Emma Watson just wore her most political outfit yet

(Image credit: 2021 Max Mumby/Indigo)

Last night's groundbreaking Earthshot Prize Awards, held in London's Alexandra Palace, were a rousing success.

For an event designed by Prince William to 'incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years', it was only fitting that there be a green carpet instead of a red one, and that guests make sustainable sartorial choices.

Two such guests included The Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, who recycled this dress for the occasion, as well activist Emma Watson.

The Harry Potter actor has long been an advocate for sustainable fashion, partnering with brands such as People Tree to promote ethical clothes.

During the promotion for her movie Cinderella in 2018, she even launched her Press Tour Instagram account, where she shared her outfits from the tour, each chosen for their sustainable credentials.

These included a Miu Miu dress made by trusted suppliers and artisans locally in Italy, as well as a Dior dress created using certified organic silk and an Emilia Wickstead gown made from unwanted fabric.

She even previously told Vogue, 'I will work for anyone for free if they're prepared to make their clothing fair trade and organic,' referring to the fact actors often get paid by designers to wear their creations on the red carpet.

(Image credit: 2021 Neil Mockford)

For this particular event, Emma chose to make a statement with a custom Harris Reed outfit with an unusual back story.

The demi-couture gown is a custom up-cycled piece from the the Harris Reed FOUND. collection, which consists of 10 looks entirely made from clothes donate to Oxfam charity shops. It was created in partnership with the charity to raise awareness of Second Hand September, which encourages shoppers not to buy anything new for a month.

One piece from the young designer's collection, which was presented at London Fashion Week, was also donated to Oxfam and sold in its Selfridges pop-up, with all proceeds going to the charity.

Emma's cream gown top is actually made from up-cycled bridal wear, and she paired it with the brand's signature H-flared trousers, as well as some chunky boots.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.