givenchy and Fendi are on track to promoting eco-friendly designs, while Farfetch has noticed a rise in consumer demand for ‘conscious’ products – especially among millennials

Unlike most other celebrities at the 2022 Met Gala, singer Camila Cabello chose not to drape herself predictably in gold and precious jewels, to vibe with the Gilded Age theme. Instead, she went with a fashionably progressive idea: repurposing the theme of extravagance to convey an important message. Her entire ensemble was made of upcycled and sustainable elements put together by designer Prabal Gurung: a two-piece made of a high-collar crosstie bodice and a sweeping skirt with a train, adorned with soft pastel floral appliqués.

Stella McCartney launched the second edition of her Future of Fashion travelling installation on June 6, at the Salone del Mobile furniture fair 2022. Photo: Stella McCartney

Cabello is just one of a growing number of fashionistas around the globe fronting an Earth-forward movement that glamorises upcycled and recycled couture. It’s a trend also increasingly backed by luxury brands, looking to woo conscious shoppers with more eco-friendly, circular-fashion designs.

“The Gilded Age was a time of industrialisation, economic growth and cultural values of materialism,” said Cabello in an Instagram post. “In a time where people were wearing the most expensive gold and jewellery and fabrics, I wanted to capture the irony of that in 2022 as we’re facing the climate crisis. I wanted to do something that was sustainable and upcycled and covered with flowers because I feel like we’re remembering now that the most valuable things are the finite resources in a natural world.”

Emma Stone wore an upcycled wedding dress to the Met Gala in May. Photo: Invision/AP

Emma Stone also upcycled one of her custom Louis Vuitton wedding dresses into a delicate frock, instead of strutting in a brand new ensemble for the gala. The Swan Lake silhouette with semi-sheer straps and feathery trim was a clear winner.

Another young headliner at the Met Gala was seven-time Grammy award winner Billie Eilish, who chose a cream and mint Gucci gown made of reused fabrics. The deep square neck corset was embellished with a giant mauve flower, oozing old-world glamour while advancing a modern day conviction about upcycling.

Billie Eilish chose recycled nubuck for her Nike Air Force 1 Billie shoes. Photo: Nike

Eilish has often walked the talk on environmentalism. For her Nike Air Force 1 Billie shoes, the young artist chose a synthetic nubuck, which uses 80 per cent recycled materials. Eilish is also the youngest person ever to receive PETA’s Person of the Year honour for her many pro-vegan initiatives.

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Photo: @edomapellimozzi/ Instagram

The trend for upcycling has re-emerged among today’s British royals too. For her 2020 wedding, Princess Beatrice, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, chose a dress that originally belonged to her grandmother. An archived, ivory peau de soie taffeta piece, encrusted with diamanté around the bodice and originally made by designer Norman Hartnell, was tweaked and refitted.

“The recycling of any garments – including couture – is absolutely crucial today as we accept the climate crisis that we all face. Fashion is especially polluting and so the reuse and resale of any items extends its use and hopefully makes customers more aware of the importance of valuing cloth as we should,” says Dr Kate Strasdin, author of a book about the wife of Britain’s Edward VII, Inside the Royal Wardrobe: A Dress History of Queen Alexandra.