Lights, camera, action: This year’s Met Gala paid homage to the Gilded Age in American history, with golden and over-the-top designs on the red carpet.
We were at the edge of our seats watching Vogue‘s live stream of Monday night’s glamorous event, and we noticed the 2022 Met Gala wasn’t just a success—it was also a hotspot for sustainable fashion!
The fashion industry is notorious for being unsustainable. But times are changing. And the industry is shifting to more eco-friendly practices, including re-wearing vintage dresses and upcycling existing materials into a new look.
Sustainable fashion isn’t one-size-fits-all. And we saw several unique looks on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s stairs. From wedding dresses making reappearances to one of the most famous gowns in American history, here are the 2022 Met Gala’s most iconic sustainable fashion moments.
6 Sustainable Fashion Moments at the 2022 Met Gala
1. Hamish Bowles
Vogue’s global editor-at-large Hamish Bowles revealed his tiara is vintage. During Vogue’s livestream of the event, he said the gold feathered tiara was designed by Fulcode Verdura in 1957 for Betsey Whitney—and the tiara hasn’t been worn since. Now that’s really vintage!
2. Paloma Elsesser
Another stunning look came from model Paloma Elsesser who wore a Coach dress. But wait, there’s more. This dress is actually made of repurposed materials—specifically the lace at the bottom of the gown. The look features materials from gowns from the 1930s, scoring points in the sustainability sector.
3. Emma Stone
Emma Stone wore Louis Vuitton to the Met Gala, and yes, this is a sustainable fashion moment. That’s because she’s actually worn the dress before—at her wedding! That’s right: Stone rewore her wedding afterparty dress to the Met Gala, according to a tweet from Vogue. We should take notes from Stone; outfit repeating is in.
4. Camila Cabello
According to Camila Cabello’s Instagram, her Met Gala look is both sustainable and upcycled. Designed by Prabal Gurung, Cabello told Extra she often associates the Gilded Age with luxury, materialism, and industrialization, and having an upcycled dress “celebrates those trends of innovation.” But with a sustainable touch, of course. Needless to say, we’re obsessed.
5. Billie Eilish
Another iconic upcycled look on the red carpet last night was Billie Eilish‘s Gucci gown. Last year, Eilish made headlines: She managed to get Oscar de la Renta to stop selling fur pieces in stores. This year, Eilish’s dress not only fit the event’s theme but also features upcycled, pre-existing materials. In the Vogue live stream, Eilish said she wanted to be “as eco-friendly as possible.”
6. Kim Kardashian
Last but certainly not least, Kim Kardashian had heads turning when it was revealed she was wearing one of the most legendary looks in American history. Kardashian wore Marilyn Monroe’s most famous gown—the one she had on in 1962 when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy.
According to Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, the gown hasn’t been worn by anyone other than Monroe, and great care has been taken to preserve this piece of history. No alterations were made to the dress—it’s the real deal. And it’s secondhand, ushering in a new era of sustainable fashion.
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