Backstage at the Oscars: producer, director and cast of “THE ARTIST”. Missi Pyle in her winning sustainable gown is on the far right. Golden collar winner Uggie stands in the forefront.
Red Carpet Green Dress
Actress Missi Pyle, who plays the vain starlet in this year’s best-picture Oscar winner, The Artist, entered the 84th Academy Awards ceremony Sunday wearing a stunning and sustainable gown designed by Valentina Delfino, chosen winner of another glittering contest – Red Carpet Green Dress.
Missi Pyle at the Oscars, wearing the Red Carpet Green Dress winner designed by Valentina Delfino.
Delfino – born in Venezuela and based in Miami – was among hundreds of designers from around the world who submitted a sustainable dress design for the competition, now in its third year.
The Red Carpet Green Dress contest, says founder Suzy Cameron Amis, gives aspiring or established designers a chance “to make a beautiful and sustainable gown that will be seen on the single most anticipated red carpet” on Oscar night.
Pyle’s winning gown contains silk peace chiffon, lined with recycled polyester and a sustainable zipper located on the left side seam. The silk chiffon is dyed with a natural mineral dye, which is both environmentally friendly and OSHA approved.
Peace Silk (or Cruelty-Free Silk) is the non-violent silk created through the process that permits the full life cycle of the silkworm pupae. The silkworm is able to emerge naturally and only then, are the cocoons unwound. In the traditional silk process, heat or steam kills the worm prematurely, in order to keep the pupa from breaking through the cocoon.
Interviewed on the Oscar red carpet, Pyle, statuesque in Delfino’s pale turquoise creation, told E–TV,”…as artists, I believe it is our job to show the world that we not only care about creating incredible art, but that we are mindful of the fact that, in doing so, we can make something beautiful that is also sustainable.”
Environmental advocate and wife of director James Cameron, Suzy Amis Cameron came up with the dress competition in 2009, after attending worldwide premieres of her husband’s film, Avatar. While each red carpet demanded yet another designer gown, she came to realize the environmental footprint fashion can have on our planet.
(L to R) This year’s winning designer, Valentina Delfino with Suzy Amis Cameron, and last year’s winning designer and Global Campaign Director, Samata Angel
Red Carpet Green Dress benefits MUSE School CA and Global MUSE – a non-profit founded by Cameron and her sister Rebecca Amis to provide
resources to their partner schools around the world. Their initiatives include assistance for basic school operations, curriculum development, and nutritious lunches for every student.
Zem Joaquin, Founder & CEO of Ecofabulous.com, has supported Red Carpet Green Dress and assisted in the selection of the winning garment. Cradle to Cradle and the Natural Resources Defense Council have worked in partnership with Red Carpet Green Dress to ensure the final design is sustainably created.
