( ENSPIRE Fashion ) The Sustainable Style Awards, Hosted by Maison de Mode, Celebrates both Fashion and Sustainability at The West Hollywood EDITION
ENSPIRE Contributor: Maya Lanzone
In honor of Earth Day this year, Maison de Mode, a hybrid ethical fashion retailer, hosted the fifth annual Sustainable Style Awards at the luxurious West Hollywood EDITION boutique hotel. Founded in 2015, Maison de Mode is a premier platform for sustainable fashion. The luxury ethical fashion brand fuses brick and mortar experiences with a seamless online boutique that specializes in unique ready-to-wear fine jewelry, accessories, and home goods.
The co-founder and CEO of Maison de Mode, Hassan Pierre hosted the awards, as well as the chief brand officer, Amanda Hearst. They created the evening to celebrate sustainable fashion, with top luxury and independent fashion houses having designed one-of-a-kind sustainable looks for Hollywood ambassadors of sustainability and style to flaunt.
The two awards of the night, the Sustainable Style Award and the Impact Award were bestowed upon leaders in sustainability to recognize their contributions to the field. In deciding the winner of the awards, the factor most considered was the candidate’s business alignment with positive social and environmental impact regarding corporate responsibility, materials’ integrity, production, and supply chain.
Carolyn Murphy, a model, actress, and advocate for the environment, was honored with The Sustainable Style Award for her lasting impact in the field of fashion and sustainability through her influence, philanthropy, and work. She is the designer of a 100% sustainable collection.
Aurora James was the recipient for the Impact Award for her achievement and excellence in sustainable design and practice. She is the founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, a non-profit advocacy organization that is closing the racial wealth gap by partnering with retailers to diversify their shelves and commit 15 percent of their purchasing power to Black-owned businesses. She is also the founder of Brother Vellies, a luxury accessories brand that sustains artisanal jobs.
As part of the event, they auctioned specialty items online on CharityBuzz. The auctioned items included a VIP package from sought-after skin therapist Dr. Barbara Sturm and a VIP experience with the Thomas Keller restaurant group. 100% of the proceeds benefited Well Beings, an environmental non-profit that unites animal welfare and environmental protection.
They centered all aspects of the evening around sustainability. The style was not sacrificed for the sake of sustainability, with guests donning head-to-toe sustainable looks. To complement their outfits, they adorned several guests with natural and responsibly sourced diamonds from De Beers, one sponsor of the event. In addition, the evening’s entire carbon emissions were offset in partnership with EcoAct – an international climate consultancy and project developer that helps businesses and organizations succeed in their climate ambitions.
The food and drink for the event were sustainably sourced. They welcomed guests with seasonal cocktails made from consciously sourced ingredients by Johnnie Walker. They were also offered a plant-based menu, created by vegetable-forward Michelin-Starred Chef John Fraser. The menu featured sliders and meatballs made with Impossible™ Burger meat. Guests were invited to enjoy a three-course plant-based dinner, including Raw Cauliflower Cacio e Pepe, Sweet Potato Curry, and Vegan Carrot Cake.
For the fifth year in a row, Hassan Pierre and Amanda Hearst could create a luxurious yet sustainability-minded evening. The Sustainable Style Awards successfully celebrated both sustainability and fashion, as the two can and should coexist.
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