New York City-based fashion model Summer Rayne Oakes will speak at the Tompkins County Public Library at noon on Saturday, April 21, about the importance of earth-friendly fashion. Oakes, a graduate of Cornell University, has taken the fashion track in a radically different direction. She is not only a glamorous model, she is an educator, spokesperson, TV host, and eco-fashion entrepreneur. Oakes frequently speaks on college campuses and she has designed a K-12 curriculum that introduces sustainability concepts into traditional subjects. Her career has been noted in numerous print and broadcast media, including Vanity Fair, Outside Magazine, E magazine, NPR and CNN.

Born in the spent coal country of northeastern Pennsylvania, Oakes took an early interest in the environment. At 13, she was the youngest member to serve on her town's environmental advisory council, and she helped reclaim land at old mining sites. Her leadership continued at college, where she researched and published several papers on natural resources. While at Cornell, Oakes became interested in the fashion world as a way to network and influence change.

To accompany her talk, titled "What is Eco-Fashion?," Oakes will display examples of earth-friendly fashion and she will be available for a question-and-answer session. From 11 am to noon, a community fabric swap will be held at the library for sewing enthusiasts, crafters, quilters, or anyone who works with cloth and fibers. Items to exchange must be clean and folded. The talk and the fabric swap are free and open to all. For more information, contact Wendy Skinner, 607-277-7611, ws (at) twcny.rr.com.