Elson, Smalls & Valletta Choose Lab-Grown Diamonds & Sustainable Gowns

Stella McCartney and Atelier Swarovski joined forces to create environmentally conscious Fashion Awards 2019 looks for three models: Karen Elson, Joan Smalls and Amber Valletta, aka a triple threat bound to garner attention. “The red carpet is the ultimate showcase of glamour and luxury, but it’s also a powerful communication platform,” Nadja Swarovski, who will also be wearing bespoke ethical Stella McCartney, tells Vogue of why it felt imperative to wave the green flag at this year’s industry celebration. “Sustainability is at the core of everything we do,” chimes in McCartney. “It was important to me that these women felt confident, and could proudly say they’re wearing looks that were made sustainably.”

Each garment – from Valletta’s cape dress with graphic V-neckline featuring diamond mesh side inserts, to Smalls’s one-shoulder dress with diamond trim at the neckline and hem, and Elson’s off-the-shoulder dress with similarly sparkly neck adornment – was made from a cady material predominantly formed from sustainable viscose. McCartney has been using this traceable fabric from protected forests in Sweden since 2016. “It’s so important for fashion houses to start adopting this type of viscose, because deforestation from fabric production releases three billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year,” she explains. “Sustainable viscose ensures that no deforestation happens, and endangered forests and communities are protected.”

And then come the diamonds, each made from 100 per cent carbon in a laboratory, rather than mined from the earth. “Karen will be rocking the largest Swarovski Created Diamonds ever to appear on the red carpet in a suite of one-off pieces designed by our Atelier Swarovski brand ambassador, Penelope Cruz,” explains Swarovski. The drop earrings and ring alone total 15.2 carats set in fair-trade gold. Valletta plumped for a collar, palm cuff and double ring made from ethically sourced gold and set with lab-grown diamonds. The standout piece in Smalls’s edit, meanwhile, is a pair of concentric earrings, featuring light-filled Swarovski crystal beads interspersed with round, brilliant, scientifically engineered stones. “We want to demonstrate that luxury can go hand in hand with sustainability,” says Swarovski of the groundbreaking technology the jeweller has been pioneering for years.

“When designing for someone, first and foremost it’s important to think about the person’s personality,” McCartney says of the creative process behind each look. What’s refreshing is that an awareness of climate change and a desire to promote a positive environmental message is now inbuilt into each of these models’ consciences. McCartney and Swarovski are slowly spreading the word that we all have a part to play in making fashion circular.