• Vegans of Nevada and ethical gambling tourists will rejoice now that there are “dozens of vegan dining options …available at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas, two resorts operated by mogul Steve Wynn, who recently decreed that every restaurant at his Vegas properties would provide several vegan choices. That includes, yes, even the lowly buffet, which now has a vegan dessert section,” according to AOL News. The 68-year-old casino mogul is rumored to have gone vegan recently. Read the full story here.
• Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders is set to launch a line of clothing called Fairground Luck, featuring “leather” jackets, skinny jeans, and cowboy boots – all totally vegan, according to WWD. The line is a collaboration with her recording partner, JP Jones, a Welsh singer – and this leads me to believe (and hope) that the line includes things for men! Discerning Brute pals Todd Oldham and John Bartlett are rumored to have consulted on the line. Full Article.
EDUN, started in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono, has relaunched their website, and along with it, a crucial newinitiative: Grow to Sew. One hundred percent of proceeds from the Grow to Sew series will go to the Conservation Cotton Initiative (CCI) in Uganda, an organic farming program created by EDUN and the Wildlife Conservation Society that aims to build sustainable, organic farming communities and offer farmers a fair trade market for their cotton. This comes at the first signs of peace after decades of civil war, strife, and unrest in this once-fertile, cotton growing region of Uganda called Gulu.
As part of the Pre Fall Collection created in honor of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, EDUN introduces a Special Edition Grow to Sew African produced tee shirt series, which features organic cotton, and bold black and white graphics inspired by the vibrancy of the continent. Included in this series is a “South Africa 2010” soccer ball graphic tee that features the shape of the African continent at the center of the ball.
In addition to this initiative, EDUN’s mens’ A/W 2010 collection is looking tremendous with subtle grays, slate blues, tans, and olive. All fair trade, mostly organic cotton. I love everything EDUN stands for, but I do wish they’d ditch that one leather jacket they offer, being that livestock is the worst ecological offender out there ( and it’s just mean) – and there are so many amazing, sustainable alternatives.
Fighter KJ Noons to animal abusers: “Pick on someone your own size”
KJ Noons joins other professional fighters like Jake Shields, Mac Danzig, and the impressive list at www.knockoutdogfighting.org who have spoken up for animals.
KJ Noons’ 8-2 record includes wins over Nick Diaz to secure the EliteXC 160 pounds title, and a subsequent title defense against Yves Edwards. He most recently won his fight over Andre Amado at DREAM 13 in Japan.
• Someone who loved wood more than words could say? Sounds like one of us. Trees, forests, nature, and the smell of wood is something that echos in the most primal part of our brains. Guys who get down with sophisticated, organic smells will probably love Wonderwood, and being that Jaisalmer is my favorite scent – with hints of cardamon, cinnamon, pepper, benzoin, ebony wood and gaiac wood, I have a feeling I’ll love this one too. The Brother’s Quay, a pair of renowned animators known for their distinct, dream-like, and haunting imagery, have crafted a gorgeous, hallucinatory short film to usher in the new scent. It is screening onthelovemagazine.co.uk exclusively all this week. (Thanks to HINT for the hint!)
It’s sometimes hard to tell when a scent is cruelty-free, so I put in a call to Comme des Garçon’s offices in London and Paris to check if the fragrances would be considered suitable for vegans, and whether or not they’re tested on animals. The Europeans were not phased by the question one bit. I was told that there are no animal-derived ingredients in the scents, and that the labs do not test on animals, but could not be given a 100% guarantee. I am in the process of following-up to get that guarantee, but so far, this is great to know! Now I’ll see if I can convince them to put the leaping-bunny or certified vegan logo on their packaging. Stay tuned.
Pierre-André Senizergues has a Hollywood story. He went from a Parisian childhood, to being homeless on the streets of Venice Beach, to becoming an international skateboarding champion and then one of the most influential and respected businessmen in the apparel and skate industry, heading-up Sole Technologies, Inc. Now, with over 25 years of revolutionizing skate culture, Pierre is again setting new standards and breaking new boundaries with social responsibility and environmentalism. C-PAS is Pierre’s latest personal endeavor, and along with designer Pierluigi Pucci, Senizergues is making menswear from recycled parachutes and tarps, organic cotton, soda bottles, sustainable fabrics, and he is finally addressing the fact that leather can never be sustainable.
I stopped by the Soho, NYC studio to try on some of the clothes, and chat about C-PAS, sustainable fashion, and menswear.
