Isabel Marant was held in the

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Catwalk for Water Fashion Show benefits Columbia Riverkeeper Last week I attended Aveda Institute's "Catwalk for Water" event. It was a followon to last year's "Walk for Water," a 4miler around the Portland Waterfront. It's an important symbolic distance. Aveda's Ryan Loehndorf explains, "4 miles is the distance that women in developing countries on an average have to walk in order to retrieve clean water and bring it back to their families." Inspired by Aveda's socially environmentallybased sourcing agreements, Catwalk Isabel Marant was held in the Institute's Venue Pearl as a benefit for the Columbia Riverkeeper organization.

"This year. Loehndorf explains, "we decided to step it up a bit and allow the Aveda Institute Portland students and local Aveda network salons and spas to get involved in a fashion event. Our industry is fashion and what better way to bring it all together with our mission than to put on this type of event?" I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of fashion, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a playful format, kind of a Pearl District take on Junk to Funk, with looks constructed out of recycled soda beer cans, styrofoam, fabric remnants. you name it. The four style segments were thematic, inspired by Lavender, Rose, Air Wind, and isabel marant shoes Recycling. Lavender and Rose are two Aveda product ingredients that Aveda sources from a family in Bulgaria under fair trade principles. Employees reportedly earn six times the wages they did under the previous Communist Bulgarian regime, and the sourcing agreement has served as an impetus to keep the fields economically productive and employ sustainable landuse practices.

Next up was Air Wind. Under their mantra "Beauty is as beauty does," Aveda purchases the electricity for their product manufactruing from Xcel Energy, a wind energy producer. Since 2006, the company has expanded it's wind energy offsets to include all of it's distribution, corporate business, and Institute activities in its home state of Minnesota.

Columbia Riverkeeper's Executive isabel marant shoes sale Director Brett VandenHeuvel had a good time along with everyone. "It was my first fashion show!!" he exclaimed. VandenHeuvel attended with Riverkeeper staff and several Board members, and spoke between sets, "[Riverkeeper has] been involved with Aveda for several years now," he says, "We appreciate Aveda environmental stewardship, as shown by the natural and Earthfriendly products and large recycling program. Our work to protect the Columbia River and Aveda work to avoid harmful chemicals seemed like a good fit."