sustainable style foundation*

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From Sustainable Sean...Being the Lifestyle Ambassador & Co-founder of SSF and all, I thought Josh Dorfman had written the perfect book when he penned his first opus, The Lazy Environmentalist back in 2007. Many authors have attempted to write the next big guide to going green, but none quite compared to Josh's first 'guide to easy, stylish, green living'. As it turns out...Josh himself has written the next big guide to going green...and its AWESOME! Once again, Josh is able to make going green totally down to earth and accessible. When Joe the Plumber decides to go green, I'm pretty sure he'll read The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget. In his new book, Josh once again runs down the list of the best products and resources for green living, but this time he's on an even higher mission...going green while saving both time and money. Clearly, given the economic situation we're all in, his new book is timely but it is also a resource that will serve as a guide in any era as it is essentially a road map for how to make affordable and sustainable lifestyle choices whether you're a college senior living on student loans or a hard-working soccer (or hockey) Mom. Recently laid off or just getting out of school but still want to get your green on? Don't fret, Josh even has a section on the booming green job market. Once you've dog-eared your dozens of pages, hit the computer and surf over to Josh's website The Lazy Environmentalist to get new tidbits and pointers. Even better, tune in to Josh on the Sundance Channel starting in June of 2009.

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...Whoever said giving ties as gifts was tired hasn't seen these ties yet. I came across Narwahl while attending the 2008 ECOLLECTION show at MAGIC. Narwahl's line of recycled tie accessories that includes wallets, ipod and iphone covers, wrist wear, and t-shirts stood out for me due to their great design and quality, as well as the fact that it's rare to find men's accessories that have a sustainable story. With the tie material, the items are both classic and contemporary at the same time and they even offer custom items. Great style, great story, great gift.

from haberdash.org...I'll be doing a new dispatch on my recent 2008 Maui trip finds soon but I just couldn't hold off on this one. While lunching in Wailuku I stumbled upon a little shop called MauiThing. They've got the coolest shirts around and their motto is "Stuck on Good". In fact, they are inspired by all 'things good' on Maui. Not only do they sport hipster American Apparel shirts with great graphics, they offer some organic options, and have some great local and community messaging ranging from peace and composting to equality and endangered species. The icing on the MauiThing cake is the staff, they are way cool and customer service rockstars. It's all available online if you're not headed to Maui anytime soon.

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.

Just when you think green roofs are catching on, an innovative architect gives us green walls. Mass Studies' principle Minsuk Cho recently designed Belgian fashion designer Ann Demeulemeester's new store in Seoul with forests, ferns and lizards in mind. The latest of six projects that incorporate living surfaces, Cho feels this is his best yet.

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

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.

Hello from Portland. As you know from my previous blog I am down here for the weekend's activities around Portland Fashion Week and the Better Living Show. Last night was a fundraising event and highlight of some fab designers whose pieces were showcased and auctioned off for a cause. Great cause and fun and oh so stylish folks. For our PDX folks, there is a definite feeling that SSF-PDX will be starting soon. Stand by.

If you live in the Northwest, I recommend you check out Portland Fashion Week's Display Fashion Show, Party & Auction: March 27 8pm–11pm. Several acclaimed designers will launch signature pieces from their Fall/Winter 2008 collections through a fashion display, party, and auction benefiting the Children’s Cancer Association (www.childrenscancerassociation.org). These never-before-seen pieces will be auctioned off at this event. Respective designers will fit apparel to the highest bidder before the pieces are even available on the market. For more info go to http://www.portlandfashionweek.net/Fall_Winter_Announcement.htm

Make a weekend of it and check out the more of Portland Fashion Week (PFW) at the Better Living Show. I am going to participating in the events on Saturday and looking forward to it.

PFW will present a Spring Fashion Event at the Better Living Show. There will be two parts to this event on Saturday, March 28. Here is what the press release said:

Eco-fashion panel and Installation Fashion Show
In a high-fashion atmosphere, the panelists will explain the eco-fashion ethos and highlight how it saves the environment. Leading national personalities in eco fashion like Lesley Hoffman, Executive Director of Earthpledge (New York) and Rebecca Luke, Co-founder of Sustainable Style Foundation (Seattle) will participate in the panel.

Installation Fashion Show with nationally known eco-fashion labels:
Featuring Fall/Winter 2008 Collections from Nau and Lizzie Parker
Special Guest Designer Anna Cohen featuring select pieces with sustainability focus
All 3 designers to discuss green-fashion design and production process with the Eco-Fashion Panel

In addition, PFW Plaza will feature a display of signature pieces of some of the acclaimed designers’ Fall/Winter 2008 collections March 28 - 30. These never-before-seen pieces will be auctioned off at this event. Respective designers will fit apparel to the highest bidder before these pieces are even available on the market.

The Better Living Show looks amazing and is chalk full of fabulous panels, installations and displays, including a book signing by Ed Begley, Jr. The weekend will be full of info about sustainable lifestyle choices, right up our alley. There is no charge for the Better Living Show. Check out the full schedule at betterlivingshow.org.

I hope to see you in PDX.

photo credit:http://www.ThePhotographers.us/

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.

(Cristina Sacco - Glasgow, Scotland) This week I have seen a couple of dubious statements made in what claims to be an ethical consumer magazine. It promoted the hand-knit items of two companies as examples of more ethical shopping choices. One company is well-known and has Fair Trade credentials. The other one is selling a hand-knit cabled cardigan for £45. Hypothetically, let's say each cardigan costs the company £25, and of that, the company pays for the processing, the yarn, and the labor involved in hand-knitting a cabled cardigan.

Here's where I have to confess that I am a knitter and I know how long it takes to knit an adult-sized cabled cardigan.

Even at wholesale prices, the yarn is a significant cost, so I have difficulty believing that the people knitting these sweaters are working under good conditions, being paid a fair wage. To be fair, the error here is in the magazine, the manufacturer makes no claims of ethical production, the magazine does. If being hand-made is promoted as an ethical attribute of a product (whether by the manufacturer or by a magazine), think twice about the labor involved and check to see if the manufacturer has Fair Trade credentials. Or, if all else fails, learn to knit or crochet your own cardigans, but I will write more on that subject another time.

Ok, I have an addendum this week, so that I don't get renamed "The Skeptical Shopper":

Since Ari mentioned disposable tissues in her latest Green Revelation post (Waste Not Want Not), I thought it was a good time to reveal my little-known affection for the handkerchief. Of my small handkerchief collection, my favorite is by Sukie. Sukie hankies are 100% cotton (not organic), printed in the UK, are easy to wash by hand in the sink, and dry very quickly. They are also beautiful and soft, and make having a cold just a little bit more tolerable.

The latest addition to the eco-fashion show frenzy occured in Cracow on January 26th. With the Cracow School of Art and Fashion Design (Szkola Artystyczego Projektowania Ubioru) educating students in creating innovating eco-fashion clothing made of recycled materials-paper and plastic, its no surprise all eyes were on Polish designers for their interpretation of the global trend. Over 300 garments were presented during the show titled "Recykling Multiplikacje". The show was also an opening event of the international competition for young designers createeurope.com's The Fashion Academy Award.

Images by Pawel Kaminski

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...

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.