wanted a book that would sit comfortably between Tim Gunn’s
Guide to Quality, Taste & Style and The Lucky Style Guide, and do be-
lieve we accomplished that be- tween the patience and vision of the graphics design team and photographers.
You are an eco-model, activist and authority on all things sustain- able in fashion and beauty, can you talk about that a little for me?
I originally came into the fashion industry as a covert-model - a wolf in sheep’s clothing so to speak. I was in university and looking for in- novative ways to communicate sustainability. My environmental research kept pointing me to something much bigger than the science lab. I originally thought I’d partner with other personalities, models and celebrities to help de- velop cool environmental pro- grams, but many people in the space couldn’t manage to do it because their “work” conflicted with their values - meaning they’d have to fly out and film a movie for six months or they’d go and model for a company that was-less-than- impressive socially and environ- mentally. The collar didn’t match the cuff. I thought, “Geez, if I can bring in my values and raise the bar - use my expertise, image and passion to create change, then why not?” Two of my partners and I run a mad cool strategic commu- nications and brand manage- ment
firm (SJR) that assists
companies and organizations on sustainability issues, market re-
search, public relations, risk man- agement, and the like. The best clients for me are ones that I can represent both in front of the cam- era as well as behind-the-scenes. I’m a very hands-on-person. I like to be involved and know that you need to be fully immersed in a project for it to be successful. I know we can truly make things better if we put our minds, hearts, and some sweat equity into it.
What made you decide to be- come an activist and what is your biggest project in this regard at the moment?
You know, it’s quite simple really. I love nature. I love being out in na- ture; I love what nature brings to people; and I believe in healthy ecosystems and a healthy quality of life. I really found myself at a young age in the world around me. I immersed myself in Native American history, knowledge and culture - and do believe all of my advocacy and activism stemmed from there.
I have a few biggies in the fire in terms of launches. I’m collaborat- ing with Payless on the launch of their green shoe and accessories line, Zoe & Zac, which launched in April 2009. It’s a fun project and an incredible learning experience for everyone involved. They’ve been great partners. They allow me to push the envelope and we’re tak- ing what we learn to see how we can use sustainability as a source of innovation across the other lines.
I’m also helping re-launch Portico Home. They’re whole home textile, bath robe, linen and towel lines are certified organic which hit the market in June 2009.
On another front, I work with a partner—Allan Schwarz—out in Mozambique on nearly two dozen sustainable forestry programs in Mozambique. Locals are trained to do forest enrichment planting and make the highest-valued products out of the forests, which include high-end furniture, kitchen - ware, jewelry/accessories, and a newly launched personal care product line.
Lastly, has been a move more into media. I work closely as a corre- spondent with Discovery Net- work’s Planet Green and have filmed a number of shows. It’s been really amazing - climbing 250 feet in the air on the belly of a wind turbine, swimming in the Pa- cific Trash Vortex - an area of trash twice the size of Texas in the Pa- cific Ocean; learning about biodi- gestors on cow farms; shooting with Tommy Lee and Ludacris for Battleground Earth. I’ve also done work with MTV’s Real World this past season, taking the cast around through their pimped-out green house. I have a couple other programs and projects in the work, but I can’t spill the beans quite yet.
This past spring, I worked with En- ergy Action on PowerShift 09 in D.C., which is the largest lobby
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