Fashion has the power to send strong messages…
Livia Firth once retweeted us which was quite cool, so now we’re paying homage to her recycled plastic bottle dress from the recent Met Ball. Livia is the perfect hybrid of fashionable and eco-friendly, she’s a huge advocate for making the fashion industry more sustainable and wants to tackle the issues with manufacturing and over-consumption.
The dress is made from recycled plastic bottles, much like fleeces and rugs, but it clearly looks more designed for appearance than comfort. The particular fabric used to make Firth’s dress is known as ‘Newlife Fabric’ and is 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. The process used to make this is different from the normal chemical method, and involves physically shredding the plastic.
Incredibly, the versatility of the recycled plastic dress goes further, as it reflects light differently from different angles, meaning that it could be seen as different shades of red. It was designed by Berardi in 2012 as part of the Green Carpet Challenge, which invites designers and celebrities to raise awareness for sustainable fashion through creation and display. This gown, in particular, was designed with an Eastern theme to match that of the Met Ball.
Whilst recycling outfits is something of a no-no in Hollywood when it comes to eco-fashion experts like Livia Firth, and her supportive husband, actor Colin Firth, it is a positive statement. Colin wore a 100% organic wool Tom Ford suit that he’d worn at the 2011 Academy awards.
Would you wear clothes made from recycled plastic bottles? Tweet us @plasticexpertuk
