Billie Ellish attended the 94th Academy Awards ® wearing a breathtaking Gucci ‘deadstock’ gown complete with a Fred Leighton Tiara transformed into jewelry. As a supporter for Suzy Amis Cameron’s RCGD Global in collaboration with TENCEL™, she shared a unique message of vintage and put a spotlight on sustainability with her red carpet look.
The Fred Leighton antique diamond star tiara inspired this most exciting collaboration which celebrates the beauty and the unique spirit of this antique jewel, bringing it beautifully to the present. A truly amazing story of giving old heritage pieces with such a wonderful level of craftsmanship new life. Dating from c1890, the tiara’s diamond stars are set in an old mine cut and rose cut diamonds mounted in silver on gold, a traditional setting of diamonds in that era. The diamond stars were affixed to the tiara frame and were made to be detachable. This is not uncommon in such jewels- these diamond stars were made to be worn and in many creative ways! Through the tiara’s history it would have had many attachments- worn as brooches, on hair pins, hair combs, and as pendants on a necklace.
In wearing the antique diamond stars in her unique and creative expression as earrings and rings, Billie Eilish further imbues them with a fresh spirit of permanence and timelessness.
Her jewels have been paired with a custom gown by Alessandro Michele for Gucci gown. Created using deadstock fabric from collections prior. Deadstock fabric can refer to unsold, surplus fabric from fabric mills, unused fabric bought by brands, and damaged or imperfect fabric. While deadstock fabric will hopefully become obsolete as the fashion industry reduces overproduction or waste in years to come, as we move towards a more circular fashion industry, right now, using it is a sustainable option.
About RCGD GLOBAL™
RCGD Global is a women-led global change-making organisation working from ‘moment’ to movement, bringing global cultural sustainability to the forefront of conversation and action within the fashion and design world. Celebrating its 10th year of the Red Carpet Green Dress campaign initiative at the Oscars, RCGD Global was initially conceived as a design contest by Suzy Amis Cameron (actress, environmental advocate, and author) when faced with the lack of ethical fashion choices while attending global premieres of husband James Camerons’ ‘Avatar’. The organisations’ work has since developed to include collaborations with global and small independent brands, partnerships delivering sustainable design solutions such as regenerative materials, educational work with the emerging design community – including workshops, internships and work experience, and international design contest initiatives. Alongside a consultancy offering, RCGD Global’s R & D division delivers thought-leadership work for the industry, working with leading institutions such as Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge and University of California, Berkeley.
RCGD Global works to draw attention to the importance of more sustainable practices in the design world and to be part of bringing those solutions to a global, culturally diverse market. Leading fashion houses including Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Armani, Elie Saab, Swarovski, Christian Siriano, Bulgari, Dunhill and Reformation have joined the campaign to create sustainable red carpet wear. Celebrities including Sophie Turner, Laura Harrier, Emma Roberts, Marlee Matlin, Danielle MacDonald, LaKeith Stanfield, Camila Alves, and Naomie Harris have joined the campaign as representatives of its Oscars red carpet green dress initiative. RCGD Global’s work has been featured in VOGUE, Vanity Fair, W Magazine, People, The Hollywood Reporter, WWD, Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Refinery29, The Guardian, ELLE, LA Times, The New York Times, Business of Fashion amongst others, across over 100 countries.
About TENCEL™ and TENCEL™ Luxe
TENCEL™ is the flagship brand under The Lenzing Group that covers textile specialty product fiber offerings. Since 1992, the TENCEL™ brand has been driving the evolution of fiber solutions for the apparel and home textile segments through several industry-first innovations and environmentally responsible production processes. Product brands under TENCEL™ include TENCEL™ Active, TENCEL™ Denim, TENCEL™ Home, TENCEL™ Intimate, TENCEL™ Luxe and TENCEL™ for Footwear.
TENCEL™ Luxe branded lyocell filament yarn is derived from wood grown in renewable, sustainably managed forests, in line with the stringent guidelines of the Lenzing Wood and Pulp Policy. The silk-like continuous filament yarn is produced in an environmentally sound closed-loop process that recycles process water and reuses the solvent at a recovery rate of more than 99%. Registered with The Vegan Society, TENCEL™ Luxe filament yarn offers with its luxurious touch a botanic, biodegradable alternative to silk. TENCEL™ Luxe is a unique filament yarn created for the high-end fashion market under TENCEL™, the textile specialty brand of The Lenzing Group.