In The Closet With

Sara Snow, Eco-Lifestyle Guru/TV Host/Author

Amisha Ghadiali, Associate Director of the Ethical Fashion Forum

Summer Rayne Oakes, Eco-Model/Author/Social Entrepreneur

Brad Bennett, Editor of Commerce With a Conscience

+ Commerce With a Conscience

Starre Vartan, Author of “The Eco-Chick Guide to Life”

For years, Starre Vartan lived life at the speed of light. The author, editor, and stylist pursued an MFA at Columbia University, blogged at Eco-Chick, published a book, and helped launch Greenopia. Suffice to say, she needed a break. “Since my two favorite things in the world are travel and writing,” Vartan tells Ecouterre, “I have been incredibly happy to be able to indulge in both at the same time over these past months.” From her home in Connecticut to visiting relatives in Sydney (with pit stops in Hawaii and L.A.), Vartan reveals how she keeps her closet green even when she’s living out of a suitcase.

Jenny Hwa, Founder and Designer of Loyale

Jenny Hwa’s reputation precedes her. The designer behind Loyale, Hwa is one of the original eco-fashion trailblazers, an accomplishment that has garnered her no small number of accolades and honors. Her organic blouses, dresses, jackets, and, yes, bikinis brim with flirty, feminine details, along with a timeless appeal that makes them all-weather wardrobe staples. (Psst, don’t miss the phone-in, Crazy Eddie warehouse sale starting Monday.) Here, Hwa opens her closet to us, as well as surprises us with a cameo from a celebrity fan!

Meaghan O’Neill, Editor of TreeHugger

TreeHugger, the granddaddy of environmental blogs, needs no introduction. And neither does Meaghan O’Neill, the site’s capable helmsman, who likens blogs to the the town criers of yore. O’Neill admits to not being a big shopper, although she does like having stylish things. “When I buy stuff I ask myself how long this will last,” she tells Ecouterre. “Do I love it? And does it fit and drape well? I’m not afraid to spend a little more money on something if I know it will last for ages.” Below, O’Neill picks out her favorite pieces from her eco-closet, as well as explains why clothing doesn’t have to be organic to be sustainable.

Nick Aster, Founder and Publisher of Triple Pundit

Nick Aster laughed when we asked him to appear on Ecouterre. He doesn’t fancy himself a “hip eco dude.” But the Wisconsin native and founder of Triple Pundit, a blog about sustainable businesses, sells himself short because he injects sustainable principles in every facet of his life, from where he lives to what he eats. “Sustainability is common sense,” Aster tells us. “I feel better when I know what I’m buying or wearing has a positive effect on people I respect, and a less negative effect on resources and the environment.”

Deana Bracken, Co-founder and Owner of Green With Glamour

Deana Bracken, who co-founded the online eco-boutique Green With Glamour, gravitates toward classic pieces that can be glammed up with eye-popping accents. “I’m not a huge trend follower,” she says, “but eco-design is so inspiring and hunting for vintage is so delicious.” Running your own online eco-boutique (which the Los Angeleno does alongside her friend Kathleen Rowan) has its privileges, as well, and Bracken admits to raiding the virtual racks for pieces to add to her own wardrobe. “It just makes sense, right?” she says. Below, Bracken reveals which accessory she never leaves home without and what you’ll find her wearing by the pool of the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs.

Lizz Wasserman, Designer of Popomomo

Call it a hunch, but we knew that Lizz Wasserman, the designer behind Popomomo, had a quirky sense of style long before we laid eyes on her closet. Short for “post-postmodern movement,” the eco-chic label was a response to the unchecked consumerism Wasserman witnessed while designing for Urban Outfitters and Free People. Her labor of love is meant to be the antithesis of disposable fashion, with pieces that are not based on trends but can be worn for seasons to come. Above, Wasserman wears a vintage silk top she dyed herself, along with a bubble skirt made from a vintage skirt and a tank top. “I have a lot of these experiments that just don’t make it to the Popomomo line,” she tells Ecouterre.

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Founder and Editor of EcoStiletto

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, “Mommy Greenest” and the maven behind EcoStiletto, is a force of nature. Her dedication to the sustainable fashion movement is as unflagging as her boundless enthusiasm, which she channels into her smart and sexy online guide to “stiletto-sizing” your carbon footprint with style. (She also gives away $500 worth of eco-shoes every month on her site, which certainly doesn’t hurt the cause.) Sarnoff gave us a tour of her eco-boudoir, a veritable Aladdin’s cave of some of eco-fashion’s brightest talents, which she describes below in her own words.

Eco-Designer Angelina Rennell, Owner of Beklina

Angelina Rennell is a fashion powerhouse. Not only is the Northern California-based designer the driving force behind her eponymous organic-clothing label, Lina Rennell, but she’s also the owner of the artfully curated online eco-boutique Beklina, which showcases emerging sustainable artists like Mociun, Feral Childe, and Rachel Corney. Rennell kindly threw open the doors of her walk-in closet to give us a peek into her private sartorial world, which is just as quirky and haunting as her designs make it out to be.