Dress: Reformation (similar, similar, similar) | Shoes: Steve Madden | Body Chain: Urban Outfitters | Choker: Etsy | Earrings: Vintage via Estate Sale | Bag: Vintage via Stormville Flea Market

My “once in a lifetime” red carpet / award show experience turned out to be not-so-once-in-a-lifetime after all. On Monday night I attended my second awards show, the 70th Annual Emmy Awards. After having a major clothing crisis before my last red carpet event, I’ve slowly but surely been accumulating clothing that would be appropriate for another last-minute red carpet moment. It all came in handy after only securing my tickets for the Emmys last Friday. I found this incredible vintage purse at the Stormville flea market over the summer, have been collecting big beautiful jewelry for these occasions over the past two years, and bought this dress during Reformation’s sale specifically assuming I would be attending the Emmys again this year (and boy am I glad that this purchase did not have to go to waste). I was nervous about matching the red carpet, but was pleasantly surprised by the blue and gold carpets this year in honor of the 70th Annual Emmy Awards.

This year I am super proud to have joined the Red Carpet Green Dress movement during my night on the red carpet. I first heard about RCGD a few years ago when I really started paying attention to who wore what on award show red carpets. And since I started focusing much more on sustainable fashion, I have tried to keep up with stars (and designers) that decide to sport green dresses in their time on the red carpet. RCGD was founded in 2009 and the goal is to encourage internationally acclaimed designers to dress stars in ethically and sustainably made formal wear and jewelry for the Academy Awards. RCGD, which is described as a “positive fashion campaign”, has come a long way since it’s inception and now “sets the challenge for creatives, emerging and established designers worldwide to create a Red Carpet worthy dress, or tuxedo, from environmentally and socially responsible fabrics – thus fulfilling the Green Dress criteria”.

One of my favorite looks of the night was Padma Lakshmi. She had previously worn her Emmys gown at the Vogue India Woman of the Year Awards last October, and had a lot to say about re-wearing a dress on the red carpet; “I’m excited to wear this beautiful J. Mendel dress again,” Lakshmi told People on Monday. “I think in this day and age we should stop sending the message to young women and girls that we all have these endless closets of clothes we never wear more than once, especially on a red carpet.” She continues: “The hours that it takes, the artisans’ labor and the gorgeous fabrics all deserve to be worn again and treasured. It seems wasteful not to enjoy these dresses.”

It was incredibly exciting to be part of the Emmys this year (not to mention witness a proposal!!) and cannot wait to see what other stars join the Red Carpet Green Dress movement at this year’s Academy Awards. And I have to add: I was also thrilled to see this sign by the bar in the Microsoft Theater. Say no to single-use plastic straws!!!