Green Options

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NY Fashion Week kicked off in eco-sartorial style last night with the Be EcoChic event, held at the incredible American Museum Natural History. Hosted by uber model and eco-activist Angela Lindvall (wearing bright green re-purposed DKNY - cut short to show off her endless gams), the roster of brands made for some diverse mixology on the runway. Well known eco-designers such as Debra Lindquist (who has dressed celebs like Gwen Stefani, Demi Moore, Paris Hilton & Charlize Theron), Loomstate (Rogan Gregory), Del Forte and more, rubbed shoulder pads and bamboo fabrics with brands like DKNY, Levi’s, Nicole Miller et al. Celebrity walkers included Tamara Feldman (Gossip Girl), Dominique Swain (Alpha Dog, Lolita, Face Off), MTV VJ Coltrane Curtis, with appearances by the eternally chic & gorgeous-at-sixty-something Lauren Hutton.

Good Housekeeping has an eight page spread out entitled Celebrity Eco-Friendly Tips and famous stars share their strategies for living an eco-smart life. For example the healthy publicity breakthroughs from green diva Sophie Uliano, and her Gorgeously Green series has been bursting with creativity and attracting stardom. “Sophoe’s a passionate environmentalist and yoga instructor who quickly became Julia’ Roberts’ go-to “green guru for advice on living green while looking great.”

Some would be content with just one successful career. Others (myself included) let the type “A” part our brain rule. Enter Ashley Peldon - actor, director, producer, entrepreneur - and all before she turns thirty. Some “stars” use their celebrity strictly for monetary purposes and ethics and commitment be damned.

Not so for Ashley Peldon and her sister Courtney. Started in 2006, Starring…! Fragrances is a cosmetics company with a difference. It combines “the allure of Hollywood glamor with their commitment to health and wellness.” Starring…! products are hand crafted and are a collection of natural, organic, environmentally friendly and paraben free perfumes, body scrubs and 100% soy wax melts. Their lineup includes everything from “playful, dessert-inspired scents to sexy, attention-grabbing florals.”

From building to beauty via a new and refreshing partnership with Kiehls, Pitt is using his considerable celebrity to help raise what they expect will be more than $1million in sales … refreshingly, without cashing in on his celebrity. Pitt will not be appearing in any of the ad campaigns, his image will not be used anywhere and he will not profit in any way from the association. The Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Cleanser will be sold at stockists worldwide from October 2008 and all proceeds will go toward JPF Eco Systems, a charitable foundation established by Pitt & Kiehls to support global initiatives that, “minimize impact on the environment through thoughtful design.” His own charitable trust the ‘Make It Right Organization‘, which helps victims of Hurricane Katrina, will also directly benefit. Now that’s what I call beautiful.

Most of us know Stella McCartney as a very popular star, she is a famous fashion designer and cares dearly for all animals. Her skin care line is amazing with an all organic ECOCERT policy, and great earth honoring mission.

More than two decades ago, rock star Sting, and his wife, Trudie Styler, created The Rainforest Foundation and over the last 20 years it has expanded and diversified. There is the New York-based Rainforest Foundation Fund, backed by Sting, which provides funding for three branches - Rainforest Foundation US, Rainforest Foundation Norway, Rainforest Foundation UK (together they directly support projects in more than 20 countries that protect tropical rainforests and the people that live there)…

Every year an area of rainforest the size of England and Wales is cut down. This leaves local people homeless, drives animals and plants to extinction and releases more CO2 emissions (which cause climate change), than all of the world’s planes, trains and automobiles. Tropical deforestation is an issue that affects us all. ~The Rainforest Foundation

Supermodel and mom Cindy Crawford is reducing the number of plastic water bottles that end up in landfills.

Cindy teamed up with PUR Water Filtration Systems, and designed a limited edition reusable water bottle bearing the slogan “Thirsty for Change“, with all proceeds going to help decrease water related diseases in developing countries. She aims to teach America about water consumption, and by doing so, hopes to impact the world…

EDUN is a Socially Conscious Clothing Company Created by Ali Hewson and Bono

Rock star Bono ’s wife, Ali Hewson, launched her new clothing line Edun, last summer, during the Pitti fashion week in Florence, Italy. EDUN is currently produced in India, Peru, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar. Sold in stores in New York and London, Edun’s label consists of high-end women and men’s clothing.

Ali Hewson claims “Edun is not a charity. It ’s a project for social development aimed at Africa,” the company teaches suppliers how to grow raw materials and shows workers how to use the cloth weaving machines. ~ Earthtimes and UPI

Hewson then said, “I have four children and when I dress them I want to be sure that their clothes are not the result of other children being exploited…”

Celebs such as Selma Hayek, Rosanna Arquette and even Paris Hilton, gathered en masse for a relaxed afternoon soiree in Beverly Hills over the weekend. Hosted by filmaker and legendary party-thrower Brett Ratner, whose house was turned into a day spa for the event, the purpose was to highlight the growing in popularity and newly repackaged biodynamic skincare line from Jurlique. No stranger to the organic and natural beauty industry the pioneering Australian brand has been in existence for over twenty years, but with a new look (understated and gorgeous) and a celebrity contingent who love it, we hope it’s poised to take the skincare world by storm.

I consider biodynamic beauty brands to represent the pinnacle of purity in the beauty industry. LA celebs are typically some of the first to embrace what’s at the forefront of healthy living and Californians in particular as we all know have that rep -

While most people squirm at the thought of blood sucking leeches, celebrities like Demi Moore are swearing by leech therapy to keep themselves toxin free and youthful. According to US Magazine, leeches are Demi Moore’s secret to looking sexy at the age of 45.

“I feel like I’ve always been someone looking for the cutting edge of things that optimize your health and healing,” she told David Letterman on his show.

Ayurvedic medicine has had an obsession with these creatures for centuries. Leeches are a critical player in an age old form of Ayurvedic detoxification known as Rakta Moksha i.e. the letting of toxic blood. The technique, drawn from ancient Ayurvedic scriptures such as the Charak Samhita and the Sushrut Samhita has been a stronghold of Indian village medicine for centuries, says Dr. O.P. Singh of Banaras Hindu University, India’s renowned Ayurvedic educational institution.

Healthy Child Healthy World contributor, Stop Global Warming campaigner, breast cancer survivor, new single mom, and now fashion designer, Sheryl Crow is teaming up with Western Glove Works (aka Silver Jeans) to create casual eco-chic looks that are both eco-friendly and affordable. It comes as no surprise that this country-girl-at-heart will focus the line around denim, while integrating organic cotton and fair trade materials.

The collection is said to be vintage-inspired and will be named “Bootheel Trading Co. by Sheryl Crow”. No launch date has been announced, but rumor has it she’s flying to Australia this October to meet with her partners about the line.