Red Carpet Green Dress Launching App to Make Sustainability Social

Red Carpet Green Dress is unveiling its first app, in a goal to make sustainability exchanges more joyful, accessible and human.

“I think we can make learning about sustainability more fun,” said Samata Pattinson, chief executive officer of Red Carpet Green Dress, on why the app was the ideal move for the nonprofit, which stands to educate red carpet-goers and designers alike on sustainable fashion.

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The hybrid app, which combines web-based and mobile properties, was over a year in the making and houses exclusive interviews with sustainability advocates like designer Vivienne Westwood and primatologist Jane Goodall, among others.

Users can interact directly with sustainability leaders using the chat feature, asking questions on sustainable styling tips or how to shop for durable clothes. Other in-app features include educational crosswords, videos, readings and a calendar spotlighting social justice and “sustainable days around the world,” according to Pattinson.

Across its existing channels, Red Carpet Green Dress estimates around 30,000 engaged individuals. For the app, the goal is “quality of engagement” instead of numbers. Pattinson believes the appeal is wide-reaching, and existing networks with fashion colleges like the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising or the London College of Fashion will help build the community.

“Citizens would like to be treated as if they’re capable of understanding, digesting and mastering this conversation of sustainability because there is always an underestimation about what everyday citizens are capable of understanding, which I think is problematic,” Pattinson said. “Yes, we should change our language a little bit, but I think once we’ve addressed the way that we talk about sustainability then I think that there are so many citizens that will be jumping into these conversations.…For us, what we find exciting about this community is what we plan to learn from [them].”

Pattinson reiterated that the space is not a place for agenda pushing, but rather an “exchange” and presenting sustainability in a kind way that fits into the campaign’s broader strategy for the year.

The nonprofit is anticipating its upcoming design collaborations with textile innovator Lenzing for this year’s Oscars awards ceremony as well as a first-of-its-kind sustainability report coming later this year (no details revealed as of yet).

In any of the efforts, Pattinson said, “What we’re trying to do this year is to keep pushing conversation which is accessible, which is reaching across the global audience and is different and fun. I think some of the key words for us going forward is incorporating more joy, accessibility, simpler, more human words.”

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