Last Monday, Payless Shoes officially launched their new Zoe&Zac range — a collection of chic sustainable shoes featuring organic cotton canvas, hemp, linen, EVA (non-PVC) foam beds, recycled rubber, and water-based glues. Green model Summer Rayne Oakes helped design the brand — and we’re loving the new ads now appearing in magazines around the country. To check out the selection, visit the official site here — or just hit one of the 1,000 Payless Shoe shops now stocking the green kicks.

Bonus: If you buy any zoe&zac item, Payless will contribute $1 to The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Campaign

Earlier this year, Ecorazzi told you how much we loved model/activist Summer Rayne Oakes’ new book Style, Naturally.  Well now YOU have the chance to impress Summer and a few other super groovy judges as Teens Turning Green and Whole Foods Market present Project Green Prom!

Project Green Prom is an online video contest where Prom-goers post creative three-minute videos that answer the question “How would you ‘green’ your prom?”

Here’s how it works: teens submit videos between now and March 30th at TeensTurningGreen.org that talk about things like how they use organic and eco-friendly makeup, what their dream sustainable prom dress would be by their favorite designer, how they would like to see a zero waste event at their high school, and any other environmentally-sound prom ideas!

The videos will then be judged by fashion, beauty and green experts including our girl Summer Rayne Oakes, Teen Vogue beauty editor Eva Chen and John Masters of John Masters Organic. Prizes including eco-prom dresses from top fashion designers, including Bahar Shahpar and Lara Miller, sustainable beauty products, and even a trip to NYC and a Full Green Prom Makeover for the grand prize winner!

Sound like something you’re into? Then stop by TeensTurningGreen.org and tell them how you plan to make your prom green!!

The Ecorazzi team attended the book-signing party last night at Stella McCartney’s shop in the west village and chatted with Summer about what eco-fashion means to her. Summer told us: 

“Green fashion is taking a look at the entire supply chain, from where we get our clothes to how we take care of it, and just being more environmentally and socially conscious about the whole process. And whether that’s re-use or buying organic, whether that’s taking a look at the research we already have and saying, ‘Hey I don’t have a lot of money, how can I make this look new? How can I make it look relevant? How can I make it me?’”

The book is absolutely gorgeous and, of course, printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based inks. 

“My favorite parts of the book are the style profiles,” Summer told us. “I have a bunch of friends who do sustainable style their own way and I thought their profiles were the most awesome. You get used to hearing yourself talk, but when you reach out to other people and hear them talk about their own style, it’s really refreshing.”

But is green fashion really catching on or is it simply a trend? We wanted to know what the newly crowned author thought!

“I think they’re all kind of curious about it. I just took a look at the people who RSVP’d tonight — I’m not saying they’re all gonna be here — but L’Oréal Donna Karan, Ann Taylor, H&M, Gucci. I think they’re curious about it. They want to know about what it is and how they can make it their own. And I think that in general it’s gone beyond material sources and more about how can we reduce our carbon footprint and make fashion more energy efficient.”

Good call, Summer! If you love fashion and want know more about eco-style and beauty, make sure you pick up a copy of Style, Naturally today!

We’ve long profiled Summer Rayne Oakes as a pioneer in the world of sustainable fashion — and today we’re excited to hear of the launch of her new book: Style, Naturally. As expected, the book provides swaths of info on ethical fashion and natural beauty — combined with gorgeous photos and a layout worthy of the coffee table. From the NY Post:

Summer describes the tome as an “irreverent, witty” guide for green virgins. And yet, for all her self-serious references to being a “sustainability strategist,” Summer is wry and savvy, admitting a desire to “obliterate” competing books because hers “looks so much better.” She also acknowledges, “Not everyone’s going to spend $20 to save a polar bear.”

Treehugger gives us some additional deets on what to expect inside:

Style, Naturally is aimed at women “who love style, but may not have “environment” or “green” in their lexicon” says Summer Rayne. The approach is one of openly stylish seduction with 350 pages and 500+ images full of rich colours and beautiful images, showing how much fun we can all have with contemporary ethical fashion and beauty products.

It also goes in depth featuring interviews with industry insiders including many TreeHugger favorites such as Galahad Clark of ethical shoe brand Terra Plana, Blake Mycoskie of Toms Shoes, Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin and in the beauty section Horst Rechelbacher the founder of Aveda.

Congrats to Summer on what looks to be a wonderful piece of work! We can’t wait to pick up our copy — signed, of course. To get you own, hit Amazon here hit Barnes and Noble here.

Despite the recession, the holidays brought out the best in New Yorkers. The 3rd annual charity:ball to benefit charity:water – bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing nations – was held Monday. Actor and activist Adrian Grenier, hosted a live auction to sell off the opportunity to build 10 wells in Africa at $5,000 each. Bid winners included Jenna Elfman and Grenier himself.

The Metropolitan Pavilion generously donated the venue and the event production raising over $400,000 for charity:water. Alan Boss, president of Metropolitan Pavilion said, “[Founder Scott Harrison's] dedication stands as a beacon for others to do good.”

Both Zenith and the Blavatnik Family Foundation donated a significant amount of their time, services and products to ensure a high level and quality event worthy of charity. Celebs in attendance included actor Matthew Modine, Summer Rayne Oakes, model/activist, Rocco DiSpirito, musicians Gnarls Barkley, and Amos Lee.

To date, charity: water has raised funds to build 890 freshwater wells in 8 African nations. When completed, they will serve more than 400,000 people with clean, safe water for 20 years! For more information, visit www.charitywater.org

Photo credit: Melissa Rosenberg

Additional contributor to this post is Shari Rosenberg

About the event, Global Green says, “ Whether they are helping to protect our air and water, eliminating weapons of mass destruction, stemming climate change, or raising the consciousness of millions, the ‘designs’ of these leaders — who were bold and courageous enough to undertake these acts or commitments deserve to be applauded and celebrated to inspire and encourage others.”

Katie Couric co-hosted the event along with David Hyde Pierce, Edward Norton (Global Green Board Member), Mel Gibson, and Brian Cox (Global Green New York Committee Member).

We had a total blast and ran into some of our favorite friends, including Editor in Chief of Good Housekeeping magazine Rosemary Ellis – who was nominated for Good Housekeeping’s LEED-certified Green Home. If you’re a regular reader, you might remember that Ecorazzi helped organize Good Housekeeping’s green house event earlier this year, and so obviously we were doubly-psyched to see them commended for their efforts!

And because we just love to bring you exclusive green scoop, all of next week Ecorazzi will feature Global Green Quotes from some of our favorite celebs, including David Hyde Pearce, Summer Rayne Oakes and Brian Cox.

A big thanks to Global Green for creating such an enjoyable evening. To learn more about how this fantastic organization is helping to save our planet, visit GlobalGreen.org!

photo credit: melissa rosenberg

The battle to encourage more designers to go fur-free rages on. Earlier this morning we showed you a new ad from PETA featuring a partially naked Khloe Kardashian urging the fur-free lifestyle. Now, we’ve got word of a new fashion design competition called “fffashion”.

The contest is a collaboration between Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute and E Magazine. The judges include some our favorite green personalities like Summer Rayne Oakes, Sophie Uliano, and E Magazine editor Brita Belli. “Being fur-free is both socially and environmentally responsible. Not only is the use of fur unconscionable in this progressive day and age, it is damaging to our wildlife, our ecosystems and people who work in fur processing factories,” says Uliano. “In short, it’s impossible to design with fur, sell fur, or wear fur, and claim one is anything close to being ‘green’.”

Independent designers are invited to enter their fur-free fashion designs for cash prizes and the chance to be featured in a full-page ad in the September/October issue of E Magazine. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity for any ethical designers out there looking to have their work exposed to the world!

Interested? Check out the complete contest details over at the official site here.

You know those elephants that spend their free time painting beautiful works of art? If not, allow me to blow your mind by sending you to this video. For those already sufficiently awed by this animal talent, let me next tell you about an organization called The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project. This non-profit works with those domesticated artsy elephants to raise funds through donations and the sale of artwork. All of the cash is then used to protect elephant habitat and help save those few still living in the wild.

Anyways, these guys just don’t paint wall pieces — they’re also quite clever at fashion too. This past Friday, Lauren Bush was honored at The Trunk Show –  a one of a kind fashion event that features garments made from eco-friendly fabric and locally produced silk that has been painted on by elephants in Thailand and Indonesia.

Bush was honored by the AEACP for her her work with FEED, the charity she launched to feed school children in Africa. (Check out our video on Lauren’s launch party back in May!) “We want to honor Lauren for the FEED bag and the work she has done on behalf of children and animal rights around the world. The award is a token of our appreciation for the awareness she has raised for these causes”, said David Ferris, Director of AECP.

Host Summer Rayne Oakes presented the award to Lauren. After the event, the clothing was auctioned off with all money raised given to The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project. Check out the pics from the event below!

Photo credit: Tricia Viola

Not only will the shoes use sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as organic cottons and linen, natural hemp and recycled outsoles — but they’ll also average under $30. That’s an incredible accomplishment for an industry where green can mean spending more at checkout.

“We are also trying to source more locally, because that decreases transportation,” said Oakes. “With the economy the way that it is now, many people think [green products] are that much more inaccessible, so this line is coming at the right time. Part of this is to inspire and lead by example. You have to set the bar higher in this day and age.”

Eventually, Payless hopes to expand the green brand to over 1,000 locations — as well as cross-over the sustainability initiatives into other brands. “We are examining everything that we do. It’s part of a holistic approach [to increase sustainability],” said CEO, Matt Rubel.

Hooray for Summer — and thank you to Payless for recognizing the need for affordable “green” footwear. We’re looking forward to April ‘09! For more info, check out Summer’s official site here.