Livia Firth named global ambassador for Oxfam

Eco warrior and wife of Colin, Livia Firth, has been announced as Oxfam's latest global ambassador and will help the charity with its campaigning and fundraising work.

20 July 2012

Livia Firth models a Little Black Dress from her Livia Firth Designs collection

Livia Firth has become a global ambassador for Oxfam, joining the likes of her actor husband Colin, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Coldplay's Chris Martin, to partner the charity in its campaigning and fundraising work.

Italian-born Livia, who married Oscar-winner Colin in 1997, has supported Oxfam for years and has visited its programs in Bangladesh and Zambia. She has helped Oxfam to raise funds in the UK, America and Italy.

Livia also regularly supports Oxfam fundraising auctions and runs ethical e-commerce shop Eco Age , a shop-in-shop at online retail destination Yoox which sells only sustainable designs.

She donated the jewellery she wore to the 2011 Baftas and to the 2011 Oscars ceremony. Most recently she donated four gowns which she wore on the red carpet.

READ: Livia Firth kicks off her 2012 Green Carpet Challenge

The dresses by Armani, Valentino, Gucci and Prada are all bespoke sustainable pieces produced for Livia's Green Carpet Challenge, a project which pairs glamour and ethics to raise the profile of sustainable style at the world's most high-profile red carpet events.

Livia said: "An on-the-ground visit with Oxfam's partners really helped to open my eyes to the truth of the global supply chain for fashion. Meeting the women who produce our fashion brought me face to face with the realities of life in a garment factory and the urgent need for reform and equality in our supply chains.

"I am really excited to become an ambassador for Oxfam. I hugely respect the way that it works, supporting communities to find solutions to the problems they face, whether by safeguarding the rights of women, ensuring that people have access to health care and education or something as fundamental as making sure that everyone has enough to eat."

Claire Lewis, Oxfam global ambassador programme manager, said: "Livia is a wonderful ambassador to welcome into the organisation. She has a huge amount of energy and is passionate and committed in her support of Oxfam's work."

Eco queen Livia Firth to launch her own range

Enjoy a preview of Livia Firth Designs, the first sustainably-made capsule collection by Colin Firth's ethically-minded other half, Livia.

BY Olivia Bergin | 06 July 2012

Livia Firth models a Little Black Dress from her Livia Firth Designs collection

Livia Firth is one savvy style-setter. When her husband Colin Firth was nominated for a Golden Globe in Tom Ford's A Single Man , the Italian-born former film producer didn't succumb to the role of mere 'trophy wife'. Instead, she elected to attend all red carpet events, including the Oscars, dressed solely in sustainable fashion in order to raise the profile of ecological and social justice in the fashion industry. More than just a one-off awards season wonder, she launched the Green Carpet Challenge , persuading stars such as Cameron Diaz and Meryl Streep to step out in bespoke designer creations made from recycled polyester from plastic bottles.

In pictures: Livia Firth's 'green' hits on the red carpet

Next up on her plans for global eco-fashion domination? Why, her own line of course.

Following on from the online launch of Eco Age, her shop-in-shop on the shopping website Yooxygen which features her edit of the best ethical fashion, (she closed her west London store to focus on e-commerce) Firth is making her own design debut with five pieces.

The first instalment of Livia Firth Designs comprises of wardrobe staples such as a little black dress in organic wool with a vegetable tanned leather obi belt, a hand-embroidered butterfly motif pashmina, two styles of woollen cloche hat and a hand crafted butterfly necklace.

"The idea is to do maximum four pieces a season - to focus on essentials and quite classical pieces, which can also be versatile and used in more than one way (see the little black dress which goes from "good girl" to "bad girl!")" explains Firth.

"It is the beginning of building a sustainable cupboard, which can slowly fill with good quality, classical pieces with a twist which are produced keeping in mind the ecological impact and social justice implications."

And of course, Firth acts as the perfect model for her carefully conceived pieces. "I had so much fun!" she said of the shoot. "To be asked to be a model at 42 years old is fantastic!" she enthuses.

Livia Firth is green queen of the red carpet

While Eco Age showcases the very best in ethical fashion, not all of Livia's personal wardrobe is eco. Her advice to those trying to make more ethically-minded purchases is to: "invest in good quality garments which you know you will love. I always ask myself 'will this be in my cupboard in 10 years time?".

She cites her group of ethically-minded "mentors" as her style inspirations: environmental journalist and author Lucy Siegle, From Somewhere founder Orsola De Castro and 'eco-stylist' Jocelyn Whipple.

"Everyone's style should be dictated very much by who you are, who you know, and what you learn" believes Firth, "Not by what other people tell you to wear!"

eco-age.com
yoox.com