ecofabulous

From Barneys to Target: Rogan Gregory

What is hip, organic and safari inspired; comes from the hands of eco-conscious designer Rogan Gregory (of Edun and Loomstate fame); and only costs $30 on average?! It's Rogan for Target, this summer's foray into sustainable fashion from the oft stylish superstore. Target is proving once and for all that looking good and going green doesn't have to break the bank! Interestingly, though, this hot line will debut at the chicest of stores, Barney's. Of course hot items move fast and you have just three days to hit up Barney's in Beverly Hills to get first dibs on the collection beginning this Thursday, May 15th. If you can't make it, however, you'll find Rogan at Target soon thereafter (yet, I'd bet you won't find it on their shelves for long). Happy eco-hunting!

Ecofabulous Event Planning

I love parties as much as the next girl, but the post-celebration aftermath isn’t always so pretty (and I’m not talking about hangovers or the inevitable drama among guests). Discarded leftovers and wilting floral arrangements remind me of how much energy (both our own and the planet’s) goes into throwing these fabulous, yet fleeting fêtes. dvGreen, a sustainable event planning company, takes care of that green guilt and throws weddings, corporate retreats, bar-mitzvahs and cocktail parties with panache and a passion for the environment. Founder Danielle Venokur is a strong believer in celebrating the milestones in our lives while still honoring the planet, and dvGreen follows this philosophy for all its elegant and eclectic events. dvGreen takes a personalized approach to every event but routine eco-friendly party-throwing practices include sending tree-free invitations, choosing organic, local, and sustainable flowers, donating or composting the food leftovers (which are also organic and local, by the way), and purchasing carbon offsets to neutralize the entire event.  Party on!

Keepin' It Squeaky Green!

I admit it, I'm a fanatic about keeping my home sparkling clean - but just looking clean isn't enough. The always charismatic Method boys, Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan, just released their coffee table cool book on eco-friendly, safe approaches to cleaning. On Wednesday evening they signed their tongue-in-cheek books for swooning fans at Spring home store in San Francisco (one of my favorite spots to find green products). Cleanophiles lined up to get personal notes memorialized on their new guide, Squeaky Green: the method guide to detoxing your home. True  to the Method spirit, this book is fun, witty and smart. I was  hoping to catch a few people dancing on the reclaimed tables at this late afternoon event where the Veev was flowing, but everyone behaved and indeed... kept it pretty clean!

Brunching Green With Mom...And Beyond

Mother's Day is just around the corner (May 11th, for the truly preoccupied). In our experience, if there's one thing a mom really wants, it's to spend the day with her kids. So we're thinking, what better way to celebrate than a beautiful, organic meal from an eco-eatery?

Make Mother's Day Beautiful

The countdown to Mother's Day has begun. If you are as busy as I am (or just plain forgetful), you still haven't organized a gift! Luckily, you still have time to get your mom/important woman in your life a thoughtful gift. Not only are the gorgeous bouquets from Organic Style void of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, FedEx Next Day Service means they arrive in their freshest form and deliver nothing but the sentiment of love. Plus, ecofabulous readers get a 15% discount. The Lavendar Bath Spa Kit is a relaxing alternative or addition to flowers. My children are still making craft paper creations, but some day I hope to receive an eco-abundant gift from them! Click here to receive your ecofab discount.

Healthy Child, Healthy Cocktails

The last couple of weeks have been even busier than usual, thanks to Earth Day. April 23rd I hosted a Benefit with Nadine Weil (Heart of Green), co-sponsored by ecofabulous, 7x7 magazine and Veev to present the launch of the Healthy Child Healthy World book, a resource guide that promotes toxic-free living. The reigning heiress of eco-chic fashion, Linda Loudermilk, showed her sustainable, seriously sexy and very wearable designs at a trunk show at Eco-Citizen, followed by a reception at the home of the eco-home, Spring.

 

 

Tune In Tonight for 'Big Ideas' Behind Eco-Fashion

My husband and I love the Sundance Channel's intriguing and informative Big Ideas for a Small Planet series. Now in its second season on The Green, the show presents the forward thinking designers, products and processes that are on the leading edge of the environmental movement. Since last season's episode on eco-fashion was such a success, they are revisiting the subject with three new stories focused on the Big Ideas behind sustainable fashion. I am thrilled to be one of the contributing voices tonight, navigating the industry from growing to manufacturing, all the way through dry cleaning. See how what we wear affects the planet and what we can do about it. If you miss tonight's episode, don't worry, you can download it from itunes.

Get an A+ in Sustainable Design

"The Role of a Designer in a Sustainable World" is a very significant one, indeed. William McDonough and Michael Braungart make the case that we need to reconsider the way we think about product design and that designers really can change the world. This summer a melange of interested parties (designers, educators, planners or those who would like to be) will gather at UC Berkeley Extension (class held in San Francisco) under the direction of writer, designer and activist, Jessica Kraft to help pave their green paths. Learn how designers are leading the sustainable revolution with other like-minded individuals. You may even be seated next to an ecofabulous member or two!

World Science Festival

Science and the environmental movement go together like love and marriage: you can't have one without the other. So you better believe the World Science Festival, taking place May 28th-June 1st in New York City, has ecofabulous written all over it! At venues throughout Manhattan, the greatest luminaries (including founders Brian Green - yes string theory - and Tracy Day) will gather to present the latest in scientific thought at some 40 events. Though "90 is the new 50" and the Science of Longevity will no doubt draw a crowd, it's Majora Carter, and equally impressive company, discussing Future Cities (of the sustainable variety) that is our number one pick. And don't miss the special Youth and Family events - perfect opportunities to get the minds of the future expanding. Tickets just went on sale, so grab yours here.

Showing off the Tesla

Los Angeles was the place to be Thursday night as Tesla unveiled the gorgeous new showroom that will be selling the unbelievably sexy all electric car. Guests were treated to test drives (Matt Petersen of Global Green admitted to getting butterflies in his stomach) and chef Acaia's delicious sustainable fare. Daryl Hannah discussed the virtues of biodiesel with the founder of EcoNation (a new alternative fuel limo service that just launched in LA) and Quincy Jones sang the praises of the dream car to Tesla co-founder, Elon Musk. All in all, the successful event was chaulk full of LA celebs and the Silicon Valley tech elite wanting to get close to the eco-rocket that goes zero to sixty in less than four seconds and gets about 250 miles per charge....The only problem was that there was no Veev or Square One Vodka in sight so I am suffering from a slight hangover, but I must say that hanging out in this showroom made me excited about the future of alternative vehicles. The evening came to an abrupt end when one of the drivers crashed through the showroom window, injuring Lindsey Lohan and her hybrid trio of teacup chiuauas, which had been dyed green for the event...just kidding (but sounded so LA, right?)!