Red Carpet Green Dress design contest launches for 2020

Global sustainable design competition from Red Carpet Green Dress, a women-led global change-making organisation, has opened for 2020, challenging designers to submit a sketch of a red carpet-worthy gown or suit for the red carpet that advocates sustainable fashion.

The competition was conceived in 2009 by Suzy Amis Cameron during the press tour for her husband, James Cameron's film ‘Avatar’ and calls on designers to deliver eco-friendly garments through a no-waste, circular economy approach, with social impact consideration, including fair and humane treatment of manufacturers, a clear supply chain and, importantly, materials which use a high proportion of eco-friendly and recycled materials.

For 2020, Red Carpet Green Dress is launching in partnership with Tencel Luxe, the industry’s first cellulose filament which is made from sustainable wood sources using a closed-loop production process in a commercial scale. The competition is open to emerging and established designers from all over the world who are over 21 years old who want to make a difference in fashion by focusing on eco textiles and a no-waste approach to red carpet fashion.

The competition is open until July 30, when Red Carpet Green Dress founder Suzy Amis Cameron will judge entries alongside couture designer Laura Basci, Awaj Foundation founder Nazma Akter and vice president of global brand management at Lenzing AG Harold Weghorst to select the winners.

The two winning designers, will be notified by August 28 at the latest, and will win 1,000 US dollar cash prize each, alongside business mentoring, an invitation to join the Red Carpet Green Dress Gala and the chance to present their work to an audience of eco-influencers in LA, and the opportunity to dress a VIP in their sustainable fashion designs.

Entries cost 30 US dollars with a percentage of funds raised being donated to Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh and The Fifth Pillar (in cooperation with Fair Wear) in Myanmar, a move the organisers states enables them to help to members of the global design community, specifically the garment workers.

“At Red Carpet Green Dress, we believe this is an important time for our sustainable design contest, which champions a message of hope and opportunity, particularly when spirits are so low,” said Samata Pattinson, chief executive of Red Carpet Green Dress. “When Suzy Amis Cameron started the initiative in 2009, her motivations were to create opportunities and visibility for fashion designers and to fundraise for environmental or socially responsible causes. We could not think of a more relevant time to step up for both of those reasons, over 10 years later. We are excited to partner with Tencel Luxe and put the crucial spotlight on emerging design talent, and at the same time the incredible work our allies at Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh and The Fifth Pillar in Myanmar are doing to support garment workers right now.”

Image: courtesy of Red Carpet Green Dress