Faux Ever: Inder Bedi of Matt & Nat

Eight years ago, a designer with a penchant for architecture, subculture, and bold ethics launched MATT & NAT - a line of vegan accessories that is unabashedly tearing down any notion that you can’t be fashion-forward and an environmentalist. Anyone who is only one or the other might just be lazy.

Inder Bedhi (Matt & Nat)

Inder Bedi, the brain in which MATT & NAT both reside - and the 34 year old discerning brute whose headquarters are in Montreal, makes no apologies for his commitment to animal advocacy and environmentalism. His accessories are always totally vegan, and are increasingly made from recycled and sustainable materials.

Moz

The fact that the new fall 2008 lines are gorgeously-serious, structured, edgy, and modish is enough to make anyone do a triple-take as you walk by - but compound that with the fact that these accessories consist of treated cardboard, recycled soda bottles, and vintage faux-leather and it’s a recipe for handsome ethics.

Like Marshall McLuhan, MATT & NAT isn’t just the bag; it’s the message. Discreetly or proudly, to carry the bag is to carry the message. The Fall 08 collection takes its cues from menswear with a deep color palette, emphasis on heavy hardware, and a narrowed focus on larger all-use carryalls. Such a focused collection makes a bold statement. No other line says it quite as strongly as CARTON. With the success of spring 08’s experimentation in eco-fabrics, MATT & NAT is now exploring the world of paper. CARTON is fabricated from treated cardboard and retails for $150 - $295. Featuring vintage synthetic leather trims, bags are available in either black or natural, with the choice of mix-copper or antique silver hardware. The line is unique, powerful, and for those wanting to make a statement. There’s no question about it, CARTON is progressive, both in design & fabrication.

Ando Carton

Perfect for those cold winter days, FEUTRE is a line of heather gray felt bags entirely void of animal by-products retailing for $225 - $295. A first for MATT & NAT, the felt is 100% recycled water bottles. Bags are available in a choice of two trims: coffee or cement gray Japanese paper with lead-free copper hardware and a dark tonal lining. Masculine, distinct, and bound to be a classic, FEUTRE is minimalism at its best. Another first this season, BELTS. Made from synthetic leather, the line is comprised of traditional unisex hip belts that retail for $100 - $135. What sets these belts apart are the buckles in varying metals. Industrial in look, with oversized screw accents, BELTS iterate the design elements of the collection, and reinforce MATT & NAT as an avant-garde.

Junk Feutre

I had a few moments to interview Inder, here is our conversation:

DB: What is your inspiration for the upcoming collections?
IB: Architecture, cinema and music

DB: How did Matt & Nat come to be?
IB: A desire to put out a vegan line that represents balance between the two voices in my head (matt & nat), the voices that we hear all day that inevitably lead to the decisions we make every second…matt & nat strives to balance us as people as well as the worlds of fashion and positivity.

DB: Who are some of your celebrity fans?
IB: Nathalie Portman, Woody Allen, Heather Mills, Eva Mendes, Charlize Theron.

Ando Feutre

DB: How has fashion affected the green movement, and vice versa?
IB: Fashion has placed pressure on green to be more sexy (Kelly Green?), the green movement has asked fashion to be more responsible….weird question for me…been doing this since 1997…

DB: Does Matt & Nat have an official position on using skins, feathers, and fur? If so, why?
IB: matt & nat doesn’t….but I do…which inevitably effects matt & nat, it’s a fashion forward line of accessories that will always be vegan…

Rohe

DB: What is your biggest concern with the fashion industry right now?
IB: The extremes of ethical fashion and unethical fashion and the lack of lines in between.

DB: Are there any accessories you want to make that you haven’t been able to include in a collection yet?
IB: Belts, soon!

Kahn Carton

DB: Why should every fashionisto & fashionista care where their accessories come from, what they’re made of, and who makes them?
IB: Because we vote with our dollars, whether we like it or not.

DB: What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you as a designer? And the best?
IB: Took many years before matt & nat got noticed - best and worst thing.
DB: Fill in the blanks: Every single person should make a dramatic change in their life at least once a year. Cool is doing it before it’s done, Chic is not in my vocabulary.

Bueller

Rights for Apes, Hollywood Meat, Pig Pilgrimage & Toxic Teflon

1. Meat-Head Machismo

Ecorazzi recently revealed that Hollywood frat-boy turned cowboy, Matthew McConaughey, will be using his sensual man powers to get you all horny for dead cows. The National Cattlemans’ Beef Association (NBCA) payed out some big bucks to lasso McConaughey into the gig. I listened to the spot and got so grossed out that I almost ralphed on my keyboard. Hey Matthew, can you pass the torture, disease, and ecological devastation…? Matthew is certainly not a Discerning Brute.

2. Organic is in Vogue

John Patrick of Organic (one of our favorite labels) has been nominated as a finalist in CFDA/Vogue’s Fashion Fund Award! Congrats Patrick!

3. Stuck on Teflon
I always had a suspicion that using teflon was toxic. Ideal Bite just sent out a little blurb on the cancer-causing coating that slowly poisons us.
I recommend using cast iron - especially because the iron is actually incredibly healthy for you!

4. Volunteer for Hog Days of Summer

Almost 70 pigs were lucky enough to be rescued by Farm Sanctuary which was asked by the state of Iowa to assist with rescue efforts. Farm Sanctuary is in urgent need of volunteers to help us care for more than 60 special needs pigs (some of whom are pregnant and expected to give birth any day!) just rescued from the Midwest floods. Massive rainfall escalated concerns of hog waste lagoons overflowing and flooding waterways with millions of gallons of hog waste. Use this opportunity to tell people about modern pork production and the cruel gestation crates employed by the industry, as well as the environmental devastation brought about by factory farming.

If you want to help, Farm Sanctuary is urgently seeking interns to volunteer at their New York Shelter. If you have experience working with farm animals email scoston@farmsanctuary.org. If you do not have direct experience working with farm animals, but would like to apply to help Farm Sanctuary’s shelter team in other capacities, please contact them today at 607-583-2225 ext. 222 or intern@farmsanctuary.org, or visit http://www.farmsanctuary.org/ for more information.

5. Spanish Parliament Goes Ape-Shit

The Spanish Parliament’s Environment Committee has passed a resolution granting limited rights to great apes. Dawnwatch reported that The Sunday, July 13 New York Times ran a lengthy and thoughtful article on the issue.

“The committee would bind Spain to the principles of the Great Ape Project, which points to apes’ human qualities, including the ability to feel fear and happiness, create tools, use languages, remember the past and plan the future. The project’s directors, Peter Singer, the Princeton ethicist, and Paola Cavalieri, an Italian philosopher, regard apes as part of a ‘community of equals’ with humans.

“If the bill passes — the news agency Reuters predicts it will — it would become illegal in Spain to kill apes except in self-defense. Torture, including in medical experiments, and arbitrary imprisonment, including for circuses or films, would be forbidden.

Etro’s Regency Gypsy-Cowboy

In one year, I expect all of you Discerning Brutes to be pillaging the thrift stores to put this look together. Etro, known for a somewhat green approach to fashion (aside from the leather and silk in this collection) has hit a high-note with this eccentric, sexy, and gorgeous spring 2009 menswear collection.

Mixed paisley prints and stripes decorate nearly everything, scarves & ties as cumberbuns & belts - comfy and borderline-psychadelic. Offset these loose serenities with classic shoes, structured tailoring, and a fedora or wide-brim hat. This entire look can be completely achieved at a thrift store apart from non-leather shoes and maybe the hat…

HOW TO GREEN THIS LOOK:

For good non-leather shoes, check out these styles:

LOOK FOR A WIDE-BRIM FEDORA (These are Hemp!)

BAG:

Matt&Nat

Matt & Nat Mens' Bags

THREADS:

Every thrift store has more paisley, more ties, and more scarves than they know what to do with. Find a fitted pair of striped poly or cotton slacks, a well tailored jacket, and go nuts with the rest!

NADER Returns

“We Welcome Disillusioned Obama Supporters” read the official Ralph Nader website the other day. “Yes”, I thought. “That’s me”.

I am going to piss a lot of people off with this entry. Especially because Obama has been accepted as ‘cool’. He is on hipster Tshirts being sold in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Obey© Posters. He is supposed to bring about Change™. And then we were all shocked beyond belief when Obama broke his word on FISA/Telecom. Is this the sort of Change™ he is speaking of? Even Hillary voted against it. For those of us wishing to live in a country where our emails and phone calls can be listened to and read on a whim, where does democracy and dissent and the ability to change the staus-quo stand? When corporations can lock up activists, chill dissent, and bully any naysayer in the name of anti-terrorism, what Change™ can actually come about?

I am sick of hearing people scared of “splitting the vote” and blaming Nader for “stealing” votes from Gore. Demicans and Republicrats are owned and sponsored by the same corporate powers whose interests are met no matter which of the two colors of wrapping paper they show up in at the debates.

FISA OBAMA

Nader is at 6% support, according to CNN, and those who would vote for him if he were competitive was 14% in a recent Fox poll. This could easily land Nader in a Google and YouTube sponsored debate in New Orleans this fall (the bar is set at 10%) - which if happens, could catapult Nader to an estimated 20% support simply based on disillusioned voters who didn’t even know they had a non-mega-corporate-conglomerate-candidate option.

Nader would be — to say the least — a formidable presence in any debate. Once one gets beyond the caricature of Nader promoted by the political establishment, one sees a candidate who has intimate knowledge of every aspect of our corporate government, because we learn about an institution not by yielding to it, but by opposing it, something Nader alone has done for decades. Further, he is a man who has never flattered us, never pandered to our baser instincts and never lied to us. Greg Kafoury’s After the Obama Betrayal.

Check out Allison Kilkenny’s Huffington Post blog titled The Other N Word:

Obama has catered to the middle with gun control, telecom immunity, the death penalty, faith-based initiatives, and troop withdrawal landmarks. The only man who can save us now is Ralph Nader. Before you click that little, red “X” in the corner of your browser, let me explain myself… Having Ralph Nader participate in a debate is not only the democratically right thing to do, but it will force Obama to think more progressively in his policies…Even if Obama backpedals on promises, like holding telecom companies accountable for spying on Americans, he STILL looks liberal standing next to McCain… But if Nader is there…suddenly Americans will see their full spectrum of political choices. Obama and Nader don’t get along. At all. Apparently, Obama’s charm and pretty smile didn’t woo battered hardass Nader, who I imagine nearly took off Obama’s head the second Obama said something about wanting to compromise on certain Progressive issues. I guess it’s hard to smooth-talk a man who was once tailed by a General Motors-hired private spy

If your values are telling you that corporations shouldn’t be running the country, you might want to consider an Independent candidate like Ralph Nader. How many of us even know who the Green Party Candidate is?

Fresh Friday Finds

1. Tying not to use silk? Thanks to DB reader Pierre for this, we’ve been informed of the all Vegan Ties made from satin and cotton at: www.jaanj.com

2. Give Leather a Smack-down. More Vegan Mixed Martial Arts gloves! I still think there should be an official “Mac Danzig signature vegan glove”. Hey Mac, get in touch!

3. Suits made from 100% recycled post-consumer material! ECOGIR from Bagir Global Innovative Tailoring also features organic cotton, bamboo and tagua nut suits!

4. FISA vote sends us into 1984.

5. Organic Hemp B-boys from THTC. From organic growing, to processing, treating and dying the hemp and cotton fibres, to labor practices - THTC is a leader in ethical fashion. With it’s heart in breakdancing, graffiti art, Hip Hop, Reggae, Breaks and Drum & Bass, the designs coming from this collective is making waves in the urban scene, with fans emerging like Morcheeba, Asian Dub Foundation, Goldie and the Mad Professor.

Rice is Nice

rice is nice

Jodi made this scrumptious dish for a dinner party - and it vanished in 12 seconds. Rice really is nice.

rice is nice

• 1 block tofu cube, marinated in for at least 2 hours in:
• shoyu 4 tbs
• sesame oil 1 tbs
• rice vinigar 4 tbs
• orange juice 4tbs

1. Then bake at 350 for 45 min

• 3 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts or cashews or almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper
• 1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms w/ 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup sauteed zuchinni & carrot pieces
• 1/4 cup rice vinigar
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tbs chopped fresh cillantro
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix veggies, rice oil, nuts, vinegar & seasonings together
it is best if you let refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.

You can also sub in your fav’ veggies like broccoli or cauliflower!

yum! Garnish with fresh orange wedges…

Jodi thinks rice is nice

Presidents on Trial

International Criminal Law has given hope that we can actually hold our leaders accountable for crimes they commit and crimes that their subordinates commit. The trial of President Fujimori of Peru has the potential to set certain precedents on the international stage. The tumultuous response to Fujimori’s presidency, asylum in Japan, and eventual capture and trial has spanned the spectrum from heroic to tyrannical. I recently interviewed the creator of Fujimori On Trial about the case and what how it will affect global justice.

DB: What is the Fujimori case all about?
FOT: Fujimori is being charged with crimes related to corruption and human rights for his time as president from 1990-2000. Right now is the trial for the human rights charges which includes the kidnapping and execution of 8 university students and a professor; the massacre of a group of poor people holding a fundraiser and the kidnapping of a journalist and business man. Fujimori did not actually pull the trigger, but is being charged for being the intellectual author of these crimes since he created the whole\ systematic repression that included the creation of a death squad that did these killings and abductions.

DB: How is it going to affect us?
FOT: Right now there is a growing movement called International Criminal Law which basically is laying the foundation for holding presidents and other top state officials accountable for violating the rights of citizens. Before now, these people could do anything and get away with it: murder and torture thousands of people. But now, its not so easy to get away with such crimes and each new trial makes this law stronger.

DB: What are people being told vs. what has truly happened?
FOT: The case of Fujimori is distinct because he was not a military dictator, but was democratically elected. So many people outside of Peru do not realize how corrupt he really was. Also in the country, he was a populist leaders so he bought the favor of the poor by building them schools, and roads while he meanwhile imprisoned and disappeared thousands of people. The Business world and the rich also like him because his neoliberal policies worked in their favor. So the trial is occurring within a very divided community. Not to mention that his daughter is in Congress and running for president and has quite a bit of power. The current president Alan Garcia has also been implicated in human rights violations so he doesn’t exactly want a precedent like Fujimori’s convictions. So even if Fujimori gets sentenced, he very may well be pardoned by either Garcia or his daughter if she becomes president.

DB: What are the most important issues surrounding this?
FOT:There are many. But one in particular is the idea that a leader can be held criminally responsible for the actions of his subordinates. This is called command responsibility. Many of the “foot soldiers” are just being sent to do the dirty work of the powerful elite who think that they will get off scotch free because of the distance from the crime. So this litigation strategy holds the big fish to account and thus it puts all heads of state on notice in the future.

DB: What is the ideal outcome, and what sort of standard will this set?
FOT: Ideally, the trial will follow all due process procedures to uphold the standard of the rule of law (something Fujimori himself did not permit for thousands of people resulting in many unjust imprisonments for terrorism); and then it is hoped that the prosecution offers enough solid evidence to lead to a conviction that would not be pardoned. This will be important for the reasons above but also because this is one of the first wholly national trials to hold a president liable for human rights violations.

DB: Why is accountability important?
FOT: In principle, it works as a deterrence to future crimes. But its also important for the families of those who were killed or disappeared, since they continue to suffer. It also builds societal trust in the courts to show there are consequences for wrongful acts.

DB: How has the trial been thus far?
FOT: It has been interesting. The court has heard many witnesses (almost 100 so far) and much of the evidence goes against Fujimori. On the other hand, it has been entertaining to see how Fujimori pulls all the tricks to get out of the trial (such as one day all his lawyers simply didn’t appear, and then last week he had to have white spots removed from his tongue etc).

DB: Why is a case like this being ignored in the mainstream media?
FOT: Fujimori was a quiet dictator and because he saved the Peruvian economy andis perceived as having defeated terrorism in Peru, he is looked uponfavorably. Also, its not an international court or a case in Europe (like Pinochet), and the world just doesn’t pay as much attention to Latin America.

DB: How many people visit your blog and what has the response been like to
it?
FOT: We started in January and we have had about 10,000 hits. We have a handful of regulars who comment daily, especially pro-fujimoristas. We were hoping for more international involvement but that has been slower to garner.

DB: Any other information you’d like to share?
FOT: If Peru feels under the international spotlight about this trial, it is far less likely to pardon Fujimori should he be convicted. So international pressure through attention is key.

For more information on this, please visit Fujimori On Trial.

Summer S’mores

I went out to Pennsylvania for a weekend in the woods. I made vegan s’mores, shot some wildlife (with my camera) and just relaxed listening to the rain and the crickets.

Easy Vegan S’mores

What you’ll need:

• Vegan Marshmallows (I recommend Sweet & Sarah)
• Dark-Chocolate Bar
• Honey-free Graham Crackers (Keebler, Nabisco, and Health Valley makes one, or MAKE YOUR OWN)
• Fire, oven, or stove

Directions

1. Break up chocolate bar into 1″x1″ squares
2. place on half a graham cracker
3. either place marshmallow on top and broil, or roast marshmallow over open flame and then plcae on top.
4. Finally, put the other half of your graham cracker on top to finish the sandwich!

Some friends from the North East Forests!

Loud Men: Interview with Luxury-Eco Visionary Linda Loudermilk

by Joshua Katcher

Linda Loudermilk is making waves that are hitting the coasts of Europe, Asia, and both sides of North America. She is also turning the seaweed in those waves into textiles. With almost a decade of experience in eco fashion, Linda is finally being ecstatically celebrated for her investments and achievements. Everyone is talking about her - and getting a seat at her runway show is a coveted pilgrimage.

After abandoning the Haute Couture runways in Paris to feed her soul by conducting research with environmentalists, scientists, and textile innovators - she is responsible for many of the eco fabrics that are gaining ground (and body coverage) and being recognized as both necessary and desirable. Her cri de coeur is both aesthetic and holistic - citing the healing power of nature that saved her very life - and the overlooked health and environmental devastation from conventional garment production. Linda Loudermilk design is for rock stars and creative professionals alike - and she has a loyal and growing clientele including discriminating celebrities and eco warriors. Like any visionary, she admits she is perpetually learning - lamenting about her use of leather in the past, but looking forward to creating an entirely vegan shoe line for men and women in the near future.

Beyond her personal collection is the LUXURY ECO™ Stamp, which is part of her vision for how the very best products can be identified based on everything from labor practices and environmental impact, to design and aesthetic.

I had a few moments on the phone with Linda recently. Here is our interview:

DB: When did you start making menswear and what kind of man wants to wear Linda Loudermilk?

LL: A man that wants something different! I have preppy men, creative men, and stars all as fans of my menswear. I’ve got it all. Adrian Grenier, Leonardo DiCaprio, producers - even computer geeks, and they all just wanna wear it because it feels good. Its for the 20 to 50 year-old that wants a nice cut and that are professionals, but still creative.

I stared making menswear about 2 years ago - but I started very slowly with simple Tshirts. Within the last year the quality of woven fabrics I was looking for finally enabled me to get the shirting and suiting fabric I needed to do the collection in the way I wanted it. I noticed that men really felt the difference in the fabric. The men that wear the seaweed shirts - I can’t even explain the look on their face! They have a look like “I’ve never felt something like this before in my life!”. With men its always been about comfort - at least in the last 50 years. They really can feel the fabric feeding their skin -the seaweed with the sea salt. Same with bamboo - its much better for your skin because it wicks away moisture and has antibacterial properties. Seacell is seaweed bonded to wood pulp - they bond it naturally on a molecular level. Its not forced with chemicals - and when your skin warms up the fabric, the benefits of the seaweed nourishes the skin. I’ve been working with the textile company to design these fabrics - that’s why I’m a leader in the industry - because I hook up the scientists with the fabric manufacturers.

I used to do couture in Paris, but I realized no matter how honored I was to be there, it didn’t have any meaning to me. So I had to reinvent my profession. 8 years ago I came back to states and worked on sustainable fabrics. The quality of the mens fabrics is amazing right now. We have suits & tuxedos made out of sasawashi - its a leaf from japan that is anti-bacterial and anti deodorant. They first used it to make sushi (it regulated small) and it also was used as insulation in homes. So I made fabric out of it and now its a fabric in line! We don’t have to use synthetics to create what we need a fabric to do.

DB: Is ‘Eco’ finally becoming sexy? Do you see yourself playing a role in this?
LL: Yes! and yes!

DB: What kind of materials and processes do you use, and why?
LL: One process I’m a huge fan of is ozone wash. It doesn’t break the fiber down - it’s a molecular process, and thats how I treat my jeans. Its entirely environmentally friendly. Health-wise too. Time, energy, water usage, and the water is actually returned cleaner than when it came out! I don’t know why everyone doesn’t do it. Actually I do know why - because people get partnerships with wash houses that don’t want to change. Its so much cheaper to do once you do it, but switching over seems overwhelming. Money-making industry doesn’t like change.

DB: How did you become an environmentalist? Do you have role models?
LL: I was cured through nature of a debilitating disease, and through that experience I realized that I experience my spirituality through nature. It’s all about respect of nature and animals. I found out who I was. I set forth to do everything I could to spread that message because it was and is so monumental. When I started - no one else in fashion was doing this. I created ‘lux eco fashion’ - the high fashion aspect. But I had to! I had to feed my soul.

I just watched a documentary on Frank Lloyd Wright - his god is the one that starts with an “n” - nature. He was a rebel. He was a maverick and I really respect him and his way of thinking. It was all about his truth. If we keep to our truth and the greater truth we would all be doing great things.

DB: What other areas of your life are affected by your eco-ethics? Is ‘fair-trade’ important to you? Why?
LL: Everything! Its been a slow process, but when I first got into this I didn’t trust labels, and I still wanted my life to be stylish and sexy. So I started the ‘lux eco’ stamp of approval so people can know that something’s been well designed, its not gonna fall apart, and it’s environmentally benign. But most importantly, it’s something with a design you can respect. A lot of people subscribe to labels in order to showcase a certain taste level. That’s what high fashion and labels are all about! So instead of wearing Fendi or Gucci to represent the qualities we want to espouse - it would be great if we could go look for the ‘lux- eco’ stamp of approval and be able to support a more evolved set of aesthetics and values. It applies to anything! Restaurants, gloves, garbage cans - anything can be stamped. Every area of my life has been affected by this.

As far as sweatshops and fair-trade, it’s a hugely important issue. I think we are 80% perfect - we make sure to check people out, but when you turn your back you never know. It becomes a complex question.

DB: How has mainstream fashion and media’s response to your work changed over the last few seasons?
LL: Well, I’ve gotten a lot more press attention lately - all these green TV shows are coming and shooting in my salon. Finally people are paying attention! It’s putting ‘eco’ in a new light and convincing people that there is a new light - proving it by putting a product out there and investing everything in creating a news platform. People are finally understanding my knowledge base. They can come to me to find out certain things. They are valuing the research I’ve done for over 8 years.

DB: If you could put an end to any element of the fashion industry you see as destructive, what would it be and why?
LL: Water usage. Access to clean water is the biggest problem we have right now globally. Also the dye process, because there’s a lot of chemical dyes we’re exposed to, not knowing that our bodies are trying to fight it off. As a result people get sick and doctors don’t know what it is. It’s really the wash process and they way the fabric is treated. Thats why ozone is a great solution.

DB: If fashion is a form of visual communication, what is someone who wears Linda Loudermilk saying about themselves to other?
LL: I hope they are expressing truly who they are. That’s why I make such a diverse line. there is something for everyone. People who wear my garments are also saying “I am is someone who likes quality. someone who likes personal expression - no matter what it is.” Be who you are! If its yucky express it. If its rock, express it. My clothes are more sculptural and rock oriented. I have no problem with Gucci or Fendi, but if you’re wearing it just for the label you’ve lost your own identity. I never buy big logos.

DB: What is your opinion on the fur and skins trade?
LL: Don’t support it! The thing is, we need to keep innovating products that mimic what hides and fur can do. There are certain properties that come out of nature that are pure - so there is nothing exactly like shearling - you can’t duplicate it - but if we’re going to try to lessen the fur and leather trades, we need innovation because those trades have been around for eons and won’t go away without a fight. I often subscribe to the Native American philosophy of only taking what you need and being grateful for it. Unfortunately, Thats not how the industry or this culture is set up - and even if they say they are, they’re not. So I avoid it. I am ashamed to say I used to use leather a lot - because it is so sculptural. It’s so easy to make something look expensive with leather. There is some rubber and some organic cotton dyed with mud and it looks like leather- but it doesn’t sculpt. We really need more innovation.

DB: What is your understanding of the environmental crises we are immersed in? Is looking fashionable important to having the environmental message heard?

There is simply a loss of respect. That’s it. You can go on and on about every issue. But if you look at the core - it’s lack of respect for the earth and people and animals. If we really respected ourselves we wouldn’t be in this crisis at all. Being fashionable is very important because we (environmentalists) exist in the ‘hippie granola scientist’ realms and it needs to grow and needs to be fashionable - its a hook.

DB: Anything else?

LL: People should apply for the stamp of approval because its gonna make a big difference! Visit my website. We can have a stamp of approval on almost anything . I am looking for high-end, well made cool fashionable items of any kind - or people who do services! Anything! Tell me how are you eco, where do you stand and why.

Also - big news, I am coming out with vegan shoes for men and women!

Linda appears in W Magazine

Savory Summer

I am in heaven. The farmers’ markets in New York are starting to offer some of the northeast’s most amazing harvests. I picked up some local, naturally grown strawberries. I had no idea that ‘organic’ labeling was so prohibitive and damaging to small farmers (even if their products are considered ‘organic’). I spoke with some of the farmers whose produce I purchased and was appalled (but not surprised) to find out why USDA hates small farmers. Click here!

VEGAN CHEESE PLATE

Below, I made lunch for a few friends. The starter was a Cheese Plate featuring Dr. Cows raw, vegan, crystal manna blue cheese, toasted local sourdough bread, local strawberries, walnuts, and a Sweet & Sarah vegan coconut-crusted marshmallow. I drizzled some ‘Just Like Honey‘ which is an indistinguishable alternative to real bee vomit! Cheese plates are finally doable with Dr.Cow - for your own spin on this, try doing cheese & chocolate, cheese & veggies, or cheese & fruit! There usually is no way to go wrong with good cheese.

CHIVE BLOSSOM SALAD

I had no idea that a) chives even blossomed or b) you can eat the flowers that c) taste like spicy chives! Yum! Not only is this salad visually delicious, but the hearty mixed greens, NYS apples, powerful sliced radishes and hearty radish greens made an amazingly filling and tongue-invigorating dish. As for dressing, I made a simply apple-cider vinegar with coconut oil and black sesame dressing.

PICKLED RADISH & STEAMED VITAMIN GREENS

In this dish, I sliced some local radish and put them in my pickle jar along side Rick’s Picks ‘bee ‘n’ bees‘ pickles overnight. I steamed some local ‘vitamin greens’ and kale, drizzled a touch of sesame oil on top, and was good to go. Lesson here? Never throw out old pickle juice!