sustainable style foundation*

The Sustainable Seattle office where I spend most of my time these days happens to be located right next door to the office of the Seattle Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and the Seattle Jewish Film Festival (SJFF). So I was really excited to see that SJFF was going green this year. WAY green! In fact it the major theme of this year's festival. The festival not only features films that feature an environmental theme, such as Lemon Tree, it offers many resources to help filmgoers go green as well, like The Jewish Climate Challenge. Want to know more about the films and resources? Follow the link above or you can find the full SJFF program here.

from Sustainable Sean...

Once again NBC/Universal (NBCU) is going CRAZY green on Earth Day as part of their Green is Universal initiative. Even better, each of Universal's 'brands' has its own green page as well...take NBC's green page and the Sci Fi Channel for example. NBCU actually has quite a bit of programming throughout the year but each year on Earth Day, they go hard core green. This year is no different with green (literally sometimes) showing up all over the place whether its the logo during the Today show to special editions of "The More You Know", to Oprah's Earth Day show.

Here are 5 reasons to get excited about Wheatware guitar picks and drumsticks:
• They reduce our reliance on foreign oil.
• They’re renewable. We have an abundant surplus of American wheat every year.
• They reduce our need for wood and trees, saving our forests, which help to cool the planet.
• They’re completely natural and non-allergenic.
• They’re biodegradable. If you bury them in the ground, they turn to compost in 90 days.

Wheatware drumsticks deliver all the performance advantages of wood, yet are made of a sustainable material. The Wheatware compostable guitar picks offer an alternative to the millions of plastic picks manufactured each year -- without sacrificing performance. Far from being fragile, Wheatware music products can withstand a musicians' beating. And both products are ultra-functional: the picks come in an easy-to-grip design and the drumsticks are slightly textured to resist slippage.

Here's what Violent Femmes drummer Guy Hoffman has to say: "I checked out Wheatware 5A drumsticks. Love those 5A's. That cored out handle, love it. I think they're incredible. The cored out handle makes obvious the difference in weight between that of the handle and that of the shoulder to the tip of the stick. I like the result in that the stick carries more weight toward the tip. Remarkably, they are biodegradable."

Wheatware™ guitar picks won "Best in Show" in the accessory category at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show in Austin, Texas on July 29th, and the drum sticks won "Trendsetter Award" at the NAMM show in Nashville, summer 2008. The company donated 272 pairs of Wheatware Compostable drumsticks, 3,240 Wheatware Compostable guitar picks, and 4,100 Wheatware Compostable clothes hangers to Live Earth musicians last year.

Affordably priced, Wheatware Bio-Compostable drumsticks are available in two sizes: 5A and 5B. Wheatware Compostable guitar picks come in three varieties: wedged-light, medium, and heavy. Other Wheatware products include Bio-Compostable hangers, multi-use dishes, drink coasters and golf supplies, as well as reusable Wheatware™ Biomass-75 chopsticks, wasabi dishes and disposable flatware. For more information on Wheatware music products, or any of the products distributed by Wheatware.com, check out:

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.

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

For all you Seattle SSF fans, pick up this month's issue of Seattle Magazine and check out Kelly Moore's latest contribution to eco-entertaining. SSF Co-founders Rebecca Luke and Sean Schmidt, along with friends and green gurus Lynne Barker and Megan Griffiths, chat about environmental issues and green giving for Earth Day. You can get a sneak peak online: "Entertaining: green goes glam".

Boost Mobile recently created their Boosted campaign, essentially a lifestyle brand infused with art, music, and pop culture. What makes things different is they partnered with designers to produce a line of accessories and other devices that captures the essence of the today's mobile and youth lifestyles while highlighting people and planet issues. A great example is one of their first partnerships with Livity Outernational. The accessories pictured to the left are just such an example...100% organic cotton and great design. You can find these and other Boost x Livity merch at our alter-ego site www.sustainable-style.org. More 'Boosted' Partnerships to come soon so stay tuned...

New Orleans natives Harry Connick, Jr. and Bradford Marsalis recently teamed up with the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity to create Musicians' Village, a community that will both provide housing to NOLA musicians affected by Katrina, as well as a focal point for teaching, sharing and preserving the rich musical tradition of the city. The project also includes the new Ellis Marsalis Center. From the website..."Another important innovation in the Musicians’ Village effort is the inclusion of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, named in honor of the New Orleans native and legendary jazz pianist, educator and patriarch of the Marsalis clan. Focusing on the ethnically and culturally diverse musical heritage of the city, the Center will include a 150-seat performance space with state-of-the-art lighting and sound. The Center will also support the growth of emerging New Orleans talent and music by providing classrooms, technical and administrative support, and producing the accomplishments of its students. These facilities will be available for residents of Musicians’ Village as well as artists and students citywide." From horns to hammers, here's to sweat harmonies in the 9th Ward!

I (Sean here) was the proud recipient of a Make It Right (MIR) Caputo Cap this holiday season. Made with eco-friendly materials, proceeds from the hat will help build sustainable homes in New Orleans. Brad Pitt has been doing a lot down in NOLA given his sustainable housing work with Global Green and all so I wasn't surprised to find him behind Make it Right and its Pink Project. The very hip hat is sold out now but there are still quite a few items for you environistas out there including another cap, t-shirts, and cool totebags made from recycled Pink Project materials.

Titan TV, an internet broadcast network, has a great lineup of environmental casts and resources. In their channel Titan Greens, Liza de Guia is their green go-to girl and hosts a lot of the clips under the 'Daily Greens' Title. Her most recent offering "Green Resolutions 2008" interviews folks at the NY Greendrinks Holiday Party and is quite entertaining. Lots more from Liza and other environmental content is available from Titan's main page above. Looks like Liza may be the next rockstar in environmental journalism.

We just came across this very cool website, Urban Reinventors. Great look and feel plus lots of great articles on the ideas of urbanism...both positive and negative. There are beautiful images, innovative ideas, and lots of other materials on the topic, both artistic and academic. The site was recently reworked and their second issue of their online magazine adds a lot more to the mix as well.

(Pier Paolo - Torino, Italia) The recent appointment of Seoul as World Design Capital in 2010 could be interpreted in two different ways at least. From one hand we could read the attempt to free South Korea from the stereotyped image of the ICT Nation above all. On the other hand we could consider the effort to include a lot of design Korean actions under the same umbrella named Design. In short, the attempt to boost quality and exports of Korean car district well represented by companies such as Hyundai, Kia or Daewoo, considered worldwide as the second regional business segment after IT (with two Korean pillars: Samsung and LG). And giving authoritativeness to international events such as Design Korea, founded in 2003 and now arrived at the third appointment. This event (International conference, exhibition and so on) very attractive for the international design community, has the cultural objective to put together ideas, design policies, associations, institutions, designers, critics and students. And they do it very well under the coordination of KIDP (Korean Institute of Design Promotion), the real motor of all these events.

Therefore the mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-Hoon, last October (when the city was named World Design Capital 2010) mentioned the so call “miracle on the Han river”. This is the period between Sixties and Seventies in which there was an extraordinary and rapid economic and industrial growth in Seoul, the city in which the river Han flows. So Seoul triumphed over cities such as Dubai, Singapore and Toronto and it is really worthy of this appointment beacuse of all the efforts to support a real international culture of industrial design at different levels. The Korean city and its area (which has about 20 million of inhabitants) will be for one year backstage and background of the design events. However my feeling is that Seoul is already an ICT and design international capital.

It seems that WDC nomination is going to move rapidly from cities that consider design as an instrument for transformation and social-economic change (this condition seemed to be really important at the beginning of the award WDC), to capitals already known as design or ICT cities.

In short, from an award to virtuous cities with their processes of transformations to an award to industrial districts and companies. Of course this nomination is a positive message for European cities such as Barcelona, London, Milan, they will have more chances to get this award. What about other fizzy and interesting cities such as Valencia or Gwangju?

(picture by Sergio Corsaro)

Torino, Italia (Pier Paolo) - 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).

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.

iTunes is offering an historic collection of rare tracks from many top name artists (i.e. Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Joss Stone, KT Tunstall, The Hold Steady, Natasha Bedingfield and more...) who support WHY's Artists Against Hunger & Poverty program. The songs, whether "new" or "classic," "studio" or "live", "electric" or "acoustic," resonate with the common idea of serving others.

The SERVE2 CD enabled these amazing artists to use their philanthropic efforts to fight hunger and poverty around the world — one song at a time. The net proceeds will go to support the WHY campaign to make a difference to the 38 million Americans and 842 million people worldwide for whom hunger is an everyday reality. For more information check out: