Baftas 2020: Guests asked to rewear old clothes or hire outfits at sustainable ceremony

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet

Get our free Climate email

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

BAFTA has asked guests to make sustainable choices on the red carpet as part of its efforts to be a carbon neutral awards ceremony.

The British award body has given all those attending Sunday’s event a sustainable fashion guide created by the London College of Fashion.

The guide encourages attendees to either re-wear something they already own or hire an ensemble as opposed to buying something new.

It also urges guests to make the most of rental fashion sites, such as Hurr Collective, By Rotation and My Wardrobe HQ, or source clothing from resale outlets like Vestiare Collective and Depop.

Additionally, the guide lists several sustainable fashion brands, such as Stella McCartney and Reformation, which are renowned for using innovative eco-friendly materials.

“This awards season BAFTA are doing more than ever before to consider sustainability across its awards ceremonies, including inviting guests to ‘dress sustainably’,” the guide states.

“To help navigate some of the issues around fashion and sustainability London College of Fashion, UAL are supporting BAFTA with more information on how you can dress sustainably.”

A spokesperson for BAFTA added: “Sustainability is very important to BAFTA, and we’re doing more than ever before.

“Where sustainable choices are unable to be made, BAFTA is offsetting, as well as giving guests the tools to offset their own travel and make sustainable fashion choices.”

The decision has been praised by TV presenter Laura Whitmore, who shared her delight in an Instagram post.

“This year @Bafta film awards are going carbon neutral. They’ve also asked for everyone to wear something they already own! Love this idea,” the Love Island host wrote in a caption below a series of old photographs of her at previous BAFTA ceremonies.

“I owned none of these dresses but I did borrow from the designers and they were all worn and loved again by other people,” Whitmore added.

In addition to encouraging guests to dress sustainably, the awards ceremony will forgo goody bags and serve a vegan starter and dessert in a bid to be more environmentally friendly.

BAFTA is not the only awards ceremony that is going green. Last month, the Golden Globes served an exclusively vegan meal during the ceremony.

Meanwhile, the menu at the Oscars luncheon last week was also entirely plant-based.