To some avid gardeners, the dandelion is a nuisance weed, interfering with their best attempts to cultivate a seamless lawn. To the more avant-garde among us, though, it’s a symbol of resistance thanks to its remarkable ability to withstand anything. Its seeds are spread by a single person, a metaphor for enacting change.
Perhaps, then, it’s an act of botanical justice that the humble dandelion has found its way into the world of fashion. It’s become the flower-pressed insignia of the Green Carpet Fashion Awards (GCFA), an annual ceremony aiming to shine the limelight on conscious fashion minds across the globe, launched in 2017 in Milan.
Last night’s GCFAs were staged in Los Angeles at NeueHouse, a cork’s throw away from the Oscars. Co-chaired by an ensemble cast of Cate Blanchett, Quannah Chasinghorse, Viola Davis, Tom Ford, Livia Firth, Simu Liu and Simone Ashley and overseen by Bethann Hardison, Amber Valletta, Christopher Bevans and Tonne Goodman, it saw a celebration of the designers, models and industry leaders considering the ‘handprint’ (artisanal craft) and ‘footprint’ (environmental impact) of fashion.
This year, it was supported by online fashion cornucopia FARFETCH, known for its bountiful collection of beautiful clothing that’s as timeless as it is future-facing. FARFETCH has also been at the vanguard of sustainable luxury through its Positively FARFETCH initiative, a 360-approach to cleaner, greener fashion that dials-up Conscious-certified designers and champions circularity through a pioneering pre-owned collection and services that help consumers to extend the life of their items.
The show stems from the Green Carpet Challenge (GCC), started by Eco-Age founder Livia Firth and journalist Lucy Siegle in 2010, which saw Siegle challenge Firth to wear sustainable design for an entire awards season. Beginning with an upcycled wedding dress by Christiana Couture, it soon blossomed into a worldwide movement endorsed by challengers including Gisele Bündchen, Olivia Colman, Emily Blunt, Nicole Kidman and Zendaya.
More or Less was delighted to be invited to FARFETCH’s table at the ceremony, bringing founder Jaime Perlman and two very special guests: Issue 05 cover star, model and activist Tindi Mar plus artist and campaigner Xiuhtezcatl Tonatiuh. To bring the GCC into a new era, both wore a selection of Pre-owned and Conscious pieces sourced from FARFETCH, showcasing sustainable luxury and proving that now is the time to go secondhand.
