THE PRESS RELEASE TO KICK EVERYTHING OFF FOR OUR BIGGEST YEAR YET!
Livia Firth, Creative Director of Eco Age Ltd and champion of sustainable fashion announces today that the Green Carpet Challenge (GCC) 2012 will feature the world’s leading fashion designers. The extraordinary roll call of design luminaries participating includes Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Alberta Ferretti, Tom Ford, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, Valentino, Roger Vivier and Ermenegildo Zegna.
Each designer will create an original design to be worn on the world’s most glamorous red carpets beginning with the Golden Globes on January 15th. All pieces conform to the GCC criteria, a set of environmental and social principles which define sustainable style. GCC events will be created by producer, Alex de Betak and sponsored by American Express.
“Livia’s enthusiasm and dedication to this cause have been very inspiring for me. Awareness for the environment is a topic that’s very important for us all: we cannot avoid it”. Giorgio Armani
“Livia is a close friend and I am thrilled to be working with her on her Green Carpet Challenge, a cause very close to her heart. Sustainable luxury has been at the core of TOM FORD from the onset of the brand, and I am looking forward to creating an iconic red carpet dress that is not only beautifully made, but also ethically made.” Tom Ford
“Livia's passion for the mission of this project is infectious. We all have a collective responsibility towards future generations to minimise our impact on the environment and through this initiative we can hopefully show that you don't have to make any compromises in design and creativity when working with environmentally friendly materials." Frida Giannini, Creative director of Gucci
“Livia is a wonderful woman and friend, passionate in her support of increasing awareness of the importance of ethical living through respect of the environment and fellow human beings. I feel privileged to support her Green Carpet Challenge with Roger Vivier and to creating an iconic accessory that is both beautifully and sustainably made.” Bruno Frisoni, Creative Director Roger Vivier
“I immediately and passionately embraced Livia’s project. The idea of the best fashion houses creating apparel utilizing principles of sustainable style for the most respected and important male celebrities in the world found out immediate support. Zegna has always believed that ethics and aesthetics are interwoven. Since the time of my grandfather Ermenegildo, founder of the company, who was the earliest Italian example of social and environmental patronage, until today through Fondazione Zegna” Anna Zegna, Image Director of the Zegna Group and President of the Fondazione Zegna
“I was flattered to be approached by Livia to be a part of the Green Carpet Challenge 2012. It is a great campaign, promoting sustainable fashion and I am proud to be included alongside some great designers."Paul Smith
The GCC was founded by Livia Firth and British journalist, Lucy Siegle in December 2009 when Livia’s husband Colin Firth received a Golden Globe nomination for Tom Ford’s A Single Man. Livia Firth elected to attend all red carpet events, including the Oscars, dressed solely in sustainable fashion. Her aim has been to raise the profile of ecological and social justice in the fashion industry. All background information can be found at www.eco-age.com.
Livia Firth says, “Over the last three years, The Green Carpet Challenge has become an all consuming passion of mine. This part of the fashion landscape is so exciting because it’s genuinely revolutionary and relentlessly positive. It is absolutely the right time to take the challenge up a gear so we are working with our favourite world class designers and actors as GCC ambassadors. Fashion is a brilliant communicator. The fashion we communicate through the GCC promotes social justice, environmental integrity and the very best in design.”
The GCC will be sponsored by American Express “We are delighted to be involved with this year’s Green Carpet Challenge. As a company, American Express has a long heritage of supporting the fashion industry and we are particularly excited to be helping raise awareness of the sustainability agenda.” Said Lisa Gregg, Vice President, Head of Luxury Products, Lifestyle Marketing & Publishing at American Express.
For more information:
UK contacts: Liz Matthews PR, London, catherine@lizmatthewspr.com Tel: +44 (0) 207 253 1639
US contacts: WKTPR, Los Angeles, Jessica Kolstad (JessicaK@wktpr.com) Tel: +1 310 205 0618
Europe contacts: WPR Communications, Milan, Warly Tomei (warly@wprcommunications.com)
tel: +39 02 8050 9073
Notes to editors
- Livia Firth is a champion of social and environmental justice. She produced the film In Prison My Whole Life, winner of Best Documentary at the International Human Rights Awards in Geneva in 2007. She is creative director of Eco Age (www.eco-age.com ) an online magazine for the curious consumer which developed from opening the London store and consultancy (www.eco-consultancy.com ) with her brother Nicola Giuggioli in 2008. Since launching The Green Carpet Challenge on Vogue.com she is regarded as a leading promoter of ethical fashion internationally. As an Oxfam ambassador, two years ago together with Annie Lennox, Livia created The Circle, a women’s group for Oxfam. Together with them Livia has travelled to Ethiopia, Kenya, Bangladesh and Zambia and hosted various events in London. In October 2011 she launched the The Circle in Italy. Livia is also an active member of other several non-profit organizations and regularly collaborates with The Refugee Council in London, Amnesty International and Reprieve. In May 2011 she received the “Galileo Award” from the European Institute in Florence for her work on human rights. In September 2011 she received the Award for Philanthropist of the Year at the Quintessentially Luxury Awards in London. She contributes a monthly column to Marie Claire Italia and currently resides in London with her husband Colin, three children, one cat and four fishes.
- Lucy Siegle is a British journalist and author specialising in social and environmental justice. She writes a column on ‘ethical living’ for the Observer/Guardian. Her 2011 book, To Die For: is fashion wearing out the world? provides an in-depth analysis of the true footprint of the fashion industry and presents a manifesto for reform. She believes not only that fashion is one of the most important communication tools we have, but that a closet revolution is just around the corner! Most recently she has interviewed British designer, Vivienne Westwood on fashion and climate change for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. Lucy is Visiting Professor to London College of Fashion.
- GCC in the US is in partnership with the Environmental Media Association (EMA). EMA is a Non-Profit 501(c)3 Organization founded in 1989 by Cindy and Alan Horn and Lyn and Norman Lear. EMA is dedicated to harnessing the power of the entertainment industry and the media in a global effort to educate the public on environmental issues and motivate sustainable lifestyles.
- American Express is a global service company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. A leader in global payments, American Express is the largest card issuer by purchase volume and operates a worldwide network that processes millions of transactions daily. American Express offers a broad array of payment, expense management and travel solutions for consumers and corporations including, credit cards, charge cards, travel, home and car insurance, travellers cheques and foreign exchange services.American Express has a long heritage of supporting the fashion industry across the globe, including a long term partnership with New York Fashion Week, joint sponsorship of last year’s Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at The Met and ongoing relationships with many of the major houses. Learn more at www.americanexpress.co.uk www.facebook.com/AmericanExpressUK. For media enquiries please contact David Stewart, PR Manager, American Express UK: +44 1273 216674 / David.A.Stewart@aexp.com
- The Green Carpet Challenge supports Oxfam and the UN’s new project Fashion 4 Development
- Each design house works with the GCC team to a set of sustainable fashion criteria. For further information on criteria please contact Catherine Garrett at catherine@lizmatthewspr.com
