Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

What’s on Your Plate? The Film About Food Politics from a Kid’s Perspective

Planet Green is serving up some food for thought as it premiered the exciting documentary What’s On Your Plate? on February 6 at 10pm (airs again on February 11 at 11pm). Part of the Reel Impact environmental documentary series, director and producer Catherine Gund has captured the discovery journey of two eleven-year-old New York City kids, Sadie and Safiyah, to uncover sustainable food systems and a path to self nourishment.

The essential question of “What’s on Your Plate?” is answered through the girls’ exploration of the sources of their food through to its consumption. In addition to learning to make non-wasteful and healthful choices for themselves and the environment, the tweens also discover the community benefits of choosing food from local organic farms, greenmarkets, and community supported agriculture (CSA).

“What’s On Your Plate” is exactly the film we need now.
– Michael Pollan, author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and The Omnivore’s Dilemma

Congratulations, Sadie and Safiyah! It is great to have you take us through the food cycle. As somebody said: “You are what you eat.” Thank you for helping us get it right. You will definitely capture the imagination of your peers and generations beyond.
– Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations

Although several documentaries, including Super Size Me (2004), Fast Food Nation, (2006) and Food, Inc. (2008), have exposed the dangers of the mainstream American diet for the well-being of our bodies and the earth, What’s on Your Plate? is speaking directly to children, parents, and the public school system. The powerful message of the kids’ compassionate determination to improve our food chain stirs us to make more sustainable choices for them, ourselves, our neighbors, and our earth.

Endangered Species Print Project: Adorably Hip Eco Art

They’re cute. They’re modern. They’re affordable. And, they save animals. What can’t these awesome art prints do? The Endangered Species Print Project is a range of limited edition art prints featuring animals like the Panamanian Golden Frog, the Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat and the Madagascar Fish Eagle, and 100% of the sales are donated to conservation organizations.

Artists Jenny Kendler and Molly Schafer (below), who bonded over a mutual love for animals at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, have been collaborating on projects that combine art and the environment since 2005. The super creative pair started the Endangered Species Print Project so they could use their talents to have a positive impact on the natural world.

In an interesting twist that highlights just how dire the plight of each endangered animal featured in the series really is, the number of prints available for each animal corresponds to the number of animals left in the wild. For example, only 45 prints of the Amur Leopard will ever be created, because only 45 still exist outside of captivity.

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Eco Chick Giveaway: Win an Organic Cotton Excentree T-Shirt

One of the four women’s tees available.

Excentree t-shirts are all organic, limited-edition (only 100 of each design), and include a tree planting in a country of your choice. You have a chance to win both a t-shirt and a tree planting (which offsets one ton of carbon) by entering the giveaway below.

Not only do they make fab t-shirts, I really like this company’s message: “Excentree is not about pushing a message. It is not about telling you how to live your life; it is not about telling anyone what to do or not to do, it is not about telling anyone what to buy or what not to buy. It is about us all doing our best, living our lives, being aware of our surroundings, enjoying those surroundings and helping everyone make an informed decision be that decision what it may.”

To win, visit the Excentree site and choose a style from EITHER the women’s OR men’s pages and leave a comment here (click on comment link at top right of post) with the style you prefer. When you fill in the comment field, it will ask for you email address. This is the address I will use to contact the winner, so use a real email.

Deets and Promises: Eco Chick does not sell, lease or lend any email addresses we collect. There will be one female and one male t-shirt winner. Giveaway ends Monday, February 8th. Good luck!

One of the four men’s tees available.

Gorgeous and Graphic Green T-Shirt Bonanza!

There are so many great things about t-shirts. You can wear them under a jacket (to leave any cheeky messaging to the imagination), over a long-sleeve for an always-beloved 90’s moment, you can wear them to bed, you can wear them on the red carpet. T-shirts are as American as blue jeans and just happen to look great with a pair of denims.

And like quite a bit of American clothing, tees are made from cotton, a crop that uses (literally) tons of pesticides and herbicides. The tees below don’t, because they’re either made with organic cotton or because they’re made of alternative materials (like recycled polyester).

OMunky is “creative eco-friendly apparel that is guaranteed to start the conversation” and there’s no doubt they showcase some cute and provocative designs (for both men and women). Look for new designs on a regular basis from this NY-based company.

Excentree makes limited-edition t-shirts, meaning “when you are wearing an Excentree top you will be one of fewer than 100 people in the world wearing it.” Made from organic cotton, a tree is also planted for each t-shirt (in a country of your choice), offsetting carbon now and in the future. Men’s and women’s shirts available (and you can win one here!)

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Adhesif Spring/Summer 2010: Vintage, Post-Victorian Eco Fashion from Vancouver

This is my favorite look (Pause blouse and Spin skirt) of the S/S ‘10 Collection; a perfect feminine shape plus madcap mixed pattern. What could be more appropriately 2010?

The Adhesif Spring/Summer 2010 collection is a riot of color, pattern, and vintage loveliness, for which it’s been getting lots of attention recently (I think you can see why from the pix above and below). I caught up with the label’s designer, Melissa Ferreira, to find out how she does what she does so well.

adhesif, present and future, is inspired by the past, which is apropos as Melissa designs with vintage fabrics, making her line very green, as no new fabrics need to be created. While many designers might find this limiting, Melissa says “I never run out of ideas or inspiration. Much of my inspiration is attributed to vintage clothing and old black and white films, the costumes from 1950’s are just mind boggling!”

“My favourite design from my Spring 2010 Collection is the Suspend Shorts! (Pictured above) I just LOVE the high waist line and the shorts look so cute with tights and slouchy boots,” says adhesif designer Melissa Ferreira.

Designing clothing well involves just as much creative detail work as that which goes into a painting, piece of music, or prose writing, and Melissa seems to have the creative balance down- part hard work, part pure inspiration. “In essence the designs really choose their wearers and not the other way around. I often feel my designs have little breaths all their own,” says Melissa.

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