Green Cotton

Green Cotton’s devotion to eco-fashion and style includes a broader inclusion of sustainability. Sustainability to us means not only sustainable environmental practices and sourcing, but also attention to the people and communities that make up our environments (and our products and companies). To this end, we are interested in fair labor standards, empowerment of women worldwide, and social responsibility. One issue that has come into the news this week concerns Hershey’s chocolate.

Photosource: www.businessweek.com

You may be very familiar with the Hershey’s kiss,  and even love it, but this love does not appear be to trickling down to all levels of Hershey’s production and processing of their little kisses. Hershey’s is one of few large chocolate companies to have yet to establish fair trade certified and organic chocolates.

To help speed up the process, on June 23rd, Green America and partners at the International Labour Rights Forum (ILRF), the Organic Consumer’s Association, and Global Exchange announced a national day for action aimed at improving the lives of cocoa farmers all over the world, and stopping the abusive child labor that is prevalent within this industry.

Photosource: laborrightsblog.typepad.com

The partners ask all their members, supporters, and others interested to call on Hersey’s Food Corporation – one of the largest chocolate producers in America – to obtain third-party fair trade certification. And when I said “call on” Hersey’s, I mean literally make a 2 minute phone call to the corporation. A script and phone numbers of those who need to hear about the plight of cocoa farmers have been prepared for the caller, so all you need to do is pick up your phone!

Ultimately, the aim of this campaign is to get Hersey’s (one of the biggest producers of chocolate worldwide) to produce all fair trade and organic certified chocolate and sugar in all their products. With some recent advancements in the corporate chocolate world, such as Cadbury’s fair trade chocolate line, this goal seems not only a realistic, but a smart move to make. Fair Trade certification is a good competitive move in a market where consumers are increasingly demanding more eco and fair trade products. While this campaign started as a National Day of Action on Tuesday June 23rd, 2009, the lines are open until Hersey’s makes a move.

So next time you go to get a Hersey’s “Kiss” remember the children and other workers behind that to cocoa and step up to offer them a fair wage and in good working conditions. Fair trade certification is one of the best ways to ensure this. Be a part of the change:  take two minutes, go to www.organicconsumers.org and place a call.

By: Julia Rea

Photosource: Jill Fehrenbacher. www.inhabitat.com

Green Cotton is excited to announce one of the greatest “hot ticket” Eco-Fashion events this Earth Day: The 3^rd annual Runway Show and Student Competition which will take place at “Project Earth Day” in New York City on Thursday in Lower Manhattan April 23rd, at 6 pm. Project Earth Day was created originally to celebrate NYC-based leadership in the fashion, interiors, and green building industries, and is featuring some of the most talented budding Eco-Fashion Designers as well as the most innovative brands making sustainable design in the fashion world today.

Bahar Shahpar is playing the role of stylist and co-producer for this event in partnership with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), guaranteeing the event will be a success and on the frontier of Eco-Chic Fashion.

The theme this year is ‘Through the Looking Glass: An Exploration of Scale and Proportion,’ explained by the organizers as a metaphoric play on dimension: “Our Wonderland is present-day New York City, viewed through a distorted lens – where big is small, small is big, and the worlds of building and fashion collide through an exploration of scale.”

The student competition gives new designers an opportunity to get great media coverage, be voted on by a distinguished panel of guest judges, and generate buzz about their new label or collection. Another function of Project earth Day, therefore, is to help those in the established Eco-Fashion world identify new talent. Last year’s winners assure us that picking this year’s winners’ will be challenging. Previous winners include Amira Marion, Maritza Romo de Fusco, Judy Lee, Ashley Newsome, and Daphne Woo.

2008 Grand Prize Winner: Amira Marion. Photosource: www.inhabitat.com

2008 Second Place Winner: Maritza Romo de Fusco. Photosource: www.inhabitat.com

Project Earth Day’s broad group of contributing sponsors reflects the growing understanding of how important sustainability, as well as fashion, are in our modern world. This event has the potential to have a broad effect on the Eco-Fashion world, and imbue an urban Eco-Chic feel to the most modern of trends. A limited number of tickets are still available, so if you could somehow make it to this event on Thursday, you would probably be doing yourself a favor!

Stay tuned for Green Cotton’s recap of this event at a later date!

By: Julia Rea

Photosource: Squarehippies

Ever wondered how you can help the environment and meet one of Hollywood’s hottest men at the same time? Well, look not further! Leonardo DiCaprio has teamed up with Global Green USA and eBay to auction off…what better? Himself!

You could win a meet & greet and photo op at the upcoming red carpet premiere of Leo’s film Shutter Island. All you have to do is outbid all the other women out there trying to do the same thing -  on where else but eBay.

The bidding has already begaun, so hurry up and get to it. There are already 47 hopefuls and only 4 days left in the auction so get in there ladies! Let’s make this race exciting. We all know a date with Leo is worth more than $1,625.00.

Supporting this cause, there is much more on auction than a date with Leo (although frankly that is what we are excited about) but you can also bid on a Ibanez Jazz guitar signed by no other than George Benson, an outfit worn by Leo in Catch Me If You Can (staying with the “reuse” part of the RRR motto), and many other great celebrity items. Just go to Mr. Hollywood-Environmental-Activist and find just what you want! The auction will end on Earth Day, April 22^nd.

The proceeds from this auction will go toward raising awareness and money for the work Global Green USA is doing to improve America’s schools, build affordable housing, combat global warming, lower energy bills, and create more green jobs. So sign onto eBay and get ready for a hard fought bidding war!

By: Julia Rea