In an era where fast fashion continues to dominate headlines for all the wrong reasons, Hailey Bieber stands as a beacon of sustainable style innovation. The model and entrepreneur recently turned heads—and perhaps more importantly, changed minds—when she appeared at a Miami event for her beauty brand Rhode wearing a dress that perfectly encapsulates the future of fashion: a stunning Marine Serre creation made entirely from 500 upcycled watch bands. As the fashion industry evolves toward more eco-conscious style choices, celebrities like Bieber are leading the charge with bold, statement-making sustainable fashion.
Hailey Bieber’s Upcycled Watch Band Dress: A Sustainable Fashion Statement
Fashion lovers are “clocking” Hailey Bieber’s latest style statement, and for good reason. On Thursday, May 1, the 28-year-old model left the fashion world in awe at her Rhode beauty brand event in Miami. The silver mini dress, a showstopping piece from Marine Serre’s fall 2025 collection, wasn’t just another luxury garment—it represented a revolutionary approach to high-fashion sustainability.
The dress, constructed from hundreds of stainless steel watch straps meticulously sewn together, created a mesmerizing, shimmering effect that caught light from every angle. According to Women’s Wear Daily, approximately 500 silver metallic watch straps were transformed into this figure-hugging masterpiece. The dress did all the talking as Bieber wore her hair down with makeup by Rhode, which she was seen reapplying on her Instagram Stories—a subtle nod to her own brand’s minimalist philosophy.
What makes this fashion moment truly significant isn’t just its visual impact but its underlying message. Each watch band in Bieber’s dress represents time—both literally and metaphorically—speaking to the urgent need for the fashion industry to reconsider its relationship with time, consumption, and waste. In an industry notorious for its environmental footprint, this dress stands as a glittering reminder that luxury and sustainability aren’t mutually exclusive concepts. For those interested in becoming more ethical fashion consumers, this high-profile example demonstrates how sustainability can be both glamorous and impactful.
Marine Serre: Pioneer of Luxury Upcycled Fashion Design
To understand the full significance of Bieber’s dress, one must appreciate the designer behind it. Marine Serre has emerged as one of fashion’s most forward-thinking creators, building her globally recognized brand on the pillars of sustainability, community, and feminism. The French designer, who launched her label in 2017, has consistently challenged conventional fashion norms through her “eco-futurist” approach.
Serre’s Fall 2025 collection, which debuted at Paris Fashion Week in March, represented what the designer described as an effort to make her brand “more radical, but also more refined.” The collection featured several upcycled pieces, including the watch band dress that would later become Bieber’s viral moment.
“Fashion for me is about archetypes,” Serre told Vogue during her runway presentation. Her work operates like a “fashion Trojan Horse,” venturing deep into the canon of Parisian uptown archetypes to infuse them with her rebellious spirit. This philosophy is perfectly embodied in the watch band dress—a conventional silhouette reimagined through unconventional, sustainable materials.
Every stainless steel band in Bieber’s dress once belonged to a vintage watch, aligning with Serre’s commitment to giving new life to existing materials. This approach represents circular fashion at its finest—transforming what might have been discarded into something not just useful, but extraordinary and desirable.
Hailey Bieber’s Sustainable Style Evolution: Beyond the Watch Bands
While the watch band dress has captured the fashion world’s attention, it’s merely the latest chapter in Bieber’s ongoing sustainable style narrative. The model has increasingly embraced vintage and upcycled fashion, demonstrating a thoughtful approach to her wardrobe choices that balances trend-setting with environmental consciousness. Fans who follow Hailey Bieber’s style guides know that her influence extends beyond just momentary trends to more substantive fashion choices.
Later that same evening in Miami, Bieber changed into another noteworthy piece—a sexy bronze minidress from Dolce & Gabbana’s fall 2004 collection. By choosing a 21-year-old design rather than something newly produced, Bieber reinforced her commitment to fashion circularity and the timeless appeal of well-crafted garments.
This wasn’t an isolated choice. Earlier that week, Bieber was spotted in vintage Gucci by Tom Ford from Spring 1998—a piece previously worn by fashion icon Anna Wintour. By connecting herself to fashion history while reducing demand for new production, Bieber demonstrates how vintage selection can be both stylish and sustainable.
Fashion historian and critic Kim Russell noted this pattern, writing on Instagram: “Hailey Bieber appears to time travel through her wardrobe in Miami. From fall 25 Marine Serre to Fall 2004 Dolce, she just can’t and won’t stop.” This time-traveling approach to fashion represents a rejection of the disposable clothing culture that has dominated recent decades.
The Luxury-Sustainability Connection: Celebrity Influence on Ethical Fashion
Bieber’s fashion choices highlight an important evolution in sustainable fashion—the growing intersection between luxury and environmental consciousness. For too long, sustainable fashion was pigeonholed as either basic, unrefined “hippie” wear or prohibitively expensive niche products. Celebrities like Bieber are helping to rewrite this narrative.
The watch band dress exemplifies how upcycling can be elevated to high fashion through craftsmanship and vision. Each watch band required careful consideration for placement, creating a harmonious whole from disparate parts. This level of artisanal attention transforms “recycled” into “exclusive” and “sustainable” into “desirable.”
Moreover, these pieces carry stories that mass-produced fashion cannot match. When Bieber wears the watch band dress, she’s not just wearing a garment—she’s wearing hundreds of individual histories, each band having marked time on someone’s wrist before finding new purpose. This narrative depth adds layers of meaning to fashion beyond mere aesthetics.
The influence of celebrities like Bieber in normalizing sustainable fashion cannot be overstated. When 55.1 million Instagram followers see her embracing upcycled and vintage fashion, it shifts consumer perception of sustainable fashion from fringe to mainstream, from compromise to preference. This aligns perfectly with the growing movement toward eco-conscious style choices that many fashion experts predict will define 2025 and beyond.
Sustainable Style Inspiration: How to Channel Hailey Bieber’s Eco-Conscious Fashion
While few of us will have the opportunity to wear a Marine Serre watch band dress to our next event, Bieber’s approach to sustainable fashion offers valuable inspiration for everyday style choices. Here’s how you can incorporate her sustainable ethos into your own wardrobe:
Invest in Quality: The Foundation of Sustainable Wardrobes
Bieber’s wardrobe choices reflect a preference for exceptional pieces rather than disposable trends. Consider adopting a similar mindset by investing in fewer, better-quality items that will stand the test of time both structurally and stylistically. When purchasing new items, look for craftsmanship that suggests longevity—well-finished seams, quality materials, and classic silhouettes with contemporary twists. This approach is central to becoming an ethical fashion consumer in today’s market.
Embrace Vintage Fashion: Following Hailey’s Second-Hand Style
Follow Bieber’s lead by exploring vintage and second-hand options. Platforms like TheRealReal, Vestiaire Collective, and even local thrift stores can yield incredible finds with history and character. Don’t be afraid to mix vintage pieces with contemporary items for a personalized look that transcends seasonal trends.
Material Matters: Choosing Eco-Friendly Fabrics and Upcycled Designs
The watch band dress makes a statement not just through its design but through its materials. Similarly, you can make more sustainable choices by becoming material-conscious. Look for innovative uses of recycled materials, organic fabrics, and alternatives to resource-intensive conventional textiles. Brands increasingly provide transparency about their material sourcing—use this information to guide your purchases.
Statement Sustainable Pieces: Making Ethical Fashion Stand Out
Use statement sustainable pieces as focal points in your outfits, just as Bieber let the watch band dress take center stage. A single remarkable sustainable item—whether vintage, upcycled, or made from innovative eco-materials—can elevate an entire look while reflecting your values.
Supporting Sustainable Designers: Voting with Your Fashion Dollars
Research and support designers who, like Marine Serre, prioritize sustainability in their business models. From established luxury brands implementing more responsible practices to emerging designers building sustainability into their DNA, your purchasing power can help drive industry-wide change.
The Future of Fashion: Sustainable Luxury in 2025 and Beyond
As Hailey Bieber’s watch band dress demonstrates, the future of fashion lies not in endless production of new materials but in reimagining what we already have. In a beautiful irony, these watch bands—once used to measure the passing of time—have been transformed into a timeless fashion statement that points toward a more sustainable future.
The fashion industry stands at a crossroads, with increasing pressure to address its environmental impact. When influential figures like Bieber choose to spotlight sustainable designers and practices, they accelerate the shift toward a more responsible industry. Each such choice represents time well spent in the pursuit of both style and sustainability.
For those of us watching from the sidelines, the message is clear: sustainable fashion no longer requires compromise. With creativity, craftsmanship, and consciousness, it’s possible to make fashion choices that look good, feel good, and do good. As Bieber herself might say about her Rhode skincare philosophy, it’s about finding “that one really good moisturizer you keep reaching for”—fashion that satisfies both aesthetically and ethically, time after time.
The next time you consider a fashion purchase, perhaps take a moment to ask: Will this stand the test of time? Would Hailey approve? The answers might just lead you to choices that are as kind to the planet as they are to your style credentials. After all, in sustainable fashion as in life, it’s about quality time, not just keeping time.
For more insights on sustainable fashion trends and celebrity style, explore our comprehensive guide to sustainable fashion in 2025 and learn how to become a more conscious fashion consumer.