Cool Green Inc.: Glamorous Ways to Save our Earth

It's official: If you're green, you're part of the in-crowd. No longer is this lifestyle change just about helping to save our planet, it's a trend, and it's caught on to the L.A. fashion scene.

I recently spoke with Spencer Stander, who is one of the founders of an organization called Cool Green Fashion For Forests. His organization is truly one of a kind and I was blown away when learning about the projects Stander has in store to help save our Earth through means of fashion.

Stander teamed with Co-Founder, Jeanette Bondurant, and is a part of the television and film industry in L.A. Stander and Bondurant teamed with others in that industry early last year to create an organization who, according to Stander, "exist to remove CO2 from the atmosphere".

According to the mission statement that Stander sent me via email, "Cool Green Inc. was formed for the purpose of holding fundraising events in Los Angeles, California and potentially other areas in the United States to raise money for donation to organizations that fight global warming, i.e., planting trees, reducing atmospheric carbon, etc.".

For each of the projects, events and charities Cool Green puts on, all of the proceeds go directly to fighting against CO2 emissions and the ultimate goal of "global cooling", said Stander.

Currently, Cool Green is involved in putting together some really awesome events and projects. According to the Cool Green fashion event info. Stander sent me, one event in the works is an A-list Gala, including celebrities, models, press coverage, a world-renowned chef and, of course, eco-friendly fashions and a venue that generates CO2 emissions. Internationally-recognizable fashion designers are to be a part of the fashion event and sponsors include the City of West Hollywood as well as eco-conscious vehicle companies, grocery stores, food companies and many others. Direct beneficiaries of the event include Trees for the Future and American Forests.

A fashion photo portrait series will be shown at the earth-friendly fashion event, including celebrity shots taken by professional fashion photographer, August Bradley (if you haven't already heard of him, be sure to check out his Web site--his photos are gorgeous!). These environmentally-safe photo shots are directed primarily at young people interested in fashion, and the companies that Stander has allied with exemplify that goal as well.

Stander has three Public Relations committee's working with him, one of which represents Steve Madden. According to Stander, Steve Madden was never particularly interested in creating green fashions, but when he heard more about Cool Green and their goals and projects, they company actually decided to create green items for an upcoming line.

Cool Green is also very involved with planting trees, particularly in third world countries. If you are interested in donating money in order to plant trees, Stander suggests visiting Trees for the Future. This is a simple way you can help with Cool Green's vision of "global cooling", even if you don't have the time to plant trees yourself.

After speaking with Stander and learning about Cool Green's goals and upcoming projects, I have confidence that this is just the beginning. Cool Green is taking the next step in the green movement and bringing style, fashion and pizzazz to what has previously been known as simply an environmental issue and lifestyle change.

I have a feeling this isn't the last time I will be talking about Cool Green...stay tuned and check out their video on their Web site--it's really powerful!

Amy

Eco-Online Fashion Meets High-End Department Stores

It was only a matter of time before the hype of the green fashion shows and green fashion events of New York's fall 2007 Fashion Week hit department stores around the country. In particular, Barneys has a brand working with them called Loomstate who only uses 100% organic cotton, according to their Web site. You can find Loomstate for Barneys Green either in the store itself or online. Their products include comfy-looking v-neck dresses, thermal tank tops, oversized zip-up sweatshirts, long cardigans (they would look cute over leggings or tights) and even high-waisted skinny jeans (very trendy) made out of purely organic cotton.

If you are shopping online, another option for going green with Barneys is the "it's organic" tab under beauty obsessions. This section of the Barneys online store houses products ranging from face wash to body scrub, candles to mineral bath soaks. What Barneys organic online store also carries is a brand I am very interested myself in trying: the new Stella McCartney Care beauty line.

According to Alicia Hentemann, a beauty advisor for Sephora, despite being a designer beauty brand, the price points on Stella's line are fairly reasonable. Care includes basic skincare items such as face washes, moisturizers, toners and products that help to keep up optimal skin care. If you are looking for a line that will help you maintain your already-clear skin, Care may be for you. It probably is not for someone with any major skin issues, as it is pretty mild, Hentemann said.

Most of the products in Care contain oils, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins a and e. The antioxidants help protect the skin from free radicals, which cause damage to the skin. They also help protect against outside agents that could cause harm like pollution or cigarette smoke, said Hentemann.

For information about Stella McCartney's designer lines including her handbags and clothing, visit the Stella McCartney Web site.

Another popular department store joining the organic bandwagon is Saks Fifth Avenue. The organic items on their Web site are from popular designers who have recently gone green with special edition pieces. Some of these include the 7 For All Mankind jeans in organic stretch cotton denim in Yosemite, Eileen Fisher organic cotton t's and tunics, Alexis Bittar organic bangles and Majorica organic pearls.

7 For All Mankind has never before come out with an organic jean. They come in two styles: wide-leg which is extremely popular at the moment, or a more traditional bootcut style. The organic jeans also come in a slouchy style for men and are a traditional deep blue denim color.

Putting it all together:

1. Pair a longish organic tee--like the Loomstate for Barneys Band Scoop Tee with a dark pair of bootcut 7 For All Mankind organic jeans.

2. Place a fun, clunky, organic lucite necklace or bracelet around your neck or wrist for a touch of drama.

3. Check out Alternative Outfitters where you can find all kinds of vegan shoes--knee-high, faux-suede boots, faux-patent wedges and even slingbacks--all of which would look amazing with the bootcut style jeans.

Now you're ready to go with a green-approved, chic outfit!

Amy

Natural Products Found at a Local Beauty Bar

I now have a new favorite beauty store. Although, I am a little mad at myself for never having been there before. It has been open since November now, and it is right on University, a street I travel to almost daily. It is called Salud, and the majority of their products are organic and eco-friendly. How did Salud win me over and become my new favorite? You know how some stores with purely organic products can, although being great for the environment, be just a little...boring? Not this one! Salud mixes it up: they sell perfumes and essential oils, lotions, makeup, face masks, all types of skin care, and even clothing. Although the clothing is not made from purely organic cotton, Salud makes sure that they do not purchase any brands that may have used sweat shops or child labor in any way, said Lauren Stevenson, Salud's store manager.

One thing I thought was really fun at Salud was their "beauty bar". You sit up to the counter while a Salud specialist whips up organic clays to create your very own face mask. After the mask is mixed you must enjoy it in the "relaxation room". Since the ingredients are so fresh, the mask would dry out if you took it home, Stevenson explained. If you're tired of walking around all day in the Arizona sun (who can blame you?) have them make you an organic foot soak instead. You can pick from a variety of fresh herbs--for example, cloves are great if you want to soften your feet and eucalyptus helps the skin to breathe. Stevenson said that her favorite are the rose petals. "They don't really do anything, they just smell really good!", she said.

I was also surprised to see that Salud carries a brand called Pangea. I have used Pangea many times for their organic skin care line, but today I found out a fun fact that I never knew. If you purchase any one of the Pangea products, they come in a box. The boxes are actually made from herbs such as basil, and if you plant the boxes in the ground, you can watch them grow into that particular herb. You can also find Pangea online, just click here.

If you are wondering why you should purchase organic versus generic besides the obvious environmental reasons, I actually have some answers for you. Much like organic versus generic brands of food, organic skin care does not contain a ton of preservatives like regular brands do. Non-organic brands use preservatives because in drug stores such as Target and Wal-mart, they want the product to last on the shelves for a long time. Also, many products that are for a specific purpose, such as sunblock, will not work after a long time without chemicals and preservatives added to them. This is why you see many organic products being carried in smaller, specialty stores. Along with preservatives, perabins may also be present in generic beauty brands, which have been linked to breast cancer, Stevenson explained.

Among the many perfume oils and essential oils Salud Carries, five are organic. The difference between the perfumes and the essential oils is that the perfumes are "synthetic", said Stevenson. In other words, they are man-made. One reason that organic body oils are typically colorless is that preservatives and chemicals are added in order to create color. Companies such as Victoria's Secret are known to have very brightly colored perfumes and body sprays, and this is because of the chemicals added, Stevenson said. Essential oils are simply taken straight from the plant and put into the bottle.

Another smell-good option is the home diffusers. Home diffusers, using essential plant oils to create the scent, have been very popular in the dorms, according to Stevens, because they make an area smell great and candles are not allowed. If you are partial to candles however, Salud carries a "soy candle". Soy candles are not made with lead (as most brands are) and they use a special strainer to burn the wick, Stevenson said. My favorite was the raspberry scent!

Last but not least, I loved the makeup station at Salud (always my favorite). Salud sells a brand called Franche which is a mineral makeup made from natural vitamins and minerals in the earth. I purchased one of the lip glosses in a great coral color that is all-natural and includes vitamin E to moisturize lips.

Hope you enjoyed reading about my new obsession. I'm sure I will be back there soon to pick up some more natural beauty products--hope to see you there too!

Amy

Globally Green Get-Ups
Toque de Pasion

Today I visited an adorable South American boutique just right on Broadway called Toque de Pasion. Having been in its location for just a year, Toque de Pasion prides itself on its use of earth-friendly materials. Along with using all organic cotton for the clothing, Toque de Pasion also carries necklaces and bracelets made out of various types of South American seeds such as acai, tento, jupati, patua, and many others as well as pieces of coconut shells and bright Brazilian gemstones.

The owner of Toque de Pasion, Cesar Zegarra, is originally from Peru and landed in Tucson permanently after traveling for some time throughout the states. His family still resides in Peru, but Zegarra lives here in Tucson with his young son and has decided to stay in America to raise him. Zegarra was originally a mechanic, but said that he always wanted to have his own business. Selling hand-crafted, fair trade items was not a question for him because it is very common for South Americans to work with organic materials.

The co-owner of Toque de Pasion, Melissa McCormick, is also a researcher at the UA Mexican American Studies & Research Center and eco-friendly fashion and companies are very important to her. She mentioned to me that Toque de Pasion carries their own line of Peruvian organic cotton tops, skirts and dresses as well as designs from a new fair trade company in Paraguay.

Along with the South America-based items, Toque de Pasion carries clothes (mainly jackets and vests) created by local designer Cindy Cook-Keller. Cook-Keller uses indigenous materials that she finds all over the globe, including Shipibo cotton, made by the indigenous Shipibo women's group, based out of the Peruvian Amazon.

Toque de Pasion carries clothing, jewelry and handbags created in various countries, from Brazil to Peru, Paraguay to Ecuador. The handbag collections include organic canvas-cotton styles with intricately placed and styled gems, as well as distressed-looking synthetic leather bags. The bangle-style bracelets on the right were hand painted with organic materials by Columbian children. Talented kids!


After my trip to Toque de Pasion, I felt sure that it would not be my last. Not only are the chunky necklaces, Brazilian-gem bracelets and brightly-colored dresses stylish, but they are good for the earth and support small, cultural groups all over the world. If you are interested in checking out more of Toque de Pasion's global designs, they will be attending the "Girl's Night Out Shopping Extravaganza" in the Kiva Ballroom & Patio at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort on October 11th, from 2pm-9pm. You can purchase tickets to the event at The Girls Night Out Website

Thanks for reading and you will hear from me again in a week!

Amy

Eco-Fashions on Campus

Hello again!

Today I wanted to talk about how to go green right here on the UA campus. When I have the option to buy anything environmentally safe and organic, I without question choose to do so. However, being a college student typically short on cash as well as time, convenience and price does tend to play a role in where and what I purchase (be it organic food, cleaning supplies, makeup, whatever). This is why I was over the moon to find out that American Apparel, which is close to my home (just right on University Blvd.) as well as inexpensive recently created a 100% organic t-shirt line.

I'm not going to lie, when I visited AA to take a look at the shirts, I thought to myself, "it's great that these t-shirts are organic, but they are a little plain jane for me." Then I heard the facts from AA's store manager, Tiffany Tadesco. She explained that the AA company as a whole has made many efforts so far to create eco-friendly fashions. Twenty-five percent of the power at the AA factory is solar power energy, and the fabric scraps they have leftover from creating the clothes are recycled, so they have little waste material. An example of fabric scrap use are the fabric neckties (see photo, left), headbands and belts. The recycled fabric neckties come in a gazillion colors and can spice up even the blandest outfit. Chances are, you will even be able to find a pair of shorts or a skirt to match, as I did with these retro-inspired teal jean shorts.

As I spent more time with the organic AA t-shirt, I started to come around to the idea of using the top as a base to accessorize with. By adding splashes of color here and there, the outfit became fun and exciting. However, I was still curious as to why the Sustainable edition shirts did not come in more colors like the standard AA pieces. Tedesco said that the fabric dye is actually the ingredient that makes the shirts un-natural. By not adding any color to the garment, they are able to label them organic.

Another option for enhancing the AA organic shirts is to add (what else) jewelry. This season, bangle bracelets are all the rage, especially mixing and matching numerous colors and sizes together. On your right, you can see that I threw on one bangle that matches the natural color of the AA shirt, one thin gold bangle to add a touch of sophistication, and one bright pink bangle to turn heads.

If you are looking for more eco-fashion close to campus, check out Urban Outfitters. Not only do they sell organic t-shirts with quirky sayings on them, but they also carry a few flavors of organic lipgloss. My friend and fellow green-fashion enthusiast, Lauren Browder, specialized in Urban and what they are doing to help the planet in her blog this week. You can check it out here.

For more information about AA and their Sustainable t-shirts, hop on the American Apparel Website.
See you all next week!

XOXO,
Amy