Hollywood star Cate Blanchett said that her custom made dress for the award event BAFTAs was made out of deadstock.
Deadstock are items that have never been sold and are unlikely to be sold due to a lack of demand.
At the event, the actress was seen dressed in a high-necked crepe-jersey claret dress teamed with a gem-encrusted choker and there was a strong message of sustainability in the creation.
Nicolas Ghesquiere used the fashion house’s existing stock to create the gown, which took 150 hours, while Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of watches and jewellery, rearranged gems from older collections, including pearls previously worn by Cate to last year’s BAFTAs, in a process described as “creative circularity.”
In a conversation with Vogue Magazine, Cate said that “deadstock is not a sexy word.”
She added: “But Nicolas used it to make a strong, sexy dress, and Francesca has brought her artistry to the fore yet again to rearrange and redesign a spectacular piece of body jewellery. I’m in awe of them both and relish collaborating with them at Louis Vuitton.”
The 54-year-old actress, who has worked in films such as ‘Tar’, ‘Carol’, ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and ‘Ocean’s 8’ among many others, says she likes finding “creative ways” to be more sustainable with her red carpet wear.
Cate added, “I love the next, the new, but I also relish the opportunity to rework, reflect, and bring the best of the past into the present. There are no single fixes to tackling anthropogenic climate change, but finding creative ways to tackle (the culture of) excess in the fashion industry, and the pressures it places on our climate, is imperative.”