Livia Firth is many things: a documentary filmmaker, an activist, a farmer, a Hollywood celebrity. Now, the 54-year–old is taking on the challenge of convincing the world that we can eat our jeans, and it's one that her A-list friends, including Annie Lennox, Trudie Styler, and Amber Valletta believe she can do easily.
"I would do anything for Livia, I think it's absolutely remarkable.to see what she has accomplished," Annie told HELLO! at the 2024 Green Carpet Fashion Awards in Los Angeles where the tomatoes grown using the denim jeans were served on a pasta dish.
"Livia's power is that she has positivity, on steroids, that she's able to convene people from all walks of life and brings a deep understanding and passion about climate justice, the fashion industry, ecology, all of it."
That passion has led Livia, along with her brother Alessandro Giuggioli and Alberto Candiani of Candiani Denim, to discover that jeans made with Coreva, the first biodegradable and compostable stretch denim, can also become fertilizer which can in turn grow vegetables.
It's truly a game-changing moment at the intersection of regenerative agriculture and fashion, and they are now discovering what else can be grown, and how they can make something with a true positive impact.
"We're all disruptors," Livia told HELLO! "In a very simple way, we have the desire to change the world. We're activists, and we want to do things better, and with respect. What makes me happy is when I see people coming together.
"We need a lot of kindness and togetherness right now."
Livia was 40 in 2010 when her then-husband, and the father of her two sons Luca and Mattero, Colin Firth was nominated for an Oscar for A Single Man.
She recalls that awards season as the genesis that kickstarted her passion for making the red carpet a place for political statements, well before the Me Too movement.
"She stops at nothing to get her mission accomplished," said Trudie, who acknowledged that celebrities have the platform to push the message better than any politician ever would.
"Sting and I have always said we would use his fame and celebrity to really get the message that we started 32 years ago across."
The message of sustainability has been Livia's core focus for years, and she admitted that she doesn't believe anyone can continue using the excuse of being overwhelmed to shy away from considering where their clothes are coming from: "It's actually very simple to be sustainable: First of all, don't buy too much and second, this project proves that if you buy clothes that are made with natural fibres then maybe you can plant them and you can grow your own food."
Zendaya, who was a co-chair, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend, and Jennifer Coolidge were also among the 80 guests at Harriet's Rooftop Bar in West Hollywood who tucked into bowls of pasta and the Coreva sauce, and watched as seven honorees were championed for their work across various causes.
The honorees this year included Donatella Versace, and John who was honored with the Rebel award for his work with Free America, an organization attempting to overturn the mass incarceration epidemic in the country.
John surprised the guests by unexpectedly singing an acoustic version of Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song', leaving the room in silence and Livia wiping away tears.
"I think once you are an activist, you'll never stop being an activist," said Livia. "It's as simple as that".