Citizen Act

A good friend of ours, Jenn Halweil, along with two colleagues, Yusuf Simonson and Holly Hardison, are participating in a competition, Citizen Act, to create a bank that will benefit strong and powerful women. The name of their team is Contribution Globale.

Their mission is to empower female entrepreneurs to build strong businesses, strengthen family ties, and cultivate sustainable communities. Their idea, RoseLeaf, is a social network and banking initiative to foster mentorship, encourage collaboration and develop a variety of tools to address the particular concerns of female leaders. Both oppressed women in need of empowerment and strong women who inspire will benefit from Citizen Act.

The following is a message from Contribution Globale:

“Our team, Contribution Globale, is taking part in an international business competition know as Citizen Act. We are competing for the opportunity to make our vision of the socially conscious bank of the future a reality. Hosted by Société Générale, a banking network headquartered in Paris, France, whose focus is on promoting Corporate Social Responsibility, this Wiki-Blog is designed to demonstrate our idea, known as RoseLeaf, and receive feedback from people like you world-wide. We encourage you to comment, suggest ideas, and ask questions, so that we may work together to build the bank of tomorrow!”

New York Fashion Week is in the Green

This year’s New York Fashion Week included The GreenShows which featured ten eco-friendly collections. The GreenShows were held at Village Green – the first LEED-Gold certified building in East Village-and featured the collections of: Gary Harvey, Vaute Couture, Thieves by Sonja den Elzen, Joann Berman,Willian, Popomomo ,Samantha Pleet, deux fm, House of Organics/Ekovaruhuset and C. Marchuska.

Here are a few of the highlights from the shows:

Gary Harvey, featured creative gowns made entirely of reused materials. These brilliant dresses were crafted from items such as recycled army jackets, wedding dresses, and laundry bags, proved that sustainable design IS high fashion at times.

Vaute Couture showcased the ingenious work of vegan designer Leanne Hilgart Meyer. Using soy bean farming waste, alternative fiber Primaloft ECO, and other green material, Vaute Couture create cruelty-free clothes that are also good for our Mother Earth.  Leanne also showcased her brand new men’s line.

And JoAnn Berman rocked the GreenShows Monday night with her reconstructed one off garments made entirely with vintage fabrics. Here is the preview of Autumn/Winter 2010 collection: “Thunderbirds” and  its lively execution on the runway was amazing. Her collection drew mainstream media including WWD and Vogue. Also, hear  Berman talke about the process of designing one off clothing, worn by the likes of Madonna — in the early days — and Rihanna.

The GreenShows Eco Fashion Week proves that Green is the new Black!

TreeHugger: Best of Green

Nominate your favorite sustainable person, place or thing!

TreeHugger.com is accepting nominations of people, places, and things that putting the idea of sustainability in the mainstream minds. Read below for complete information:

Best of Green 2010

Best of Green Call for Nominations!

“Do you know of a green person, product, company, event, or concept that deserves to be lauded for the positive environmental change it has enacted? Let us know! In TreeHugger’s second annual Best of Green Awards, we’re looking to bestow top honors on the people, places, and things that are helping move sustainability into the mainstream.

Last year, we awarded more than 170 prizes across eight general themes. This year, we’re asking for your help making some of the selections. Let us know who you think should be nominated for a Best of Green Award. Then we’ll ask for your help picking the cream of the crop in dozens of specific categories in our new-this-year Readers’ Choice Awards.

To make a nomination, pick from one of the eight general themes in which your suggestion belongs, enter the name of your nominee, and submit your form. Suggest as many nominees as you like (only one submission per nominee per person, though, please). We’ll be accepting nominations through February 22. Our editors will review your suggestions, and, come March 1, voting will open for the Readers’ Choice Awards.”

Revamp Clothing

Revamp is an eco-conscious, vintage inspired women’s clothing line. Designer Jamie Powell draws on all aspects of her life to create her designs, incorporating elements of her vintage wholesaling business as well as her personal lifestyle. All Revamp items are made with an eco-conscious focus; all production is local and inputs are selected for their low environmental impact. The vision of the Revamp line is to create classic wardrobe stables that make the wearer feel both comfortable and beautiful. Custom requests are welcome; family heirloom pieces can be reconstructed to give a second life to a treasured tablecloth, or a grandmother’s wedding dress.

Revamp has been featured in The Raleigh News & Observer, The Independent, the Indie NC Blog, and in several Raleigh-area fashion shows including FashionSpark ’08 and ’09 and Strut ’09. Jamie Powell is also co-producer of the Redress Raleigh Eco-Fashion Show.