greenliving Eco-Fashionista by Kristin J. Bender
Fashion model Summer Rayne Oakes has created a growing platform for taking eco-fashion mainstream. She’s seen firsthand how a more sustainable lifestyle can start with something as simple as choosing certified organic lip balm or a pair of shoes made from organic cotton and recycled rubber.
B
ecause of her close ties to environmen- tal causes, Oakes is known as “The eco-model.” The title seems to fit her well: She has put her name behind many cause-related programs, including a skincare company that uses active natural ingredients and a maker of recycled eyewear that plants a tree for every pair of frames sold. She didn’t set out to be the eco-fashion-
ista. Oakes, whose first name derived from being born, she states, on a “rainy summer day,” was raised amid Pennsylvania farmlands north of Scranton and developed a love of nature from an early age. By 13, she was the youngest member of her home- town’s environmental advisory council and after high school, went off to Cornell University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources and entomology.
20 Dallas Metroplex
www.NADallas.com Summer Rayne Oakes Models the Future
While researching toxins
in sewage sludge and identify- ing aquatic insects, the 5-foot, 10-inch, willowy brunette also began modeling while at col- lege, and conceived the idea that the fashion industry might
be the right forum for her to take a leading role in expanding environ-
mental awareness. Her first venture, Organic Portraits, an avant-garde photography project, brought to life sustainable design and conservation in one package.
Runaway Success Armed with brains, beauty and an affinity with the natural world, Oakes signed with her first modeling agency after graduat- ing. Today, at 27, she has built her own brand as a business consultant and spokeswoman, author and entrepreneur in the multibillion-dollar industry of en- vironmentally friendly apparel and home products. Oakes says that being in
nature is what makes her come to life. “I carry that with me through all of my work in the fashion industry. It keeps me incredibly grounded and gives me an opportunity to work with companies and organizations that mirror my values or operate in the spirit of becoming better stewards,” she says.
Photo: Jonathan Dennis
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