Sunday, March 2, 2014

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.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

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."