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

Behind the Scenes of the Project Green Search Model Competition Finals

Project Green Search, the first-ever green model competition, has a winner! Rachel Avalon hails from Los Angeles, California, and beat out over 130 other serious contenders for her new title as Green It Girl (read more about Rachel and her plans here). But before the winner was chosen, there were activities, photo shoots and some very good times.

The Ten Gorgeous (and Green to the Core!) Finalists Photo by Courtney Dailey.

Judging Project Green Search was lots of fun; I got a chance to go to most of the activities with the finalists and got to know them; what an impressive group of young women! From an Indy racecar driver to a natural nutritional counselor, to a college activist and an environmental educator, this was a talented and driven group of contenders. And as you can see, all of them were gorgeous too! The judging crew and I (see below) had our work cut out for us.

The judges! From left to right: Michael Zaliski, CEO of Omniquest Media, Anna Griffin, editor-in-chief of Coco Eco Magazine, Starre Vartan, author and publisher of Eco-Chick.com (I’m wearing an organic cotton dress by Doie), Remy Chevalier, Co-founder of Project Green Search, Deborah Lindquist, ecofashion designer, Josie Maran, former model and force behind Josie Maran Cosmetics, and Darren Moore, host of AlterEco and founder of Ecovations.

Day One: I got a chance to meet all the girls at a breakfast at our hotel, The Standard on Sunset Boulevard. Everyone was so excited to be there, and Taryn from EcoDivasTV started filming right away, and off we went!

Vanessa Meier even looks gorgeous in curlers! At Shades salon in LA. Image by Remy Chevalier for Lu Magazine.

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The Best Nonmilk Cappuccino EVER!

A thing of beauty, no?

I’m so excited (or maybe it’s a caffeine buzz)! But I just made the best cappuccino I’ve ever had in my life (see above- I was so happy I took a damn picture of it).

I recently bought a Bialetti Mukka glass cappuccino maker from Williams Sonoma after looking for a stovetop latte/capp maker for ages.

Why stovetop? I don’t want another hunk of metal sitting on my countertop that sucks electricity from the plug. And those plug-in machines are expensive! The glass Mukka was $99 (the metal one is only $89). And I knew they lasted forever since my dad has his that he bought in Italy over 30 years ago. But I could never find one in the States (the stovetop espresso-only machines were easy to find, but I wanted to be able to steam milk too).

The glass Bialetti latte/cappuccino maker

I guess they’ve just started importing them and I snapped one up as soon as I heard they were available. Then I swung by Whole Foods at Columbus Circle in NYC (my shoe repair place is practically next door) for some delicious organic espresso beans.

I don’t really drink milk, and while I do enjoy soy milk, I also eat tofu on a pretty regular basis; on the advice of my holistic health nutritionist, Cynthia Stadd, I’ve been trying to mix my milk subs up with rice, soy/rice blends, almond and most recently, hemp milks. Having tried rice, soy and hemp milks in my new little capp maker, let me wholeheartedly endorse Living Harvest hempmilk as making the creamiest, richest, closest-to-cow’s-juice froth of the three.

I’m a huge fan of hemp products as you can read here and here, but other hemp milks (unless they were chocolate, or mixed with cereal) were a little strongly flavored for me. But this stuff is creamy, not ‘hempy’, and packed with Omega 3′s and 6′s. Cut the sugar by choosing original which is unsweetened. You can always add agave for a mellow sweetener if you really need it.

Yum Yum!

With some organic cinnamon and nutmeg on top and a square of fair-trade Endangered Species dark chocolate in the bottom, this is a serious afternoon treat for only about 160 calories.

Viridis Luxe

If you’re looking for super-comfy, but also sexy (and who isn’t? I feel like when I look appealing to the opposite sex, I’m invariably uncomfortable), check out Viridis Luxe‘s new Spring line. Viridis uses a luxurious hemp-cashmere blend for knits, and hemp-silk for their jersey shirts, as well as bamboo for the T’s. All this and the site explains succinctly the truth (and facts) behind hemp fabric too. A particularly ‘treehugging’ excerpt:

Currently 40% of the global timber harvest is used for paper products. If hemp is cultivated on only 12% of the European landmass, it will meet the ENTIRE WORLD DEMAND for paper and completely eradicate the need to cut trees for paper. One acre of hemp produces as much pulp for paper as four acres of trees. The average tree grows for 30-40 years before it can be harvested for paper products, compared to hemp, which can be harvested in 3-4 months

Hemp is an amazing low-impact fiber that’s super-tough and lasts forever, and needs no pesticides and herbicides. Hemp contains almost none of the active ingredient, THC that makes its cousin, marijuana, a drug, yet the short-sighted U.S. government is still outlawing the plant from being grown in American soil, so right now most hemp fiber comes from Canada and other countries whose governments recognize an eco-friendly crop when they see it.

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Modern Maillots and More from Meadow

Meadow’s designs are all about the detail, from creatively lined pockets to patterned layers, all presented in modern neutrals and natural (but not boring) tones of green, blue and lavender. The line is designed with fabrics like hemp, Tencel, and bamboo, and while some of the pieces have a vintage feel, plenty of them are body-skimming moderns. Meadow has created both a ready-to-wear line and a swimwear line that’s all about adorable patterns.

You can vote for Meadow in Daily Candy’s Sweetest Things year-end competition. She up against all non-eco designers so cast a vote for the designer who’s Green! 

Meadow Compton-Gerrish, the designer of Meadow

I had a quick chat with Meadow via email about her designs and inspirations, and this is what she had to say:

What is the inspiration for your designs?

The inspiration for my designs comes from all things natural,  and the quality craftmanship of vintage clothing.

Why ecofriendly fabrics?
Eco-friendly fabrics seems like the best option for me to express my self through fashion without causing harm to our precious Earth. I grew up in the natural food industry and eat all organic so the clothes I design should not compromise the path I want to take towards living a sustainable lifestyle.

What’s your design background?
I have always been a designer and creative person. I was always creating things as a child….while hanging out in my father’s natural food restaurant…..so I wanted to combine those two worlds. I went to Miami International University of Art and Design and graduated with honors. This is my first collection out of design school.

Who are your favorite designers? 
Marc Jacobs and stella McCartney.

Eco Luxury Gift Ideas (and Bikes!) in Vogue

I was thrilled to see some seriously fun totally over-the-top delicious green stuff featured in Vogue’s December issue (it’s the one with the impossibly gorgeous Penelope Cruz, above, on the cover).

First up, there’s “Season’s Greenings” by William Norwich, who talks to three fabulous greenies. Sheherazade Goldsmith, author of A Slice of Organic Life, recommends bamboo salad tongs, the Linda Lee Hundred Trees Charm from Barney’s, recycled wallpaper from Lim and Handtryk, and vintage Louboutin mules. She’s also a fan of a cool site, re-found objects, and only buys wooden toys for her kids. (That’s her sitting pretty in a London nursery below). Elizabeth Wiatt, NRDC trustee and LA power-player, likes Dr. Hauschka products, soy candles from Lafco House and Home, and vintage banana-leaf envelope sets. Anna Carter, a trustee for the Natural Resources Defense Council and wife of Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter suggests Paporganics hemp wrapping paper, hand-crafted cushions from Robert Kime, and is a fan of Behnaz Sarafpour’s Spring collection.

In addition to all the green gift-giving suggestions, there’s an article covering the hipness of riding bikes, entitled “Wheels on Fire” (which calls to mind the theme song for Patty and Edina’s misadventures on Absolutely Fabulous). Apparently model Agnyss Deyn arrived at fashion week on two wheels, and Helena Christensen calls riding a bike a “cozy habit”.

The piece points out what visitors to Europe have known for years: On the Continent it’s all about integrating pedaling into your life, so you can wear whatever you like, from ballgowns to heels with skinny jeans. Bikes are designed to carry both people and stuff (including beer!). My favorite quote? “It’s easy enough to wear a skirt on a bike. And guys love it,” says Christiansen. I can vouch for this, as I always ride my bike around in ‘non-sporting’ gear.

So next time you think you need a special outfit to ride your bike, think again (though it would behoove you to have fenders to keep the mud and moisture off). And if you need some tips on cool bikes, and what to wear while doing it, check out the full article.