Greenstyle

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October 18, 2008

October 17, 2008

October 16, 2008

  • Blog Action Day :: Shop to Stop Poverty, Part II

    Pictured here from right to left:

    October 15, 2008

    October 14, 2008

    • Fashionably Natural

      Portland Fashion Week in its second year of “sustainable production”, wrap up this Sunday the 12th, Fashionably Natural, an exclusive runway event presented by  Gen Art and SOYJOY, also took place on Thursday the 9th at the Peterson Automotive Museum in LA.  Preceding LA Fashion Week, running October 12th through the 16th at Smashbox Studios, the event was hosted by the beautiful Maggie Gylenhaal, and featured four of LA’s top, emerging sustainable designers, Brigid Catiis, Popomomo, The Battalion (recently featured on the new 90210), and Velvet Leaf, four designers working exclusively in all - natural and environmentally responsible textiles.
      Brigid Catiis makes Eco-Chic simple. Bridging fashion and eco-friendliness together, the idea is to be part of a solution, and not the problem. Brigid Catiis pieces are made from reconstructed and recycled vintage fabrics. Every produced item is one of a kind- with its own energy, inspiration and story. Founded on the idea to Do Good, creating clothing that is environmentally responsible and sustainable is a must.

      Popomomo, which stands for “post-post-modern-movement,” is designed out of Lizz Wasserman’s studio in Silver Lake, CA. Her inspiration is the antithesis of disposable design, to be sophisticated and sexy while still intellectually appealing. Popomomo aims for simplicity with unexpected details to create unique pieces. Popomomo features an eco-friendly collection of contemporary shapes in sustainable fabrics. Their distinct style blends subtle simplicity with delightfully unexpected details. The result: simple drapery translated into bold and feminine shapes, beautifully conceptualized dresses and tunics with innovative cuts and patterns.

      The Battalion follows a simple line of logic: design edgy, avant-garde clothing that brings refinement and sophistication of style. The Battalion specialized in comfort knits and jerseys. At the hands of the designers, the soft, drapery fabrics that have generally been synonymous with basic t-shits and baby doll dressed is now adapted for tailored jackets, form-fitting tops, and dresses worthy of every occasion. All organic fabrics are used, with an emphasis on bamboo, cotton blends, and cruelty-free silk.

      Velvet Leaf encompasses secondhand chic, with firsthand design. The fashion forward line is edgy, classic and above all, supports the organic movement. Velvet Leaf interprets sixties bent clothing with a hand-crafted sophisticated feel. Soft fabrics, wide collars, and big bows feature prominently. As green becomes chic, Velvet Leaf remains a sustainable clothing company, using nothing but 100% certified organic cotton.

      Stay tuned for a recap of Portland Fashion Week highlights, and coverage of LA Fashion Week, each offering a look into Spring 2009 collections of many in eco design.

      Source: GenArt

      - 2 months
      source: (In The Loop)
    • Fashionably Natural

      Portland Fashion Week in its second year of “sustainable production”, wrap up this Sunday the 12th, Fashionably Natural, an exclusive runway event presented by  Gen Art and SOYJOY, also took place on Thursday the 9th at the Peterson Automotive Museum in LA.  Preceding LA Fashion Week, running October 12th through the 16th at Smashbox Studios, the event was hosted by the beautiful Maggie Gylenhaal, and featured four of LA’s top, emerging sustainable designers, Brigid Catiis, Popomomo, The Battalion (recently featured on the new 90210), and Velvet Leaf, four designers working exclusively in all - natural and environmentally responsible textiles.
      Brigid Catiis makes Eco-Chic simple. Bridging fashion and eco-friendliness together, the idea is to be part of a solution, and not the problem. Brigid Catiis pieces are made from reconstructed and recycled vintage fabrics. Every produced item is one of a kind- with its own energy, inspiration and story. Founded on the idea to Do Good, creating clothing that is environmentally responsible and sustainable is a must.

      Popomomo, which stands for “post-post-modern-movement,” is designed out of Lizz Wasserman’s studio in Silver Lake, CA. Her inspiration is the antithesis of disposable design, to be sophisticated and sexy while still intellectually appealing. Popomomo aims for simplicity with unexpected details to create unique pieces. Popomomo features an eco-friendly collection of contemporary shapes in sustainable fabrics. Their distinct style blends subtle simplicity with delightfully unexpected details. The result: simple drapery translated into bold and feminine shapes, beautifully conceptualized dresses and tunics with innovative cuts and patterns.

      The Battalion follows a simple line of logic: design edgy, avant-garde clothing that brings refinement and sophistication of style. The Battalion specialized in comfort knits and jerseys. At the hands of the designers, the soft, drapery fabrics that have generally been synonymous with basic t-shits and baby doll dressed is now adapted for tailored jackets, form-fitting tops, and dresses worthy of every occasion. All organic fabrics are used, with an emphasis on bamboo, cotton blends, and cruelty-free silk.

      Velvet Leaf encompasses secondhand chic, with firsthand design. The fashion forward line is edgy, classic and above all, supports the organic movement. Velvet Leaf interprets sixties bent clothing with a hand-crafted sophisticated feel. Soft fabrics, wide collars, and big bows feature prominently. As green becomes chic, Velvet Leaf remains a sustainable clothing company, using nothing but 100% certified organic cotton.

      Stay tuned for a recap of Portland Fashion Week highlights, and coverage of LA Fashion Week, each offering a look into Spring 2009 collections of many in eco design.

      Source: GenArt

      - 2 months
      source: (In The Loop)
    • New Smock Stationery Printed on Bamboo

      Beautiful new letterpress invitations by SmockSmock is a brand new stationery and invitation line designed by Amy Graham Stigler (founder of Snow & Graham) and sustainably letter-pressed on bamboo paper.

      Smock is the first print shop in the U.S. to offer printing on a luxurious and sustainable bamboo paper, which is made just for them at a historic European paper mill.

      Read more of this story - 2 months
      source: (Feelgood Style)

    • The Power of the Purse Party at the W Hotel in San Francisco

      What? This Old Bag: The Power of the Purse Party benefiting the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund.

      With? The event will feature cocktails, appetizers, hundreds of handbags with many donated and autographed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Fran Drescher, America Ferrera, Sharon Stone, Minnie Driver, Julianne Moore, and more. Even the San Francisco 49ers tossed

      Read more of this story - 2 months
      source: (Feelgood Style)

    • Juniper Ridge Wild California Coastal Sage Soap

      Have you ever felt the California coastal breeze crisp with the scent of fresh wild growing sage? Well if so, you will appreciate this ~

      Juniper Ridge Wild Herb Soap Slab: Coastal Sage

      “This is the real smell of California’s central to southern coasts. Mild and gentle, this vegetable based soap is loaded with shea butter for extra moisturizing in a base of saponified oils that give a luscious, rich lather. Made with real leaves of the sage plants that blanket the precipitous hillsides of the coastal mountains from

      Read more of this story - 2 months
      source: (Feelgood Style)

    October 13, 2008

    • Three Easy Ways to Ease Stress: Breathe, Notice Emotions, and Meditate

      1. Breathe Deep: Use breath awareness to relax as yoga master Rodney Yee shows you a seated breathing pose. Feel at ease all day long by taking stretching and breathing breaks. Kundalini yoga, for example, is one of the best guided breathing classes you can take to harmonize your mind, and body and clear away negative energy so we get back to feeling good.
      2. Notice Emotions: The golden key to unlocking negative stress is becoming aware of how we hold it in the body. Watch how Deepak Chopra explains that stress is an important aspect of life and we can learn to transform it into a positive force.
      3. Meditate: Healthy living site Lime offers a Meditation Room to help

        Read more of this story - 2 months
        source: (Feelgood Style)

      4. Payless ShoeSource Announces “Green” Shoe Line With Summer Rayne Oakes

        Just today, Payless ShoeSource announced plans to launch the first-ever affordable green footwear line expected in stores early next year.  They’ve also signed an agreement with Summer Rayne Oakes, Discovery Network’s Planet Green fashion and beauty expert, author of Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty, and model for many eco-fashion labels and was recently named “One Gorgeous Environmental Activist” by Allure Magazine, to serve as the green footwear brand’s Eco Consultant.

        Read more of this story - 2 months
        source: (Feelgood Style)

      5. Lori Bonn Design Walks The Walk With Style

        Lori Bonn Design has been crafting stunning jewelry with gorgeous semi-precious stones and silver for over seventeen years, selling to Nordstrom and independent boutiques across the country. Many typical questions came up for designer Lori Bonn Gallagher over the years-where to source materials, what merchants to sell through, how to run a successful operation while creating pieces her clients could fall in love with. In 2005, some much deeper questions about her business came to mind. Where do these stones really come from? What’s happening to the people who mine them? Is consumption on this level acceptable? This was a turning point for Lori Bonn Design and the beginning of Clear Conscience Jewelry.

        Bill Gallagher, partner and operations guru at LBD, explained in a recent interview, “Clear Conscience Jewelry is our project to create a new standard for environmentally and socially responsible jewelry. It’s jewelry that you can wear with a clear conscience and then feel as good as you look. The three elements of Clear Conscience Jewelry are ethical manufacturing, recycled metals, and responsibly produced gemstones.”

        Every collection Lori Bonn Design produces is made with at least 50% recycled metals. They’ve dropped any manufacturing facilities that they could not prove were providing fair wages and have safe working conditions free of abuse and discrimination. Bill and Lori have become an integral part of the Madison Dialogue, a coalition of jewelry manufacturers, retailers, conservation groups, and mining associations that have joined together to establish standards and best practices for fair trade and ethical jewelry. With their new Chrysalis Collection, LBD is combining recycled metals with traceable stones while doing everything in their power to make sure the land where their raw materials come from are restored fully after being mined. All these efforts combined make the Chrysalis Collection Lori Bonn’s most socially and ecologically responsible line yet.

        Living in California and manufacturing in places from Java to Jaipur makes truly ethical production a hard won challenge for Lori, but well worth it. “Knowledge is power. Right now, most of the gemstones on the market today pass through many unnamed hands before they reach the jewelry store and it is virtually impossible to know what happened along the way…Personally, I want to feel good about the planet I leave to my two children and the legacy of the business I build and I think most people feel similiarly.”

        So Lori Bonn makes every effort to understand the effects of every aspect of how their exotic collections come to market. In their Indonesian operations, Lori Bonn Design has even started pushing for women to have prenatal benefits and to be introduced into management positions. They have also been working hard on initiating a post-consumer silver recycling program there. It is obvious that these people are walking the walk, regardless of how daunting the path to conscious jewelry making may be.

        Through their Clear Conscience Jewelry project, Lori Bonn aims to create greater consumer interest in ethical jewelry. “I think it is becoming obvious that we can’t continue to consume more, more, more, even if it is ‘green.’ It is an insatiable appetite that hurts the planet and leaves us ultimately unfulfilled. I think that in the future, what will matter more is the process and story behind the product.” If Lori Bonn Design is any example, the story behind the precious metal and stone we adorn ourselves with is well worth a listen.

        - 2 months
        source: (In The Loop)
      6. Lori Bonn Design Walks The Walk With Style

        Lori Bonn Design has been crafting stunning jewelry with gorgeous semi-precious stones and silver for over seventeen years, selling to Nordstrom and independent boutiques across the country. Many typical questions came up for designer Lori Bonn Gallagher over the years-where to source materials, what merchants to sell through, how to run a successful operation while creating pieces her clients could fall in love with. In 2005, some much deeper questions about her business came to mind. Where do these stones really come from? What’s happening to the people who mine them? Is consumption on this level acceptable? This was a turning point for Lori Bonn Design and the beginning of Clear Conscience Jewelry.

        Bill Gallagher, partner and operations guru at LBD, explained in a recent interview, “Clear Conscience Jewelry is our project to create a new standard for environmentally and socially responsible jewelry. It’s jewelry that you can wear with a clear conscience and then feel as good as you look. The three elements of Clear Conscience Jewelry are ethical manufacturing, recycled metals, and responsibly produced gemstones.”

        Every collection Lori Bonn Design produces is made with at least 50% recycled metals. They’ve dropped any manufacturing facilities that they could not prove were providing fair wages and have safe working conditions free of abuse and discrimination. Bill and Lori have become an integral part of the Madison Dialogue, a coalition of jewelry manufacturers, retailers, conservation groups, and mining associations that have joined together to establish standards and best practices for fair trade and ethical jewelry. With their new Chrysalis Collection, LBD is combining recycled metals with traceable stones while doing everything in their power to make sure the land where their raw materials come from are restored fully after being mined. All these efforts combined make the Chrysalis Collection Lori Bonn’s most socially and ecologically responsible line yet.

        Living in California and manufacturing in places from Java to Jaipur makes truly ethical production a hard won challenge for Lori, but well worth it. “Knowledge is power. Right now, most of the gemstones on the market today pass through many unnamed hands before they reach the jewelry store and it is virtually impossible to know what happened along the way…Personally, I want to feel good about the planet I leave to my two children and the legacy of the business I build and I think most people feel similiarly.”

        So Lori Bonn makes every effort to understand the effects of every aspect of how their exotic collections come to market. In their Indonesian operations, Lori Bonn Design has even started pushing for women to have prenatal benefits and to be introduced into management positions. They have also been working hard on initiating a post-consumer silver recycling program there. It is obvious that these people are walking the walk, regardless of how daunting the path to conscious jewelry making may be.

        Through their Clear Conscience Jewelry project, Lori Bonn aims to create greater consumer interest in ethical jewelry. “I think it is becoming obvious that we can’t continue to consume more, more, more, even if it is ‘green.’ It is an insatiable appetite that hurts the planet and leaves us ultimately unfulfilled. I think that in the future, what will matter more is the process and story behind the product.” If Lori Bonn Design is any example, the story behind the precious metal and stone we adorn ourselves with is well worth a listen.

        - 2 months
        source: (In The Loop)
      7. Simply Divine Botanicals :: Merging Science with Energy and Love

        Simply Divine Botanicals has created a miraculous eye gel, that’s made with loving energy.

        If you wear make-up, have sensitive eyes, wear contacts, or are prone to circles in the morning when you’re sleepy then try this healing “instant gratification” eye gel called “Pack your bags they’re leaving“… It is recommended to try one eye at a time to see it work magic. The best feature is the added aromatherapy benefits with ingredients such as: cucumber, watermelon, lemongrass, tangerine, frankincense, myrrh, electrolyzed gold, seaweed, sea buckthorn oil, vitamin E, unconditional love, and gratitude. It really feels as cool and refreshing as a cucumber but with a delicate and fresh scent.

        This eye gel was mindfully created to reduce puffiness naturally under and above eye area. The founder tells us that “it works by activating acupuncture meridians to strengthen kidney function“. Simply Divine Botanicals is a handcrafted, Reiki-energized skincare that has drawn

        Read more of this story - 2 months
        source: (Feelgood Style)

    October 12, 2008

    October 11, 2008

    • Cradle to Grave Certified Fashion

      Announcement of Chic Eco’s poll for the Most Creative Women’s Apparel Designer honored London designer Nina Morgan-Jones as the first runner-up on September 2008. Nominations were submitted by email and most didn’t include much more than the designer’s name. Wow, that was not the case with Nina’s positive support. Below are a few quotations:

      • The hottest organic couture fashion designer.
      • Innovative high fashion shoe designs with a firm footing in ecological benefit.
      • Her designs with exclusive organic fabrics and leathers are fashion-industry leading.
      • She creates fantasy clothing and shoes while maintaining an earth-goddess Gaia quality.
      • For those that think organic is just a bunch of hippies wearing tie-dyes, look at Nina’s designs.

      The style is timeless, Bohemian-exotic. To sum the quotes up, Nina creates sustainable apparel and accessories that are beautiful, sexy and fun.

      Read more of this story - 2 months
      source: (Feelgood Style)

    • Coco Eco, The Launch Of A New (And Fabulous!) Green Fashion Magazine

      Interview with Anna Griffin, publisher of Coco Eco magazine.
      (Launching October 18th.)

      You’re a popular commentator on the LA greenscene. You’ve filmed videos for Ecorazzi. We met on MySpace where you host some really terrific interviews with Hollywood celebrities and green business leaders. In a few days you’re launching your own new green fashion magazine online… Coco Eco…  It’s a labor of love, isn’t? How did the name come about? Coco Chanel? Who is involved?

      Coco Eco Magazine is much more than a love.  It’s a privilege.  I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to do this, and be surrounded by very talented and visionary individuals who’ve made this a reality. 

      The name came accidentally.  We were building under another name until we ran into trademarking issues, and to be honest, I don’t remember when I thought of Coco Eco.  It just came to me, and when I thought about it, it stuck.  Everyone loved it, and that was that.  And of course it doesn’t hurt paying accidental hommage to the world’s greatest fashion icon! 

      As to my team, I have the best and brightest people in the eco-scene working with me.  They really are mavericks!  My Beauty Director is Emma Pezzack, CEO of Futurenatural.com, our Photo Director is Courtney Dailey who is one of the hottest new photographers in LA, and our Senior Stylist is Robin Garvick who is THE eco-celeb fashion stylist in town.  We also have Contributors like the legendary Barbara Kramer of Designers & Agents, Stefanie La Rue, breast cancer survivor and Founder of SLAM.

      Coco Eco is going to bring something new and different into the mix. While the web is rich with green fashion blogs, there’s still little focus on editorial fashion photography, bringing whole teams of designers, models, make up artists and stylists together. There’s a reservoir of new talent out there, ready to become the next generation of trend setters. They only want to do green work, and yet they want to make a living doing what they love. Explain how you’re going to tap into that desire and make it all possible.

      Coco Eco brings together all those key elements of a traditional fashion glossy, but paperless and 100% eco friendly in its content.  I don’t understand really why no-one has done it before.  It’s a no-brainer.  Through publishing Coco Eco, we hope to create a shift in how women view media, and therefore inspire a generation of like-minded paperless publicatons.  It’s the wave of the future and where we are all headed!  This is when these new green talents will be able to make more of a living doing what they love.  It’s only a matter of time.

      What constitutes a green photographer, make-up artist, model? The role the web is playing in scouting green talent? There’s a green rat pack forming in LA, and you’re right in the thick of it. Can you mention a few of your sources of inspiration? Where do you guys all hang out? Where do you shop?

      A “green” anyone is a person who is conscientious in their lifestyle, aware of their surroundings, mindful of the choices they make and the subsequent cost on the environment.  It doesn’t matter if they’re a photographer, make-up artist or model.  And I don’t know what role the web is playing in recruiting green players?  Of course though it makes sense.  The web is a powerful tool in a collective movement, and it is much easier to connect as a result.

      Yes living in LA, I am defintely in the thick of the eco rat pack, and to be honest, it’s fun!  It’s a colorful, interesting crowd, and there’s a lot of energy around it.  I think what makes it cool is that it is a really diverse group of people, all with the same commitment to our planet, and we all support one another.  As for where we hang out, we usually see each other at green events.  It’s always the same crowd.

      Where do we shop?  Eco boutiques in LA like Visionary, and of course a lot of vintage from stores and flea markets!

      We’re part of a new breed of internet eco-warriors who have staked claim to the web as the best means to quickly spread green information far and wide, in a race to save the planet. It’s interesting that while major publishers like Hearst, CondeNast and HachetteFilipacchi are still horribly timid about sustainability in their own industry, only publishing special green editions rather than chance a complete overhaul of major titles, there seems to be many independent green fashion magazine upstarts popping up everywhere, covering all the bases, trying to do everything right. Soon we’re going to completely take over! We must, that’s the mission. Feels like boot camp, doesn’t? What’s the tipping point going to be for the major magazine publishers to finally come around and recruit us?

      Publications like Coco Eco Magazine.  Until independent publishers like all of us create a movement, there will be no tipping point. It’s up to people like us to fuel that movement, and inspire consumers to make new choices. Until that shift happens, nothing will change.  We need to create an appetite and a demand, and then more traditional entities will follow.

      There’s a sense of community and friendly competition which has grown between many all over the world. It’s a global movement telling us to buy local. Fewer educated consumers today jump on the bandwagon of massive promo campaigns, all buying the same item. I look at Coca-Cola, not a green company by any means, but they only ship their syrup abroad… everything else, water, bottle, sugar… is locally sourced. Because of it, Coca-Cola tastes different in every country on Earth, with a low carbon footprint. Strange how that might be a good model for future global branding. Sustainability is synonymous with diversity. How could that relate to fashion, design, photography, cosmetics?

      Firstly, it’s funny you mention Coca Cola as they are also planning to do a test run this November using their distribution network to deliver rehydration salts and help reduce child mortality in East Africa.  It is a campaign called colalife.org spearheaded by Simon Berry.  So they are doing more than most of us are aware of. And that’s the point about sustainability.  It is diverse and has many different facets.  There are so many ways to live an aware and good lifestyle that is kind not only to our planet, but to our communities, and each other.  As for fashion, design, photography, and cosmetics, that’s the fun stuff.  It plays its part because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to see beautiful things especially when life is so stressful right now?  Art is always inspiring no matter its context.  And fashion of course is always diverse and is what sets trends that people follow.  In this capacity, utilising this diversity can be a powerful tool for inspiring sustainability.

      Designers & Agents is hosting the launch party for Coco Eco on October 18th in Los Angeles. This aligns some of the top sustainable fashion designers with a chance to develop showcases on Coco Eco. This must be exciting, a wonderful opportunity for a lot of new talent and fresh ideas. I’m keeping this short because I know you’re very busy getting everything ready. Any last words?

      I’m thrilled at the honor of Coco Eco Magazine being invited to be introduced by Designers & Agents, and excited to work with some new and innovative sustainable designers.  There is so much fresh and exciting things happening within the green arena, and we can’t wait to feature them on our pages.  What can I say?  Stay tuned!!!

      (Photos: Courtney Dailey & Anna Griffin, Chelsea Sexton & Anna Griffin)

      - 2 months
      source: (In The Loop)
    • Coco Eco, The Launch Of A New (And Fabulous!) Green Fashion Magazine

      Interview with Anna Griffin, publisher of Coco Eco magazine.
      (Launching October 18th.)

      You’re a popular commentator on the LA greenscene. You’ve filmed videos for Ecorazzi. We met on MySpace where you host some really terrific interviews with Hollywood celebrities and green business leaders. In a few days you’re launching your own new green fashion magazine online… Coco Eco…  It’s a labor of love, isn’t? How did the name come about? Coco Chanel? Who is involved?

      Coco Eco Magazine is much more than a love.  It’s a privilege.  I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to do this, and be surrounded by very talented and visionary individuals who’ve made this a reality. 

      The name came accidentally.  We were building under another name until we ran into trademarking issues, and to be honest, I don’t remember when I thought of Coco Eco.  It just came to me, and when I thought about it, it stuck.  Everyone loved it, and that was that.  And of course it doesn’t hurt paying accidental hommage to the world’s greatest fashion icon! 

      As to my team, I have the best and brightest people in the eco-scene working with me.  They really are mavericks!  My Beauty Director is Emma Pezzack, CEO of Futurenatural.com, our Photo Director is Courtney Dailey who is one of the hottest new photographers in LA, and our Senior Stylist is Robin Garvick who is THE eco-celeb fashion stylist in town.  We also have Contributors like the legendary Barbara Kramer of Designers & Agents, Stefanie La Rue, breast cancer survivor and Founder of SLAM.

      Coco Eco is going to bring something new and different into the mix. While the web is rich with green fashion blogs, there’s still little focus on editorial fashion photography, bringing whole teams of designers, models, make up artists and stylists together. There’s a reservoir of new talent out there, ready to become the next generation of trend setters. They only want to do green work, and yet they want to make a living doing what they love. Explain how you’re going to tap into that desire and make it all possible.

      Coco Eco brings together all those key elements of a traditional fashion glossy, but paperless and 100% eco friendly in its content.  I don’t understand really why no-one has done it before.  It’s a no-brainer.  Through publishing Coco Eco, we hope to create a shift in how women view media, and therefore inspire a generation of like-minded paperless publicatons.  It’s the wave of the future and where we are all headed!  This is when these new green talents will be able to make more of a living doing what they love.  It’s only a matter of time.

      What constitutes a green photographer, make-up artist, model? The role the web is playing in scouting green talent? There’s a green rat pack forming in LA, and you’re right in the thick of it. Can you mention a few of your sources of inspiration? Where do you guys all hang out? Where do you shop?

      A “green” anyone is a person who is conscientious in their lifestyle, aware of their surroundings, mindful of the choices they make and the subsequent cost on the environment.  It doesn’t matter if they’re a photographer, make-up artist or model.  And I don’t know what role the web is playing in recruiting green players?  Of course though it makes sense.  The web is a powerful tool in a collective movement, and it is much easier to connect as a result.

      Yes living in LA, I am defintely in the thick of the eco rat pack, and to be honest, it’s fun!  It’s a colorful, interesting crowd, and there’s a lot of energy around it.  I think what makes it cool is that it is a really diverse group of people, all with the same commitment to our planet, and we all support one another.  As for where we hang out, we usually see each other at green events.  It’s always the same crowd.

      Where do we shop?  Eco boutiques in LA like Visionary, and of course a lot of vintage from stores and flea markets!

      We’re part of a new breed of internet eco-warriors who have staked claim to the web as the best means to quickly spread green information far and wide, in a race to save the planet. It’s interesting that while major publishers like Hearst, CondeNast and HachetteFilipacchi are still horribly timid about sustainability in their own industry, only publishing special green editions rather than chance a complete overhaul of major titles, there seems to be many independent green fashion magazine upstarts popping up everywhere, covering all the bases, trying to do everything right. Soon we’re going to completely take over! We must, that’s the mission. Feels like boot camp, doesn’t? What’s the tipping point going to be for the major magazine publishers to finally come around and recruit us?

      Publications like Coco Eco Magazine.  Until independent publishers like all of us create a movement, there will be no tipping point. It’s up to people like us to fuel that movement, and inspire consumers to make new choices. Until that shift happens, nothing will change.  We need to create an appetite and a demand, and then more traditional entities will follow.

      There’s a sense of community and friendly competition which has grown between many all over the world. It’s a global movement telling us to buy local. Fewer educated consumers today jump on the bandwagon of massive promo campaigns, all buying the same item. I look at Coca-Cola, not a green company by any means, but they only ship their syrup abroad… everything else, water, bottle, sugar… is locally sourced. Because of it, Coca-Cola tastes different in every country on Earth, with a low carbon footprint. Strange how that might be a good model for future global branding. Sustainability is synonymous with diversity. How could that relate to fashion, design, photography, cosmetics?

      Firstly, it’s funny you mention Coca Cola as they are also planning to do a test run this November using their distribution network to deliver rehydration salts and help reduce child mortality in East Africa.  It is a campaign called colalife.org spearheaded by Simon Berry.  So they are doing more than most of us are aware of. And that’s the point about sustainability.  It is diverse and has many different facets.  There are so many ways to live an aware and good lifestyle that is kind not only to our planet, but to our communities, and each other.  As for fashion, design, photography, and cosmetics, that’s the fun stuff.  It plays its part because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to see beautiful things especially when life is so stressful right now?  Art is always inspiring no matter its context.  And fashion of course is always diverse and is what sets trends that people follow.  In this capacity, utilising this diversity can be a powerful tool for inspiring sustainability.

      Designers & Agents is hosting the launch party for Coco Eco on October 18th in Los Angeles. This aligns some of the top sustainable fashion designers with a chance to develop showcases on Coco Eco. This must be exciting, a wonderful opportunity for a lot of new talent and fresh ideas. I’m keeping this short because I know you’re very busy getting everything ready. Any last words?

      I’m thrilled at the honor of Coco Eco Magazine being invited to be introduced by Designers & Agents, and excited to work with some new and innovative sustainable designers.  There is so much fresh and exciting things happening within the green arena, and we can’t wait to feature them on our pages.  What can I say?  Stay tuned!!!

      (Photos: Courtney Dailey & Anna Griffin, Chelsea Sexton & Anna Griffin)

      - 2 months
      source: (In The Loop)