Last Sunday in Milan, fashion and entertainment’s finest gathered at the iconic Teatro alla Scala for the third edition of the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia, hosted by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana in collaboration with Eco-Age.
Green Carpet Fashion Awards celebrate and award the changemakers, disruptors, forward thinkers and organisations that are shaping the fashion industry and steering it towards a sustainable future.
Guests walked the carpet before enjoying a champagne reception in the La Scala Square garden, which was designed by the awain Milan, fashion and entertainment’s finest gathered at the iconic Teatro alla Scala for the third edition of the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia, hosted by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana in collaboration with Eco-Age.
All plants and flowers used in the production of the event will be donated to the City of Milan and re-planted after the awards.
The star-studded ceremony saw 12 awards being presented to recipients including Valentino Garavani, founder of Valentino, who was presented with The GCFA Legacy Award; Stella McCartney, who was awarded the The GCFA Groundbreaker Award; and model Doutzen Kroes, who was presented with the Social Media Changemaker award for using her platform for activism.
The CNMI Talent Competition winner of The Franca Sozzani GCC Award for the best-emerging designer was also announced as Flavia La Rocca.
2019 Winners:
The GCFA Legacy Award – Valentino Garavani
- The GCFA Groundbreaker Award – Stella McCartney;
- The Social Media Changemaker Award – Doutzen Kroes;
- The Franca Sozzani GCFA Award for Best Emerging Designer – Flavia La Rocca;
- The GCFA Visionary Award – Francois Henri-Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering Group;
- The Eco Stewardship Award – The Association of Venetian Gondoliers;
- The GCFA Circular Economy Award – Healthy Seas;
- The CMNI in Recognition of Sustainability Award – Max Mara and Zegna;
- The GCFA Award for Technology and Innovation – SprintItaly and SICIT;
- The Responsible Disruption Award – I Was a Sari;
- The GCFA North Star Award – NYU Stern Centre for Business and Human Rights and The Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion;
- The Art of Craftsmanship Award – Pino Grasso;
- Flavia La Rocca received The Franca Sozzani GCFA Award for Best Emerging Designer.
François-Henri Pinault received the GCFA Visionary Award
Ginevra Elkann presented François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering Group, with the GCFA Visionary Award. Pinault has allowed sustainability to become a core part of the market value rather than a cost of doing business. He has created powerful tools, such as the Environmental Profit and Loss methodology, in remodelling the fashion industry in favour of the environment.
Healthy Seas received The GCFA Circular Economy Award
Veronika Mikos accepted the The GCFA Circular Economy Award on behalf of Healthy Seas. The Healthy Seas divers were awarded the Circular Economy Award by Prada’s Lorenzo Bertelli, for the heroic story of skill and courage of their specialist team of divers. Divers collect discarded ghost fishing nets that are then combined with other nylon waste and regenerated into ECONYL yarn by Aquafil and used throughout the fashion and textile industry.
SprintItaly and SICIT received the GCFA Award for Technology and Innovation
Derek Blasberg, SICIT president Valter Peretti and Massimo Neresini accepting the GCFA Award for Technology and Innovation for SprintItaly and SICIT – who were awarded for their collaboration to tackle issues of waste, pollution and circularity in the leather industry.
NYU Stern Centre for Business and Human Rights and The Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion received the GCFA North Star Award
Colin Firth and Lea T presented NYU Stern Centre for Business and Human Rights and The Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion – two organizations that have combined world-class research on sustainability issues – with the GCFA North Star Award. The award acknowledged two of the most important academic and political research developments in the last 12 months; NYU Stern’s report – Made in Ethiopia: challenges in the garments industry’s new frontier (May 2019) and The Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion for its tireless and diligent work in aims to change the face of fashion.
Pino Grasso received The Art of Craftsmanship Award
The Art of Craftsmanship Award was given on stage by Pier Paolo Piccioli, creative director at Valentino who has long championed craftsmanship in his atelier, to Pino Grasso. For the last 60 years Grasso has championed artisanal embroidery done by hand, Pino Grasso is seen to not only preserve traditional handicraft, but also by avoiding machine embroidery, Grasso minimises carbon emissions.
Max Mara and Zegna received The CNMI in Recognition of Sustainability Award
Ian Somerhalder and Nikki Reed presented Elia Maramotti, Gildo Zegna and Ermenegildo Zegna artistic director Alessandro Sartori with the The CNMI Award In Recognition Of Sustainability on behalf of Max Mara and Zegna x Use the Existing Project, awarded for their Cameluxe programme.
I Was A Sari received The Responsible Disruption Award
The Responsible Disruption Award was won by I Was A Sari and presented by actress and singer Lou Doillon. I Was A Sari’s inspiring journey was developed by Stefano Funari in Mumbai where women who were previously excluded from embroidery schools were finally given access to train. The programme has created a legacy of social empowerment and commitment to the circular economy by upcycling saris and empowering women long term. Gucci has partnered with I Was A Sari since the beginning, as this project perfectly encapsulates Gucci’s drive toward social empowerment and commitment to the circular economy.
The Association of Venetian Gondoliers received The Eco Stewardship Award
Shailene Woodley presented 8 gondoliers representing The Association of Venetian Gondoliers with The Eco Stewardship Award for its use of responsibly sourced Australian merino wool in the iconic uniform of its gondoliers, created by Emilio Ceccato in collaboration with The Woolmark Company. “This year’s Eco-Stewardship award links the outfits of 400 gondoliers in Venice with Australia’s finest merino herds thanks to a brilliant project re-connecting a centuries-old-tradition with a centuries-old-fibre,” said Shailene.
