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

Artful Undergarments: Rio Wrenn’s R.A.W. Eco Lingerie Collection

Portland, Oregon based textile designer Rio Wrenn has a unique vision for lingerie, combining modern eco friendly materials and dying techniques, antique constructions and ethical manufacturing to create her line, R.A.W. “I started R.A.W. in 2007, which is inspired by vintage undergarments ranging from the 1800′s to the 1950′s to modern day,” says Rio. Her collection of corsets, bras and undies has a special look, and with the Summer and Autumn 2010 trend of exposed undergarments, she’s right on target with perfect base layers for style mavens and lingerie fans alike.

And not only is Rio a conscious creator of unique pieces, she’s an advocate for women’s bodies and all the curves that go with them, and explained that her corsets aren’t meant to be restrictive or to reshape a body (she’s a fan of hips especially). “Corsets are actually very therapeutic, they make you stand up straight! I think people have a bad vision of corsets, but I don’t make them to be oppressive, they should be comfortable and supportive,” she says.

Each piece in R.A.W.’s collection is also a work of art and are handmade in Portland. Rio is a visual artist, but found that fine art was often out of reach to many people; fashion is a way to take a creative project and make it more accessible, wearable and affordable, she says.
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People Won't Change for the Environment (on my campus)

A recent article outlines a pretty simplistic poll conducted in London about people’s willingness to change their behaviour for the good of the planet.

A straw poll of 15 British men and 15 British women between the ages of 25-75 in central London, showed all were willing to make small changes for the environment, such as recycling, but few would commit to more fundamental changes to behavior.

The outcome was pretty surprising. People will “try” to drive less, and others take a shot at proper recycling. But no one is ready for a change in their lifestyle. This inspired me. I was sure I could find better numbers and results here in Toronto, Canada. We are supposed to be eco-friendly up here, right?

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Eco Chick Guide to Life in New Issue of Body & Soul!

I’m a long-time fan and regular reader of Body & Soul magazine and was so excited to see that my book, The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green, was featured in this month’s issue (July/August). The mention came within natural skin care guru Suki Kramer’s list of her favorite things.

If you don’t already read Body & Soul, pick one up; typical issues (and this one too) contain lots of great info about living green, yum local, seasonal recipes (I’m so making the strawberry muffins in this issue), yoga positions, and my favorite, guidance about living a more mindful life. “The Magic of Mistakes” in this issue was really enlightening and really gave me some valuable perspective on past actions.

There’s my book, along with two other great titles, The Green Beauty Guide, by Julie Gabriel and The Virtuous Consumer, by Leslie Garrett

Get Lazy with Josh Dorfman's New Book (and TV Show on Sundance!)

Watch a clip from Josh’ new show above!

Josh Dorfman’s on a roll! He just released a follow-up book to his first, called “The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget”, AND he has a new show (also called “The Lazy Environmentalist” which just premiered on the Sundance Channel last night, but you can watch episodes here.

Josh has been involved with ecofriendly living for years now and is definitely a fun, friendly and accessible expert in the field. Besides writing books and starring in his own TV show he also runs Vivavi, a furniture showroom (and online store) that features sustainably-made, modern furniture. I talked with Josh a couple months back about all his projects; check it out!

Eco Chick: Tell me about Vivavi and The Lazy Environmentalist- How did the store inspire the original book and vice versa?

Josh: Vivavi centers around the idea of combining modern design with environmentally responsible materials to offer consumers a choice that signifies the possibilities for living gorgeous lifestyles in balance with nature. The Lazy Environmentalist is a broader expansion of that philosophy and aims to demonstrate how cutting-edge environmental solutions can fit every aspect of an individual’s lifestyle and hopefully improve it.

EC: Why furniture? What was it about the particular environmental problems inherent in furniture production made you want to tackle it?

I chose furniture because much of many of today’s top contemporary furniture designers work with sustainable materials. You can’t really make that same claim yet in other product categories. The idea isn’t just to run a green company, it’s to run a super successful company because the more we succeed the more benefit we create for the planet and the green economy.

EC: What parts of your business are significantly different from a ‘conventional biz’?

The only part that is significantly different is the sourcing because we will only work with designers and manufacturers who can demonstrate that they are taking substantive steps to green their operations and their products. Otherwise, green business is essentially the same as conventional business. We just adhere to different guiding principles.

EC: How’s it going? Are you being positively or negatively affected by economic conditions?

There’s no question that Vivavi is being adversely affected by current economic conditions. On the other hand, The Lazy Environmentalist is taking off!

EC: What’s next for The Lazy Environmentalist now that you’re the King of Green Media?

I’m currently the spokesperson for Brita’s Filterforgood.com campaign which encourages people to reduce their disposable plastic bottle waste. I’m also a spokesperson for Green Works natural cleaning products. I really enjoy working companies to help inform consumers about substantively green solutions. I hope to do more of this kind of work because I think it’s vital that corporate America actively participate in the transformation to a sustainable economy for that transformation to succeed.

Josh Dorfman is the Author and Host of The Lazy Environmentalist and Founder and CEO of Vivavi.

Sara Snow's – Fresh Living: The Essential Room-By-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home

I first became familiar with Sara Snow when I was pregnant and on bed-rest. Between reading baby books and eating I watched her Discovery show Get Fresh with Sara Snow and enjoyed her ease and playful approach to environmentalism. I love how Sara always mixes stories of her childhood into her day-to-day recipes for green living. This adds a personalized touch to her passion for all things green.

Growing up the daughter of Tim Redmond, co-founder of Eden Foods, informed Sara’s life as a green foodie and all around eco-advocate. In her new book, Fresh Living: The Essential Room-By-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home, Sara traverses the modern home, discussing every aspect of our lives and what we can do to connect more with nature and minimize wasteful practices. This unpretentious guide is an easy read that is full of useful information. Sara discusses everything from how to maintain a green lawn naturally (or better yet, how to plant wildflowers and indigenous greens that attract butterflies and deter mosquitoes,) to how to decorate a toxin-free baby nursery.

Sara gives detailed lists of what ingredients to avoid in beauty products, toys, household cleaners, and pretty much anything else one may have in their home or garden. Comprehensive definitions explain the origins of chemicals, how they are used and what is most harmful. These days many products, including purported “organic” or “natural” items, contain dubious ingredients. The explanations of scientific terms really help one to weed through the ambiguous marketing language of greenwashing. There are also recipes for how to make your own cleaners and home products that are totally natural and inexpensive.

A small part of the book I really enjoyed was the simple reminder that house plants are good. They bring the outside in, clean our air, and promote healthy chi. Sara shares a list of the top fifteen plants to have indoors to remove various pollutants from the air. These days people spend hundreds, even thousands on air fresheners and purifiers. Plants!

The description of composting is user friendly. Sometimes composting can seem detailed or labour-intensive, but Sara keeps it simple with a description of what we need and what ingredients can assist in maintaining a healthy compost, even for those living in urban areas.

An important theme reiterated throughout the guide is that there are real dangers in our environment, but we can be empowered by educating ourselves and creating an atmosphere that is fresh, vital and thriving. This book would make a sweet gift but is also an excellent resource to just have handy around the house.