Closing out Milan Fashion Week yesterday, the third annual Green Carpet Fashion Awards (GCFA) took place, honoring those committed to sustainability and preserving the authenticity of small-scale production in the fashion world. The evening was conceived by Creative Director Hamish Bowles (who found inspiration in the great Leonardo Da Vinci on the 500th anniversary of his death) and presented by the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI) in partnership with Eco-Age, held in the city’s 18th century opera house Teatro alla Scala.
As the evening began, a star-studded roster of attendees extending beyond the walls fashion including Paolo Zegna, Shailene Woodley, Dylan Sprouse, Nikki Reed, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Colin Firth, Giancarlo Giammetti, and Elsa Hosk, paraded into the theater on a green carpet made with sustainable regenerated nylon. Following a welcome by Livia Firth and Carlo Capasa, models Adut Akech and Jon Kortajarena took the stage, diving into the presentation of the evening’s awards.
Courtesy of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion.
In the spotlight this year was the founder of the Italian fashion house Valentino Garavani, who became the second recipient of the Legacy award, following in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Suzy Menkes.
“I’m proud and happy to receive this special award in the prestigious Teatro alla Scala,” said Valentino. “With my work and my career, I always tried to communicate a message of beauty, passion and dedication, and I hope that it can now and, in the future, serve as stimulus for the new generations.”
Courtesy of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion.
The ceremony also saw the presentation of 11 other honors including the GCFA Groundbreaker, Best Emerging Designer, and CMNI Recognition in Sustainability awards, which were given to names like Max Mara, Zegna, the Kering Group’s Francois Henri-Pinault, Flavia La Rocca, and Stella McCartney. Each honoree was awarded with a statuette by Chopard, which depicts a woman in a glass cape, made of the jewelry house’s Fairmined certified ethical gold.
