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

Video: Olivia Zaleski Covers the Clinton Global Initiative

Olivia interviews the CEO of Avon, Andrea Jung at the Clinton Global Inititiative

The Clinton Global Initiative was begun in 2005 by former President Bill Clinton in order to “…help turn good intentions into real actions and results.” Focusing on finding solutions to the world’s most pressing problems, the nonpartisan organization holds a yearly conference to discuss, highlight and take steps to solve the top issues of the day. Naturally, as the conference has grown, so have acknowledgement and inclusion of environmental issues.

Olivia speaks with Jeff Swartz, CEO of Timberland

Oliva says of the experience:

“Attending CGI is a great highlight in my career thus far. I feel incredibly inspired. Up next, attending not just as a member of the press, but as a commitment maker, contributing to an innovative solution to a great global need . . . someday!”

Former Eco Chick contributor and CNN/Fortune Green Business correspondent Olivia Zaleski was on hand to check out the CGI and fills us in on what went down.

Olivia Zaleski reports from inside the Clinton Global Initiative, where global leaders are gathered to create practical solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues through the development of specific and measurable commitments to action.

In their second video report from the Clinton Global Initiative, correspondent Olivia Zaleski and filmmaker Gabriel London show us how public and private power is being applied, in the form of specific and measurable commitments, to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems.
More »

Eco Chic Exhibit Now On at Scandinavia House, NYC

Righteous Fashion

Leave it to the Swedes to put together an exhibit concerning eco fashion that’s both beautiful and seriously thought-provoking. Eco Chic: Towards Sustainable Swedish Fashion, which runs through August 21st, is a multimedia endeavor that showcases the whys, the hows and the hows of sustainable design.

Video by Eco Chick Contributor Alicia Lubowski-Jahn

First up, I checked out the short film about Dem Collective, a grown-to-sewn operation in Sri Lanka which both pays workers twice the typical wage and still makes a profit (as well as utilizing low-impact fabrics in production). The film asks the right-now question, “Is there such a thing as sustainable globalization?”

Dem Collective tunic shirts

Striking to me was the exchange wherein the narrator of the film asks a local Sri Lankan worker (not employed by Dem Collective, but instead works for a typical garment manufacturer) who is agitating for local labor rights, “Should we be ashamed that we don’t pay you more for your work?” The seamstress answers, after a moment of thought, “Yes.”
More »

Brooklyn Designs 2010: Frameicarium’s Ant Farm Art

FRAMEicariums are the brainchild of designers Katie Vitale and Hugh Hayden, and they are seriously one of the coolest pieces of affordable art I have ever seen. They are ant farms reimagined as wall art, literally living sculptures made by the hard work of the ants enclosed in them. Using repurposed frames (some with and some without paintings behind them), these framed ant farms are reusable over time – just add more ants!

Check out the video below made at Brooklyn Designs, where designer Katie Vitale explains how the ant farm art works and where she and her co-designer got this crazy-creative idea from.

United Nations Celebrates Fibers and Biodiversity with Eco Chic Fashion Show in Geneva

I just ran across this video from the eco fashion show that was held a few weeks ago at the Palais de Nations, the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (See if you can spot eco models Summer Rayne Oakes and Kate Dillon among the grey-coiffed walkers.)

EcoChic Fashion Geneva brought 2009, the UN’s Year of the Natural Fiber to a close and ushered in 2010 as the Year of Biodiversity, with the show shown above, as well as other events. The clothes above were created by couturiers Thakoon, Diane von Furstenberg, Noir and others, from ecomaterials or local fabrics in a palette of black, cream, and red. Ready to wear collections by Edun, Nixxi, The Battalion, and more were also shown.

But the event wasn’t just about admiring the clothes. Panels on a variety of subjects informed attendees of the various aspects of fashion’s impact on people and the planet. According to Abigail Doan at Ecouterre, the panels explored “..the dearth of affordable environmentally friendly textiles, the absence of government support for students and young designers in developing nations, and the lack of consistency in sustainability standards (or even a shared vocabulary) worldwide.

For more images and info, see Ecouterre.

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.

More »