Cate Blanchett Made Her Own Sustainable, Pearl Necklace to the BAFTAs

LONDON — The winning necklace.

Award season’s most coveted Cate Blanchett is on a sustainability mission and she’s taken it to the BAFTAs red carpet with herself.

More from WWD

• Chanel and Charles Finch Pre-BAFTA 2023 Party

• BAFTA Red Carpet 2023 Arrivals: All the Looks, Live Updates

• Pharrell Williams & Louis Vuitton Through the Years

The “Tár” actor picked up the Best Actress award at Sunday’s ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London in a custom Maison Margiela black silk and velvet gown by John Galliano with a special necklace that she designed with Francesca Amfitheatrof, artistic director of watches and jewelry at Louis Vuitton.

“Seeking out and using and reusing sustainable materials is very important to me, and Francesca and I both know the beauty that can come from engaging in this space. So in conversation, we decided to create a moment to showcase not only her incredible artistry and ingenuity but the craftsmanship at Louis Vuitton,” Blanchett told WWD about the four string pearl necklace that sits with a 23.78 carat Nigerian tourmaline that’s connected to hand-threaded rows of metallic Tahitian pearls.

“We seized the moment to create something exquisite together. The tourmaline stone was recovered and repurposed from a previous necklace design, as were the pearls. Rewearing, repurposing, and a collective approach toward more sustainable options are integral to the evolution and sustainability of the fashion industry,” added Blanchett.

The necklace was created in Vuitton’s Place Vendome high jewelry atelier, featuring 188 Tahitian pearls in total which were repurposed from existing Louis Vuitton necklaces.

“When Cate Blanchett talked to me about designing a repurposed necklace, this mission, for me, was a study in timelessness. I love pearls and sought to create a piece for her made from repurposing them along with other stones and gold, as what better way to pay homage to the enduring nature of the world’s most precious materials than by their reuse and continual adaptation,” said Amfitheatrof of the process.

Blanchett has been vocal in the past about sustainability on the red carpet. In 2020, she rewore her Esteban Cortázar gown from the press tour of “Carol” from 2015 to the Venice Film Festival.

Last year Blanchett partnered with her friend Danny Kennedy, clean-technology entrepreneur to host a podcast on climate change for Audible called “Climate of Change,” where they invited guests such as the former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, Prince William, Adam McKay and more.

Best of WWD

• David Yurman Files Lawsuit Against Mejuri, Alleging 'Serial' Copying

• Pasquale Bruni Bets Big on the U.S.

• Viral Barcelona-Based Jewelry Brand La Manso Pops Up in NYC

Click here to read the full article.