The annual Red Carpet Green Dress challenge, which requires designers to create a gown made entirely of sustainable materials with the winning design to be worn on the Oscars red carpet, just opened and will accept designer submissions until Nov. 5.
The contest, now in its fourth year, was launched in 2009 by Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of “Avatar” director James Cameron, who will serve as one of this year’s contest judges alongside Ecofabulous.com founder and Chief Executive Zem Joaquin and Lewis Perkins, a senior vice president at Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. A fourth judge – a fashion designer who will also serve as a mentor to the winning designer – is yet to be announced.
The winning design will be worn by a surprise Hollywood actress on the red carpet at the 85th Annual Academy Awards to be held on Feb. 24, 2013.
This February, “The Artist” actress Missi Pyle wore the dress designed by the most recent winner, Miami International University of Art & Design student Valentina Delfino, a flowing blue gown of organic silk that had been hand-dyed with natural mineral pigments, lined with recycled polyester and used recycled zippers.
In 2011, Samata Angel won the challenge by creating a two-layer hemp silk and organic silk chiffon dress that had been hand-dyed with cranberries, and the winner of the first Red Carpet Green Dress challenge in 2010 was Jillian Granz for her “Avatar blue” dress made from peace silk (a version of the fabric that allows silk worms to complete their life cycle).
Additional information, including complete contest rules and the submission form, can be found at the challenge’s website: redcarpetgreendress.com.
