Global Green USA holds annual pre-Oscars party

Eco-conscious celebrities gathered on the green carpet at the 11th annual Global Green USA party at the Avalon in Hollywood Wednesday night as one of the major events leading up to the 2014 Academy Awards this weekend. The party raised $20,000 for the nonprofit's ongoing programs.

Hollywood environmentalists Orlando Bloom, Ed Begley Jr., and Dylan McDermott helped host the zero-waste party, where guests feasted on a gourmet plant-based dinner by Akasha, a Culver City-based restaurant known for using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients. Event sponsor Cadillac also brought its newest plug-in ELR electric hybrid coupe to the event.

Vegan musician Moby and electronica duo The Crystal Method performed at the party while eco-friendly singer Michelle Branch modeled a conflict-free, lab-grown diamond ring by eco-jewelry company Gemesis, which sold at the event for $12,000.

The best fashions of the night included sleek gowns and midi-dresses, along with the color emerald fitting the theme of being green.

President and CEO Caren Brooks of the Brooks Family Foundation dazzles in a violet gown.

Actress Tehmina Sunny from FOX's The Following wore an Adrianna Papell Grecian-inspired silver gown.
 

Actress and eco-living expert Rainbeau Mars, also on the hosting committee, modeled a loose-fitting sparkly emerald pantsuit.

DJ Shy, who performed at the event, also decided on emerald with a chic party dress by Sue Wong.

Actress Malin Akerman, currently starring on ABC's Trophy Wife, wore a Wes Gordon light lemon midi-dress.

Actress Maggie Grace of Taken fame wore a vintage 1920s silk nightgown with a vintage beaded clutch and pendant necklace, according to Red Carpet Fashion Awards. Vintage fashion equals eco-fashion with the recycling or repurposing of old clothes and accessories.

From Global Green USA's Twitter timeline, there was more eco-fashion at the event.

Love this dress on the right made from bamboo! #ecofashion #domoregreen #GreenPreOscar pic.twitter.com/dGd3bPM0Qe
— Global Green USA (@globalgreen) February 27, 2014

 All images from Global Green USA's Flickr photostream. 

Eva Mendes debuts fashion line inspired by thrift shop finds

Actress Eva Mendes added another title to her résumé: fashion designer. Today, she did a media blitz for her new line The Eva Mendes Collection with New York & Company.

On today's Good Morning America, she said her line was inspired by her own thrift shop finds like vintage dresses that would cost $6.

"I love a bargain, so I'm always shopping at thrift shops," she said. "I'll buy a six-dollar dress, then I'll go get a coffee and there'll be women like, 'Where can I get your dress?' And I'll be like, 'Oh, thrift shop.'"

The line will sell exclusively at select New York & Company stores and online.

Riviera Fit & Flare Dress
Vintage Rose in Grey Dusk,
$79.95,  nyandcompany.com.

Bow Blouse Eva Dot in Amber
Glow, $49.95, nyandcompany.com.

Soft Pant City Leopard in Amber
 Glow, $64.95, nyandcompany.com.

Celebs wear vintage designer duds at VMAs

The 2013 MTV Music Video Awards show was so outrageous that we're still talking about it days later. But what stood out on the red carpet were the few celebs who chose to wear vintage outfits circa 1990s.

 Miley Cyrus in vintage Dolce & Gabbana. Image: people.com.

 Naya Rivera in vintage Paco Rabanne. Image: people.com.

 2 Chainz in vintage Versace. Image: huffingtonpost.com.

Oscars 2013: the eco-fashion highlights

Eco-fashionable celebs made a splash on the red carpet at the 2013 Oscars.

Veteran actress Helen Hunt, nominated for Best Supporting Actress in her role in The Sessions, surprised everyone when she announced on the red carpet she was wearing a sapphire gown from H+M for Global Green USA.

Image: people.com.

Skyfall Bond girl Naomie Harris wore a golden gown from the Red Carpet Green Challenge, a contest designed by Suzy Amis Cameron, wife of famed director James Cameron and eco-couture advocate.

Up-and-coming designers turn in the best award-worthy gowns made from sustainable materials to judges like Vivienne Westwood. This year, 20-year-old Ghanaian designer Michael Badger won the honor to have his gown debut at the Oscars. 

Image: people.com.

The sustainable gown is made from organic silk dyed with chamomile and goldenrod embroidered with vintage beads and recycled chocolate wrappers, according to Naomie's Twitter and Facebook.

Relive the eco-glamour of Oscars 2012.

'Thrift Shop' song takes #1 spot

With an infectious tune backed by lyrics bragging about only having $20 to get a fly look, Seattle hip-hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis hit the #1 spot on the Hot Singles list with an ode to thrift shopping.

After hearing 'Thrift Shop' a few months ago, I think it's pretty awesome a song about searching for recycled and vintage fashions overtook the charts.

This Entertainment Weekly article profiles the group and its love for thrift shops: Macklemore interview: Seattle rapper talks pizza parties, social change, new video for 'Thrift Shop'

Thrifty treasure #1: copper-sequined tank

As a part of my last weekend in Seattle, I decided to enjoy my University District neighborhood filled with vintage and consignment shops. One of my faves became the Buffalo Exchange, where I found a dark olive green tank top with copper sequins by Ann Taylor Loft. 

From first glance, it seemed like the perfect top for professional and unprofessional night-outs, the versatile pieces needed to be the career girl and the off-the-clock girl. Some of the sequins were lying in the opposite direction, but they're easy to smooth them down, so I dished out the $15 (originally a lot more) and supported recycled fashion.

Vintage shopping: the Seattle exploration

For the past few weeks, I've been adjusting to Seattle, my home for the summer. So finally found a place to stay, and it's in the University District, the trendy area for the students of the University of Washington. This weekend, I spent time exploring the neighborhood and found myself in the center of a vintage shopping haven.

Red Light Vintage Clothing is unique to the Seattle area with two locations. I enjoyed seeing clothes, shoes, and accessories that I would never thought would have been in season years ago, or perhaps decades ago. I couldn't believe I still wanted to wear a lot of that stuff because sometimes vintage shopping goes a little too deep into history where I wouldn't wear certain things. I was really feeling the shoes, but I knew I should wait for the perfect pair begging to come home with me.

So Goodwill is everywhere, especially here in Seattle where there are almost 20 locations throughout the city and the outskirts. But I noticed this location tried to fit into the block with having a vintage aura compared to its counterparts elsewhere. I bought three tops that probably look like my other stuff, but I couldn't help it since it was cheaper than the stores back home in California.

While walking up the street, I checked out the Buffalo Exchange, which is a chain of stores in several states, but I never heard of it. I was curious to see what they offered, and it was a mainstream vintage shop. That may sound insulting, but it's incredible because their inventory rocked. They even made their own jewelry. Interesting pieces, but the nickel metal makes my skin itch. I did find a J.Crew gray cardigan since I'm a sucker for those. It looks more fashionable than it sounds.

Recycled prom dresses

Earlier this week, I was excited to get the chance to write an article and produce a video for an eco-fashion story. 

Since prom season is here, local organizations are giving away recycled formal dresses to help teenagers enjoy their prom without the financial strain. 

Check out my story and video here.  

Eco prom dresses

As prom season sneaks up on us, many eco-consumers will soon realize there's not a wide selection of eco-friendly prom dresses. 

While eco-bridal wear gets all the attention, women looking for an evening gown with a gentle carbon footprint will learn the shopping venture is rough.

Three major fabrics dominate prom dresses: taffeta, organza, and chiffon.

Taffeta is a crisp, woven fabric made from silk and/or synthetic fabrics such as nylon. 

Organza is a sheer fabric, and like taffeta, originally made from silk and mostly now from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. 

Chiffon is a sheer fabric somewhat like organza and can consist of cotton, silk, and/or synthetic fabrics.  

Though silk is a popular soft, light fabric, it's not considered eco-friendly since it disrupts the life cycles of silkworms. Eco-silk is called peace or ahimsa silk since silkworms finish their life cycles before the silk is taken.

Synthetic fabrics are man-made, not natural and not easily biodegradable. Textile waste accounts for 10 billion pounds of waste every year, so clothes don't easily disappear from landfills. There's a widely used, man-made eco-fabric by the name of tencel or lyocell, which is produced to biodegrade.

An eco-fashion alternative for prom shopping is vintage. A vintage prom dress is a surefire way to make sure nobody has the same dress as you at the big event. Recycle and reuse are the two factors in true vintage wear.

There are virtual and actual vintage boutiques, consignment shops, and thrift stores that can supply an extensive variety of prom dresses. 

Double check for stains, rips, and other malfunctions before purchasing the dress. Of course, most of the time, the clothes are inspected for these mishaps before being displayed for sale. 

Online, vintage clothing websites usually tell customers the problems associated with the dress and if those problems are fixable.

Some helpful vintage prom dress websites: 

• vintageous.com
• etsy.com 
• shopgoodwill.com

Hi-Def Strapless Dress in Magenta (tencel), $41, lulus.com.

Rooftop Party Dress in True Black (tencel), $88, madewell.com.

Appliqued Violet Tulle 1950s Prom Dress (vintage), $275, vintageous.com.

Livia Firth wears eco-couture @ Oscars

Image: Getty. Livia Firth
wears an eco-gown on the red
carpet at the 2011 Academy
Awards last night.

Colin Firth may have won the Best Actor award at the Oscars last night, but his wife deserved a honorable mention for triumphing eco-fashion couture. 

Livia Giuggioli Firth, an Italian film producer known for her dedication to ethical fashion, wore a Gary Harvey-designed gown upcycled from 11 vintage dresses from The King's Speech era. 

Even her eco-jewelry provided by Annaloucah was fair-trade, fair-mined, and made from ecologically certified gold. Aquamarine gemstones from Zambia and diamonds from Lesotho were all fair-trade and fair-mined and support the local communities.
 
Read more about her Green Carpet Challenge at her UK Vogue blog.

Read about another eco-gown she adorned on the red carpet at the Golden Globes 2011 last month. 

Eco-fashion turns heads @ NYFW

New York Fashion Week revealed the new looks for the Fall/Winter 2011 lines, and eco-fashion designers held their own ground during the weeklong festivities. 


Though we're practically in spring mode, it's reassuring to know thick knit cable sweaters and professional trench coats will have an updated dose of eco-friendliness with organic fabrics and recycled materials alongside the satisfaction that less waste was generated by the whole process. 

Check out the websites of the following designers where the Spring 2011 lines promise a stylish season ahead.

Square Project
Recycled polyester, organic cotton, and hemp are just a few of the eco-fabrics Tara St. James uses to create vintage-inspired pieces. Bold stripes may be a common trend, but with the addition of crisscross straps and pierced triangles make all the difference. 

Image: Ecouterre.

Bodkin
Design meets environment is a connection Bodkin wants to maintain for their consumers. Bodkin, named for any sharp object that can tear holes through clothes, produces sustainable clothing whether organic wool is available or not, the alternative is responsibly dyed wool that uses less chemicals during the process.  

Image: Ecouterre

Edun
Ethical fashion that promotes a local economy is always a positive thing. While making ecofashion, the proceeds go to communities in Tanzania, Tunisia, and Kenya where the clothes are made. The lookbook shows fashionable pieces from wrap jackets to chiffon tanks with an eco-flair. 

Image: Ecouterre.

Organic by John Patrick
One of the eco-fashion brands celebs like Leighton Meester wears for a day of work. The signature simplicity of white, black, and beige pieces made from organic cotton come in handy to complete any outfit. There's also foreign communities producing the clothes and benefiting from the profits: a plus in the eco-fashion world. 

Image: Ecouterre.

Eco-must-have: Navajo style

Gwen Stefani, Ashley Tisdale, and Blake Lively fashioning
the Navajo style. Images: people.com.

The colorful, intricate designs of the Navajo style, which represents the design for most Native American groups, make an entrance in the fashion world at different times, and these are one of those times.

Eco-fashion choices in this trend seemed to be a skimpy list, but luckily there are many vintage choices available through different companies as well as thrift shops.  

Some items will be made from upcycled or recycled fur and leather, so more of these not-so-eco-friendly materials will not be used.

Ryan Alpaca Cape (vintage), $264, shopnastygal.com.

Gypsy Love Vest (vintage), $58, lulus.com.

Vintage Woolrich Navajo Blanket Jacket (vintage) by BLACKMAGICVINTAGE, $45, etsy.com.

Truly Madly Deeply Navajo Print Tunic (made by eco-friendly company), $14.99, UrbanOutfitters.com.

Handmade Turquoise & Bamboo Necklace (fair trade), $24, tenthousandvillages.com.

JADEtribe Nicole Messenger Bag, $175, junoandjove.com.

Mosaic Magnified Bag (upcycled leather), $134.99, modcloth.com.

JADEtribe Nicole Tote Bag, $128, shopbop.com.

Get the eco-look: classic red dress

Halle Berry wears an Yves Saint
Laurent red gown at Carousel of
Hope Ball in Beverly Hills. Image:
people.com/Ann Porter/BroadImage

The classic red dress always make you stand out at evening events. 

Eco-fashionably speaking, we're used to hearing about organically made clothing just pertaining to T-shirts and jeans, but companies do make formal evening dresses from organic cotton, bamboo, and silk.

Many eco-formal dresses are about the same price of regular dresses from stores. But since these dresses can be rare to find, it's just one item easy to find at eco-friendly online stores. 

If online shopping's not your thing, you might find nice gowns and dresses at department stores like Nordstrom and Dillard's. And vintage shopping can heighten your chances of finding that one-of-a-kind eco-formal dress.
  

Jonano Asymmetrical Hem
Bandeau Dress in Chili Red, $65,
jonano.com

Sash Prom Dress, $72.81, peopletree.co.uk.

Stella Drape Dress, $64.81, peopletree.co.uk.

Organic Bamboo Cowl
Neck Dress in Red, $77.76,
turninglife.com.

Get the eco-look: vintage insect jewelry

Fashion it girl Blake Lively wears a
Lanvin insect brooch at
Spike TV's Scream 2010 Awards.
Image: people.com/Scott
Kirkland/AFF-USA; Flynet

Some fear certain types of insects, but the vintage insect jewelry trend should not be feared.

Since ancient Egyptians made jewelry of sacred scarab beetles, insect jewelry has stayed around for centuries and still remains in demand. 

A classic vintage piece of insect jewelry can spice up any bland outfit. Brooches happen to be one of the more popular choices in wearing insect jewelry. 

Vintage jewelry is a part of eco-fashion since they are old, recycled pieces going through the periods of time.  

Etsy, the online vintage interconnected superstore, offers many different pieces whether you prefer honeybees, butterflies (my personal preference), or even spiders. Also, you can find great pieces at local thrift shops, vintage shops, and consignment shops.

Green and Purple Butterfly Vintage Brooch, $16.99, waalaa.etsy.com

Bees in the Grass Earrings, $17, miskay.etsy.com

Black Onyx Butterfly Necklace, $32, etsy.com/shop/Bellota26