sustainable style foundation*

from haberdash.org...As a rower and occasional sailor, I have a strong affinity for the water. Perhaps that's why I couldn't pull myself away from the display booth of Sea Bags, Inc. while attending the 2008 ECOLLECTION event at MAGIC. Or perhaps it is the fact that the bags have a great utilitarian design, that they are made from recycled sails, or that they are the perfect gift for anyone that is connected to water in some way (I have plenty of those). But I think what really grabbed me is that this is the perfect manbag. Sure its appealing to everyone from your Aunt Sally in Maine to surfers on Maui, but it truly is a perfect manbag. Its durable, its manly, its all about sailing, etc. Plus they also offer duffels, storage bags, and weekend bags that are just as cool as their totes. Each bag is different which in the end only made me want to by all of them.

from haberdash.org...Conde Nast Traveler has put out an outstanding September 08 issue featuring many articles and resources on socially responsible travel. The feature article showcases Matt Damon's work with H2O Africa and his recent project Running the Sahara which he both narrated and produced. Other articles include The Power of Travel, pioneers in the field of sustainable travel including Anderson Cooper, War and Peace about the role travel plays in healing a country after war, and a listing of the 38 winners of their 2008 World Savers Awards. Not bad for a mainstream magazine. Conde Nast has long promoted travel that treads lightly on the planet, but the looks of it, they're going to stay on that path.

from haberdash.org...Kiehl's has long offered a line of men's grooming products that are effective, affordable, and use all natural ingredients. They recently upped their sustainability commitment by partnering with Brad Pitt on a aloe vera biodegradable liquid body cleanser with 100% of net profits going to Make it Right, dedicated to the construction of environmentally sustainable, affordable housing for the displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina which devastated New Orleans in 2005. But that's not all, Kiehl's also provides resources to educate consumers on actions they can take to protect the environment and most recently partnered with Parsons The New School for Design to create Sustainable Design Review, a student competition to highlight innovative sustainable design.

from haberdash.org...If you're a jet set environmentalist you'll be glad to see this new product. Sustainable Cards has been working with the hotel industry to offer key cards made from wood...sustainably harvested wood from PEFC certified forests in fact. Not only do the cards have a great design and feel, they are biodegradable so they also reduce the over 1,300 tons of plastic waste that traditional hotel key cards generate in the U.S. annually which is equal to the volume of seven 777 airplanes. The wooden card has been used in Europe for several years now but is just now making its debut in the US. With over 70,000 hotel guests using them during the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver, the little key cards are creating a big buzz. Next time you're on the road, as the front desk if they will be making the switch too.

from haberdash.org...Flushing Meadows' blue tennis courts are going green. Sustainability in the sports world is pretty prevalent these days and the latest entry into the green arena is the United States Tennis Association (USTA) who has worked to create a green US Open this year. Leading the charge at USTA is none other than Billie Jean King. The efforts include waste recycling, green energy, financial contributions to nonprofits, donations of used tennis equipment to youth organizations, and a line of green sportswear designed by Billie Jean and Heidi Klum. Many of the athletes are behind the campaign as well making it even more impressive.

from haberdash.org...I've heard a lot about airlines making efforts to go green, but I'm quite confident that jetBlue has outdone them all with their initiative, Jetting to Green. They're doing everything from recycling and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to becoming more active in the community and educating both crew and passengers about environmental activism. Best of all they're out to inspire their industry to follow suit and make an even bigger impact. I've blogged about jetBlue serving organic goodies on their flights so it's great to see them reaching for the sky on sustainability.

from haberdash.org...Lauren Spa is a new line or organic bed and bath linens in the Ralph Lauren Home world. Given that many resorts are picking up the line already, it is sure to be around for a long time. Lauren Spa has set a new standard in organic linens in terms of luxury, design, and most importantly - sustainability.

From haberdash.org...This is my third trip to Maui and I'm pleased to say its becoming easier and easier to find sustainable options. My latest find is a new grocery store in Lahaina (on the west side of Maui) called Lahaina Farms. They don't have a website up yet but you can read more about them in this On My Plate article. It's a small store but it scores right up there with Whole Foods when it comes to quality and selection. And they really take the time to source local and organic items. Down to Earth has been a great option for the sustainable grocery shoppers, but there aren't that many on the island and the closest one to Lahaina is about a forty-five minute drive. There are several Lahaina Farms stores throughout the islands so whether you're a local or a vacationer, take the time to track one down.

Of course I also made the requisite trip to Savers right off the plane. There's no better way to increase your Aloha shirt collectionn than buying them 2nd hand from Savers. Best of all, they have great vintage Aloha shirts that can't be found anywhere else.

I recently took part in the 2008 Paddle to Cowichan, BC, the destination for this year's Tribal Journeys event that takes place each summer in which Tribes from around the Puget Sound and Canada paddle traditional canoes to a host tribe. I was invited by Dannny Marshall, Tribal Leader of the Steilacoom Tribe to be part of their canoe family along with the Carver Camp Canoe Family headed by Phil Red Eagle. The group had just finished carving a hunting canoe called "Flicker" and were getting ready to take her on her first voyage. I've been volunteering with the Steilacoom Tribe for a couple years now, helping with the website and a ethnobotanical garden. Having grown up in Steilacoom, WA it's been great fun and very rewarding to help out since the Steilacoom are not a recognized tribe so have no state or federal funding sources. So it was a big surprise and great honor to be asked to help paddle. I met many wonderful people along the journey, took many pictures, and have many wonderful memories. One of groups that impressed me greatly was the Pink Paddle Canoe Family. They not only paddled many miles with the other 100 or so canoes on the journey, they did it to raise awareness for breast cancer and to honor the many people who have survived or have been lost to cancer of any type.

One of the first statements in our SSF vision is "seven generations" which honors the wisdom of native peoples to act today in ways that respect and benefit those who come seven generations after us. So the opportunity to participate in the 2008 Tribal Journey was very meaningful for me personally and for SSF. I am very humbled to have been part of the journey, to paddle alongside the Pink Paddlers, as well as the many other Tribes that took part in this year's journey.

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

In today’s world, we are hearing the word “green” and “sustainable” alot. We are hearing these words attached mostly to what we can buy to save the world. While this is a terrific start, there is more to be considered. Recently, a client of mine forwarded an email of a video that had been shown in her grade school child’s classroom “The Story of Stuff”. It is a fabulous and entertaining way to check out the production of “stuff” and how it impacts us socially and environmentally.

In 2008, I plan to devote a majority of my blogs to what we can do to save the world and keep it consistent with our personal “style”.

Our fall interns, Anne-Marie and Olivia, worked hard on creating fantastic list of Sustainable Style Living Tips and I am going to put their work to great use. Stand by for a new tip every week.

Also, there are several books out there to check out as well; if you do a quick search for “ways to live green”, a good collection of books and other blogs will come up. For us at SSF, it’s about looking at the big picture, beyond green.

I look forward to your comments and an on-going dialogue about how we can continue to save the world in style.

We get some cool products to review here at SSF, but I have to say...this one takes first prize. Its the Solio H1000, a hybrid device charger that takes power from multiple sources (including the sun!), holds power, and then powers multiple small devices like cell phones, iPods, etc. I'm testing it out on an extended holiday road trip to Utah and Arizona. I received a sporty orange version of the charger you see to the left...very sassy. I charged it a bit via my laptop last night but during the days I'm going full on solar with the charger up on my dashboard. Its fantastic! Its hip, its cool, its small so packs away easily in a bag (or purse) and doesn't get in the way, and it provides power any time, anywhere. All the various adapter cables are great too, this thing will charge any small device! A couple folks have seen it along the way on the dashboard (Oregon still requires attendants to pump gas for you) and they think it's way cool too. Best of all, I found a sporty little orange bag (I think it may have been a pencil or cosmetic bag) for it at a secondhand store in Sierra Vista, AZ that holds the Solio and all its accessories. Now that's sustainable style!

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.

(Pier Paolo - Torino, Italia) - Apologizing for my basic English I am starting blogging today, first post, first pictures, of course from Torino, the city where I live. A special thank to Sean who invited me to join SSF, I am really proud to do this. Why blogging from Torino? First because the city has been changing a lot for 5-6 years, when was appointed to be Winter Olympic Games in 2006. After the Games, the city has continued to enhance its development and now we are approaching the Year of Design. Torino has been changing very rapidly from One company Town (Fiat Group Automobiles) to a city of services, of culture, of creativity, arts and sports. And the city today shows all the signs of this profound transformation.

Now we are awaiting 2011 when we will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. In the meantime the city will be the first World Design Capital for one year, a leading project of the International Design Alliance (IDA), currently managed by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). Twelve months of events, exibitions in Torino and in the entire region to offer a clear vision on the design culture in Piedmont. A design approach that sometimes seems bold and multi-faceted, other times hidden, anyway almost always high level projects.

The real commencement of the World Design events was fixed for the New Year’s Eve of Design, December 31, 2007. After that the programme will tie up with the well established calendar of fairs, exhibitions and festivals that take place in the city’s major venues all through the year. For instance in October the main subject will be design and food, to coincide with the Taste Fair and Terra Madre World Food Meeting edited by Slow Food movement. In November the focus will be on the relationship between art, media and industrial design (Torino Art Fair and Torino Film Festival) and before the summer period two important appointments: “Changing the Change: Design Visions, Proposals and Tools”: this is the title of a conference that will be held on July 10-12, 2008 at the Politecnico di Torino in the framework of Torino 2008 World Design Capital. It will highligt new visions in the field of sustainability and outline the state of the art of ecodesign research. The second event is the 23rd International Union of Architects World Congress that will bring to Torino the International community of architects, planners and designers (June 29-July 3). Green will be the colour of the visual communication of the Year of Design. Why green? First because green represents the combination of the two “corporate” colours of Torino: blue and yellow.Second because it occupies a central position on the scale of human visual perception, it is the colour of reason and of course also the one of sustainable design (green design, eco-design, systems design).

Last but not least I want to mention the Luci d’Artista works and installations. It is a real art gallery en plein air set in streets and squares of Torino from November to February. It has become one of the symbols of the city for 10 years. The 2007 edition includes 19 installations with the well known works of Rebecca Horn, Nicola De Maria and Mario Merz (who used the first Fibonacci numbers written with red neon on one side of the Mole Antonelliana four-faced dome).

It was so great to check out what I predict, and hope, will be the worlds’ premiere destination hotel in the future last night. I went to the 1 opening where hotelier Barry Sternlight (W Hotels), recently highlighted in Vanity Fair’s Green issue, mentioned that this project meant a lot to him personally. Designed to be a luxury eco-friendly hotel and residence, the overall feel of the model suite was very hip. You got the feel of the environment without the “lodge” feel. The neutral palate was surprisingly warm and was completely Zen. SSF’s you can” live well, do good as well as look fabulous”, was completely demonstrated in the design of the space as well as the forethought behind its operating model. I did hear from Barry that if you drive a Hybrid, your parking will be free…let’s hope this policy will have to change because there are so many alternative fuel cars coming in. As far as food at 1, B.R. Guests founder Stephen Hanson, known for his fabulous franchise of restaurants in New York, Chicago & Vegas, will be the master mind behind the dining concepts. If it will be anything like the food served last night, we know it is going to be out of this world. It warmed my heart to hear the chef go on and on about shopping at our own Pike Market where the fabulous tidbits from ceviche, to oysters and mini kiwi dipped in chocolate were created from. There is already a list for the residences as you can imagine…stand by for more news on this project. It really is going to be the wonderful to have Seattle be a landmark for another amazing concept. 1residences.com. RL