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

DB Interviews: Vegan Triathlete BRENDAN BRAZIER

TheDiscerningBrute — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:50:28 +0000

Professional Ironman Triathlete Brendan Brazier is dispelling myths faster than a speeding bullet. He is a superman of sorts, and his empire of books, supplements, energy products and vegan handsomeness is not to be taken lightly - because as far as the stopwatches are concerned, faster and stronger is simply that. I chatted with Brendan recently about being a vegan athlete, nutrition, his new book, and how we can all learn to thrive. Listen to our conversation

WE TALKED ABOUT:

Fresh Friday Finds

TheDiscerningBrute — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:35:19 +0000

Fact! There are 700,000 homeless people in the U.S., and 18 million vacant houses and apartments... Source 1. Turk + Taylor, Spring 09 is looking good! T+T is one of our favorite designers, who we've been following for a few seasons now. The collection is almost 100% organic cotton. Check them out! Also check out their new organic tees. 2. These shoes are golden! Cool, Vegan, fair-trade, and eco-friendly, does it get any better than that ? Jinga was started 3 years ago by two gals who give back at least 5% of sales to a social project in a Rio de Janeiro favela (shantytown) which provides activities and education to children to keep them away from gangs! (Thanks to reader Michael B. for this info!) 3. Undercover Animal Lover. This guy is an ethical vegan who risks his safety killing animals all day and shooting undercover footage so we can get a glimpse into the heavily-shrouded meat and dairy industries. Can you imagine? Read this rare interview with TIME magazine, and check his HBO documentary Death on a Factory Farm airing March 16. 4. This Sunday, March 15th, eat good vegan food and help farm animals! Farm Sanctuary’s Dinner Night Broadway East 171 East Broadway, New York, NY 10002 Sunday, March 15, 2009 Reservations for your party are available between 7:30 and 10 p.m. Reserve your table online at www.opentable.com or by calling Laurie at 212-228-3100. Be sure to mention Farm Sanctuary when making your reservation. 5. One of our favorite organic companies, Loomstate, is having a party at one of our favorite eco-boutiques, Kaight, on Friday March 20th. Get a free Loomstate organic tee with any purchase of Loomstate S/S '09! 6. Person to know: Historian and Activist GEORGE DRAFFAN

" 'Development' is a euphemism, much like the word 'efficiency.' Efficiency within the current system is really about how fast you can turn forests and mountains into wastepaper and soda pop cans. Is that good? If the purpose of life is to consume and destroy, then international trade and industrial civilization are definitely proven ways to speed that up .”

7. Chloé Jo and the GGA weigh in on the myth that leather can be 'eco-friendly' , on the best Vegan Cheeses, and on the controversy surrounding veganizing your companion animal. Watch out for those crazy cat people! They get their claws out! 8. You might need a french terrycloth motorcycle jacket. I'm just saying.... 9. From the folks who brought you EcoRazzi, Veg Daily is Born! 10. Veteran vegan rockers Propagandhi talk to VegNews about their forthcoming album, Supporting Caste.

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.