The Be EcoChic(TM) Campaign Launches Globally During New York Fashion Week

The Sierra Club, Top Designers and Stars Join Forces to Prove Environmentalism
is Fashionable

NEW YORK, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- The Be EcoChic(TM) campaign, conceived
by a hybrid group of innovative fashion luminaries and environmental leaders,
will celebrate its global launch with a star-studded runway show that
kicks-off New York Fashion Week. The group fashion show will take place on
Thursday, September 4th at the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life at the American
Museum of Natural History and will help redefine the runway in a universe that
is going "green."
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080827/NYW042LOGO )
Leading names in fashion, including Carmen Marc Valvo, Chado Ralph Rucci,
Christian Cota, Del Forte, Donna Karan (DKNY), FORM, Red Carter, Vena Cava and
many more, are lending their support. All designs will feature innovative
fabrics that are environmentally-sensitive, sustainable, low-impact or
recycled. To complement the designs, celebrity makeup artist, Matin, will
create a chic eco-inspired "look" for the runway show.
"Being fashionable and environmentally-friendly are no longer mutually
exclusive," says Fern Mallis, Be EcoChic Advisory Committee member and Senior
Vice President of IMG Fashion. "With forward-thinking creativity and a new
generation of sustainable fabrics, designers have taken 'green' fashion to an
entirely new level. Eco-fashion is not a trend but rather a new category we
can anticipate seeing a lot more of on the runway."
The designers' eco-inspirations will be modeled by celebrities and/or
environmentalist who have joined the cause, including former-Miss USA and
model-actress Susie Castillo, environmentalist Jayni Chase, Animal Planet's
Jeff Corwin, performer Coltrane Curtis, Gossip Girl's Tamara Feldman,
supermodel Patti Hansen, actress Lauren Hutton, Ugly Betty's Mark Indelicato,
environmentalist Mary Richardson Kennedy, author Tom Kostigen, Desperate
Housewives' Joy Lauren, LipStick Jungle's James Lesure, Red Hot & Green's
Carter Oosterhouse, This Might Hurt's Alex Menenses, models (and daughters of
Keith Richards) Alexandra & Theodora Richards, High School Musical's Olesya
Rulin, environmentalist Laura Turner Seydel, actress Dominique Swain, Law &
Order: SVU's Tamara Tunie, supermodel Alek Wek and many others.
"This campaign brings eco-lifestyle mainstream by raising awareness of how
making small, meaningful changes can have a positive impact on the
environment," says Angela Lindvall, Be EcoChic event host, supermodel and
co-star of "AlterEco" airing on Discovery's Planet Green. "To 'be eco chic'
not only applies to your wardrobe but also to your state of mind."
Research conducted by ecoAmerica shows that 86% of Americans express
concern about the environment, yet only 1% see it as the most important
problem facing America today. It also shows that Americans view the
environmental movement as traditional, dated and out of touch with current
society. The research concluded that the environmental movement would be
well-served by creating a "personalized" call to action that demonstrates
value in simple, incremental changes in personal behaviors.
"We have found that people prefer cleaner, safer and more responsible
choices when presented with the opportunity. We applaud those manufacturers
and retailers who are responding to that demand. Everyone can make a
difference by making responsible everyday choices that create a new market,"
says Carl Pope, Be EcoChic speaker and Executive Director of the Sierra Club.
The Be EcoChic campaign will employ a number of practices to ensure that
the fashion show is eco-friendly, including neutralizing its carbon footprint
through donations to CarbonFund.org.
The Be EcoChic(TM) campaign is sponsored by AVEENO(R), Continental, the
LYCRA(R) fiber brand, Mercedes-Benz USA and Neutrogena(R).
About Be EcoChic
The Be EcoChic campaign raises consumer awareness of the environmental
implications of our lifestyles and helps better inform people on smart choices
for a healthier planet. Launched in partnership with the Sierra Club, the
campaign is overseen by an advisory committee comprised of fashion and
environmental leaders and is produced by Chandler Chicco Productions, LLP. To
learn more about how you can Be EcoChic, visit our website at
www.beecochic.com.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club's members and supporters are more than 1.3 million of your
friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our
communities and the planet. The Club is America's oldest, largest and most
influential grassroots environmental organization. To learn more about the
Sierra Club, please visit www.sierraclub.com.
Media Contact: Trine Hindklev
Be EcoChic
thindklev@ccapr.com
212-229-8441

Leslie Rummel
LaForce + Stevens
lrummel@laforce-stevens.com
212-242-9353 x189

SOURCE Be EcoChic

Trine Hindklev, Be EcoChic, +1-212-229-8441, thindklev@ccapr.com; or Leslie
Rummel, LaForce + Stevens, +1-212-242-9353 x189, lrummel@laforce-stevens.com