sustainable style foundation*

I had the great honor of MCing a fashion show for the 2008 Seattle ZTA Day last Saturday. It was a fun and educational event that I think really opened the minds of the ZTA girls (that ranged from age 20 to 70) to the opportunities they have to make more sustainable personal lifestyle choices. ZTAs and many sororities are well known for being very active in the community, so I was really impressed that they chose to focus on environmental issues and action for the 2008 event.

I was invited to MC by good friend Cynthia Lu Levine who recently started Echo Road, an innovative retail concept that gathers women together to shop and socialize at private events, small gatherings, or even personal appointments. By taking this approach, Cynthia enables her clients to focus on the garments that really speak to them rather than having to spend hours shopping. Cynthia did all the work for the actually fashion show and her choices were right on. The models, all ZTA girls of course, looked fabulous and you could tell they loved being in the clothes. My job was to not only highlight the garments but to tell the important stories about the many social and environmental connections to the fashion world, from organic cotton and overconsumption to repurposed items and textiles like Tencel. Cynthia put together a great script so my job was very easy. The show featured fashions from Seattle's own Prairie Underground, New York based Stewart + Brown, Loyale, Moral Fervor, Bahar Shahpar, LA based Undesigned by Carol Young, Virginia based Green Label Organic t-shirts, and shoulder bags from local Seattle company Alchemy Goods. Here we see Marsha on the left in a Bahar Shahpar Pleated Poppy Top, Lynsey in a white cloak hoodie by Prairie Underground and Liz in a long dark grey cloak hoodie also by Prarie Underground. Many thanks to Cynthia and Mardee Austin, the greenest ZTA girl of them all that organized the whole event.

What was I wearing you ask? I sported second hand Donald Pliner shoes, Giorgio Armani black hemp jeans, a Green Label Organic "Bummer" t-shirt, a second-hand Kenneth Cole dress shirt and a "Make it Right" paperboy hat.

Simply put, Gorgeously Green is fabulously fun. The book and the accompanying website are packed full of fun and valuable information that prove that the saying is true, it really IS easy being green. I can honestly say I don't think there's a better reference for fulfilling SSF's mantra "look fabulous, live well, do good". In the forward, Julia Roberts calls the book a "bible of hope and help (not to menteion a good cleansing mask andn source for eco-cashmere). Author Sophie Uliano makes making greener personal lifestyle choices fun and accessible to everyone. She makes it irresistable.

Uliano hits all of the big lifestyle categories too: apparel, food, beauty, gardening, travel, weddings, etc. And yoga poses! Yes, sprinkled throughout the book are yoga poses and other activities to invigorate the mind, the body, and the soul. Best of all, her motto, "one change makes a difference", confirms that you don't have to be perfect...one small step here and there can add to a big difference over time, especially if a lot of us make the same small steps. The way she presents her ideas and solutions is what really sets this book apart...its fun, its positive, its interactive, its educational, and I have to admit - its completely girly. But that's OK! Her concept of becoming a 'green goddess' is exactly what the green movement needs. As I said before, she makes going green irresistible. The fact that she provides a definition and discussion of 'gorgeousness' says it all.

On the website you can find some videos as well. After watching them you sense her passion, commitment, and excitement in every page of the book. Don't miss GGTV on the website, and the 'Girls Club' must be a lot of fun too. Probably most important though, is that she takes providing background information and resources on key issues very seriously, toxins in cosmetics for example. I don't think I've come a cross a better treatment of the subject or a better collection of green options to address the issues. There are literally easy to understand definitions and website links everywhere.

Gorgeously Green is a great read, an invaluable resource, and as Julia Roberts put it, a true bible of hope. What other green resource book leaves you with the feeling that you just solved some of the world's problems over a cocktail with a girlfriend? Hmm...none. But that's exactly what Gorgeously Green does. Cheers Sophie, you and your book are fabulous!

Available at your local bookstore and online at: Amazon | Barnes& Noble | Powells

My most recent book review request came from Yale University Press. The title? Auto Mania: Cars, Consumers, and the Environment by Tom McCarthy. Now I am a sucker when it comes to anything history, biography, environment and so would probably give any book in these categories a pretty glowing review, but I must say I REALLY enjoyed this book. It is a very thorough look at our ever so addictive relationship with cars with all its eccentricities from the need for speed, keeping up with the Jones', to ever present power and greed. And he does it with a bit of humor tossed in here and there. Essentially an environmental history of the automobile, McCarthy points out early that scientists and engineers were well aware of the many challenges that came with cars and even goes into Henry Ford's sincere interest in reducing waste in his uber efficient assembly lines. Pop culture played a key role too, from Elvis Presley to Will Rogers. And, no surprise, even early observations of global warming - and how they were ignored - show up in the book. After reading McCarthy's book, we better understand America's romance with the automobile with all its wires, belts, and oh so many other social, political, economic, and environmental 'strings' attached.

I attended the International Sustainability Institute's Trash Fashion Bash tonight and must say that I was totally blown away by the amount and quality of the designs. Many of the designs were from the fabulous design divas at Haute Trash but there were many local designers that wowed the crowd too, from a tofu packaging wedding gown by Chaco to women's business suit made from circuit boards. And then there were the models! Several SSF favorites including Lynne Baker (pictured at left) part of the City of Seattle's green building team (and frequent SSF OSSA Award judge), Diane Sugimura, Director of Planning & Develolpment for the city of Seattle, Joanie Parsons of Parsons Public Relations, Kaye Smith-Blum of Butch Blum who was one of the evenings MCs. There were many other architects, urban planners, and even several budding high schoolers striking a pose for sustainability as well. Any why did the models look so fabulous you ask, well, becuase SSF Co-founder and Senior Stylist Rebecca Luke was on the scene in wearing her les Egoistes hat training all those high-profile sustainability celebs how to strike a pose on the runway of course. All in all, another great example of how we all can look fabulous, live well, and do good.

We here at SSF are big fans of British cooking celeb Nigella Lawson (find previous blogs here and here). Her London studio kitchen is green powered, she promotes organics left and right, and - as we all know by watching the last segment of her show - she's all about making the most of left overs. Last night I had the honor and pleasure of meeting Nigella at a book signing here in Seattle. I must say, she was even more beauttiful and charming in person. Nigella's latest book, Nigella Express is Nigella's take on 'fast' food. It may be quick and easy to make, but the recipes are far from the stereotype. Consider it more the Slow Food Movement for busy people. Given her take on things expect to see more of Ms. Lawson on SSF.

Well look what I just ran across. By the looks of Hollywood Goes Green it appears that Hollywood is taking the green stuff pretty seriously...which is good because they not only have a long way to go, they are positioned to really create big change on environmental (as well as other social) topics given the exposure Hollywood can provide on issues if they so choose. From their site "iHollywood Forum makes history with the first conference to specifically address environmental issues in entertainment and related industries. Hollywood Goes Green will offer industry insiders a forum to collaborate and develop partnerships for a sustainable future. Be part of this historic gathering for an in-depth exchange of ideas and make deals with influencers who share your passion for protecting the environment." Not bad and surfing through their list of speakers, I'm pretty impressed...some practitioners from the film industry, lots of nonprofit folks, and of course some celebs. Looks like it is 'lights - action' in Hollywood after all.

I can't believe I'm scooping Ecorazzi on this but yes eco celeb fans...the EMA Awards were aired on E! this very evening and for the most part were quite a success. Having attended three of the past award ceremonies it was pretty cool to see them live on TV. Well, mostly live. Based on the editing visible during the show there must have been a bit of delay so that they could cut ans paste everything together. The event was a major success in terms of getting envioronmental issues into the media. EMA really does a great job of this. Not so successful as far as jokes during the show...they're just as bad on TV as they are in person. The major sponsors, Toyota Lexus and Pepsi, were VERY visible as usual too (I think Pepsi must have designed the stage because it was very red and blue...hmm). Lots of celebs handing out awards and one of my favorite green celebs, Blythe Danner, presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Trudy Styler, another big fav of mine. Best of all though, Niecy Nash co-hosted the evening providing lots of backstage scoop...AND she was actually funny. But then how could she not be, she's fabulous.

I had the fortune to attend the last stop on Seattle-based musician Brandi Carlile's tour tonight. Um...WOW. I've been a huge fan for a long time but last night blew me away. I don't need to tell you how good the music was...it was awesome of course. A couple sustainable surprises to report...both on the music and 'cause' side. Brandi did a couple acoustic songs but then...BUT THEN...Brandi and her sidekicks, the Hanseroth twins - completely unplugged - stepped to the front of the stage and did a song completely off the grid, using just the power of their own voices. They not only pulled it off, they left us all with a memory we won't forget soon. After many more incredible songs, Brandi came back for her encore and announced that not only was her tour climate neutral (arranged through Reverb), all of the commuting miles of the audience had been offset as well. PARTY ROCK ON!!! Now that's going above and beyond the call for sure.

That's right, Ikea no longer corners the market on eco cheap-chic interiors. Japan based retailer, Muji, is already known around the world (and MOMA patrons) for their simplistic and stylish wares, but with their new store in New York's SoHo and 2008 store in the New York Times building, they're poised to garner a few, well maybe a lot, more fans in the US. From cardboard speakers to their famous 'Countryside and NYC in a Bag' toys made from sustainably harvested wood, Muji is sure to make an impression in the design and eco scene.

A new website just launched out of the UK called Fashion-Conscience.com. At first glance, it looks pretty awesome. Their focus on trends and desingers shows they do in fact get the fashion thing as well as the 'with a consience' part. Yes, you consumption critics out there, it does promote consumerism but as we have long said here at SSF, consumption isn't such a bad thing if the latest and greatests products and services have a deep sustainability commentment. Congrats Fashion-Conscience, we'll be rooting for ya. Sean

Just released - The California Film Commission just published their Green Resource Guide for greening film productions. It's got the usual suspects like green office supplies and recycling but a few items are quite novel such as issues around generators and donating set food. I smell an Academy Awa...uh, I mean OSSA Award for sure. Sustainable Sean.

If you haven't run across Bond Alternative Wedding Magazine yet, their current issue is a sustainable style must-have and a true guide to marriage in the new millennium. As the only fashion (high fashion I might add) magazine and website to include same-gender and multi-ethnic couples, it offers a fresh and modern perspective on that more than four letter word...commitment. White lace dresses are sparse but stunning Prada and Marc Jacobs abound. Lots of fabulous food, wind, flowers, gifts, and decor. But the icing on this cake is that the issue AND the icing on the wedding cake are all eco-friendly.

You may have all heard that America's Next Top Model has gone green. I'm still waiting to see how it all plays out, but so far, I'm impressed. They're living in an eco-friendly mansion, producers are giving them tips on eco-living, and they're running around in a biodiesel bus. Not only have they put in some good green tidbits, there are several other ways in which this season's girls may actually turn out to be more than just pretty faces. There are some smarties in the group, an aspiring model with a disability, and Tyra even made the bold move of banning smoking from the show after a photoshoot on the topic. We'll keep a close eye on this one.

Paul and I were off to Grenoble for the weekend today to visit Paul's friend Susan from college. The road to Grenoble from Turin was filled with many tunnels and even more toll gates to pay for the tunnels and other road access. I actually think that is kind of a good idea...charging for road use and such. Needless to say, the drive was beautiful. The French side of the trip was especially beautiful with many castles and sweeping vistas along the way with the Alps as a background.

Besides a lot of wonderful time with Susan's family in Voreppe, a village just outside of Grenoble that included lots of incredible food, cheeses, and coffee we did get a little sight seeing in too. The big trip was to the tram in Grenoble up to the old fort. My first green discovery was that the tram was powered with green power and the sign hanging right by 'les boulles' little cabins made sure everyone knew it. The view from atop the fort, La Bastille, was incredible and I even discovered a little mural celebrating recycling.

Later, in Grenoble, we stopped by the local Sunday market which had quite a few local and organic options. I noticed all the organics were labelled "bio" so not sure if they were organic, or even better...biodynamic. Best of all, while sipping a bit of espresso outside a street cafe, a Prius drove right up and parked in front of us. How picturesque, Non? On the way back home, we ran across a road sign identifying the local hydro power plant. Kind of neat that that they brought attention to it.

Today my friend Paul and I set out to visit Oasi Zegna, a conservation area in the Biellese Alps established by the Itialian men's clothing company Ermenegildo Zegna. I first came across Zegna while working at Nordstrom several year's back. I discovered that the company had been working on environmental, particularly conservation, efforts in Italy for over 70 years. They also sponsored the Environmental Media Association (EMA) Awards in Hollywood for several years during the 1990s. I later discovered that their environmental interests were taking hold in their products as well and two years ago purchased a beautiful sportcoat made of bamboo.

So, when my friend Paul said he would be staying in Turin for a month and invited me to stay for a week, I confirmed that one of my tourist stops would be Oasi Zegna. And, as a conservation biologist and fashionisto, I must say it was well worth it.

One has to be determined to find Oasi Zegna. It is located about an hour northeast of Turin. There are a pretty good sprinkling of signs to Oasi Zegna along the way, but you certainly wouldn't find the Oasi by accident. Luckily, we had a GPS to help out on certain sections along the way. The Zegna Panoramic Road leading to the Oasi was quite beautiful, and once on the route, you're certain to find the Oasi.

Unfortunately, it was off season in Oasi Zegna, they hadn't had much snow fall over the winter so a lot of the winter sport areas and attractions were closed. It wasn't spring yet either so a lot of the spring sport areas and attractions weren't open either. Regardless, the countryside and panoramic views along the way were breathtaking. I did see a few birds and small mammals along the way as well. We drove through Bielmonte, the ski resort area, but it was closed down for the season. I was pleased to see lots of interpretive signs along the way describing the area and various conservation efforts. We had hoped to find the offices and load up on lots of brochures and such but didn't discover that we had missed it until we had made it through the whole park to the other side. The office and the Zegna factory were located in Trivero, the town from which we started our drive. We came out of Oasi Zegna into several small hillside villages and then into Bielle for lunch. I tracked down a phone number for Oasi Zegna and gave them a call. I spoke to a very enthusiastic woman named Laura who, although she wouldn't be able to meet that day, did give me information on the Oasi and where I could find tourist info on the park in Bielle. She was very pleased to hear I was a biologist and felt bad that she couldn't give me a tour since Oasi Zegna has such incredible conservation efforts underway. I told here that I would be coming back for the World Design Symposium in 2008 and so we made plans to meet up to tour the park then. She also suggested that we stop by the Zegna outlet store in Bielle and said she would arrange a discount. A Zegna outlet store! On top of that a DISCOUNT at a Zegna outlet store! Being a conservation biologist and huge Zegna fan I must admit I was in heaven. When we found the tourist office in Bielle, we gathered lots of brochures (including several copies in Italian to bring back to the hotels and friends) and had a great chat with the women in the office. They then told us that we had spoke to Laura Zegna herself. Whoa! Very cool indeed. Needless to say, we had a great time shopping at the outlet store as well. Lucky for me, the size and cut of their clothing doesn't really work for me. I did get a knit polo shirt, a Zegna Sport baseball cap and a very cool military inspired, casual sportcoat that is a hemp/cotton mix. I am really looking forward to my next trip when I can spend some quality time at Oasi Zegna learning about their efforts, meeting their staff, and touring the factory.