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.

Where to find eco-friendly prom dresses

It's prom season, and since eco-fashion mostly centers on athletic wear, it can be hard to find that perfect eco-friendly formal dress. But some outlets have these dresses. 

Tulle Dress in Light Green (recycled polyester), $199, hm.com.

Long Dress with Bare Back in Antique Rose (recycled polyester), $59.95, hm.com.

Vintage 1950s Floral Prom Dress, $175, etsy.com.

ECO-FRIENDLY SHOPS

Asos Marketplace

Etsy

H&M Conscious Collection

ModCloth

REVOLVEclothing

Yoox

COMMON ECO-FABRICS

tencel or lyocell

organic or recycled cotton

recycled or upcycled polyester

peace (ahimsa) silk 

Also see more eco-fashion prom secrets on this post. If interested in donating a gently used prom dress, look for local donation drives or head to donatemydress.org.

Oscars 2013: the eco-fashion highlights

Eco-fashionable celebs made a splash on the red carpet at the 2013 Oscars.

Veteran actress Helen Hunt, nominated for Best Supporting Actress in her role in The Sessions, surprised everyone when she announced on the red carpet she was wearing a sapphire gown from H+M for Global Green USA.

Image: people.com.

Skyfall Bond girl Naomie Harris wore a golden gown from the Red Carpet Green Challenge, a contest designed by Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of famed director James Cameron and eco-couture advocate.

Up-and-coming designers turn in the best award-worthy gowns made from sustainable materials to judges like Vivienne Westwood. This year, 20-year-old Ghanaian designer Michael Badger won the honor to have his gown debut at the Oscars. 

Image: people.com.

The sustainable gown is made from organic silk dyed with chamomile and goldenrod embroidered with vintage beads and recycled chocolate wrappers, according to Naomie's Twitter and Facebook.

Relive the eco-glamour of Oscars 2012.

Esperanza Spalding shines in eco-fashion at Grammys

Musician Esperanza Spalding, a longtime eco-fashion supporter, didn't disappoint Sunday night at the 2013 Grammys when she wore a Eden Diodati gown and Natalie Frigo and Red Earth Trading Company jewelry.

Eden Diodati, dedicated to using sustainable fabrics and practicing fair trade, adorned Spalding in a golden multi-colored gown with sleeves. Natalie Frigo uses recycled metals, conflict-free diamonds, and sustainably sourced gemstones in the rings like Spalding wore. The Red Earth Trading Company hires rural artisans in underdeveloped countries to create 100% handmade jewelry while Maiyet, the company responsible for her heels, practices the same economic philosophy with shoes.

Image: nydailynews.com.

Spalding, who famously beat Justin Bieber in the Best New Artist category in 2011, took home two more Grammys. She wasn't the only one wearing a designer with eco-fashion ties. Kat Dennings of 2 Broke Girls donned a Vivienne Westwood dress. Last year, the designer lent her skills to making organic cotton tees to raise funds for climate refugees.

Image: nydailynews.com.

Eco-holiday dresses @ Curator

Spectacular holiday parties are on the horizon, and it's hard to find a great dress that's fabulous and eco-friendly. But Curator, an eco-fashion clothing company located in San Francisco, takes care of the issue with producing lovely dresses with organic cotton.

Darling Dress in Crimson (organic cotton), $150, curatorsf.com.

Jasmine Dress in Eggplant (organic cotton), $130, curatorsf.com.

Penelope Dress in Black (organic cotton), $150, curatorsf.com.

H+M's spring 2012 Conscious Collection heads to stores this week

On Thursday, select H+M stores will release its spring 2012 Conscious Collection line. The line is a part of the department store's initiative to deliver sustainable clothing to the masses with using eco-fabrics like blending recycled polyester and organic cotton with other mainstream fabrics. 

When the much-anticipated collection debuted in fall 2010, it had lackluster choices (in my opinion) with mostly the basic whites, blacks, and grays coloring basic designs. But it looks like this year the collection finally found its niche and decided to actually make eco-fashionable pieces that resembled the rest of the H+M inventory. 

This spring, H+M focuses on the island chic style with a splash of sophistication.

Dress in Powder Pink/Pattern (tencel), $14.95, hm.com.

Skirt in Coral Pink (recycled polyester, organic cotton), $14.95, hm.com.

Dress in Powder Pink (organic cotton), $29.95, hm.com.

One of the major hardships in the eco-fashion world is to make garments a girl would want to wear to formal events, but the collection has taken on this challenge head-on by creating beautiful dresses and gowns with recycled polyester and organic cotton amidst the splendor of the beads, sequins, and silk. 

Dress in Neon Yellow (recycled polyester), $79.95, hm.com.

Dress in Gray/Brown (recycled polyester), $199, hm.com.

Dress in Light Gray (organic cotton), $299, hm.com.

Celebs wear Prophetik gowns on red carpet

More celebs are sashaying down the red carpet in green fashion. The latest supporter is actress Suzy Amis Cameron, who wore a silver gray Prophetik by Jeff Garner gown made from peace or ahimsa silk, at the international film premiere of 1997's Titanic in 3D. 

Director James Cameron and actress wife Suzy Amis Cameron on the red carpet at the Titanic 3D premiere in London. Image: upi.com.

Even musician Esperanza Spalding wore a similar version of the Prophetik dress in sky blue last month at the Oscars. 

Musician Esperanza Spalding on the red carpet at the Oscars last month in Los Angeles. Image: vogue.com.

Valentine's Day eco-fashion gifts

Valentine's Day. A day to celebrate love. And the love for eco-fashion is strong this year with clothes, jewelry, and other accessories perfect for the holiday. 

For the week of Valentine's Day, check out eco-friendly sale website, Pure Citizen, for bargains. U.K.-based eco-fashion online store, Annie Greenabelle, also has a Valentine's Day special with several wardrobe choices appropriate for the day and anytime during the year.

Frankie Dress Rose (organic cotton), $52.70, anniegreenabelle.com.

Hovey Lee Allott Necklace (recycled metal/genuine shell), $76, hoveylee.com.

Find It In Your Heart Handbag (vegan), $47.99, modcloth.com.

365 Sinela Ballet Flats in Pastel Blue (eco-leather), $88, yoox.com.

Eco-holiday dresses @ H+M

'Tis the season to be glamorous! And glam comes in green at the corporate eco-fashion store H+M where there are several choices for the eco-conscious shopper. 

All the chic dresses are made from 50-100% recycled polyester.

Conscious Collection Dress (recycled polyester), $49.95, hm.com.

Conscious Collection Dress in Orange-red (recycled polyester), $34.95, hm.com.

Conscious Collection Dress (recycled polyester), $9.95, hm.com.

Conscious Collection Dress (recycled polyester), $17.95, hm.com.

Conscious Collection Dress in Cerise (recycled polyester), $34.95, hm.com.

Eco-dresses rocking bright colors

Spring weather has arrived, but the cute dress-wearing days have yet to come, so while we wait, here are some examples of eco-dresses bright enough to make those days come faster.  

Turk +Taylor Corsica Cinch Kaftan Rainbow Plaid Dress, $128, shop.moxsie.com.

Wimbledon Dress, $39.99, frenchconnection.com.

Seneca Rising Barnet Tank Dress, $150, farfetch.com.

Recycled prom dresses

Earlier this week, I was excited to get the chance to write an article and produce a video for an eco-fashion story. 

Since prom season is here, local organizations are giving away recycled formal dresses to help teenagers enjoy their prom without the financial strain. 

Check out my story and video here.  

Simple spring eco-dresses under $30

Recycled Fabric Dress, $19.95, hm.com.

Another money-saving shopping adventure! After heavy rain for the past few days, perhaps weeks, the sunshine broke through the clouds and brought spring. 

With recycled, organic, and biodegradable fabrics spun into eco-dresses, try some affordable finds this spring that are still fashionable and eco-friendly.

Stores like H+M and American Apparel that can be found in any major metropolitan area have trendy eco-dresses with a wonderful price tag attached.

Organic Fine Jersey Pillowcase Dress, $26, americanapparel.net.

Floral Print Draped Neck Dress, $24.80, forever21.com.

Faded Glory Women's Organic Cotton Maxi Dress, $14, walmart.com.

Eco-fashion inspired by African design

ASOS Africa Woven Mix T-Shirt,
$50.20, asos.com. 

The patterns and fabrics used across the globe continue to be intermixed in the eco-fashion industry, and African design is no exception.

Usually colorful, carefree attire, African-inspired clothes are created for the warm weather, therefore it's perfect for spring and summer.

Lalesso Paka African Print Dress, $108, fashion-conscience.com.

Fair Trade African Ruche Skirt, $63, fashion-conscience.com.

Hand Dyed Scarf No. 1, $30, oseiduro.bigcartel.com.

Eco prom dresses

As prom season sneaks up on us, many eco-consumers will soon realize there's not a wide selection of eco-friendly prom dresses. 

While eco-bridal wear gets all the attention, women looking for an evening gown with a gentle carbon footprint will learn the shopping venture is rough.

Three major fabrics dominate prom dresses: taffeta, organza, and chiffon.

Taffeta is a crisp, woven fabric made from silk and/or synthetic fabrics such as nylon. 

Organza is a sheer fabric, and like taffeta, originally made from silk and mostly now from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. 

Chiffon is a sheer fabric somewhat like organza and can consist of cotton, silk, and/or synthetic fabrics.  

Though silk is a popular soft, light fabric, it's not considered eco-friendly since it disrupts the life cycles of silkworms. Eco-silk is called peace or ahimsa silk since silkworms finish their life cycles before the silk is taken.

Synthetic fabrics are man-made, not natural and not easily biodegradable. Textile waste accounts for 10 billion pounds of waste every year, so clothes don't easily disappear from landfills. There's a widely used, man-made eco-fabric by the name of tencel or lyocell, which is produced to biodegrade.

An eco-fashion alternative for prom shopping is vintage. A vintage prom dress is a surefire way to make sure nobody has the same dress as you at the big event. Recycle and reuse are the two factors in true vintage wear.

There are virtual and actual vintage boutiques, consignment shops, and thrift stores that can supply an extensive variety of prom dresses. 

Double check for stains, rips, and other malfunctions before purchasing the dress. Of course, most of the time, the clothes are inspected for these mishaps before being displayed for sale. 

Online, vintage clothing websites usually tell customers the problems associated with the dress and if those problems are fixable.

Some helpful vintage prom dress websites: 

• vintageous.com
• etsy.com 
• shopgoodwill.com

Hi-Def Strapless Dress in Magenta (tencel), $41, lulus.com.

Rooftop Party Dress in True Black (tencel), $88, madewell.com.

Appliqued Violet Tulle 1950s Prom Dress (vintage), $275, vintageous.com.

Livia Firth wears eco-couture @ Oscars

Image: Getty. Livia Firth
wears an eco-gown on the red
carpet at the 2011 Academy
Awards last night.

Colin Firth may have won the Best Actor award at the Oscars last night, but his wife deserved a honorable mention for triumphing eco-fashion couture. 

Livia Giuggioli Firth, an Italian film producer known for her dedication to ethical fashion, wore a Gary Harvey-designed gown upcycled from 11 vintage dresses from The King's Speech era. 

Even her eco-jewelry provided by Annaloucah was fair-trade, fair-mined, and made from ecologically certified gold. Aquamarine gemstones from Zambia and diamonds from Lesotho were all fair-trade and fair-mined and support the local communities.
 
Read more about her Green Carpet Challenge at her UK Vogue blog.

Read about another eco-gown she adorned on the red carpet at the Golden Globes 2011 last month. 

White for spring, add colors accordingly

According to the fashion gods, any variation of white is the color for spring. It's simple, classic, and goes with anything including a burst of bold color to add flavor to your spring wardrobe.

1. Gen Love Draped Tank with Leather Back, $129, generationloveclothing.com.

2. Larkspur Dress, $70, shopelroy.com.

3. Tencel White Blazer, $49.95, hm.com.

4. Monkee Jeans Organic White Skinny Jeans, $53.79, asos.com.

5. Organic Voile-Tank, $143, theoutnet.com. 

6. Roxana Harem Pants, $65, myboastyle.com.