What was your central focus previous to Project Green Search?
I work with clients as a holistic nutritionist and I also have a well-respected program called the Avalon Cleanse.

Did the win come as a surprise to you at all?
Of course! My friends, family, and clients were incredibly confident in me winning, but I’m sure you could say the same for all the contestants involved. I could’ve seen the judges go a couple directions for various reasons and at the same time I knew my eco ability, knowledge, and commitment was strong. So, I guess I wasn’t totally shocked either that I did win. I just felt filled with gratitude.

What inspired you to enter Project Green Search?
I saw the opportunity to have a larger platform for raising awareness around much needed eco, social, and animal welfare values. On a personal level, I also thought it could benefit my holistic health practice, lecturing engagements, hosting jobs, and the book I’m working on.

How does your practice as a holistic health practitioner effect your view of planetary health and long term sustainability?
Our bodies and the planet have a lot in common. So many people are overloaded with toxins and are out of balance. The same is true with the Earth. In my profession I witness first hand how people suffer with suppressed immune systems, chronic diseases, cancer, weight gain, inflammation, and emotional challenges. The body is always seeking balance and will sometimes take drastic measures to try and accomplish that. I think there’s a parallel in what we’re seeing with climate change and a number of other planetary symptoms. The key is to find the gift in the symptoms, whether with our personal health or the environment, and make the necessary changes.

What do you think is the greatest impact you can make as the face of Project Green Search?
I suppose time will tell, but I like to think that I have an ability to help people see the big picture. So often people get swept up or overwhelmed by statistics or selecting various products. In my opinion, when you teach someone the real value of making green and holistic choices that value clarifies what questions to ask and what decisions to make. I always say to my clients that I teach what Mother Nature teaches, balance and variety. When people really get that, their habits change for the better.

Time will tell indeed, as this Green It Girl continues her press junket and prepares for her PGS promise to volunteer with favorite environmental group, Heal The Bay. As a holistic nutritionist and champion of superb health and wellbeing for all, Rachel Avalon is unwavering in the face of her win. “My focus has been, and will continue to be, to help people care for themselves and the world around them by honoring the mind, body, spirit, and planet connection.”

Last Friday, the green community of Los Angeles gathered for the Project Green Search Wrap Party. The PGS Top 10 finalists were all gorgeous, well educated, and talented women. From extremely diverse backgrounds, the PGS Top 10 consisted of:

• Jessica Williamson, Host of Zaproot
• Leilani Munter, Racecar Driver
• Ariel Clay, Global Exchange
• Rachel Joy, Host of Ecopop TV
• Juliana Tran, Eco Student Activist
• Rachel Avalon, Holistic Nutrition Expert
• Erika Schmidt, Model & Environmentalist
• Zion Francis, Model/Actress & Civil Engineer
• Karen Pannocchia, Environmental Science Teacher
• Vanessa Meier, Water Quality Task Force Director for Surfrider Foundation

As the contestants mingled around the room in sustainable fashions by Deborah Lindquist, Charmone, and Stewart+Brown amongst others, the judges got to experience the women on a social level. Co-Creators of Project Green Search, Remy Chevalier and Aysia Wright, got to enjoy the culmination of many months of hard work. For Remy C., child of the haute couture world and longtime environmental advocate, creating Project Green Search was a natural step for the Sustainability Movement. After several attempts at founding a green division at an established modeling agency, Remy decided to go at it from a different angle.  “I brought the idea of a green modeling competition to Aysia, who immediately saw what I saw…and here we are three months later, with 10 finalists and a winner. We’ve been strengthening our relationship with Global Green USA and hopefully next year, we’ll be back for round 2.”

***To find out who the Project Green Search winner is, check out the video above.

Ummm…what can we say? Two Florida college students wanted to create an eco-friendly underwear line. Uranus Apparel produces boyshorts made from soy, hence the nickname “soyshorts.” Soy requires less water, is more durable, and dries more quickly than cotton. It’s also super soft which is great for, ya know. (Excuse my cheekiness.) Out of all the viral vids the founders have put out on YouTube, the one above is our favorite. It has a bit of an Art Haus kind of feel to it. Enjoy Uranus!

Stewart + Brown

The first couple, in more ways than one, is Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, self-proclaimed “organic pioneers” of the fashion industry. Based in Ventura, the style-savvy brand Stewart + Brown has been offering sleek, ecologically sound clothing since 2002. (P.S. That’s like 30 in eco fashion years.)

Karen and Howard aim “to attain the highest standards of quality and functional style while extracting the bare minimum from Earth’s precious capital.” Their sophisticated collection utilizes organic cotton, tencel gauze, hemp silk charmeuse, linen, recycled fabrics, and Mongolian cashmere.

Kate Organic

Kate Organic has been around for just over a year, but has already made quite a mark on the eco-fashion world. With one eye on style and the other on sustainability, Kate Fisher designs pieces that a woman will truly enjoy wearing. Fabulosity meets function, so to speak, when she merges elegant lines with the sweet homey feel of organic cotton.

The task of keeping the company eco-friendly comes quite naturally to Kate’s husband Henry Schwab, former staff member of both Greenpeace and the Waterwheel Foundation. Kate Organic is produced in the couple’s home state of California (read: really far from China) and is made from SKAL-certified organic cotton with low impact, water-based dyes. Major kudos to Kate and Henry for sticking close to home with their production and being at the forefront of America’s manufacturing Renaissance.

***Side note: both couples have the first initials K and H. Bizarre coincidences abound.

The latest fall trend is embracing all that’s good about looking “bad.” It falls somewhere between Joan Jett and Hell’s Angels and relies heavily on leather, spikes, and chains. At first glance, it is not a trend that appears to lend itself to the green way of life. But, look a little closer and you will find that these eco fashion essentials will let you look tough, while maintaining your soft spot for the planet. Rock on!

Read more at WhiteApricot.com…

Your Daily Thread

The two ladies behind the drunken jam ruse of yesteryarn recently spoke about their revamp of YDT. “Oftentimes we don’t realize what great resources we have right in our own backyard, so we’re thrilled to be able to provide this service to our community,” states Lauren (whose mother’s “backyard” is actually an orchard and goat farm.) Tracy went on, “We’re excited to bring more detailed coverage to the spread out and often isolated neighborhoods of Los Angeles.” Amen to that, sister.

It turns out these blossoming green media moguls at Your Daily Thread will soon be expanding beyond the confines of LA to other major cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco.  In the meantime, look out for YDT’s green holiday guide and more episodes of Lauren and Tracy getting their eco-Angeleno on.

Thank goodness Stephanie Rogers is here to tell us about non-toxic nail polish! No more looks from the manicurist when I tell them “no polish please.” Even a treehugger like me can be Priti after all.

I’m in love – with nail polish. A few years ago, I all but gave up on the idea of ever having a nice-looking manicure again after swearing off conventional polishes full of toxic ingredients and experimenting unsuccessfully with the few ‘natural’ nail polish brands on the market.

Then, I found out about Priti NYC, a boutique brand created by Kim D’Amato. Priti polishes contain no toluene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or petroleum ingredients and are safe for children and mothers-to-be.

Read more about Priti NYC at EcoChick.com…

Or not…

What inspired this husband and wife team to take on such a massive production, in addition to all their other projects? “Chicago has some of the most amazing eco-designers in the world, yet there was no show during Chicago Fashion Week to promote their work.  We basically saw that if we didn’t take responsibility for putting on a sustainable fashion show during Chicago fashion week that it wouldn’t happen. The city’s Director of Fashion, Melissa Gamble was also extremely supportive in helping to bring this show to fruition, and we have received a tremendous outpouring of support from Chicago’s conscious community.”

Vert will be featuring fresh designs from up-and-coming green seamsters Vaute Couture, Frei Designs, Elise Bergman, and Bryant McLemore Smith, along with veteran eco fashion line Mountains of the Moon. Conscious Planet has ensured that stylish examples of sustainability reach way beyond the runway. Vert Couture is contributing to the new Greensburg, Kansas wind farm by purchasing travel and energy offsets for the show through Native Energy. All their printed promotional material from posters to press kits is printed on recycled paper with eco-friendly ink. And for every organic Veev-spiked “Treetini Cocktail” served, a tree will be planted. Even getting your swerve on at Vert Couture is green. Bottom’s up people, let’s save this great planet.

We asked Bianca and Michael what kind of impact they most hoped to make on CFW, and their answer was very appropriate to their new home-it was full of HOPE. “The City of Chicago and Mayor Daley are extremely committed to making this the greenest city in the country. Given the waste and un-sustainability inherent in the fashion industry, we feel that by producing VC and highlighting the amazing eco-designers that are comparable to what you would see on runways in Paris, Milan and New York, that we can not only influence consumer demand for eco-fashion but that designers and buyers will see that you can have amazing style and be green. In doing so, we hope that several years down the road all the shows and designers will be green.”

We hope so too.  If you’re a Chi-town fashion hound, be sure to get your ticket to Vert Couture and support the sustainable evolution of Chicago style.