TheClick

The Birth of Earth Day

“Green” used to be a word reserved just for Earth Day – but now you hear it every day. Elle Magazine just dedicated their entire May issue to green clothing lines, non-leather shoe lines, and beauty products that help save our depleted environment. Vanity Fair has done all-green issues, too. Let’s face it – what’s the good of dressing chic and looking fabulous if the environment is being wreaked havoc on? Fashion and shopping take on a whole new meaning – as does narcissism – when the air and water and climate are in such global peril. No one can afford not to be green. Strike out this earth day. Paint your toes green, wear recycled clothes, and conjure Al Gore.

And in our celebrity driven culture, it’s reassuring to know that celebs are very increasingly involved and some  - like Leo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Adrian Grenier, and Cameron Diaz – have been supporting green projects for many years. In fact, get ready for many more environmental documentaries along the lines of  “The Eleventh Hour” and “And Inconvenient Truth” – Disney this week created an environmental wing to product only environmental docs.

At the Sundance Film Festival, TheFind and TheFindGreen had a chance to speak with some celebrities about the personal efforts they are making to make the earth a better place:

ADRIAN GRENIER
The “Entourage” star is so passionate about the environment, he recently teamed up with Leo DiCaprio to support ForestEthics, an organization devoted to saying endangered woodlands by curtailing the mailing of junk mail. “Can you imagine how many trees would be saved if there was less junk mail?” he told us at Sundance, where he and his band The Honey Brothers played a set. “And I have this advice for all the fashion people,” he added. “Wearing vintage clothes is inherently green – so keep doing it!” He also attended The Evidence of Evolution Fashion Show at Smashbox in LA in October, to support their recycled fabric line of tops, skirts, pants and jackets, available at Barneys.

MISCHA BARTON
“I did a campaign with Orlando Bloom and Kevin Bacon,” Mischa told us in Sundance, donning a recycled cotton beanie hat by Zola Hats, “for Climatestar.org, which was about the fact that there are six million kids in the U.S. with asthma, which is constantly made worse by global warming. It helps just to use less energy in your house – keep your lights turned off in rooms you aren’t using.”

SARAH JESSICA PARKER
The “Smart People” and “Sex and the City” star confided that she now drives a Toyota Prius.

PARIS HILTON
One way I recycle,” Paris told us at Sundance this year, “is that I give outfits away all the time to fans and friends. If any of my friends writes to me or tells me they liked a certain look, I immediately give it to them or mail it to them. That way, it keeps vintage clothes in circulation.”

And TheFind.com spoke to a number of other stars about their environmental efforts:

KATE HUDSON
“I never though I would lend my name to a fashion or beauty product, even though I’ve been asked several times over the years,” Kate Hudson told us recently. But when she was invited to partner her up with her L.A. based hairstylist, David Babaii (who has been tending to the locks of the stars for years), she finally said yes – because it’s called WILDAID, and ten percent of the haircare product line, which will be distributed this summer for starts, will go to the global wildlife conservation organization Wildaid. They work with governments and communities to try and reverse the wildlife devastation across the planet. Their mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade within our lifetime and strive for a world in which local communities can improve their lives without destroying their environment.  “I would never put my name on something I didn’t use myself,” says Hudson, who will also appear in the ad campaign.. “These products smell amazing and make your hair really healthy and fresh without depleting the environment, without animal testing – and they really are the best things I’ve ever used. Smell my hair! I’ve got our new hairspray on.” Sure enough, it smelled fruity and delicious, and looked pretty great, too.

CHRISTINA RICCI
“I’m using as many green and earth friendly products for beauty purposes and around my house as I can,” the “Speed Racer” actress told us. “And I’ve always loved vintage clothes, which is very convenient!”

NATALIE PORTMAN
The actress recently created a non-leather shoe line because she refuses to wear anything that has come from animals. In conjunction wit Te Casan, a percentage of the line goes to charity.

GWYNETH PALTROW
Not only is she a practicing vegan, Gwyneth is a fan of
the French bath line Patyka,- the organic luxury bath line features face and body skin care as well as perfumes that do not use silicone, petroleum, PEG, parabens, phenoxyethanol or any synthetic matierials that are harmful to your skin or the environment. GP is such an environmental activist is so many ways that she and her mother Blythe Danner were honored by the Environmental Media Association recently – as was Edward Norton.

GREAT EARTH DAY SHOPPING TIPS:

If you feel like shopping this Wednesday, do the earth a BIG favor, and do it on TheFindGreen.com. Even things like nail polish and hair products that are environmentally safe can make a big difference. Here’s some suggestions that can be found on TheFindGreen.com:

TYPE IN “NAIL POLISH” –
And Edible Nature has polishes by Honeybee Gardens for $5.67. Herbaltrader.com features Suncoat Water Based Nail Polish (in Magic Purple) for $7.05. And Greenfeet.com has Corn and Soy based Nail Polish remover for $5.95 – how cool is that? It probably smells a ton better than the usual polish remover.

TYPE IN ‘HAIR PRODUCTS” –
Herbtrader.com sells Jason Natural Cosmetics Hair Styling Products with Aloe Vera for $6.28. The amazing line of Dr. Hauschka hair products is available on the New London pharmacy. Evitaminstore sells Mode de Vie products, Me and Minime has Nature’s Baby Hair Care Products, and Onewithearth.com sells Chemical Free Products for around $35.

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Merle Ginsberg is a bestselling author and internationally-renowned fashion, culture and entertainment journalist, who also contributes to TheClick fashion blog.

Kate Mara stops by TheFindGreen at Sundance

Kate Mara was in town to promote her film, Transsiberian (also starring Emily Mortimer and and Sir Ben Kingsley, who had stopped by TheFindGreen lounge earlier in the day).   She was radiant in red, and she checked out TheFindGreen!

Todd Williamson/Wire Image

THE CLICK AT SUNDANCE 1/23

THE CLICK AT SUNDANCE 1/23

HAT HEAD'S IN FASHION

Trendwatching in Sundance is so amusing because it's so separate
from the mainstream fashion axis of New York, L.A., London, Milan and Paris.
Each of those cities has a distinct "look" that celebrities and well-heeled
travelers adhere to when they arrive in said destination.

We've talked about Sundance's amazing and myriad style boots.
Today, let's talk about hats. We've seen knit cap beanie styles, mens'
fedoras on women, shearling and fur lined floppies, and Aviator styles with
flaps to keep ones' ears from ringing and reddening in the cold. There are
even Heidi knit styles that have either woolly braids – or woolly
dreadlocks – depending on how you look at it. The ubiquitous berets of New
York and L.A.are nowhere to be seen at Sundance – they're just not warm
enough.

My hat's off goes to Mischa Barton, who went from a black and
brown fedora she bought at Barneys in LA, to a handknit organic cotton Zola2 tweed hat by L.A. based Kathy Poncher. Check out Mischa in that tall topper. And fedoras on ladies aren't just for the snow – you can rock this boyish bauble through spring. Go to TheFind.com and type in, "Womens fedoras," and
all varieties will come up. Killer Hats has them in felt for $22.00. Windy City Novelties has a red felt fedora for $24. Baron Hats has a dress weight wool felt look with grosgrain detail for $49. And if you want a more deluxe model, try Peruvian Connection for styles that range from $79 to $269 that your boyfriend will covet and no doubt wear.

But the wool beanie look is tres wooly chic – just ask Marcia Gay Harden, who donned a latte colored one, or Mischa in her tweedy version. Mischa's Zola hat can be had at zolahats.com –in wool that's bejeweled, or the basic cotton version. If you go on TheFind.com and type in "Womens beanie hats," dogfunk offers you a Dakine stormy beanie with a cable design for &29.95. Paul Frank offers a pink and red Julius version with pom poms for &10..95 at Karmaloop. And there's a cute turquoise version for $24.95 at Boardtactics.

For fur-lined floppies, two sites on TheFind (type in "fur-lined
floppy hats") have great varieties: e4hats has faux fur bucket hats in black, camel and cream, and dogfunk has a "mcklusky hat" with ear flaps that even Amelia Earhart would have loved to fly high in. These are great buys for next year's Sundance – or any sojourn into the cold and the mountains.

Of course, some photo conscious celebs: Sarah Jessica
Parker, Emily Blunt, Jodie Foster, Charlize Theron, Paris Hilton, Meg Ryan
and Felicity Huffman – didn't don any toppers. These ladies sported either
stick straight sheets of hair or bouncing barrel waves. But that's because
they were traveling with their hairdressers - or they popped into the
Sephora hair and makeup station at the top floor of The Kevin Mazur
Celebrity Portrait Studio, where TheFindGreen suite was located. It's
amazing what a curling iron or a styling straight iron from Sephora can do
in a few minutes. Don't leave home without them. Type in :"Sephora hair
irons:" and grab yourself the ghd (it stands for "good hair day") styling
iron (with bend, so you don't get dead flat hair) for $195 at Sephora. In
the portrait studio, Sephora makeup artist Vanessa Dunn did touch ups on
many female – and male –celebs who came through this week. What were the hit
picks from Sephora at Sundance? Sephora's repair lip balm with SPF, that
covers lips, knees and elbows for extra dry skin. Sephora lipglosses were
also super popular, with shea butter in Golden Glow and Bronze Beauty. Also
necessary in the snowy glare was Sephora's plumping mascara which lengthens
and plumps and volumizes – but so were the Sephora and Makeup Forever
lashes, which Vanessa brought hundreds of – and was left with nary a pair to
be found.

And all of our Sundance efforts this week could not have been
possible without the finesse of Tim Hurley of Vox Entertainment, who
produced not only the Kevin Mazur Portrait Studio, but the St. Ives Lounge
and the premiere party of "Sleepwalking," the John Legend concert and events at Tao, Harry O's and Marquis. Tim – you are simply amazing.

AnnaSophia Robb stops by TheFindGreen

AnnaSophia Robb was hopping around Sundance in a cute silver jacket, and black hat (that she decided to remove for the photo).  The cute star of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Bridge to Terabithia was in town to promote her Sundance film, Sleepwalking, which also stars Charlize Theron, Nick Stahl, Dennis Hopper and Woody Harrelson.

Todd Williamson/Wire Image

Mischa Barton Checks Out TheFindGreen

Todd Williamson/WireImage

THE CLICK AT SUNDANCE 1/22

The reason it's more fun to stargaze at Sundance than any red
carpet or fancy fest like Cannes is that stars are so underdressed –but of
course, being stars, they underdress better than most people. Jodie Foster,
dining at the Stein Erickson ski lodge on Monday night, in jeans and a
thermal t shirt and no makeup, was so undone, she was barely recognizable.

The one common thread in the snowy hills and climate of Park City
Utah is boots – there's been snow off and on –mostly on – and even getting
out of an four wheel drive SUV requires good traction. Plus, there is the
look of leggings or very skinny jeans tucked into tall tough looking boots:
motorcycle with multiple straps, fur lined boots, suede, fringed – boot
watching is a favorite Sundance sport.

Sanaa Lathan, promoting the movie version of "A Raisin in the Sun," (with Sean Combs, who sat cooperatively in TheFindGreen suite –and you'd barely know it was him – except for the very large bodyguards), rocked some serious Fendi black suede and patent trimmed boots with gold buttons over black tights and a white satin dress with a black parka. If you type in BLACK FENDI BOOTS on TheFind.com, you'll find them at Barneys (Fendi button knee suede boots, $795 at Barneys) –but you'll also find some other awesome looking ones from Fendi: a Fendi Tobacco vinyl lace detail book from Bluefly
for $676; a smocked Fendi suede book for $519 at Net a Porter, and the
leather version of Sanaa's gold button Fendi boot for $664 at Neimans under
Tall Platform Boots with buttons.

Sarah Jessica Parker, promoting her new movie "Smart People,"
donned a more practical functional motorcycle version from Italian company
Fiorentini & Baker. If you type "Fiorentini & Baker" in the FIND function
line, a bevy of leathery sturdy beauties come up: the classic weathered
motorcycle boot that SJP trudged around in is $485 at Barneys New York, a
much lighter tan motorcylcle style called called Eternity is $525 at
Madison, and Yoox has a platformed style for only $214.

Lots of female celebs have gone with the much-less expensive
versions, without sacrificing any style or unique-ness.. There are plenty of
bargain boots to be spied late at night at Harry O's worth coveting , even
during acts like Akon and Maroon Five playing to overstuffed crowds, or while Patti Smith and Train lead singer Pat Monahan play smaller gigs on Main St, at 6 in the evening time slots. We've noticed a lot of great Steve Madden pairs in and out of the Java Cow and Park City Chocolate Shop: Bijou Phillips was promoting the movie "Choke" (that also stars Anjelica Huston ) in Steve Madden's "Cassey" tall boots for $258.95 at Nordstroms. Other great looking SM models are the "Latcch" boot in cognac or brown,that buckles in all different directions, for $138 at Cotton Island. There is also a tall
ranch suede number for $144 from Berkshoes, and the fuzziest Sundance boots I've seen are the fuzzy Eskimo boots in white, natural and black are only
$19.99 – get all three for next year's fest!!! – from Caboulet.com.

And of course, The Uggs just keep on coming –tall, short,
furlined or suede. The crochet knit style looks like a little sweater on
tootsies. And there are other ways to show off them: Patti Smith (promoting
her documentary directed by fashion photog Steven Sebring) had pale grey
socks under her short brown boots –with the grey socks pulled over her
jeans, giving them an almost harem rounded edge. Hey – she's not a style
icon for nothing. - MG

Welcome to The Click! Spring 08 Fashion Round-up

Welcome, visitors to TheFind.com. You’ve come to search and find something very particular, no doubt – and you’ve stumbled across me!

Every week, as a fashion journalist, I’m going to share my own notable finds with you, as it’s my job to find what’s new, inspiring and world-changing in the fast-spinning world of fashion, and translate it into a language we can all decipher and get a handle on.

As the spring 08 collections have just concluded in New York, London, Milan, Paris – and now Los Angeles – I can tell you that biggest among the spring trends of billowy soft dresses long and short, pleating, and the ruffled one shoulder cocktail dress is COLOR. We saw peppermint pinks, sun yellows, corn yellows, pop purples, shocking blue – and often, in wild combos of each, in a season that announces the return of PRINTS: floral and fine art-inspired. But by far and away, the biggest color trend for spring is, very simply, GREEN.

Fashion is inspired by everything on earth. Designers have fertile minds that soak up the zeitgeist of all kinds of ideas and thoughts vibrating out there in the ether. Right now, the earth is what’s on everybody’s mind, from Al Gore to Leo DiCaprio to Adrian Grenier. The Environmental Media Awards will honor Sting and Trudie Styler on October 24 at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in L.A., and pay tribute to the organic food and light bulb and household item brands that are eco-friendly. (You can find all these items on TheFindGreen.com).

But fashion’s going green, too. L.A. based designer Linda Loudermilk, who showed her spring 08 collection at a BP gas station outdoors in L.A. during Mercedes Benz Fashion week, was the first notable designer to use all organic fabrics. And she’ll open an enormous eco-friendly L.A. emporium this February on Melrose Avenue, with her spring 08 collection of evening dresses as well as day clothes, and new spa products in conjunction with Origins.

Mercedes, the major sponsor of L.A. Fashion Week, decided this season to present new-to-the-market “green” designers, and chose the spring 08 collection of Evidence of Evolution for this runway honor.

Evidence of Evolution? The name evokes things like fossils, skeletons and memories of Darwin. But the modern Evidence of Evolution is individuals who care about the future of our planet - and photographer Ali Alborzi and former Dolce + Gabbana, Prada and Gucci design consultant Andrew McCarthy are two such individuals. Together, they've found ways to specially dye organic eco-friendly fabrics so that they have rich pigments (electric blue, chartreuse, yellow, red) and satin shiny finishes.

At their runway show last week at the Smashbox Studios in Culver City, they showed mini-dresses and long voile poet dresses for the ladies, and colorful slim deconstructed suits for eco-conscious gents. And the audience and runway were filled with both; Adrian Grenier sat in the front row with famed fashion stylist Maryam Malakpour, who served as a consultant to the line and who dressed the Rolling Stones for years. Also in attendance was environmental advocate and actress Q’Orianka Kilcher.

Walking in the show were indie actor Vincent Gallo, famed LA club promoter Brent Bolthouse, and model Josie Maran, who donned Evidence of Evolution's "bridal" look: a long ecru romantic poet gown. Maran's new green line of cosmetics – Josie Maran Cosmetics - was used on the models and tucked into the gift bags - which only makes sense, since she is Ali Alborzi's girlfriend. She took a lovely turn down the runway between the two designers for the show's big finish.

Barneys New York has commissioned the Evidence of Evolution collection so look for it soon at a website near you! Green isn't about envy anymore - nor is it necessarily about big bucks. It's about consciousness and caring - and that never goes out of fashion.  MG