By Frances Hopes
The very first edition of the Green Carpet Fashion Awards took place on 24 September at Teatro alla Scala, during Milan Fashion Week. The Awards seek to celebrate the behind-the-scenes talent in the fashion, including artisan makers and innovative designers.
To mark this momentous occasion, Chopard Co-President and Creative Director Caroline Scheufele designed the 12 trophies that were awarded on the night. The awards feature pomegranate, whose seeds symbolise sustainability, and are crafted from ethical Fairmined certified gold, extracted by artisanal and small-scale miners as part of Chopard’s Journey to Sustainable Luxury.
The Green Carpet Fashion Awards will honour 12 laureates – exceptional artisans, mills, producers and brands, in 12 different categories. Among the winners in the inaugural year was Chiara Vigo, the first ever recipient of The Green Carpet Fashion Awards Artisanal Laureate 2017. She is thought to be the last of her generation to make the incredible sea silk, known as Bisso. A true symbol of Made in Italy, she is considered to be the only person left to harvest the precious sea silk, spin it and make it shine like gold.
On being asked to design the awards, Scheufele said: “[It] was an honour that would have been impossible to pass up. These awards are closely aligned with our values at Chopard, especially with the Journey to Sustainable Luxury and the celebration of the artisans involved in all levels of our supply chain. It was only right that the statuette should reflect the values at the heart of the event.”
The Journey to Sustainable Luxury began when Chopard, with Eco-Age, forged a philanthropic relationship with the influential South American mining NGO, the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM). The luxury jewellery and watch company became the world’s first watch and luxury jewellery company to directly support mining communities to reach Fairmined gold certification as well as providing training, social welfare and environmental support.
