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.

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.

Oscars 2012: the eco-fashion/eco-beauty highlights

The 84th annual Academy Awards took place tonight, and some celebs decided to take the eco-fashion/eco-beauty route this year.

1. Actress Missi Pyle, who stars in the Best Motion Picture winner, The Artist, wore a pastel aqua gown made from peace silk where cruelty-free silkworms finish their life cycles before producing silk. Recycled zippers, recycled polyester, and natural mineral dyes also made an appearance in the gown, which was created by rising fashion designer and Green Carpet Challenge winner, Valentina Delfino.

Image: people.com.

2. One of the people behind GCC, Eco-Age creative director Livia Firth wore a cherry red Valentino gown made from silk and recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic deriving from plastic soft drink bottles.

Image: people.com. 

3. Three-time Oscar winner, Meryl Streep, who won Best Actress for her role in The Iron Lady, wore a glittery gold gown, the first Lanvin gown made from fabrics considered to be eco-friendly by GCC.

Image: people.com.

4. Actress Viola Davis, nominated for Best Actress in The Help, wore her natural hair minus the chemical relaxer or straightening treatment, both, when overdone, can be damaging to the hair. Davis also wore an eco-friendly pink Valentino gown at the BAFTA awards earlier this month.

Image: people.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.

Just another small eco-fashion triumph...

This past Thanksgiving, I participated in the Run to Feed the Hungry 5k race. While cleaning my room yesterday, I noticed the free runner's shirt I received at the event was made from 100% recycled polyester! It's a good thing because thousands upon thousands were distributed, so our carbon footprint shrunk a tad bit that day. 

Goodwill hunting #5

For the first time ever, I found an ecofashion piece at the thrift store, which is like double the eco-shopping sense.

Since the dog days of summer are coming soon, I've been shopping for tank tops to wear around the town. I found this simple World Wildlife Fund/Forever 21 green tank made from 50% recycled polyester. 

I remember when this trend came out a few years ago, but I missed out on the eco-friendly T-shirts sponsored by an environmental organization. 

I bought the gently used tank for $1.50, so the experience was sustainable and cost-effective. Can't beat that. 

Leopard prints make spring fun

Always returning to the fashion scene, leopard print seems to be one of the styles destined to make a splash this spring. 

And there are some eco-fashion pieces available that display leopard print in a fun, tasteful way.

Gen Love Dolman Leopard Burn Out Top, $88, generationloveclothing.com.

Killah Top by Yoox, $59, yoox.com.

Shumaq Lavender-Printed Georgette Paz, $114.29, bluefly.com.

Norma Kamali Organic Cotton Printed Tee, $10, walmart.com.

Natalie Portman wears H+M eco-fashion @ pre-Oscars event

Image: popeater.com.
Natalie Portman wears a
recycled polyester dress
from H+M's new eco-fashion
line today at the pre-Oscar
Vanity Fair party in Los Angeles.

While H+M plans to reveal its new sustainable clothing line this spring, Conscious Collection, Oscar-nominated actress Natalie Portman has already debuted one of its pieces.

The cream-colored dress with patterned see-through sleeves is made from recycled polyester and retails at $49.95.

The eco-fashion line, characterized by easy, breezy attire for spring in shades of white and created with green materials like organic cotton and Tencel, a man-made, biodegradable fabric made from wood pulp cellulose, will hit stores this April.  

Read about Natalie Portman's eco-friendly engagement ring.  

Eco-fashion turns heads @ NYFW

New York Fashion Week revealed the new looks for the Fall/Winter 2011 lines, and eco-fashion designers held their own ground during the weeklong festivities. 


Though we're practically in spring mode, it's reassuring to know thick knit cable sweaters and professional trench coats will have an updated dose of eco-friendliness with organic fabrics and recycled materials alongside the satisfaction that less waste was generated by the whole process. 

Check out the websites of the following designers where the Spring 2011 lines promise a stylish season ahead.

Square Project
Recycled polyester, organic cotton, and hemp are just a few of the eco-fabrics Tara St. James uses to create vintage-inspired pieces. Bold stripes may be a common trend, but with the addition of crisscross straps and pierced triangles make all the difference. 

Image: Ecouterre.

Bodkin
Design meets environment is a connection Bodkin wants to maintain for their consumers. Bodkin, named for any sharp object that can tear holes through clothes, produces sustainable clothing whether organic wool is available or not, the alternative is responsibly dyed wool that uses less chemicals during the process.  

Image: Ecouterre

Edun
Ethical fashion that promotes a local economy is always a positive thing. While making ecofashion, the proceeds go to communities in Tanzania, Tunisia, and Kenya where the clothes are made. The lookbook shows fashionable pieces from wrap jackets to chiffon tanks with an eco-flair. 

Image: Ecouterre.

Organic by John Patrick
One of the eco-fashion brands celebs like Leighton Meester wears for a day of work. The signature simplicity of white, black, and beige pieces made from organic cotton come in handy to complete any outfit. There's also foreign communities producing the clothes and benefiting from the profits: a plus in the eco-fashion world. 

Image: Ecouterre.

Eco-hoodies

It's almost springtime, and hoodies become the best outerwear accessory to have. Whether to take a morning jog or shop at the supermarket, hoodies give warmth and shows a laid-back attitude on one of those days when dressing down feels right.

Cover Up Core Organic Hoodie, $72, adidas.com.

Ebb Flow Zip Hoody, $69.98,
noenemy.org.

Bamboo Thermal Printed Hoodie,
$29.99, projectgreenlabel.com.

Hoodlum Overdyed Pullover Hoodie, $50, alternativeapparel.com.

Seashell Hoodie, $79, athleta.gap.com.

Fall florals

Floral fashions are not only for spring anymore. Fall is a time to still flaunt flowery patterns in a way that still keeps you warm. 

Floral Long Blazer, $99.19,
anniegreenabelle.com

Wear floral designs surrounded by fall colors such as brown and orange or darker colors such as black and navy to give off the appropriate look for the weather.  

Long Handled Rose Floral Shopper Bag,
$13.95, anniegreenabelle.com

Organic cotton and recycled polyester are two major fabrics you will find in the floral designs this season. 

Jeffrey Campbell Charli Pink Floral
Woodie Clog, $128, lulus.com

Because we don't see as many flowers, we shouldn't be afraid to wear them.

Eco-leather jackets

Leather jackets are a trend that will never disappear, so might as well have one hanging in the closet. At least every year, the trend is updated to a hipper and cooler version for us to wear. But there are eco-leather jackets out there waiting to become a part of your latest ensemble. 

Eco-leather is leather that does not use chemicals during the production process or it could be recycled from old leather to reduce waste. Eco-leather can also be other fabrics that are made to look like leather and have a lower impact on the environment.

Leather Quilted Shoulder Jacket, $68.60, express.com

SYNTHETIC
Synthetic leather is eco-friendly and vegan. And it's easier to find in a fashionable design you would wear.

Synthetic leather is usually made up of polyester, polyurethane, or polyamide. These fabrics weigh better in environmental impact than leather which goes through harsh processes to become the leather we want to wear.

Remember to buy synthetic leather that may be confused with real leather. Some synthetic leather can appear too fake and the fabric can fall apart easily.

The Hooded Leather Bomber Jacket, $178, poptheshop.com

RECYCLED
What's better than new leather? Recycled leather! 

Some companies support eco-fashion by using recycled leather from old jackets, handbags, and other accessories to create a whole new jacket. 

If there's a budding fashion designer inside, you can always turn your old leather into new leather or support waste reduction by purchasing old leather. 

H+M using sustainable materials

My favorite shopping adventures usually take place in an H+M store. Whether I'm in Paris or NYC or San Francisco (yes, I've been to all these stores), I get excited about buying the essentials: clothes, shoes, and nickel-free jewelry.

Image: static.flickr.com

But since the news of the NYC flagship store disposing of torn garments broke last year, I was devastated to learn my shopping haven has been contributing to textile waste. After the controversy, H+M has stepped up in being more environmentally responsible as a corporate clothing store. 

H+M uses more sustainable fabrics such as recycled polyester, recycled/organic wool, recycled/organic linen, and recycled/organic cotton, the most eco-friendly fabric used in producing the company's clothing. 

Organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides. Pesticides are known for polluting nearby air and water sources, so a major benefit is there's cleaner air and water. Using organic cotton also benefits the agricultural economy since farm workers will not be replaced with machinery.

Since 2004, the company has been committed to using organic cotton and increasing its use every year. Learn more here.   

Silk vs. polyester: which is the greener choice?

I have, like most people, blouses that look the same. They have that smooth, satiny feeling, but one is made from silk, and the other is polyester. So I wondered which one is the better green choice to wear.

Polyester is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), also used to create our plastic bottles. But for our clothes, polyester can be made into fibers to create fabrics. Clothing made from polyester don't absorb stains as easily as cotton.

Jaeger Flock Spot Blouse, $127.50, jaeger.co.uk

Silk is the material produced by the silkworm when it makes a cocoon. The mulberry silkworm produces the best quantity of silk. The worm eats its way through the cocoon, but in silk production, it will be removed so the silk can be unraveled to eventually make our clothes.

Aryn K mint silk blouse, $49, bluefly.com

Polyester is made from coal, petroleum, air, and water, therefore it's the most detrimental to the environment with the resources it needs. But polyester can be recycled over and over. Silk just threatens silkworms, but like many other insects, they can reproduce easily though it's unfortunate we interrupt a part of their life cycles.

Because both materials will hopefully be reused in one form or another, silk and polyester will become green along the way.