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A report from San Francisco's Greenfestival 2003 by Kim Hoffman
Greenfest, now in its second year, is produced by the visionaries at Global Exchange and Co-op America, who decided to stop just talking about the environmental and social ills of our time and focus on an alternative: the green economy. The event was created to really show what the cutting edge of green living looks like; how it is possible to live up to your values and still live in this consumer culture. Greenfest combines great organic and hemp apparel vendors, fair trade folks, conservation booths, natural foods, massage and bodywork, incredible lecturers, music, spa and soul, home and hearth, all in one place. Buying all things green has never been easier, and the best part is it's not over the top, crunchy super-granola. Rather than wasting time and energy sitting at home whining about what they don't want, over 15,000 people came out to connect and partake in what they do want. Before I share my jaunt through Greenfest, I have a confession: I came with a mission. I wanted some new things for the office (I do work in the green business field after all) that supported my values and were super-cute; this is not normally an easy feat. I was really just after a few items that didn't make me grimace when looking at where it was made, or ponder the environmental damage caused by the pesticide-heavy cultivation of cotton. Most importantly, what I needed had to have a good look and feel. I couldn't have spent 10 years working in the fashion industry without caring just a little -- okay, maybe more than a little -- about I how I look. I had a fantastic time and scored some downright killer items at some unbelievable prices; most vendors were selling their clothes way below retail. There were booths of interesting entrepreneurs who showed that they really care about who makes their goods, how they are made and treading lightly on the earth. They also showed that green style can be very good-looking style. Join me on my spree through the eco-mall...
Right across the aisle was the sweetness of Sweetgrass Natural Fibers. With bias-cut skirts, pants, tops and dresses with superb fit and flow, Sweetgrass was jammed with people trying them on. Flattering fits, the right colors and more-than-fair prices: Sweetgrass is the foundation of any eco-babe's wardrobe. Next was a trunk show at cataloger Under the Canopy. Having coined the phase "eco-fashion," Under the Canopy has taken organics and hemp to hot new heights. Encompassing a wide variety of eco-wear, including skirts and tops, this is the catalog to indulge in. It was refreshing to find a line of clothing that looks great not only on the models, but equally as good on the people buying it. With true respect for the earth and great style as well, Under the Canopy deserves kudos. Get the catalog and go wild. Across the aisle was Blue Canoe, a pioneer in organic fashion. From yoga to streetwear, Blue Canoe was one of the first to market organic women's wear. And, muy importante: this stuff looks good! Great colors, fits, styles (both basic and fashion forward), and constructed with 100% organic cotton. Go to their website to check them out or have the catalog sent and feel good about that, too: it is printed on New Leaf Paper's 100% recycled, 50% post consumer waste, processed chlorine-free paper. In the next booth, there was a shopping feeding frenzy -- and nothing attracts a true shopper more than piles of clothes and hordes of diggers -- so I dove in to the sumptuous knits of Indigenous Designs where I found some fabulous pieces. With innovative organic knits for men and women, made in cooperatives and fair trade-based knit collectives, ID (as they're recognized by those in the know) has the cozy sweater to snuggle into while you wait for spring to come. Shopping is hard work, and by now I needed a little lift. I re-energized with a delicious Guayaki Yerba Mate latte in my refillable cup and was ready for round two. Nourishing, warm and tasty, Yerba Mate is the national drink in Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. It grows indigenously in the shade of its rainforest habitat, is naturally caffeinated and is loaded with B vitamins, minerals and amino acids -- all the better for you, the planet and the people who produce it.
Next I needed something sweet, and Dagoba Chocolate was just steps away. Deep, dark, organic, and truly magical, the Dagoba New Moon chocolate bar I devoured truly has transformative powers. Trust me on this; it's portable bliss. Having scratched my chocolate itch, and in the spirit of continued hedonism, I found myself at Naked Clothing. How can you not love the name? The Celtic and goddess screens on hemp knit are really beautiful and done by Seattle-based artists. The essence of a sustainable cottage industry, the booth had the nicest feeling -- the richness of the dyes, the cloth, simple but updated styles and compelling art on the tees. I can confirm it: naked is good. One last little item before I was ready to call it a day -- Dash Hemp had the piece to go with everything: a hand-loomed knit hemp shawl. It's a wrap, a scarf, a sash, a belt -- whatever. This fashionable jack/jill of all trades is an essential piece to tie together almost any eco-ensemble. Several hundred dollars and a fabulous eco-wardrobe later, I was one happy shopper. Prices were great, I was happy to support the businesses and I picked up some great new fall items -- I felt like I found Shangri-la! Now it was time to catch a speaker, and have some of that good food in the organic food court. Checking my schedule, I was just in the nick of time to hear a speech from Dame Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop and a personal hero of mine. Her passionate message of taking personal responsibility for the health of our planet and doing so with style and substance validated the bags I had under my seat: all eco-friendly, all sweatshop-free, and all adorable. Can we shop our way to a better planet? I just did! As I wrapped up my wonderful day at Greenfest with a delicious all-organic dinner of a tempeh gyro, Greek salad and a glass of wine from bio-dynamically grown grapes, I reflected that this was infinitely better than any mall experience I had ever had, and I've had some pretty good ones in my day! Blissfully, times have changed. My brother keeps saying that I can't decide if I want to save the planet or save 50% off. Well, bro, at Greenfest, I did both. Kim Hoffman spent 10 years in the fashion industry as a buyer, analyst, importer, designer, and entrepreneur. Currently she works in sales and marketing at New Leaf Paper, the market leader in environmental paper for business use. She is using the garmento blood she has flowing through her veins to inspire the fashion industry to take steps towards sustainability through their paper usage. |
brands we dig:
Aveda has adopted an Environmental Sustainability Policy and has committed to continuous improvement along the ten principles of action of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) through supporting biodynamic and organic farming, environmentally-responsible shipping practices, and extensive post-consumer recycling.
stylesmart is one of the internet's leading business-to-business fashion markets. The company's mission is to develop a one-stop shopping and service center for fashion industry buyers and press correspondents looking to discover and purchase leading-edge fashions from around the world at wholesale prices.
Whole Foods Market is the world's largest retailer of organic and naturally-grown foods. It is the only retail representative on the National Organic Standards Board, and have been advocates of organic agriculture, poultry and beef throughout the last 20 years. |
