Introducing Sustainability To The Red Carpet: What Happened at Met Gala and Cannes 2024

I don’t care much for events on any scale, and it’s always daunting to ignore the two biggest fashion events of the year- the Met Gala  and the Cannes Film festival. Normally, I’d have had enough of the buzz around either event a couple of days in, but this time it was different. For one thing, the Met Gala 2024 had a very interesting theme, ‘The Garden of Time’ (based on a book about an aristocratic couple who have a garden of flowers that turn back time when plucked, thus delaying the ‘end of their life’) and the Cannes festival 2024 rode hard on it’s heels with its very publicly announced and promoted ‘sustainability efforts’. 

So of course, being the self proclaimed eco warrior interested in all things sustainable, I spent a fair bit of time decoding the two events from the point of view of responsible consumption. My feelings at the end of my research were equal parts amusement and amazement with a sparse sprinkling of contrition for having bothered. 

Well first of all, it was a lot to unpack for someone who doesn’t understand the whole concept of the guest list being asked “who are you wearing” by every microphone wielding pap that makes it onto the red carpet entrance. If I was ever asked that, I’d probably want to say “I’m wearing myself, thank you very much”! But unpack these shenanigans I did, and armed with my pinch of salt or rather a bowl of salty pretzels, set about to detangle the threads that make up the tapestry of the glitz glam and possible green of these elite events. 

The “not so green” carpet 

The quintessential ‘red’ carpet is the epitome of luxury at any of these events and is laid out with great aplomb at the entrance every year. So I expected it to be at the forefront of any sustainability efforts too. I was not entirely wrong in the case of Cannes who, this year,  announced that the carpet would be changed less frequently to reduce emissions. While the idea is commendable it begs the question, “is it enough?” No such luck with Met Gala though where I hoped that the actually green coloured carpet was to advocate some eco-friendly message. It turns out, it simply is a different colour each year to keep with the theme. One can only hope for more actionable efforts in the years to come, maybe take a page from the Tokyo film Festival and have carpets made from recycled pet bottles or even fishing nets.  Add a few solar panels and plants to the outdoor decor and voila, you’d have yourself a “green carpet entry” into the world of sustainable events. 

Lights, Camera, Action… Sustainable Fashion!

Every designer hopes to stand out for their unique work whether on the runway or the red carpet.  So I expected finding sustainable designs to be like the legendary needle in a haystack. But I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of international designers like Harry Reed, Vera Wang and Elizabeth Stewart who  showcased their sustainable fashion at the Met Gala 2024.  Reed’s custom silk wall paper outfit for Demi Moore and the Vera Wang gown worn by Janelle Monae with sequins made from recycled plastic bottles truly stole my heart! Indian designer Prabal Gurung’s outfit for Maria Sharapova made from organic bedding fabric made green waves in at least two ways. It showed that green is indeed the new black after all.  At Cannes however, other than the few celebrities like Naomi Campbell and Cate Blanchett re wearing their outfits from previous events, there was little else to report. They did prove that one person’s last year’s outfit can be another’s haute couture vintage! There was the usual overdose of bling though, which, if looked at from far enough away could easily be mistaken for renewable energy producing equipment, more commonly known as solar panels.

Personally I’ve always been a fan of the “less is more” trend and I can’t wait for it to come back in a big way. Most designers including our very own Ms. Tyagi seems to have missed the memo as everyone seemed to go that extra yard of fabric to outdo each other with their red carpet looks.  A mystery I couldn’t manage to unravel, however, was the prolific use of feathers. One would be tempted to imagine Urvashi Rautela, Michelle Yeoh and Leomi Anderson, as ambassadors for endangered bird species, but reality was rather far removed. Some other materials that made their appearance on the red carpet are honestly better left to their rightful owners for obvious reasons. Case in point-  leather(cattle) and tin foil(sandwiches?). 

Stylish Soirées with a sustainable twist?

Overall, as events, neither the 2024 Met Gala not the Cannes festival seem to have made a mark in the world of sustainability or responsible consumption.  Whether its the Cannes’ beef ban or the Met’s vegan menu, a lot of other concerns regarding emissions remain unaddressed. Even electric vehicles introduced this year at Cannes may not be quite enough to bring down the considerable impact such a large event has. While they promise to cut emissions by 30% by 2030, it still remains to be seen how they will achieve that target. The Met Gala on the other hand, seems to have made no such commitments and if the internet is to be believed, was a missed opportunity to promote sustainability in the fashion industry which accounts for 8% of the world’s carbon emissions.

The blink and you’ll miss them initiatives of the attendees at their attempt to be sustainable on the red carpet fell far short of what the world expects from people with so much influence and power; and even worse is that so many of them didn’t even try. The fact that Cannes and the Met Gala both banned plastic water bottles is a classic case of ‘too little too late’ and their carbon sequestration efforts (if any) are at best a far fetched dream of an idealistic corporate generation that run the world today. In the end, I’d have to say that both events left much to be desired in the arena of sustainability and their efforts towards a positive environmental impact were so lacklustre that even the dazzling zero carbon lab grown ethical diamonds by Vrai could not quite save the day. 

Sustainable Fashion: Not Just a Trend, But a Lifestyle

The message is clear: sustainability is not just a trend; it’s here to stay.  And every large scale event with its global spotlight, can prove to be the perfect stage to showcase how fashion can be fabulous and earth-friendly. It’s like eating your cake and having it too, if the cake were made from locally sourced, GMO free and pesticide free ingredients. While a small step in the right direction definitely counts in the world of eco-fashion, we’re optimistic about astronomically transformative leaps from iconic fashion events to set the trend of slow fashion. 

So, what’s our takeaway from Met Gala and Cannes 2024? Besides the obvious that celebrities (and everyone else in the world) need to recycle wardrobes more often and maybe adopt a sea turtle, it’s that fashion and sustainability can go hand in hand – or should we say, hand in biodegradable glove. So the next time you’re shopping, remember that true style is timeless and kind to our planet. As you strut your stuff, whether down the red carpet or the grocery aisle, channel your inner eco diva.  And as an influencer, whether mini, micro or nano, be glamorous, be conscious, and most importantly, be yourself. Because the best accessory to any outfit is a sustainable attitude – and maybe a killer pair of recycled plastic heels, to follow in Ed Sheeran’s vegan shod footsteps.