On the heels of the Oscars, in this post we'll discover more about the “Oscars of Sustainable Fashion”, the Green Carpet Fashion Awards (GCFA). The event honors names that encourage sustainable and ethical fashion, as well as highlighting personalities who seek to leave a legacy of more conscious, responsible actions aimed at the collective transformation of the world.
This year's awards were hosted in Los Angeles, with honorees ranging from Donatella Versace to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The Green Carpet Fashion Awards began in 2017 in Milan, Italy, and were created by the Italian federation Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) in collaboration with Eco-Age and other Italian organizations. The founder and creative director is Livia Firth, who is also currently sustainability editor at Vogue Arabia.
Every edition awards are divided into categories based on six cultural archetypes: The Visionary, The Messenger, The Rebel, The Healer, The Sage, The Futurist.
According to GCFA, by embracing these persona models in the sustainable landscape, “the event recognizes those who offer a new perspective on authentic intersectional transformation, while bringing together the next generation of global leaders driving political, social and environmental solutions for a brighter collective future.”
THE VISIONARY: ANGAANGAQ ANGAKKORSUAQ
Meaning: An innovative thinker who can see the path to a better world.
Angaangaq is a shaman, environmentalist, healer, storyteller and guardian of Greenland's ancient Qilaut (wind drum) traditions. His work aims to build a bridge between generations, from young to old. His contribution has taken him to more than 70 countries, passing on his knowledge and sharing experiences based on climate protection and nature awareness.
Presented by: Trudie Styler
THE MESSENGER: KALPONA AKTER
Meaning: An exemplary communicator and listener who amplifies truth in a way that changes the game for others.
Kalpona is the executive director and founder of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity (BCWS). She works for the safety of workers in the fashion industry. Her causes include security for fair salaries, good working conditions and the right to trade unions.
Her career in the fashion industry began at the age of 12 in her native Bangladesh. She began working in clothing factories and now dedicates herself to the cause of being an important voice for people in her region and around the world, even being instrumental in the creation of legislation against slave-like working conditions in the fashion industry.
In 2016, she was recognized with Human Rights Watch's Alison Des Forges Award for Extraordinary Activism.
Presented by: Annie Lennox
THE REBEL: JOHN LEGEND
Meaning: A courageous provocateur who challenges the status quo.
American singer-songwriter John Legend has had a career spanning more than 20 years and has won 12 Grammy Awards, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Tony and an Emmy. During his career, he has always been involved with causes to promote social justice. Some of his projects have been the Show Me Campaign, a program for access to education, and The Bail Project, a program that facilitated the hiring of ex-prisoners.
Presented by: Shaka Senghor
THE HEALER: MARY ROBINSON
Meaning: A caretaker who soothes pain and repairs damage.
Mary Robinson was Ireland's first female president and also had an important position as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In addition, she presided over The Elder, a foundation set up by Nelson Mandela made up of global leaders working for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet.
Presented by: Vanessa Nakate
THE FUTURISTS: BOBI WINE AND BARBIE KYAGULANYI
Meaning: A brave pioneer who foresees a brighter future and actively builds the path through decisive action and transformative change.
Bobi Wine is a singer and political activist from Uganda. He was a presidential candidate in 2021, and had his documentary “Bobi Wine, the People’s President”, which tells the story of this election period, nominated for an Oscar this year.
Barbie Kyagulanyi is a Ugandan philanthropist and author. Barbie is married to Bobi Wine. She is the founder of the NGO Caring Hearts Uganda, which works with adolescent girls to educate them about HIV/AIDS and menstrual hygiene.
Presented by: Rupi Kaur
THE SAGE: UN SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
Meaning: An educator who people turn to for all kinds of wisdom and experience to help them navigate difficulty and complexity.
The honoree was UN Secretary-General António Guterres, “for his visionary leadership, compassion and dedication to promoting peace, justice and human dignity on a global scale.”
Presented by: Vanessa Nakate
THE GCFA CHANGE MAKER: DONATELLA VERSACE
The Green Capert Fashion Awards also honor a Game Changer every year. In 2024, the award went to Donatella Versace for her activism for rights LGBTQ+ in fashion and culture.
Presented by: Jennifer Coolidge and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez.
CURIOSITY
In 2023, the Minister of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, Sônia Guajajara, won the award in the healer category. The award was presented by Leonardo Di Caprio. The minister was honored for her achievements in defending the rights of the forests and for helping the struggle of indigenous peoples by putting them on the climate agenda.
Considering the importance of actions such as the Green Carpet Fashion Awards (GCFA), the organization also publishes the awards' impact report. Access the impact report (click here).
Source: Green Capert Fashion Awards (https://www.greencarpetfashionawards.com/new-homepage); The Elders (https://theelders.org/profile/mary-robinson); The Circle (https://www.thecircle.ngo/news/kalpona-akter-circle-ambassador-featured-in-vogue/); Rolling Stone Brasil (https://rollingstone.com.br/noticia/john-legend-ganha-premio-das-nacoes-unidas-por-defesa-dos-direitos-humanos-no-setor-artistico/)
