The Discerning Brute: fashion, food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man » eco lux

DB Named 'Ethical Style Icon', 2008!

TheDiscerningBrute — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:24:40 +0000

The results are in! This year, the chic and controversial Joshua Katcher and Chloe Jo Berman who spent the year redefining cool and calling on everything from organic cotton to haute vegan shoes – while calling out greenwashers and animal abusers, were named "VegNews 2008 Ethical Style Icons". Chloe and Joshua have their fingers on the pulse of the emerging takeover of everything green, eco, and completely fabulous. Their manifesto? The new cool is being ethically gorgeous, conscientiously hedonistic, and unapologetically fierce in your passion for mother nature and animals. Chloe Jo's 'Girlie Girl Army - our Glamazon Guide to Living', is a weekly newsletter with 20,000 uber devoted subscribers chock-full of tips on everything from eco fashion, to healthy, earth-lite recipes that rock your kitchen - not your wallet, to the best spots to get Organic and chic clothes on the cheap. She's also Star of the upcoming TV show "Hot Green Girl." Beyond being a writer, green expert, animal rescue gal, radio host, model, online personality, yenta, and ethical fashion expert; she has a built-in audience of readers and fans from years of being a NYC local celebrity; from named NYC's hottest party promoter in her early twenties to being named one of 2008 hottest Jews in the world! What she knows about; pop culture, eco living, cupcake baking, fund-raising, scouring vintage stores, crafting, animal care, and greening just about everything. You are as likely to see her front row at a fashion show air kissing her fabulous friends, as you leading a demonstration for a cause she's passionate about.

Joshua Katcher, whose internet mag 'The Discerning Brute – fashion food & etiquette for the ethically handsome man' after only a year is snowballing across the web, most recently graced the pages twice as the centerfold of Time Out New York's Horny Issue, and was featured in Veg News magazines' "What's In Your Fridge?" From publicist to activist, his mouthwatering earth-lite recipes have entered many a star-studded mouth, and his trend-setting fashion and lifestyle advice geared toward men is breaking down the walls of a largely female-oriented movement. If he's not busy veganizing his bubbie's rugelach recipe, being gossiped about on New York Magazine's Grub Street or voted on as "stripster dude you'd most like to hit it with" on Gawker, he's probably at the farmers market scoping the best organic ingredients, helping Olsen Haus to design a line of men's vegan classic boots & shoes, interviewing the fashion industry's eco visionaries, attending a black-tie benefit gala, or hanging out with some rescued farm animals in upstate New York.

Fresh Friday Finds

TheDiscerningBrute — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:08:13 +0000

1. Military punk. This summer, go for above-the-knee cargo shorts and tucked in, rolled up button-downs like this look from Edun's Spring/Summer 2008 menswear collection. Choose a monochromatic color theme, and accessorize with a wallet-chain, your best-beat up shoes, and a dissenting attitude! This look is easy to put together at any thrift store, military surplus store - of if you're feeling like dropping a paycheck, directly from an Edun retailer.

3. The Loudermilk Man is a conscientious bad-ass. Stay tuned in the following week for my exclusive interview with the Duchess of Eco-Lux herself, Linda Loudermilk.Where to buy.

3. 500 NYC Cats to be killled this Tuesday. Attend the Rally to Save JFK cats. Tuesday, June 3rd, 11:15am- 1pm (Rain or Shine) at Port Authority headquarters, 225 Park Avenue South, between 18th and 19th Streets, Manhattan.

According to Super Vegan:

The hundreds of feral cats living at JFK airport are facing death once again. Today, AMNY reports the Port Authority plans to capture the cats and turn them in to animal shelters. The organization continues to refuse assistance from The Humane Society of the United States and other animal protection groups offering—at no cost—a humane and effective solution towards feral cat management through a Trap-Neuter-Return program. The Port Authority seems unsympathetic to the fact that placement in a city shelter is a near death sentence for the wild critters, most of whom aren't tame enough to be adopted into homes.

Click HERE to find out how else to help, and how to contact NYC officials who can stop this!

4. Tea Boxes from recycled pallets in Calcutta.

Typically in Clacutta, boat loads of pallets arrive and are simply discarded every single day. An enterprising young box-maker salvages old and discarded shipping pallets, strips them down, and creates these unique hand made boxes. Each box contains 2 ounces of tea. For the full story, click HERE. From the'carbon free' company, The SImple Leaf:

5. Vegan Cowboy Ankle Boots.

They "Wayne" and "Ankle Harness Gusset" from Alternative Soles is an awesome, affordable vegan ankle boot for men. The sleek sole, stitching details and choice of two colors makes these boots kick ass. Wear 'em with fitted chinos or skinny jeans - steer clear of wearing these with wider/baggier pants and shorts. Only £25.00 !

6. Artisana Nut Butters are OBSESSION worthy. I can't stop eating the entire jar of the whipped cashew butter - and at a party the other night I was dunking chocolate cookies into the coconut butter. Healthy fats, raw, vegan, and tons of nutrients and protein - what's not to like?

7. My other new obsession is Bikram Yoga. If you ever craved a workout that leaves you feeling as light and clear as air - bikram yoga, otherwise known as 'Hot Yoga' might be right for you. The first class tests your limits, no doubt. But as it gets easier, the benefits come through.

Mottainai: Fall 2008 Preview & Interview with Luke McCann

TheDiscerningBrute — Tue, 27 May 2008 22:07:54 +0000

Luke McCann's mom was a hippie. He says he learned to do a lot with a little. That might be one reason he's spearheading a line of menswear that embraces organic denims, all natural vegetable dyes, organic Italian cotton shirtings, organic cotton knits, korozo nut buttons, and small-scale production in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

"Mottainai is about not wasting anything period..whether it be food, your time, your words, your money...a necessary, respectful almost lost way of life in a time of conspicuous consumption." - Luke McCann

Mottainai is not 100% organic yet, but Luke is working towards that. The name Mottainai (moe tie nie) roughly translates from Japanese into "what a waste", and can be used to describe when natural resources are squandered. The Japanese have folk tales of a Mottainai Ghost who comes after people who waste things to punish them.

I recently interviewed Luke about making clothes and making change. Here is our interview:

DB: What inspires you to create garments? LM: To make clothes that are worthy to cover our bodies. We were frustrated with almost everything out there for young men and wanted to fill in the gap.

DB: Were you always an environmentalist? What does that word mean to you now, and how do you apply it to your life? LM: Well, being born in Eureka, California to my healthy hippy mom definitely forced me to be environmentally conscious, all the time. Now, the word means what it has always meant to me. Someone who has a deep reverence for nature, and as a result, for themselves.

DB: What has the response been like to your "eco lux" collections so far? LM: So far so good! Its not all peaches and cream but the reaction has been better than I predicted. A lot of people are very surprised and happy to see the use of eco-friendly fabrics and low-impact production methods coming from a younger, Brooklyn-based brand. The green movement will only get stronger with time and awareness.

DB: If destroying the earth isn't making us happy, why do you think it's still happening? LM: To me its like when you see Wiley Coyote in the Loony Tunes falling off a cliff and then vanishing - only he doesn't know he is falling. We think we are flying and everything is okay, but really we are falling, deeper and deeper into our demise. I think it will take a lot of educating and as sad as I am to say it, something very, very catastrophic may need to happen to really evoke change that will actually better our situation. Speaking of change, check this out: http://anz.theoildrum.com/node/4016

DB: What role can the fashion industry play in making sustainable = sexy? LM: A leading one, if you create a eco-friendly brand, it must still be attractive, sexy, of great cuts, colors, lines, and texture. After visiting Premier Vision in Paris for the past 2 years, I have seen the Eco-lux textile industry explode and offer a lot of great products that at first, do not strike you as "eco-friendly". So I think soon that will trickle down into the masses. But it may take a long time. Price is still a big factor.

DB: Is fashion more than just clothes and accessories? LM: No not really, fashion is what is offered, fashion fades, fashion and vanity is what some believe to be the destruction of the soul. I think Style on the other hand, is eternal and unique to the man/woman, and as important as the feathers on a peacock or the mane on a lion.

DB: What is your opinion on animals exploited for clothing and fibers? LM: Well that's obvious, animals should never be exploited. Was it Ghandi who said something like you can learn everything about a country by looking at how they treat their animals? I think it sad, tragic, and evil what happens everyday to animals in terms of profits. However, if the animal is honored, the food and products are appreciated and used as nourishment or protection, then we maintain that balance that is missing from our society.

DB: Fill in the blank: In a perfect world_______ LM: ...bill collectors lose their voice and have to call in to work sick everyday.

DB: What is the biggest failure of our culture right now? LM: Our inability to prepare for a better future...and also family life and healthy social living has been destroyed over the past century...but it's not too late to bring change.