Brain Coral, Sea Horses, and Silkworms

Oldest Living Things: brain coral #0210-4501 (2,000 years old; speyside, tobago) photo by Rachel Sussman

Design inspiration comes in many shapes and forms, and The Oldest Living Things just might have something lasting to teach us about permanence, adaptation, and systems solutions.

I have been rather preoccupied with sea horses lately, and after reading several heart-wrenching passages on the bycatch decimation of sea horses in Jonathan Safran Foer's book, Eating Animals, I am wondering what the planet would be like without a species that is "the extreme of the extreme". Add to this that seahorse males are the ones to get pregnant and carry their offspring for six weeks, and one cannot help but to grow concerned that we have only begun to appreciate the complexity and potential that surrounds us.

My favorite sea horse cotton tee

Let us give thanks for the bounty that abounds but also not be afraid of being sensitized to what makes living and creating such a genuine mystery. Fashion is totally dead in the water without an audience that can challenge and mimic our finery. Consider the plight of the silkworm, for example: 'How Much Silk Does A Silk Worm Silk?'

Source4Style's Upcoming Focus Group Fete

Source4Style 7.21.10 Report from SRmanitou on Vimeo


Source4Style's much anticipated launch is drawing near, and NYC-based eco fashion influencers will be gathering on August 5th for a focus group and summer harvest fete in order to provide feedback on the beta version of this B2B enterprise. Created by model and environmental activist Summer Rayne Oakes, fair trade entrepreneur Benita Singh, and serial entrepreneur Adam Schwartz as a marketplace where designers might source sustainable textiles from more than 25 hand-picked suppliers, there is no doubt that the fashion (and interior design) community is already buzzing with excitement about the impact this long-overdue online resource will make.

"Our market research reveals that designers have difficulty accessing information on sustainable materials and spend more time researching than designing," says Oakes. Source4Style's aim is to facilitate a more cost effective and less time consuming way for designers to source and purchase quality raw materials. For suppliers of sustainable materials, Source4Style will represent a unique platform through which to offer their products to a range of buyers." - Eco Fashion World


So true. My time in Eastern Europe chatting with Yva Schatz's talented fashion design students as well as young Bulgarian fashion designers like Evgeni Petkov (who presented his eco-couture knit gown at EcoChic Geneva last January) definitely has opened my eyes to the challenges that designers everywhere face when trying to identify suppliers for sustainable textiles and new models for shared and affordable sourcing.

Titania Inglis Fall/Winter 2010

Designer Titania Inglis of Fade to Green wrote an interesting piece about sourcing challenges on the inside after attending TexWorld and listening to Oakes' update on S4S's goals and over 1,000 materials that are already uploaded. Read Titania's post 'Sustainable fabrics at your fingertips? How about on your screen?'.


Stay tuned for more coverage on the upcoming August 5th event and the launch of Source4Style this fall.


*video courtesy of Source4Style/SRO

EcoChic Geneva 2010 Takes Flight

EcoChic Geneva runway finale at the Palais des Nations/United Nations Geneva Headquarters on 21 January, 2010 (photo: Abigail Doan)

Dr. Christina Dean, founder of Green2greener, introduces the evening's exquisitely curated runway show at EcoChic Geneva. Dr. Dean highlighted the importance of honoring biodiversity in contemporary textile and global fashion endeavors (photo: Abigail Doan)

Model and environmental spokesperson Summer Rayne Oakes walks the runway at the Palais des Nations. Summer was also an invited speaker in the U.N. biodiversity seminar on 20 January, 2010 (photo: Abigail Doan)

Bulgarian model, Julia Urevich, and Sofia-based fashion designer, Evgeni Petkov, showcase Evgeni's handknit, natural fibre eco-couture wedding gown, crafted with my sustainable textile mentorship (photo: Abigail Doan)

Long-time advocate and trailblazer for ethical fashion, Isabelle Quéhé founder of the Ethical Fashion Show, and myself at the opening of the EcoChic sustainable fashion exhibition at the United Nations/Geneva. Isabelle looks exquisite in my favorite new designer, Royah Afghanistan

The EcoChic sustainable fashion exhibtion showcasing Anggy Haif, Alexandre Herchcovitch, and Jose Castro (photo: Abigail Doan)

The Andean Collection's indigenous seed-based, artisan crafted jewelry. One of the event's best examples of marrying sustainability, collaborative enterprise, and affordable eco-chic design (photo: Abigail Doan)

Peter Ingwersen of NOIR's Danish folkloric organic cotton couture garment and Oliver Tolentino's absolutely stunning handcrafted piña gown with capiz shell embellishments (photo: Abigail Doan)

Grow Your Own Green Library

Landscape Stories by Jem Southam

Style, Naturally by Summer Rayne Oakes + Plants and their Application to Ornament (Notecards) by Eugene Grasset

Designing Sustainable Packaging By Scott Boylston + Le Forêt Eco-Keepsake Notecards by Lisa Congdon

San Francisco based publisher Chronicle Books is having a lovely 'friends and family' summer sale now through August 5. Online orders receive 35% off on all titles plus free shipping. Some of my favorite finds are highlighted above, though not all are books. My home library can never have enough green goodness on the shelves.

*Use the promo code FRIENDS during check out