Livia Giuggioli (Firth)

[alicia753]

dailymail.co.uk

The Queen of Green: Colin Firth's wife insists on eco-friendly fashion - so would her gowns win an Oscar for style?
Last updated at 11:11 AM on 21st February 2011


While Colin Firth has been stock-piling awards for his role in The Kings Speech, his wife, Livia, 41, has created her own buzz on the world's red carpets. The eco-store owner challenged herself to wear only ethical, environmentally-sustainable style for the premieres and awards shows she was attending with her husband.
The mother-of-two's outfits have not only been eco-friendly but sartorially dazzling, too. Livia, who has a blog on Vogue.com entitled The Green Carpet Challenge, says: 'It was an opportunity for me to think... not just about the aesthetic appeal of clothes - obviously that's important on the red carpet - but their structure, manufacture and lifespan, too.'
From raiding her mother's wardrobe to chopping up Colin's old suits, here is how she proved you can be glamorous in 'green'

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl49.jpg http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl50.jpg

LEFT: At the BAFTAs in London, Livia debuted an elegant £3,800 dress by Nina Skarra, made using Peace silk — sustainable silk which does not kill the silkworm during the process of making the fabric, unlike normal silk
VERDICT: This elegant, body-skimming gown is simple yet demure. The perfect choice for someone who doesn't want to hog the spotlight, yet still needs to shine.


RIGHT: For the London premiere of The King's Speech, Livia wore a hybrid dress — originally a black shift she bought aged 19 and a leopard-print halterneck last seen at a screening of A Single Man last year
VERDICT: What a fantastic way to breathe new life into your wardrobe. The leopard-print feels fresh and the red lips are perfect

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl51.jpg http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl52.jpg

RIGHT: Celebrating Colin's star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, Livia donned a £124 pair of organic cotton trousers and a £144 top from Stewart+Brown, and accessories by Riccardo Rizieri, produced using vegetable-treated and dyed leather
VERDICT: Livia brings some London chic to LA with this stylish ensemble


http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl53.jpg http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl54.jpg

LEFT: The U.S. premiere of The King's Speech in New York called for a Peace silk dress by Minna Hepburn, £250, and a £4,399 bracelet by Ruff & Cut made with conflict-free diamonds and recycled 18k gold
VERDICT: A little black dress is the perfect choice for New York, and this one feels anything but boring thanks to the lace detailing and gold shoes.

RIGHT: At the King’s Speech premiere in Paris, Livia took one of Colin's old moth-eaten suits and, for £250, had it transformed into a chic dress by East London-based brand Junky Styling
VERDICT: Colin's suit has never looked better. Stylish and retro, the shape flatters Livia's figure and her shoes match her husband’s tie perfectly.

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl55.jpg http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl56.jpg http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl57.jpg

LEFT: At the London Critics' Circle Film Awards, Livia donned a wool and cashmere dress from Henrietta Ludgate, who uses only fabrics produced in the British Isles (similar designs: £440)
VERDICT: The graphic shape of this dress works and the tights are a great addition. But the twee bag and fussy shoes are not
MIDDLE: At the British Independent Film Awards, Livia refashioned one of her mother's dresses from the
Seventies. She accessorised with earrings by Leila Hafzi and shoes and bag from Roger Vivier
VERDICT: Top marks for channeling the Seventies — this season's most fashionable decade — but this dress looks shapeless
RIGHT: For the LA Film Critics Awards, Livia chose a blue dress from Karen Caldwell, made with vegetable-
dyed Peace silk, worn with a Roger Vivier clutch bag and shoes
VERDICT: A suitably royal hue, this dress has elegant draping and is this season's midi-length, but the bold accessories seem to jar with the otherwise classic look.

 

[littlepaperstars]

I've seen some of the fabrics going into he Oscar dress, beautiful. 11 dresses to make up the one dress and all from the period of The Kings Speech. Apparently there's corsetry and the only new thing in the dress is the thread. Apparently she's wearing the first Fair Trade gold jewellery ever too

 

[alicia753]

dailymail.co.uk

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl58.jpg

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl59.jpg

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl60.jpg

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/articl61.jpg

 

[alicia753]

dailymail.co.uk

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/artic100.jpg

t is so easy for her, and the sort of women who inhabit this part of West London, to enjoy the luxury of shopping ethically, organically and sustainably.
Livia's response when I dare to venture that her new shop is an indulgence, merely a way for the middle-classes to assuage guilt while the planet burns, is surprisingly heartfelt and blunt.
'I think if you are privileged, you have to be responsible. Shopping ethically is not a luxury. If you are a mother, why would you want to buy something that exploits children?'
I tell her that I have stood in Primark challenging mums about the ethics of what they are buying, pointing out that if a pair of jeans cost £1.50, someone somewhere is getting screwed, yet very few of these shoppers seem to care.
In Italy, says Livia, making food from scratch and recycling things is second nature. 'I have two sons,' she says, 'one is eight, one is five. The youngest has never worn new clothes - he always wears his brother's hand-me-downs. I recycle everything.'
The idea to open Eco Age came from her younger brother, the incredibly handsome Nicola Giuggioli, who wanted a destination where people could buy everything ecological for their homes, from light bulbs to paint to wallpaper, bathrooms and clothes, but where they could also ask questions.

'Ethical shopping had become too confusing,' says Livia, a former film producer who met her husband on the set of a movie in 1996.
'Something might be made from organic cotton, but is it manufactured fairly? We can guarantee that everything in our store, from top to bottom, has as small a carbon footprint as possible.'
While many of the designs in the store are pricey, there are a surprising number of pieces that are extremely affordable.
I love the bags made from old bottle tops or colourful sweet wrappers, £20, the Panama hats made in Ecuador, £35, and the Kuyichi organic jeans that come in lots of great shapes, from £95.
As we part, Livia says: 'An Eloise Grey coat will last a lifetime. You can pass it on to your daughter. How great is that?'

 

[alicia753]

dailymail.co.uk

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/artic101.jpg

 

[alicia753]

isopix.be

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/isop1439.jpghttp://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/isop1440.jpg

Los Angeles, 2011-2-22 / COLIN FIRTH and his wife LIVIA GIUGGIOLI arriving at LAX airport

 

[alicia753]

isopix.be

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/isop1476.jpghttp://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/isop1477.jpg

Colin Firth and wife Livia leave Heathrow Airport for Los Angeles and the Oscars where he has a nomination for best actor for his portrayal of George VI in the film The Hings Speech.

 

[alicia753]

isopix.be

http://i78.***********/u/f78/11/78/63/65/isop1486.jpg

Actor Colin Firth and wife, Livia Giuggioli attending the pre-BAFTA dinner celebrating best film nominee The King's Speech hosted by The Weinstein Company at Almada Bar and Club in London, 11/02/2011.

 

[alicia753]

isopix.be

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isopi888.jpg

24 February 2011 - Beverly Hills, CA - Colin Firth arrives to the opening of the new Tom Ford store in Beverly Hills, California.

 

[alicia753]

vogue (livia's blog)

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/lfirth10.jpg

 

[alicia753]

guardian.co.uk

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/green-10.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/ball-g10.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/custom10.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/custom11.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/yellow10.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/fairtr10.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/upcycl10.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/mud-dy10.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/indigo10.jpg

Livia wearing eco-couture.

 

[alicia753]

lemagasineinfo

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/index-10.jpg

 

[alicia753]

savings.com

Living Well, Living Green: Livia Firth Brings Ethical Fashion to the Red Carpet

By RachelSarnoff

Yes, she’s married to one of the "50 Most Beautiful People." Yes, she spent the awards season traipsing over red carpets from Venice, Italy to Venice, CA. But as the co-owner of Eco Age, a sustainable fashion and lifestyle boutique in London, and co-founder of the "12 Degrees of Ethical Fashion" project, Livia Firth is a committed ecoista who walks the talk--and rolls with the punches.
When accused of being--in her words--the “wife of a famous actor who decided to do the eco thing,” Livia upped the ante with the “Green Carpet Challenge,” in which she wore only sustainable fashion designers on the red carpet of awards shows from the BAFTAs to the Oscars.
Livia’s motto? “Stop bitching and start a revolution,” a mantra she gleaned from a sticker she bought in Venice--Beach, not Italy. Next, she plans to open an ethical boutique in Los Angeles. And she won’t stop promoting sustainable fashion until she’s got the ear of Anna Wintour herself.


So let’s get down to it: When did you start getting involved in eco-consciousness?
It started three years ago when my brother Nicola had the idea to open Eco Age. We’ve always been eco-conscious without ever using the word “eco.” My mom bought the first energy-saving light bulbs when I was 12--not because she was “eco,” but to save money. As Italians, the way we grew up was just that way--we cooked only fresh, locally produced food. It just came naturally.
Now do you buy locally and grow your own food?
We have three veggie beds in the garden, which we started last year as an experiment. I try as much as I can to buy organic products. When I buy my veggies and fruit I try to make sure they don’t come from far away. I’m careful with what I buy. I try to be thoughtful about what I do.
I recently read an interview with Jonathan Safran Foer, who wrote the book, Eating Animals, about becoming a vegetarian. He pointed out that if you eat meat only one day less a week it’s the equivalent of taking five million cars off the road.
Once you know these things it becomes less about what background and money you have--it’s about how you behave as a consumer. Once you realize that each purchase is a vote, you act differently.
Instead of buying an economy pack of chicken and eating that every day, eat pasta or vegetables and buy organic chicken once a week.
Tell me about the “Green Carpet Challenge.”
Last year, we started the “12 Degrees of Ethical Fashion” program at Eco Age. “12 Degrees” is Lucy Siegle, who writes for The Observer in England, Jocelyn Whipple, who is like a walking encyclopedia of ethical fashion and Orsola de Castro, a fashion designer [the upcycled From Somewhere line] and director of Esthetica, the ethical fashion branch of London Fashion Week, and me.
We’ve known each other for years. Last year we started the program at Eco Age and also as a series of pop-up stores, each month focusing on a different aspect of ethical fashion: labor rights, community projects, organic fashion. Each month, we showcased all the designers who were working on that issue.
Then when Colin got the Golden Globe nomination, Lucy put me to the challenge of wearing nothing but ethical fashion on the red carpets. We took it to Vogue and they loved it. It’s been incredibly fun.

I wanted to ask you about Esthetica. Some designers that I spoke with about the Green Shows at New York Fashion Week felt like the sustainable shows had been “ghettoized,” rather than integrated into the main tents. How does Esthetica compare?

At Esthetica, it’s all in the same place; it’s in the same pavilion as London Fashion Week, but under a different name. I actually just spoke with Orsola about that. I was asking her why the Esthetica shows weren’t mixed with all the others. What she told me is that they had been working with the London College of Fashion and the British Fashion Institute for four years to develop the Esthetica concept [in which] these designers are rewarded for being sustainable [by sharing the space].
You can argue both sides. I have a feeling that it won’t last long. In a few years, all the shows will be together. I personally think that you choose a design for the beauty and the style--the sustainability is a plus.
But if you put these designers in the middle of all the others, they would get lost right now.
I was reading that on your blog and I thought it was so interesting that two of your favorite ethical designers--Leila Hafzi and Nina Skarra--are both from Norway. Do they know each other?
I don’t think so!


What other eco-fashion labels have you discovered?
Some of my favorite designers from Esthetica were Ivana Basilotta, Ada Zanditon and Nina Dolcetti. We also saw an amazing accessories collection from Elvis & Kresse Arts that’s made from recovered fire hose!
On the red carpet, I’ve worn From Somewhere, Anatomy, a re-purposed wedding dress by Christiana Couture, Mr. Larkin, Sara Shepard, Linda Loudermilk, Nina Skarra and Leila Hafzi. The shoes and bags are Roger Vivier, except for SAG, where I wore Stella McCartney.
What are your favorite eco-friendly beauty finds?
So far I’ve been addicted to Intelligent Nutrients, which is Horst Rechelbacher’s new line--he launched Aveda. It’s hair products and supplements and face oils, which I use. They are incredible! When I started the blog I went to him to sponsor because I love them.
As far as make up is concerned I haven’t tried anything at the moment that has convinced me to switch. I have my foundation and eyelashes and mascara and they’re not eco. I know there are more products out there now--I should find better ones.
There are so many new lines, jane iredale and Josie Maran Cosmetics are both full-range and have amazing products for red carpet makeup.
I can’t wait to try them. It’s like the Green Carpet Challenge--I know I’m going to be convinced!
Okay, speaking of, what’s your worst eco-sin?
Flying. We can’t avoid it. I’m Italian—we go to Italy. Colin travels for work all the time. Flying is one of those things that we have to do. We can’t avoid it. So we offset our flights and we try to amend with other things.
I love that you can choose to offset when buying tickets online.
Yes, Virgin offsets when you buy your tickets; British Airways has a program. But I don’t do it by these programs. We work directly with two charities, Oxfam and Survival International. I’m against the [airline programs] for two reasons. I think they let people not think too much about it. And they are difficult to control, they’re businesses in themselves. You have to really dig deep into who controls them, how they’re made, are they planting trees in the right land. There was one [program] where they were planting trees on land that the local people needed for their crops--they took that land away from them.
What’s the biggest green change you’d like to make in your life--even if it’s impossible right now?
To revolutionize the fashion industry! [laughs]
Aim big!
Yes, joking aside, if this Green Carpet Challenge can start a tiny little change it will be incredible. It’s the most wasteful industry and nobody is talking about it. They talk about food, planes, cars. But fashion is among the biggest out there for consumption and waste.
If it could [connect with] someone who would change that, it would be fantastic.
After I saw “The September Issue” I was struck by how many people said that Anna Wintour had single-handedly brought back fur in the ‘80s by putting so much of it in Vogue. Think about what she could do if you could connect with her!
I thought I was the one aiming big! [laughs] Yes! Let me meet Anna Wintour. Fix me up.
What’s your favorite eco-friendly tip our readers should know about?
Well, to follow up on the fashion conversation: Never throw away anything from your closet. If you buy good quality garments, they will last for a lifetime.
I hate these articles about how to clear out your wardrobe to make space for the new season. I have so many things in my closet that I bought when I was 20 and I still wear--I’m 40! I have so many clothes from my mom, including shoes.
Who’s your eco-idol and why?
I have so many. How do you choose one? Each one of us can do so much. And most of us are doing a lot. Why is the work that you do less important than what Franny Armstrong [“The Age of Stupid”] or Jane Goodall is doing?

 

[alicia753]

isopix.be

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isopi988.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isopi989.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isopi990.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isopi991.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isopi992.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isopi993.jpg

Colin Firth and wife Livia Giuggioli Tom Ford Store Opening, Los Angeles, America - 24 Feb 2011

 

[alicia753]

vogue (livia's blog)

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/lfirth11.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/lfirth12.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/lfirth13.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/lfirth14.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/lfirth15.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/lfirth16.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/lfirth17.jpg


Livia's dress for the Academy Awards

 

[littlepaperstars]

It was a beautiful, elegant dress and you could tell it had been made for her. I love that the 11 dresses that went into it were all from the era of The Kings Speech too. A lovely touch, as is her fairtrade gold jewelery

 

[alicia753]

dailymail.co.uk

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/artic107.jpg

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/artic108.jpg

 

[alicia753]

isopix.be

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1036.jpg
http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1037.jpg
http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1038.jpg
http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1039.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1040.jpg

 

[alicia753]

isopix.be

http://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1041.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1042.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1043.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1044.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1045.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1046.jpghttp://i28.***********/u/f28/11/78/63/65/isop1047.jpg

 

[alicia753]

It was a beautiful, elegant dress and you could tell it had been made for her. I love that the 11 dresses that went into it were all from the era of The Kings Speech too. A lovely touch, as is her fairtrade gold jewelery

I totally agree with you!