RED CARPET GREEN DRESS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TENCEL LUXE LAUNCHES GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE CONTEST

RED CARPET GREEN DRESS™ IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TENCEL™ LUXE LAUNCHES GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE CONTEST FOR DESIGN COMMUNITY AND RAISES FUNDS FOR GARMENT WORKERS IMPACTED BY COVID-19

Winning Designers to Dress Prominent Influencers in the Fashion & Entertainment Industry

(LOS ANGELES) - Red Carpet Green Dress™ has launched the RCGD Global Design Contest 2020 in partnership with TENCEL™ Luxe. Founded by leading environmentalist Suzy Amis Cameron, the international design contest is open to talented designers over the age of 21. Whether they are emerging or established professionals from all over the world - The RCGD Global Design contest is open to everyone. The designers can submit their application through rcgdglobal.com, from today, until July 30th 2020. The winners will be selected in late August by an international panel of sustainable fashion experts. The winning designers will get the opportunity to dress prominent influencers in the fashion and entertainment industry for an exciting red carpet moment and present their work to an audience of eco-influencers in LA at the RCGD Gala, along with a monetary award, and business mentorship and more.

Supported by the Conscious Fashion Campaign in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, the campaign and contest will be directing a percentage of funds raised towards two crucial organizations: Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh and The Fifth Pillar (in cooperation with Fair Wear) in Myanmar, as provision for the disproportionately vulnerable garment workers severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“At RCGD, we believe this is an important time for our sustainable design contest, which champions a message of hope and opportunity, particularly when spirits are so low. When Suzy Amis Cameron started the initiative in 2009, her motivations were to create opportunities and visibility for fashion designers and to fundraise for environmental or socially responsible causes. We could not think of a more relevant time to step up for both of those reasons, over 10 years later. We are excited to partner with TENCEL™ Luxe and put the crucial spotlight on emerging design talent, and at the same time the incredible work our allies at Awaj Foundation in Bangladesh and The Fifth Pillar in Myanmar are doing to support garment workers right now,” said Samata Pattinson, CEO of Red Carpet Green Dress™.

“For decades, sustainability has always been sidelined in eco-couture. Through our partnership with Red Carpet Green Dress™, we are able to put the spotlight on sustainability on the red carpet. We are thrilled to join hands with Red Carpet Green Dress™ in the RCGD Global Design Contest 2020 and together, we will take a greater stride forward to build a more sustainable industry ecosystem. We look forward to seeing many creative eco-couture entries and inspire designers all over the world to support us in driving sustainability in the fashion industry,” said Harold Weghorst, Vice President of Global MARKETING, Lenzing AG.

“Red Carpet Green Dress™ shares our vision in impacting positive change within the fashion industry. Working hand in hand with the United Nations Office for Partnerships we aim to support meaningful multi-stakeholder collaborations which secure a future where no one is left behind. RCGD Global Design Contest 2020 is the epitome of aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals as a roadmap to recovery in these unprecedented times to shape the future of fashion. Empowering next generation talent along with supporting women garment workers is a catalyst to commitment towards dynamic and lasting change,” said Kerry Bannigan, Founder Conscious Fashion Campaign in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships

Red Carpet Green Dress™ was conceived in response to the growing need for sustainable fashion. When faced with the lack of ethical fashion choices whilst attending global premieres of husband James Camerons’ ‘Avatar’, campaign founder Suzy Amis Cameron decided that it was time for a change. She created a design contest which challenged emerging and established designers across the globe to create sustainable Oscar-worthy gowns, thus fulfilling the Green Dress criteria to serve the obvious need for more sustainability in the industry. During this current pandemic so many have lost their jobs including garment workers. By directing a percentage of funds raised through entries – there is a nominal $30 entry fee – and direct contributions from RCGD and partners to the Awaj Foundation and The Fifth Pillar (in cooperation with Fair Wear), they aim to step up for these workers and create opportunities for the global design community at the same time. RCGD is partnering with TFS Natural Home by The Futon Shop to provide face masks to the garment workers, many of whom are either being forced back to factory work prematurely or are in precarious and vulnerable positions.

The Prize

Winning designers will be announced in late August. The prize includes:

• The opportunity to dress prominent influencers in the fashion and entertainment industry for a red carpet moment. The unveiling event(s) will be announced at a later date.
• The opportunity to present their work to an audience of eco-influencers in LA.
• A monetary award of $1,000
• Business mentorships with Laura Basci (Couture Designer) and RCGD CEO Samata Pattison
• An invitation to join the Red Carpet Green Dress™ Oscars Gala in Los Angeles

The Judges:

• Suzy Cameron, Founder - A noted environmental leader, business pioneer, mom of five and new grandma, Suzy Amis Cameron is committed to caring for our wild, living Earth, with an emphasis on plant-based food to address climate change. In 2009, she launched Red Carpet Green Dress™, a global sustainable fashion campaign showcasing environmentally responsible fashions on the red carpet in partnership with The Oscars. RCGD also co-creates sustainable garments with luxury international fashion brands.
• Nazma Akter - The founder and Executive Director of Awaj Foundation. Nazma has been fighting to improve workers’ rights, especially women workers, in the garment sector in Bangladesh for over 32 years. Nazma is also the President of Sommilito Garments Sramik Federation, one of the largest union federations in Bangladesh, and co-chair of Asia Pacific Women’s Committee of IndustriALL Global Union.
• Laura Basci - Swiss fashion designer and haute couture tailor based in Los Angeles. She delivers flawless fits for celebrities for countless award shows, red carpet events, video & photo shoots and TV & movie productions. Top designers, stylists and celebrities have made Laura Basci one of the most in demand names for haute couture tailoring and fashion design in Los Angeles and the rest of the world.
• Harold Weghorst - Vice President of Global Brand Management at Lenzing AG. A veteran in the global branding and marketing sector, Weghorst has been driving the leading cellulose fibers company's transformation from a B2B company to a B2B2C company since June 2016, whilst heading the company's international marketing efforts.

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Red Carpet Green Dress™:
Red Carpet Green Dress™ (RCGD) is a women-led global change-making organization. Conceived in 2009 by Suzy Amis Cameron, RCGD challenges designers from around the world to deliver eco-friendly garments through a no-waste approach, focusing on social impact consideration, fair and humane treatment of manufacturers, a clear supply chain, and materials which use a high proportion of recycled and biodegradable materials. Since its inception, the campaign has grown to include brand collaborations, internships, knowledge-share platforms and educational experiences for students, and our remit continues to grow.

Leading fashion houses including Louis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Armani, Elie Saab, Swarovski, Christian Siriano, Bulgari, Dunhill and Reformation have joined the design campaign initiative to create sustainable red carpet wear with celebrities including Kaitlyn Dever, Léa Seydoux, Sophie Turner, Emma Roberts, LaKeith Stanfield, Camila Alves, and Naomie Harris stepping up as representatives. RCGD has been featured in Vanity Fair, W Magazine, People, The Hollywood Reporter, WWD, Washington Post, Harper's Bazaar, VOGUE, Refinery29, The Guardian, ELLE, LA Times, The New York Times, InStyle and others.

TENCEL™ Luxe
Aspiring to lead the pursuit of eco-friendly solutions for textiles, garments, and fashion, TENCEL™ Luxe targets premium and luxury brands that aim to blend high fashion with sustainability while maintaining quality and reputation. TENCEL™ Luxe is the first cellulose filament yarn made from sustainable wood resources using a closed loop production process in a commercial scale. With silky smoothness, liquidlike drape and color vibrancy, TENCEL™ Luxe is designed for sensuality yet engineered with environmental responsibility, transforming the future of eco couture.. Supremely smooth to the touch, TENCEL™ Luxe offers the bridge between supreme quality and sustainable fashion.

TENCEL™
TENCEL™ is the textile specialty brand under The Lenzing Group that covers specialty product offerings for apparel and home. TENCEL™ defines a new evolutionary step in terms of sustainability, functional benefits, and natural comfort. Featuring botanic origin and biodegradable quality, product brands under TENCEL™ includes TENCEL™ Active, TENCEL™ Denim, TENCEL™ Home, TENCEL™ Intimate, TENCEL™ Luxe and TENCEL™ for Footwear.

Awaj FOUNDATION
Through its projects, services, research and advocacy, Awaj Foundation aims to empower workers and enable harmonious industrial relations. Awaj Foundation particularly focuses on supporting women workers, because they believe that leadership from women can transform society towards greater equity and justice. As a grassroots organization with an extensive network among garment workers and their families, Awaj Foundation are seeing first-hand the devastating impact the pandemic is having on workers. Many of their members have reported that factories have been shut down indefinitely and workers were given only 23 days of salary as severance. Some factories have closed without giving any payments. Awaj Foundation are also working to establish a decent and living wage for garment workers in Bangladesh.

THE FIFTH PILLAR
The Fifth Pillar (TFP), a registered local organization of human rights lawyers, will work in cooperation with respected industry body Fair Wear to manage the funds raised. TFP is a rights and legal based NGO with a mission of strengthening democratic institutions in Myanmar, which has a strong network with the trade unions, labour organizations, and a payment system to ensure safe fund distribution. TFP was founded in 2016 and currently running with 17 staff members in two offices across Myanmar. Industry body Fair Wear works with 130 member brands who are committed to finding a fairer way to making clothes, and engage directly with factories, trade unions, NGOs and governments to find answers to problems which others think are unsolvable.

THE CONSCIOUS FASHION CAMPAIGN
The Conscious Fashion Campaign, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships, engages the global fashion industry to commit to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative champions fashion as an influential sector to address the world’s most pressing issues and lead a future that leaves no one behind. The campaign is dedicated to driving change through advocacy, education and engagement of industry stakeholders to create a sustainable future for all. The Conscious Fashion Campaign commits to actively support the Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development by bridging the gap between the United Nations and global major fashion activations to enable the Sustainable Development Goals to scale and create multi-stakeholder partnerships with concrete strategies for action.