Angelina Jolie Brings Upcycling to the Red Carpet
Marist students reflect on Angelina Jolie’s daughters upcycling the actress’s past red carpet looks at the “Eternals" movie premiere
Angelina Jolie’s children stepped into her enviable closet and accompanied her to the “Eternals” movie premiere on Oct. 18 in some of her past looks, sparking conversations about upcycling in fashion.
“Most red carpet looks are thousands of dollars and require lots of fabric and labor only to be used once,” said Paige Rudder ‘25.
Paige Rudder '25 in her mother's vintage black leather jacket. Photo courtesy of Paige Rudder.
Jolie brought along five of her children to the event, dressing each of them in upcycled looks that the actress had worn to past red carpet occasions. Jolie stood in the center of Zahara, Knox, Vivienne, Shiloh and Maddox wearing a strapless Balmain dress with vintage Tiffany & Co. jewelry. The most recognizable dress was worn by her 16-year-old daughter, Zahara, who upcycled Jolie’s 2014 Oscars outfit, a shimmering and beaded Elie Saab gown.
Shiloh, 15, wore a beige dress that was a reworked design of the Gabriela Hearst slip dress Jolie had worn to an event earlier in the year.
Upcycling is becoming increasingly popular in today’s fashion industry. It has become a fun way to bring out a person’s creative side, allowing them to mix old styles with newer trends to create an entirely new piece. Creative reuse has gained more popularity in the past year, driven by COVID-19, but it is just now starting to emerge on a larger scale.
“I think Angelina Jolie’s daughter made a huge statement upcycling her past looks at the premiere,” said Alyssa Grupp ‘24. “She showed that upcycling can be a trend in fashion even on a big stage like the red carpet.”
Creative reuse is also much more sustainable for the environment and economy.
Upcycling vintage clothing, or simply restyling older clothing that belonged to a parent or relative can also connect us more to the people who wore the looks first.
“I wear some of my mom's vintage clothing from when she was in college and it makes me feel closer to her,” said Rudder. “Doing so also helps bring back to lifestyles from past generations.”
Alyssa Grupp '24 in her mother's vintage overalls. Photo courtesy of Alyssa Grupp.
Upcycling is a simple and affordable concept, but it has a huge impact on culture. Fashion is all about expressing individuality through clothing and upcycling is a way to build on ideas and make them special.
“The concept has brought back a lot of trends and allowed people to add their own personal style to it to make it unique,” said Ashley Wickersheim ‘25. “I love the idea of taking a piece of clothing and styling it in a different way that it was not intended for.”
Taking clothing that was never going to be worn again and turning it into a new fashion piece with individual creativity creates a melting pot in the fashion industry of all different kinds of looks, styles and trends. Jolie and her daughters saw the opportunity to re-wear and upcycle past gowns and in doing so, created a large amount of internet buzz at the “Eternals” premiere.
Many designers today are starting to create looks from upcycled material. This is a creative and ethical direction that the fashion industry is headed in while defining the true principles of fashion such as self-expression.
“Upcycling turns everyone into a designer,” said Grupp. “With so much more meaning than just your average store-bought shirt.”