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Everyday, an incredibly humble event takes place, the sun rises. Unlike the quick flip of a blinding light from dark, we are introduced to the day with a gradual, beautiful dimmer switch that's free and reliable. Of all the planets in the Universe, the Sun lights and heats us juuuust right, it's so nice...and, out of all the Universe, there are people at a company called Voltaic Systems that allow individuals to easily capture that free, and clean energy on their backs, with  a convenient, useful, and durable backpack made from recycled soda bottles. We can all breath a sigh of relief, because coal fired power is no longer needed.

Of all absolutely essential items used on the 'Perennial' was the Voltaic Solar Powered Backpack, which hooked up with us in California at Hotel Vitale. At first, it seemed very daunting, a solar anything has been a dream of mine for years. So many little plugs, a few wires, and a battery pack that looks like something from Back to the Future; but, time travel 2 minutes forward after opening the box, and the charge light is on and the camera is charging. How did that happen so easily? Something seemingly so un-obtainable as inexpensive solar power, was now at my fingertips. This is insane, individual power. Now, next on my list of essential items: The Generator, with enough power to run your laptop!

This camera is being charged even on an overcast day; just one of the many surprises offered by this high-tech accessory that can carry anything from books to life essentials. With two separate, very-well-placed side pockets, you'll never loose your keys, notepad, or wallet. Your phone can be charged from the shoulder strap, where there is a convenient holster complete with a plug into the charger so you can continue charging without reaching in the back; very well-designed.

Just one of many photos sent in by users of the Voltaic Solar Backpack

If you were dropped out of an airplane in the woods, you could record the ambient sounds of the forest, call your parents and ell them you're ok, while your hand held gps system leads you home 11 hours later, still fully powering your technology. Or...at the very minimum, it could charge your ipod while you work, or your phone when you hike. It's durable, efficient, and smart; the Voltaic Solar Powered Backpack, capturing the sun's daily energy so your local power plant doesn't have to. Thank you Universe genius's at Voltaic, for letting us capture and store what is free and abundant. 

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Elena Garcia

If we could be a breeze traveling over California, we'd want to visit the EcoBungalo, a showroom hosting amazingly talented designers such as Noir, a sophisticated line for the rock n' roll fairy. As a breeze however, one designer's work would be of particular pleasure to us; the gentlest of our touches would set her thin silks and textural wools into motion, one soft exhale would create undulating landscapes of fabric. From her elongated silk dresses, to the signature twists she creates on pieces like the 'Long Sleeve Silk Blouse', to her especially customized 'Felted Jackets', Elena Garcia's work enthralls us. Complimented nicely by her ethics, methods, and mission, the eco-couture work of Elena Garcia is timeless and rare.


Photograph from Elena Garcia Studio.

Using wool which has been compassionately sheared from the organically raised Sheep, re-purposed pieces of fabric from other pieces, and metal free dyes, Garcia has created three seasons of luxuriously gorgeous and compassionate fashion. The animals who contribute, her local United Kingdom artisans, and her clients are just a few of those who benefit from her forward thinking and local economy-boosting fashions of Elena Garcia.



Very few times in life can one garment make you feel like you are of immensely great wealth. The superior materials and creation of the 'Felted Jacket' above (see a Behind-the-Scenes shot here), instantly straightened shoulders and lifted chins while on the 'Perennial' shoot. This is a truly exquisite piece, (as every single one of Elena Garcia's pieces are), in yet another way however; because it transcends a boundary which may have never been crossed by a designer of Elena's reach. This piece is vegan. The Silk Worms and Sheep that created this piece still live happily and organically. This is an incredible step for mankind, an unbelievably inspiring benchmark, and showcases a wonderfully viable business model others can follow. Elena Garcia's work shows what can be created by exploring our capabilities within compassionate boundaries and her designs show us the meaning of eco-couture. Thank you, EcoBungalo for introducing us to the work of Elena Garcia, and thank you Elena for providing the world with thoughtful fashion.

Terra Plana

Terra Plana (meaning "flat land') is the name of an innovative shoe company who creates truly flexible foot attire. Working with materials like re-purposed quilts from Pakistan, recycled memory foam, vegetable tanned and Chrome-free leathers, and a new E-leather, Terra Plana mixes technology with artisan techniques to meld innovation with an open-mindedness that's hard to come by in the shoe-creation sector. One of the most amazing features available on their website, is the Eco Matrix. This is where you can see the shoes' efficiency, comfort level, and materials in a descriptive and interactive graph. See a 'Behind the Scenes' of Monica and the shoes before the shoot.

A significant amount of research seems to go into how the Terra Plana shoes affect our bodies, even those shoes with tall heels are made with consideration for you and your personal comfort.The shoes themselves are lightweight and soft, yet strong. Terra Plana's' new lines Vivo Barefoot and Dopie are two lines especially dedicated to living and walking the way nature intended; barefoot.

As more and more materials become available to Terra Plana, I'm sure their intuitive explorations will lead them on new shoe-making adventures, but one thing will always stay true, their commitment to the human connection with the earth.

NYC Green Car

Amongst all of the crazy cabs driving around NY City, there is one with a driver named Endry. While everyone else races around him, weaving in and out, tailgating and honking, Endry seems to simply relax...and sit back. Smoothly, stealthily; we'd get to lights right as they'd turn green, only to coast through it on our momentum while the gunning of the other’s engines roared around us. 

Behind the sleek and stylish car, planning, and obvious good taste in who he chooses as his fellow drivers, is Todd, the creator of NYC Green car. When he was asked to participate in 'Perennial', (a photo shoot of previously unheard of eco-conscious pretenses), he enthusiastically came on board and chauffeured our modest 'Perennial' cast around New York City. (Mr. Rickshaw was briefly considered but then the luggage was weighed, and that'd just be mean). NYC Green Car's sleek Hybrid - only fleet is, in a way, one of the smallest ways in which the company shows it's dedication to the preservation and conservation of our environment. From their methods of driving, to their genuine interest in certain issues and projects, NYC Green Car also donates 10% of the profits to local organizations like the replanting of trees in NY by Trees New York and community gardens created by Green Guerrillas. Now, NYC Green Car is also responsible for making the 'Perennial' photo shoot possible, allowing us to bring earth-conscious style to the world. The name is perfect, because they are truly NYC Green Car.

Endry, Monica and I efficiently traversed miles of New York City, picking up the works of NY based designers like Mika Machida and Mociun who's featured below. It was fun, it was enjoyable. Relaxing. Miles and hours passed and as the street lights came on in Brooklyn we arrived at the Hotel not two minutes before the scheduled time.

Thank you to NYC Green Car, for there is nothing more stylish than organic linens and recycled luggage in a coasting Hybrid.

Mociun

Photograph by Caitlin. Model is wearing the Sahara Jumpsuit.

After passing through a door decorated for the Chinese New Year and smiling at many people calmly sewing, Monica and I met Caitlin Mociun, a designer who generates her ideas from nature, David Bowie, and certain important movements in art history, (among very many other things).

She was working at a desk like the others, in a corner that was lined with dresses. It was a true honor to meet her., she has created a successful business, does so in an environmentally conscious manner, and maintains artistic integrity...something seemingly impossible for some artists once they gain a following. But, perhaps a view into her inspirations will give us a clue on how she stays true to her work.

A close up of a 'Cotton Tie Front Dress' available at DeviDoll.com.

Caitlin picked out five pieces for us (see the 'Behind the Scenes' shot), five vastly different but strangely cohesive. Each garment had a specific texture that beautifully matched its' design, print, and silhouette. What a beautiful selection! Well-crafted pieces, with strong design, and an obvious passion for prints. “I try to keep my garment designs simple so that the textiles can really make the impact.” Caitlin says in a Nylon interview.

Monica wearing the 'Tulip Skirt Tie Front Dress' during the 'Perennial' photo shoot.

Within her pieces I can see influences of RISD, a college which birthed both Caitlin and only a year apart. Graduating from textiles, her pieces show in immense range in both fashion, fabric, and print. One of her most obvious influences, and something I only learned about freshman year, but perhaps in her wide travels through Europe Caitlin knew about long before, is the Bauhaus. The Staatliches Bauhaus, founded in 1909 by Walter Gropius, was a school of the arts, crafts, design, and technology. The school itself was largely inspired by Modernism including rationality, function, and radical experimentation with forms. It played a pivotal role in art as we know it today, and continues to play it's role in this very designer. Caitlin's work encompasses the Bauhaus mission, a perfect harmony between the function of an object and the design of it.



Photograph by Caitlin. Model wearing the Issaran Dress.

Mociun "continues to explore and integrate the ever-emerging technologies and critical conceptions of sustainability; environmentally healthy production; and, as a type of de facto jouissance, the role of, and the products available to, the individual consumer in society at large", and we'll watch intently waiting for her next move.

So, the ultimate question. How does an artist who's now so prevalent still maintain her artistic integrity? That lies in the appropriately gained Bauhaus influence, where "the radically simplified forms, the rationality and functionality, and the idea that mass-production was reconcilable with the individual artistic spirit." It's wonderful to see that the teachings of the Bauhaus are still alive and well exactly 100 years after it's opening.

View the Spring Collection from Mociun.

Anna in the Sahara Jumpsuit during the 'Perennial' photo shoot.

'Ruche Strap Frill Detail Night Slip' by Beaumont Organics. Makeup and Hair by Arielle Toelke using NVEY Eco, 'Daily Anti-oxidant Cream' by Zosimos Botanicals. 'Healing Serum' by Hamadi. 'VitaPro Fusion' by Giovanni. Model: Anna Catherine.

'Dida' Shoes by Terra Plana. 'Wrap Jacket' by Frei Designs. Silver Bangles from Susannetiques. 'Force De Vie' by Luzern. Model: Monica Van Leer.

Bikini from Niksters. Mineral Foundation, Mineral Makeup Setting Mist, Saffron Lip and Cheek Tint, and Vegan Brushes by Zosimos Botanicals. Eco Bronzer by NVEY Eco. Natural Mousse Air-Turbo Charged Hair Styling Foam by Giovanni. Model: Ashley Krantz.

Sunglasses by iWood. 'Tulip Skirt Tie Front Dress' by Mociun. Makeup by Arielle Toelke using NVEY Eco, Zosimos Botanicals 'Vegan Brush Set'. Miessence 'Hydrating Mist', provided by and available at Ely Organics and Paradise Organics. Model: Monica Van Leer.

Sunglasses by iWood. Makeup by NVEY Eco, Tinted Moisturizer by Organic Wear. 'L.A. Hold Hair Spritz' by Giovanni. 'Cucumber Song' Body Lotion by Giovanni. Model: Hilary Warburton.

'Sahara Jumpsuit' by Mociun. Makeup and Hair by Arielle Toelke using NVEY Eco, 'Daily Anti-oxidant Cream' by Zosimos Botanicals. 'Healing Serum' by Hamadi. 'VitaPro Fusion' by Giovanni. Model: Anna Catherine.

'Flamingo Dress' by Mika Machida. Sunglasses by iWood. Black Cherry Lip and Cheek Tint, Minigloss, and 'Mineral Makeup Setting Mist' by Zosimos Botanicals. Model: Ashley Krantz.

'Cape Jacket' by Peligrosa. Toetally Boots by Simple. Makeup by Arielle Toelke using NVEY Eco, Zosimos Botanicals 'Vegan Brush Set'. Miessence 'Hydrating Mist', provided by and available at Ely Organics and Paradise Organics. Model: Monica Van Leer.

'Tulip Skirt' by Mociun. Makeup and Hair by Arielle Toelke using NVEY Eco, 'Daily Anti-oxidant Cream' by Zosimos Botanicals. 'Healing Serum' by Hamadi. 'VitaPro Fusion' by Giovanni. Model: Anna Catherine.