Oil drilling has left a toxic legacy in the Amazon rainforest, including the remnants of crude oil that Beth Doane lifted from the jungle floor.


but there was a lot of stress and pressure, and it wasn’t much fun.” Instead of returning home, Doane flew to Europe


and studied Spanish at the School de Pozuelo in Madrid. While abroad, she met designers working in the fashion industry and decided to pursue a career in high-end apparel and accessories. At age 22, she returned to New York and launched Andira International, an importer and distributor of European brands for the U.S. market.


Europe. But during that time, I also learned about the dark side of fashion—child labor, human rights violations, unfair labor practices. This occurs in countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia and Honduras—basically in any developing country where you can set up a sewing machine. My friends in the fashion industry knew what was going on,


“I 16 Eastern | SUMMER 2013


helped launch brands that had the potential to do well in the States,” Doane says. “I went to many fashion industry events and flew back and forth to


but it was hard for them to do much about it because they were making a lot of money.” During a subsequent bout with pneumonia and


bronchitis, Doane did some self-ref lection. “I had a lot of time to think,” she says. “I was sick because


I was living an unhealthy lifestyle. There was lots of partying and stress, and I wasn’t working with great people. There had to be something better. I decided I wanted to do my part to transform the fashion industry.” After recovering, Doane moved back to her parents’


home and created RainTees, an eco-conscious fashion brand combining ethical production standards with environmental sustainability. The business, based in Los Angeles where Doane now lives, launched in 2007. “I knew I had a strong message and could reach millions


of people through fashion,” Doane says. “But I didn’t receive a lot of initial support. I tried reaching out to people, asking if they wanted to get behind me. They said I would just alienate myself within the fashion industry, so I


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