Kellan Lutz and Olga Kurylenko wear eco-couture at Oscars 2014

Actors Kellan Lutz and Olga Kurylenko donned eco-couture at the 2014 Oscars as a part of showcasing up-and-coming designers' winning works for a contest created by Red Carpet Green Dress.

Image: dailymail.co.uk.

Quantum of Solace star Kurylenko wore a coral gown with a ruffled shoulder. The sustainable gown was designed by contest winner Alice Elia, a student at ESMOD fashion school in Paris, France who specializes in women's couture.

Image: people.com.

Beyond Skin, a U.K.-based vegan footwear company, provided Kurylenko's shoes, which were comprised of Dinamica, a faux suede made entirely of recycled polyester from plastic bottles and polyurethane fibers. Beyond Skin partnered with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to start selling the metallic-trimmed evening shoe on March 3.

Twilight star Kellan Lutz wore a textured black eco-tux with cerulean accents by New Zealand-based H Brothers designer Jomnarn Dul. H Brothers created a limited edition line of eco-tuxes each made of up to 25 recycled plastic bottles from an eco-fabric known as Repreve. It's a part of a partnership with EKOCYCLE, a joint venture from musician/eco-tech enthusiast will.i.am and the Coca-Cola Company to help brands make sustainable products from post-consumer recycled materials.

Image: people.com.

Red Carpet Green Dress is an organization founded by actress and philanthropist Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of famed director James Cameron. For the past five years, the organization has held a worldwide contest for fashion designers to create formal attire with eco-fabrics for the Academy Awards. 

Thursday night, Red Carpet Green Dress celebrated its fifth anniversary with a few celebs like Lutz and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom actress Naomie Harris, who wore the winning gown at last year's Oscars.

Oscars nominee Lupita Nyong'o talks natural beauty

This year's Oscar it girl Lupita Nyong'o talked about discovering her natural beauty at a recent Essence video shoot.

The 31-year-old actress is nominated for her supporting role as Patsey in 12 Years A Slave. Born in Mexico and raised in Kenya, Nyong'o earned her award-winning role a few weeks shy of graduating from the Yale School of Drama.

On her natural hair:

"At the age of 19, I just got really fed up of always going to the salon, and it taking so much effort to look presentable before you leave the house," she said. "I just one day decided to cut it off. And I cut it all off."

On her skin:

"I don't wear makeup when I'm not working on the red carpet," she said, "except for a night out here and there."

Global Green USA holds annual pre-Oscars party

Eco-conscious celebrities gathered on the green carpet at the 11th annual Global Green USA party at the Avalon in Hollywood Wednesday night as one of the major events leading up to the 2014 Academy Awards this weekend. The party raised $20,000 for the nonprofit's ongoing programs.

Hollywood environmentalists Orlando Bloom, Ed Begley Jr., and Dylan McDermott helped host the zero-waste party, where guests feasted on a gourmet plant-based dinner by Akasha, a Culver City-based restaurant known for using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients. Event sponsor Cadillac also brought its newest plug-in ELR electric hybrid coupe to the event.

Vegan musician Moby and electronica duo The Crystal Method performed at the party while eco-friendly singer Michelle Branch modeled a conflict-free, lab-grown diamond ring by eco-jewelry company Gemesis, which sold at the event for $12,000.

The best fashions of the night included sleek gowns and midi-dresses, along with the color emerald fitting the theme of being green.

President and CEO Caren Brooks of the Brooks Family Foundation dazzles in a violet gown.

Actress Tehmina Sunny from FOX's The Following wore an Adrianna Papell Grecian-inspired silver gown.
 

Actress and eco-living expert Rainbeau Mars, also on the hosting committee, modeled a loose-fitting sparkly emerald pantsuit.

DJ Shy, who performed at the event, also decided on emerald with a chic party dress by Sue Wong.

Actress Malin Akerman, currently starring on ABC's Trophy Wife, wore a Wes Gordon light lemon midi-dress.

Actress Maggie Grace of Taken fame wore a vintage 1920s silk nightgown with a vintage beaded clutch and pendant necklace, according to Red Carpet Fashion Awards. Vintage fashion equals eco-fashion with the recycling or repurposing of old clothes and accessories.

From Global Green USA's Twitter timeline, there was more eco-fashion at the event.

Love this dress on the right made from bamboo! #ecofashion #domoregreen #GreenPreOscar pic.twitter.com/dGd3bPM0Qe
— Global Green USA (@globalgreen) February 27, 2014

 All images from Global Green USA's Flickr photostream. 

Supermodels Jourdan Dunn, Chanel Iman & Joan Smalls make vegan Thai chili

After starring in the "Yoncé" music video from Beyoncé's recent eponymous album, three supermodels gathered in the kitchen to prepare a vegan dish.

Jourdan Dunn has a cooking show on her YouTube channel called "Well Dunn with Jourdan Dunn." On the set of the music video last year, she learned about Beyoncé and Jay Z's 22-day vegan challenge.

She was inspired to take the challenge and invite fellow supermodels Chanel Iman and Joan Smalls into her kitchen and teach them how to create vegan Thai chili.

CHIC-Finder app quickens online shopping

Need a red cocktail dress? Imagine a collection of red cocktail dresses pop up on your phone where it's easy to choose one and buy it in a matter of seconds.

Now it's a reality with the CHIC-Finder app. The online shopper can search for a specific item with the results coming with the price tag and a button that goes straight to the webpage. Also, search terms like "organic cotton" and "tencel" can lead to items made with those eco-fabrics.

If the shopper finds something at the store, she can snap a photo of the item while the app finds a visually similar version and allows her to compare alternatives by style and price.

The app creates a profile through Facebook and Twitter, where users can follow other chic finders and brands like Burberry and Calvin Klein, along with some eco-friendly ones like ASOS and Vivienne Westwood. 

Buffalo Exchange runs fur drive to keep animals warm

Resale retailer Buffalo Exchange has partnered with Coats for Cubs to accept donated fur attire and repurpose it as blankets to protect animals from wintry cold temperatures.

Shoppers can drop off their real fur coats, scarves, hats, and other accessories at any Buffalo Exchange store. The fur will be shipped out to animal rehab centers and disassembled to create bedding for orphaned and injured animals.

In 2011, Buffalo Exchange, along with the Humane Society of the United States, Gucci, Macy's, Charlotte Ronson, and other major retailers, endorsed the Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2010, which stopped manufacturers from mislabeling real fur priced under $150 as faux fur.   

Only real furs will be accepted starting this week till Earth Day on April 22. Information is available at: http://coatsforcubs.com.

iMerchandise app simplifies fashion buying process

If you need to bring a top look to the masses, there's an app for that.

With the iMerchandise app, buyers can get the job done while never leaving their front row seats at a fashion show. As the model sashays down the runway, the buyer snaps a shot of the ensemble and can post it to Instagram or Twitter, make an order, and start a pre-sale, all minus the tedious paperwork.

The iPhone/iPad app comes with a built-in database with a few eco-fashion designers like Envirosax and Blue Pacific Fashion, and it can be tweaked to add and remove designers.

To file away photos, there's a section to organize the photos from each event and categorize the type of clothing/accessory as a jacket or handbag. 

Though perfect for buyers and boutique owners, frequent fashion show attendees can also benefit from having all their fabulous runway photos in one place and sharing them with the social mediasphere.