Summer Rayne Oakes is a rising eco-star, an environmental scientist, activist, sustainable fashion model and author of the recently published Style, Naturally, the definitive environmental beauty and fashion tome for women.
We caught up with Summer to ask her a few questions about her new book and if it really possible to look gorgeous in eco-fashion.
Please tell us a bit about your new book.
Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty is the go-to-guide for all things environmentally-conscious and stylish. It's 350 pages, lavishly-designed with over 500 color images of the best-of-the-best in style, beauty and design. It carries a personal story and mission, but also has great girl-on-the-street style profiles, product reviews, designer interviews, and a ton of resources.How is your book different the other green guides for gals on the market?
I consider Style, Naturally more of a style guide than a green guide, which is probably the first differentiation. When you pick it up, it's pretty substantive, but it's got a ton of design and color. Many of the green guides out there can be too "green-and-black," too "style will save the world," and too impersonal. I wanted to really get to the heart-of-the matter while keeping a balance between personal stories and cool products. I wanted to show women how what they wear and what they put on their bodies really connects with their health, their beauty and the larger world.
Style, Naturally is informative, but it's not daunting or too "did you knowish?" because it's balanced by a cool, slightly irreverent tone, over 500 color images, great girl-on-the-street style profiles, designer profiles, product reviews, cool design, tips of the trade, and personal vignettes.
In many ways, it's for a woman who LOVES style, but may not have "green" or "environmentally-conscious" in her lexicon. The book really goes back to the core ethos of my work, which is pushing the conversation forward to people who may want to know about this stuff, but would not know where to start. Style, Naturally takes that woman on the journey.
Who is your target audience?
Any woman who loves style and is not afraid to be fierce and do it up her own way.
What is 'sustainable' style and beauty?
I prefer a broader definition. I'd define it as, style and beauty that is more environmentally- and socially-conscious along the entire supply chain. This can mean using organic, naturally-derived ingredients, to fair-trade principles, to recycling clothes after we're finished with them.
What are the benefits of choosing greener clothing and beauty products?
You can really help support change in communities when you buy products that are specifically focused on people, planet and its resources. The new personal care product line my partners and I are doing in Mozambique come to mind. It's an all-organic product (so it's better, healthier for you); it helps promote forest conservation (so people aren't chopping down forests to sell wood); and it's providing new jobs and the training of skilled labor.
Now of course, you have to be able to scale that up to a degree where you can do more of that, but that's just a snapshot of why it matters. On a personal level, you can share this with whomever is admiring your lovely locks, glossy kisser, or snazzy jewels. That's a favorite part for me...sharing the story. That's why style is so good. It allows you to have a conversation very easily, especially if you wear it well! 
Can you look as good in sustainable fashion as you can in traditional fashion?
Man, I sure hope so! (laughing) Or what have I been doing over the last eight years! (laughing). Well, decide for yourself. Use me as an example. You can flip through pictures of my wardrobe and see what you think, or better yet, flip through Style, Naturally and see what's up.
What were the criteria for including clothing or beauty products in your book?
On the fashion front: Basically the look, construction and design had to be right-on. In many cases I own, or have worn, a lot of the stuff in the book, so I'm familiar with the brands. And the story had to be particularly compelling. I'm big on telling stories. I think we all need them to feel a connection to something, so I found it particularly important - if not essential - to highlight the hearts, minds and souls behind the brands.
On the beauty front: I basically went through hundreds and hundreds of brands - from their overall principles, ingredient lists and efficacy (I literally tried everything!) - and aimed to put the best-of-the-best in the book. I had to leave out a bunch of stuff that I love, due to space limitations, but basically if I thought a product was really good and fit the more natural, organic-criteria then it got in the pages of Style, Naturally.
What do you think makes a person beautiful or stylish?
A fierce sense of confidence, great posture and a huge, welcoming smile on your face. Doesn't really matter what you're wearing because if you do the first three, you'll be completely and utterly disarming (smiling).
Were you shocked to learn anything about the fashion/beauty industry while you were researching your book?
All the shock-and-awe and epiphanic moments happened years ago when I first started in this space. When I was able to connect my sewage sludge research with style, nothing else really shocks you (laughing).
Anything you were happy to learn about the fashion/beauty industry?
That there are so many players in this industry that want to see change and the incredible force of will of people to get there. All the efforts were just noise before, but now it's real bona fide music.
How does it feel to publish your first book?
The process was amazing and frustrating at the same time. I'd imagine it's like a marriage. You don't always get along, but for the most part, it's such an incredible journey. I have to say though, once I saw the finished product, I was beside myself. After a year or so of effort, it was such a treat!
Visit: www.summerrayne.net
Read our review of Style, Naturally by Summer Rayne Oakes.
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