By Topic :: Blog Postings by Food :: Conscious Living TV

11.01.10 |Event

The Catwalk Will Never Be The Same

Vert Couture 2010: Sexy & Sustainable With a rising crop of designers around the world creating high-end, environmentally-friendly garments, gone are the days of choosing between high fashion and sustainability. Helping to bridge the gap between both worlds, last week, green TV production company Conscious Planet Media wrapped Chicago Fashion Focus Week with its second-annual Vert Couture eco-fashion show and benefit. With a theme of “Sexy & Sustainable”, this year's show debuted some of the top up and coming eco-friendly, fair trade designers in Chicago and beyond. Profits from this charitable event benefited Chicago Gateway Green, an environmental non-profit dedicated to planting 15,000 trees by the year 2015.

Seeds of Change

There’s a shocking statistic in the city of Chicago: over 600,000 of our 2.8-plus million residents live in so-called “food deserts.” Local food policy consultant Mari Gallagher’s groundbreaking reports on food deserts have helped put our city on the map as a national focal point for food disparities. According to Gallagher, food deserts are neighborhoods where residents lack access to fresh, healthy produce. In Chicago, the majority of food desert residents are African-American women and children.

Guaranteed Green: Chicago’s Green Restaurant Co-Op Sets the Bar High for The Windy City Food Industry

Chicago’s food scene is going green--one restaurant at a time. A destination known worldwide for its decadent cuisine, the windy city will soon be recognized for having some of the greenest restaurants in the U.S. This summer, the Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op launched the Guaranteed Green Restaurant certification program. The Co-op was formed last year in order to provide a clear path for Chicago restaurants to become more environmentally friendly, and a way for consumers to choose to dine green when eating out. The Guaranteed Green program launched with an inaugural class of twenty of Chicago’s finest restaurants, including celebrity chef Rick Bayless’ world-famous Frontera Grill, and local favorites like Uncommon Ground and the Bleeding Heart Bakery. To qualify for Guaranteed Green certification, each restaurant must demonstrate adherence to a rigorous checklist of sustainability practices, including the purchase of eco-friendly food, cleaning products, serviceware, furnishings and environmentally-friendly management of energy, waste, and water.

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The Catwalk Will Never Be The Same

Seeds of Change

Guaranteed Green: Chicago’s Green Restaurant Co-Op Sets the Bar High for The Windy City Food Industry