Like the IRL princess she is, Emma Watson insisted all her Belle costumes be eco-friendly

Meaghan Kirby
Updated
Like the IRL princess she is, Emma Watson insisted all her Belle costumes be eco-friendly
Like the IRL princess she is, Emma Watson insisted all her Belle costumes be eco-friendly

Emma Watson is our dream BFF for many reasons including (but not limited to): Being an outspoken feminist, being hilarious, and caring about the environment. While promoting Beauty and the Beast, which is currently the BIGGEST movie in the world, Watson has been sharing her press journey with fans, opening up about her passion for sustainable fashion.

The Instagram page, @the_press_tour, which has been sharing behind the scenes photos and stories from the set and press tour for Beauty and the Beast, recently revealed Watson’s involvement in making sure her Belle costumes were environmentally friendly. As if we didn’t love her already!

Belle’s red dress and cape in @beautyandthebeast was a special ethical costume that we put together with @ecoage, Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran and @disney The cape was made from upcycled, traditionally woven British Jacob’s wool from around 1970, bought at a vintage fair. The fabric was overdyed using natural dyes, and the lining was made from paperlike Tussah silk. The jacket was made using hand-woven linen from the 1960s sourced from eBay, overdyed using low impact dyes. The fabric was from an old school project and was hand woven in the UK, and came with original labels and dates of manufacture. The blue and red stripe lining was sourced from a wonderful Indian supplier, who hand weaved and herbal dyed this GOTS certified organic cotton. The apron was made from a GOTS certified organic linen. The pattern was hand painted by London based artist Oliver Kilby, who also hand painted accessories for Belle’s other costumes. The off-white Peace Silk taffeta for the top skirt is Fair Trade certified and produced by a small hand-weaving unit in Cambodia. The edge facing fabric was made of the same silk, naturally dyed with madder, and printed using a hand block technique. The main GOTS certified organic cotton for the underskirt is overdyed with low impact dyes. The hide for the boots was produced using the most advanced environmentally respectful techniques such as chrome-free tanning, and solvent-free finishing. The front panel of the bodice was made from hand woven nettle, local communities harvest wild nettles in altitudes ranging from 1200m to 3000m, processing the fibres using traditional methods. The brown and beige stockings are made from organic cotton and hemp, a fibre which can be grown without pesticides or herbicides.

A post shared by The Press Tour (@the_press_tour) on Mar 28, 2017 at 10:40am PDT

According to her Instagram, the costume for “Something There” was created using as many sustainable products as possible. Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran, Eco-Age, and Disney all teamed up with Watson on the stunning eco friendly ensemble.

As Watson wrote on @the_press_tour, “The cape was made from upcycled, traditionally woven British Jacob’s wool from around 1970, bought at a vintage fair. The fabric was overdyed using natural dyes, and the lining was made from paper like Tussah silk.”

In her Instagram post, Watson, goes into detail describing every aspect of her “Something There” costume, from her hand-woven jacket, which was overdyed with low impact dyes, to the boots, which were produced, “using the most advanced environmentally respectful techniques, such as chrome-free tanning, and solvent-free finishing.”

In addition to her sustainable “Something There” look Watson has been using the_press_tour to promote sustainable and eco friendly brands, including Good Guys Don’t Wear Leather, Stella McCartney, and Cienne.

Final day in Shanghai was a blast. Thank you for having us! Top and trousers by @cienne_ny. Cienne produce locally and in small batches, so they never make more product than needed and aim to reduce fabric waste through pattern-making. All pieces are made in New York's garment district #30wears (worn previously at @entertainmentweekly shoot). Jewellery by @catbirdnyc, whose pieces are handmade in Brooklyn. Fashion information verified by @ecoage #ecoloves Skin is @kjaerweis certified-organic Cream Foundation and @vapourbeauty Illusionist Concealer which is made of 70% non-GMO, organic plant ingredients and 30% minerals. Cheeks contoured with Kjaer Weis Dazzling Bronzer and make-up was set with @inikaorganic Loose Mineral Foundation (which has an all-natural SPF25). Eyes are a combination of 'Bark' from the @beautycounter Desert Sunrise Palette (who support the Breast Cancer Fund) and Kjaer Weis Charmed Eye Shadow. Brows styled with @janeiredale Brow Gel. Lips tinted with Kjaer Weis Lip Tint in Passionate. All brands are cruelty-free. Beauty brands verified by @contentbeauty

A post shared by The Press Tour (@the_press_tour) on Mar 1, 2017 at 3:38pm PST

We think it’s amazing that Watson is going out of her way to promote environmentally friendly brands as well as local sustainable merchants she finds along the way.

We love Beauty and the Beast and next time we watch it, we’ll love knowing that the costumes are not only stunning, but environmentally friendly as well!