Portland Fashion Week organized a great opportunity to educate folks at the Better Living Show about the sustainable stories behind the landmark designers/brands showcased this weekend. Nau, Lizzie Parker and Anna Cohen all have one thing in common and that is, they are pioneers in the industry. With limited resources in the past available to fashion designers, each of them have been innovative in their use of and sourcing sustainable options. With great design that is appealing and yes, even stylish and sexy, consumers have options now more than ever to make a sustainable choice with the clothing they wear. My favorite quote to this end of the evening was Lizzie Parkers observation that "in the end, it's about a hot chick in a dress."
The Eco - Panel was a well attended event that garnered many excellent questions and observations from the attendees. We can look forward to future practices by the fashion industry that will help consumers make sustainable choices by a seal of sustainable approval by Sustainable Style Foundation, as well as, a standard by fashion designers that includes a baseline of sustainable business and design practices. The lively discussion led by myself and Leslie Hoffman (Earth Pledge/Future Fashion - NYC) had a honest and open tone that led to sharing and creating a sense of community that will be necessary for us all to make sustainability a mainstay in our world.
I just got back from NYC where one thing you see a lot of are bags; Retail shopping bags, plastic bags, etc. This trip I experimented with using my Longchamp shopper and stuffing as much of my shopping in that one bag as possible. I did it. I carried my purchases around with me all day. It felt very chic and I felt oh so much better knowing that I had done my part that day. We have heard so much in the media about the plastic bag and their damaging effect on the earth. And, even though many retail bags are paper, it is still great practice to have a shopping tote for clothing as well as for your groceries. We have highlighted a lot of great alternatives to shopping bags on the site over the past few year...check them out. Remember to pick out something fun that expresses you and your personality.
Last weekend one of my best friends treated me to one the top ten food experiences in my life. This is an area I am constantly researching, believe me, I love being a “foody”. Cascadia Restaurant based in Seattle with Chef Kerry Sear offers Saturday Market Tours with a cooking class, lunch and wine pairings. How amazing is that? I learned so much about where the restaurant buys their food locally, how they select their food and how we can too. I learned so much and have truly been inspired to keep on the path of cooking seasonally with local foods that are organic…how perfect. Cascadia’s site notes, “Since our first day to the present day, we've sought out locally sourced ingredients, worked with organic growers, and supported sustainable processes and techniques whenever possible. Rather than relying on single-source ingredients no matter what or overpromising on our menu's organic elements, we rely on best-source ingredients from a wide variety of farmers, ranchers, markets and more…” Chef Sear truly made every recipe seem so easy and accessible, but knowing me, I will just end up at Cascadia as always to enjoy one of their fabulous prix fixe tasting menus in a couple weeks. 
So this is my first blog entry, ever. Choosing to start out my career first blog with Al Gore's film - An Inconvenient Truth - is a pretty hefty topic, but here's the deal: go see it. Go now. Don't wait. While explaining the daunting crisis that Global Warming presents through a presentation he has perfected by going from city to city across the world, former Vice President Al Gore still provides hope and practical steps that we each can take to make a difference. But as one can expect, we have to act now. It was so inspiring to check out this film and know that it has held a place in the box office results that we could have only dreamt of when we started SSF four years ago. Our vision to use pop culture and media to educate and inspire everyone that that can make a difference through the lifestyle choices they make is held evident in this film. So, I guess it is appropriate that this first blog entry of mine really brings home what our mission is.