Adrian Grenier and Edwin Stromsten,

Adrian Grenier and Kristina Ratliff

Summer Rayne wears a vintage dress

Labels: Adrian Grenier, Africa, Africa water, Charity Water, Project Greenhouse, Summer Rayne Oakes, water wells

Photo: from Change It 07 via IGHIH blog

It is all very, very exciting to see how PowerShift 2007 is shaping up!

James Hansen is Coming!
James Hansen, the venerable director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies just said he would be more than happy to address the 3,000-5,000 youth expected to attend! Massimo and I shared in on the excitement over the phone. I totally skipped Cloud 9 and went to Cloud 10. Twenty minutes of pure elation led to more ideas, more strategies, and a little bit too much adrenaline to my noggin. I had to call Arthur and Billy from Campus Climate Challenge immediately. It took a full day for me to calm down, but I was easily lulled back into stealth fighter mode on my way to the Charity: Water benefit at Project Greenhouse* with Massimo (three hours in a car with a rocking psychologist studying climate change will do that to you). We cogitated over all the mind-blowing projects we've been working on and plan to work on - which seems to have multiplied over the last few months.

There are just so many bang-up ideas swirling around - we just can't wait to get them off the ground and running. The programs are focused on how we can begin turning awareness into continuous engagement. The approach is really creative and engaging - so it'll be interesting to see how the public responds to them...(Speaking of getting people involved, a new report on how much impact Live Earth has affected people's engagement will be coming out shortly - a joint report out of Columbia and Yale Universities).

Photo: from the IGHIH blog

Let's Get Moving!
Everyone's effort is greatly needed, but we need to graduate from the "little things we can do" (i.e. changing every frigging light bulb in the house) and ramp up to a more concerted effort for a sweeping change. A report was recently forwarded to me with some startling comparisons compiled by the 2030 Research Center. An abridged summary is listed below:

The Campus Climate Challenge, a growing student movement in the US...calls for all high schools and college campus in the U.S. to go carbon neutral. If the challenge were met, the CO2 emissions from just 4 medium-sized coal-fired power plants each year would negate the CCC's entire effort.

Labels: Be Carbon Neutral, climate change, CO2, coal, Energy Action, PowerShift 2007, Summer Rayne Oakes

This season there is just one trend predicted to outlast the year: eco-fashion. No, it’s not an oxymoron. Forget dreadlocks and Jesus sandals; environmentalism is becoming oh-so sexy. Just as boho made its way from the protestors to the catwalk, now too is environmental consciousness.

It seems that in the past three years environmental issues have started to pop up in everyday life. Eco-fashion is a buzz word at the moment, but few understand what it really means and why it might be so important. Are the rumours true? Is green really the new black?

It started with food: organic, chemical free, cruelty free, locally grown. Issues rarely thought of a decade earlier were suddenly important when choosing what to eat for dinner. Makeup soon followed. Companies advertised their products as pure and moved away from animal testing.

Labels: Australia fashion, eco-fashion, ecofashion, New Zealand fashion, Summer Rayne Oakes, sustainable style

Cover: GQ Germany August 2007

Oakes wears top by Linda Loudermilk; vintage necklace

Oakes wears a top by Carolina K, necklace by Palma Collection

Oakes wears top by Noir; skirt by Linda Loudermilk; shoes by CharmoneGQ Germany pushes hybrid vehicles and energy efficient vehicle technologies in their August 2007 Car issue. Interview with Summer Rayne Oakes. Photos with NYC's new fleet of hybrid taxis. - click on images to enlarge.

Labels: ecofashion, electric car, GQ, hybrid cars, hybrid taxis, hybrid vehicles, Summer Rayne Oakes

Summer Rayne Oakes' fourth installment on sustainable style for Grist Magazine highlights the industry's move to begin Restricted Substance Lists (RSLs).

-- A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine invited me to an apparel industry environmental seminar chock full of good industry types. Seminars of this nature are always dreadfully boring, but it's worth it because you get the inside scoop on what the industry is (and unfortunately isn't) talking about. The principle topic was regulated substances and chemicals, how to move toward green chemistry alternatives, and how to manage all the issues associated with regulations. The meeting was the first important step in getting companies like Ann Taylor, Liz Claiborne, L.L. Bean, and others to begin taking the steps needed to beef up their consumer-protection standards...

-- Read on more at grist.org.

Labels: chemistry, ecofashion, Grist, grist magazine, organic clothes, Restricted substance list, RSL

Summer Rayne Oakes writes her third monthly installment from the fashion frontlines for Grist Magazine. In this edition, she questions reporter ethics and whether "green" can be in fact too glamorous.

Labels: ethical reporting, Grist, Summer Rayne Oakes

Ecorazzi and the New York Observer highlight Summer Rayne's fundraiser & event at Project Greenhouse in East Hampton. An intimate organic, locally-sourced dinner was prepared by Discovery chef, Nathan Lyons for the forty-person crowd. The event brought together a number of people involved in environmental issues, including scientists, entrepreneurs, green marketers, activists, environmental non-profit leaders, climate change psychologists, investors, media, environmental lawyers, and a conscientious fashion crowd.

From June 30 through July 31st, Project GreenHouse will host 4 weekends of intimate, high-profile benefit dinners and special events with celebrity hosts to help raise funds for environmental charities including the Riverkeeper, The Rainforest Foundation, Charity: Water, FEED Bags for the World Food Programme, tar art media to benefit Earth Pledge, and a private affair to benefit PowerShift 2007 hosted by model, entrepreneur and environmental activist, Summer Rayne Oakes. All proceeds go directly to each organization.

Margaret Teich (producer of Lazy Environmentalist) and Natasha give the Peace Sign

Tony Massaro (League of Conservation Voters), Summer Rayne Oakes and Massimo LoBuglio, climate change psychologist launching the BE CARBON NEUTRAL Campaign, part of CRED Institute.

Steve Glass and Monique Pean (eco-jewelry)

Blake Mycoskie (Toms Shoes) longboards with his crazy plaid pants.
Blake striking a pose with Lauren Bush, founder of the Feed Bag program.

2008 and Beyond: Candidates for the Presidency of the United States will speak to their plan to reduce GHG emissions 80% by 2050, providing examples of bold leadership.

Peter Strugatz (CEO of Icestone), Lauren Bush, and Josh Dorfman in the fashion closet

Hostess, Summer Rayne Oakes talks environmental politics all night with Tony Massaro of the League of Conservation Voters. Summer wears an organic cotton + re-created vintage dress by ENAMORE

Labels: Campus Climate Challenge, climate change, Energy Action, green NY, Hamptons, Powershift, PowerShift 2007, Project Greenhouse, Summer Rayne Oakes, youth climate change

(c) J. Ake

(c) J.F. Cooper

(c) J.F. Cooper

(c) J.F. Cooper

(c) J.F. Cooper

(c) C. Poole

(c) B. Talbot

(c) R. Talada

(c) R. Talada

(c) F. Forgione

Labels: lingerie legwear, Stockingirl, Summer Rayne Oakes, tights

Interview with Pure Living Magazine
photo: R. Crean

Labels: eco-fashion, ecofashion, Pure Living, Summer Rayne Oakes

Katherine Hamnett: The activist and English fashion designer Katherine Hamnett could be considered the pioneer of the eco-friendly fashion movement. She began in the 1990s with T-shirts of organic cotton, emblazoned with the slogan “Save the Future.” Introducing the fashion world to an important cause with this small step, she’s continued to move forward and develop larger collections. Her newest line bears the name “Ethical-Gold.”

Kirsty Hume: She might be best known for her long blond hair, but it is the importance of organic fabrics that Kirsty Hume is trying to introduce the world to. Hume says: “We are all responsible for the future of the world and we all can make a difference that would change the future of the universe. Using organic attire is a good start.” You can see Hume’s organic collection at www.ejfoundation.org

Edun: No stranger to activism, U2’s Bono has teamed up with his wife, Ali Hewson, and fashion designer Rogan Gregory to produce a fashion line that will benefit under-developed African nations. The line, called Edun, recently exhibited its new “Urban Cool” collection at New York Fashion Week. The clothes are made of Ugandan fabrics and are produced in Lesotho in an effort to stimulate self-sustainable employment.

Rogan Gregory: Not satisfied with just one chance to do his part in saving the planet, Rogan Gregory couples the fashion line he designed with Bono with some of his exclusive designs under the name “Loomstate.” He uses only organic cotton in his clothes to help make a positive impact on the environment. This summer’s collection, filled with sexy-comfortable styles, is available only at Barneys.

Summer Rayne Oakes: Every movement needs a leader and who better than Summer Rayne Oakes to be considered the “Queen of eco-style”? Model-designer Oakes is active in fighting the use of toxic dyes and chemicals in clothing. She chooses a much more elaborate array of replacements: silk, bamboo, even corn and sweet potatoes find their places as elements in her designs. Though her clothes make a loud statement on their own, Oakes lends more vocal support to the movement with TV programs and bulletins informing the public on how to be more environmentally friendly.

SANS: The name of this brand leaves no mistaking its mission to champion eco-friendly wear. The clothes created by New Yorkers Alessandro DeVito and Lika Volkova are as fashionable as they are environmentally sound. The designs made from cotton and eco fabrics such as are raw silk and soy, won the Ecco Domani prize this year, one of the most distinguished prizes in the eco world. Volkova, of Russian descent, highlights their goal to create ultra modern looks, drawing from her background as a designer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. SANS is a global company, gathering fabrics from countries across the world -- from Japanese cotton to Alpaca wool from Peru. There are even designs that transcend the ordinary, such as soy socks.

Linda Loudermilk: “Big ideas for our small planet” and “Change is inevitable” are two of the slogans that influence Linda Loudermilk’s designs. Loudermilk works to create clothes that could be called “Eco-Couture” or “Eco-Luxury” -- bringing high fashion style to fabrics such as moss and hemp.

Labels: Anna Cohen, design leaders, eco-design, eco-fashion, Katherine Hamnett, Kirsty Hume, Summer Rayne Oakes, sustainable style, Turkey