Summer Rayne Oakes · Eco-Chick

Browsing all posts by Summer Rayne Oakes

Summer Rayne Oakes is a green model, activist and the official spokesperson for Discovery Channel's Planet Green.

http://summerrayne.net

This author has contributed 90 posts.

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Vegans and Vegetarians: This Cod's Not for You

3 Comments

12/02/06

I like to go fishing and cook what I catch when I can, though I don’t go often. I almost had won the prize for the biggest cod caught one year, until a monster like this one came along. YOWZA! These babies can feed whole families!

babies, fish, vegan, vegetarian

Doie Designs – Bambooliscious

1 Comment

12/02/06

Last month I had the awesome opportunity to shoot for Sara Kirsner’s Doie Designs. It may have not happened so smoothly, though, if the stars hadn’t aligned in some trippy kind of way…Let me explain:

Sara walked into a restaurant where she saw a photographer looking at some work. Lo and behold, the photographer (Lois) was looking at the stuff she had just shot for the bamboo issue of the S4 Newsletter for which I borrowed some of Sara’s pieces for.

Sara then asked Lois if she would shoot her lookbook. That same week, NY1 called me to do a piece on eco-fashion for their Fortune Business Report. They were looking to highlight a designer that sells in Whole Foods. Sara’s pieces are actually sold in Whole Foods, and just by chance, Lois’s studio is in the same building and same floor as NY1, so they came by to film our shoot!

Check out her pieces, including the ones you see here at doiedesigns.com

bamboo, book, business, design, designer, dress, Fashion, Food, News, restaurant

ECO LQ (Lifestyle Quotient): What life stage were you the "Most Eco"?

1 Comment

12/02/06

It’s often difficult to keep up with the Jonses on all this “Good Green Citizen” stuff. For the majority of us out there, we can’t possibly give all we got, but we can do things in our everyday life to make a difference. Where we are in our life, how old/young we are, where we live, and what we do – all factor in to how we can contribute (or at least minimize our impact) on the planet. Don’t get riled up if you can’t give as much as Gates, or buy eco-islands like Leo. Do the best you can where you are at. It makes a world of difference…

So how can you see if you are a good green citizen? Administer your own ECO LQ Test!

Below, I listed a farily comprehensive list of the “green” stuff I have done since I was a young girl. What’s interesting is that I have lived in three very different areas in my life: a rural Pennsylvania town, a college campus, and a big city. I obviously have become more aware of my impacts as I have aged, but even the stuff that I do now (i.e. take public transportation + walk), would virtually be impossible to do if I still lived in PA. Conclusion: Do the best you can where you are at.

And on that note, I’d love to hear about other Eco-Chick reader’s Eco LQs. Look at some examples I’ve given below and write down what you do (or don’t do) and post them here!

What I do in my everyday life NOW – (NY, NY):

Buy eco-friendly clothing, often times from local designers at a local store
Buy organic food at local store, often travel to green market
Will only buy enough food for the week; will rarely waste food
Bought 6 houseplants today at the Green Market
Take public transportation or walk everywhere (haven’t driven a car in 4 years)
Recycle (paper, glass, cardboard, plastic, and aluminum)
All furniture in house is used or was found on the sidewalk
Use energy efficient light bulbs (at least in my room)
Charge cell phone on solar power, or when charging from wall outlet, I will take the charger out when not charging
Have plastic on our windows to help prevent heat from escaping
Will rarely turn on main heater, may use a small heater for localize heating
Buy fair-trade tea or sometimes chocolate. I don’t drink coffee, but if I did…
Mainly use organic beauty and personal care products
Will try to eat out at locally-owned restaurants
Use environmentally-friendly cleaning products
Use environmentally-friendly detergents
Shut off water when not using it
Use a water-saving showerhead
Shut off lights when not in use
Give to charity
Socially active workplace

What I did in my everyday life at COLLEGE – (Ithaca, NY):

Buy eco-friendly clothing
Rarely bought organic, but got fair trade teas and bought locally
Rarely wasted food
Recycled
Used public transportation and walked everywhere
Shut off water when not using it
Shut off lights when not in use
Active in the community
Socially active in workplace

What I did in my everyday life at HOME – (Northeastern PA):

Clothing – I got a lot of hand-me downs and handmade clothes, but bought a lot of new stuff too
Grew our own fruits and vegetables
Cut our own firewood (sustainably) to heat our house, used natural gas
Bought food in bulk about once a month
Recycled
Composted food scraps
Had plastics on windows in the winter months
Shut off water when not using it
Shut off lights when not in use
Give to charity
Active in the community

And…my vices: too much air travel, and leave my computer on alllll dayyyy loooong.

Beauty, car, cardboard, cleaning, cleaning products, clothes, clothing, coffee, community, design, designer, designers, Easter, eating, Eco-Chick, Energy, Fair Trade, Food, fruit, fur, Furniture, gas, Handmade, Home, local, Organic, organic beauty, organic food, paper, personal care products, Plants, plastic, plastics, recycle, recycled, restaurant, sport, style, summer, Tea, transportation, travel, waste, water, wood

Project Alabama gives birth to Alabama Chanin

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11/24/06

I had the fine opportunity to be a part of the Project Alabama crew back in May of this year. When I heard that the label may retire, I was deeply saddened. There is good news for everyone who fell in love the same way I had with Project Alabama. Natalie, a.k.a. “Alabama” has taken up a new venture. Some of their limited edition clothing and jewelry will be made available during Fashion Week in February 2007 in NYC. Her book will also be made available, featuring projects, sewing tips and tales from the Stitching front…Additionally, there will be a line of Home Furnishings and Textiles, as well as an online store coming soon.

Stay tuned to alabamachanin.com.

book, clothing, Fashion, fur, Home, Jewelry, News, NYC, summer

Claudy Jongstra hits the Regiment Armory, NYC

2 Comments

11/24/06

Mark your calendars: Claudy Jongstra’s textiles are on view at the Modernism show at the 7th Regiment Armory on Park Avenue through Monday 5pm (booth C3).

The fabrics are dyed with only natural vegetable ingredients and made from exceptionally high-quality materials, such as the finest Drenthe Heath wool from her own sheep, as well as merino wool, silk, alpaca, and so on. Each design has its own variations in tone and texture, giving it its characteristic visual richness. Her textiles have been used by architects such as Rem Koolhaas and the MVRDV as well as fashion designers such as Alexander van Slobbe. She’s won so many awards for her pieces of “art” that I can barely see straight.

Check it out. Visit her website here.