Green Is The New Black

Caring about the environment is finally in style and it's about time!

Lately, I've noticed that the fashion industry has embraced the cause. Vanity Fair, Domino and Elle Magazine have produced green issues. Environmental lifestyle guru, Danny Seo, is eco-styling celebrities like Eva Longoria and Rosario Dawson for the red carpet. Organic clothing lines such as Edun and Loomstate are sold at Barney's. And, there is even a new "eco-model" who hosts a show about green fashion named Summer Rayne Oakes (I guess you could say that her name is self-fulfilling prophecy).

The message is clear: you no longer have to sacrifice style to save the planet.

As a follow up to my post on Green Entertaining, I spoke with Danielle Venokur of dvGreen, an event design and production company that bridges the gap between luxury and sustainability. After years as the Event Director and General Manager of L'Olivier, a floral design house who caters to the A-list fashion and social set in New York, Danielle launched her company to merge her finely tuned expertise and sophisticated taste with her desire to protect the environment.


From corporate events to destination weddings, Danielle is an expert in green party planning and offers us the following advice:

Design the party you want, then retrofit it to be eco-friendly
You don't need to compromise your vision before you even begin. There are extensive resources that exist to help you achieve your dream while also being green.

Plan Ahead
While resources do exist, they may not be as immediately accessible as you are used to. Give yourself a longer lead time to find and acquire all of the green elements for your party.

Research Local Vendors
Once you figure out your event concept and theme, find local vendors who can offer green products and services.

Danielle recommends:

'wichcraft: for quick and casual catering for the home or office. Chef Tom Colicchio works with small producers, uses green market vegetables as well as antibiotic and hormone-free meats in all of his sandwiches while donating to the Fresh Air Fund.



The City Bakery's Build A Green Bakery: for incredible desserts sold at two locations in NYC. The bakeries were built with sustainable and eco-conscious materials.


Branch: for great serving pieces, house and kitchen wares such as these bowls made of 100% organically grown bamboo with natural lacquer and non-toxic adhesive.



Square One Organic Vodka: for delicious vodka drink recipes featuring all organic ingredients. Square One is the first certified organic rye vodka and uses soy-based inks and recycled papers on their labels and packaging.

We will check back with Danielle for more green tips in the next few months and to see what amazing events she is producing for her clients. To hire dvGreen for your next party, conference or company retreat, contact them directly at 212-713-0013.

In the meantime, keep sending us your green ideas by leaving a comment!

Green Entertaining

This year the Academy Awards went green.

A pretty impressive move for the world's most high profile awards show and decadent after-party.

If Oscar can do it, then so can the rest of us. Being eco-conscious is simply a matter of making better decisions as we plan our parties.

Here are some easy tips for green entertaining:

Invitations
Traditional printing with petroleum based ink creates carcinogens, hazardous waste and pollution. Instead, choose post-consumer recycled paper and soy ink which is made from non-toxic soybean oil. And, when you can, send a digital invitation instead of paper.

Tableware
When you can't use real silverware and glassware, choose disposable products that are recyclable, biodegradable and made from unbleached materials. Whole Foods has a great selection of recycled paper products for entertaining from brands like Seventh Generation.

Lighting and Heating
The event planning factoid, "Every guest gives off the same heat as a 100 watt lightbulb," should no longer apply when you switch to compact florescent bulbs which produce 70% less heat and last 10 times longer. Keep you party cool by turning down the thermostat and using energy efficient lighting.

Food
Support local farms and design your menu with organic produce or hire a caterer that does like Lucid Food. Arrange for a food bank to pick up left-over food and drinks. Your gourmet buffet should not go to waste.

Garbage
Make it easy for your guests to recycle bottles and cans by setting aside separate bins near the garbage. It saves you from having to pick them out later.

Cleaning
If you pad needs a post-party cleaning, call Zen Home, an environmentally friendly service that only uses non-toxic natural products that are not hazardous to the health of your family and pets. They incorporate aromatherapy (which might help with your hang-over as well) and will even leave a piece of organic chocolate on your pillow.

Transportation
Pick a location that is easily accessible by mass transit. Or, hire OZOcar - a hybrid, luxury car service that has a fleet of Prius and Lexus models. Their cars use 70% less fuel than conventional town cars and yellow cabs. Your guests will enjoy the high speed wireless and Sirius satellite radio while you will rest easy that they got home safely.

Purchase
Offset the carbon emissions from your event by purchasing Green Tags from Bonneville Environmental Foundation to support development of renewable energy sources. Another great way to combat global warming while you plan your party is to apply for the Working Assets VISA card that plants trees and donates money to alternative energy groups every time you use it.

For more information on Green Living, check out Treehugger or The Lazy Environmentalist.