Eco fashion has finally made it to the White House. In a press conference held in Shenandoah National Park earlier this morning, George W. Bush was spotted in an organic cotton button-up from Rawganique, while the First Lady Laura Bush donned an organic wool suit jacket from Eileen Fischer. Will wonders never cease!

At this momentous press conference, President Bush discussed his National Parks Centennial Initiative, significant increases in the 2008 federal budget for the National Park Service, as well as some recent changes around the White House. First Lady Laura Bush talked about how her love of hiking and birding with old friends and how that has informed her, as well as President Bush, to finally be concerned about the state of our delicate ecosystem…

“I just want to say how important the national parks are to me, personally important. I’ve traveled — hiked every summer with a group of women that I grew up with in Midland. We’ve mainly hiked in our big Western national parks: Yosemite; Yellowstone; Glacier; Olympic National Park; the Grand Canyon.…the part that I’ve loved is the wildness, the opportunity to be back, far back in the back country, where you don’t see a lot of people, where you have a chance to birdwatch and do all the other things that we like to see — you run into a bear every once in a while, which we have.

Last summer we were deep in Denali, in Alaska, and got to see a lot of birds that we wouldn’t have ever had the chance to see if we hadn’t been back deep in our wilderness. I finally realized-this is it. We can’t drill for oil here in this pristine place. Each habitat that we disrupt with mining, timber, and oil extraction, will displace these birds and other wild creatures that I love so much. I said to myself, ‘We must save our national parks before it’s too late!’ “

Friday is a good day to look back at what was in the news this week on the eco-fashionable front lines. Since we have already covered and re-covered LA Fashion week, it will be almost absent from this post. Here we go:

1. Rashida Jones, who fans of The Office may recognize as Karen Filippelli, along with partner Angela Wilcox launches a new collection of eco-friendly apparel called Laloo. While the styles are pretty basic,(we all need basics) consisting of “swingy tanks, dresses, and layerable tees in the softest organic cotton, ”what I like most about it this news is Rashida’s statement to Lucky Magazine: “It was important that everything be reasonably priced and look great on a range of body types.” I know I am not alone is saying…FINALLY! Now let’s see if it pans out. You can read more in this month’s issue. Courtesy of Ecorazzi. Image Courtesy of WireImage.com

2. What does Sustainable Fashion really mean? Apparently Fashion Group International has the answer and you can pay $25 to find out. On Tuesday, March 25th, they will be hosting, “Sustainable Fashion: What Does It Mean?” They do have some good panelists to inform the masses. Tierra Del Forte is one, and she knows what she is talking about when it comes to organic denim, and Mike Korchinsky of Wildlife Works will be sure to have some good insights on fair trade and supporting developing nations through commerce.

Yes…another “green expo”. As much as I am all about getting the word out and driving change, I worry sometimes that the sheer number of green events, and (lack of quality control at several) can do more damage than good to the new, green mode of living we are working toward.   With that said, I believe the Better Living Show will be an exception, raising the bar by setting a new standard for what people come to expect.  To start with, the event is FREE. Yes, FREE. No excuses. Just go. To boot, they are also holding this event “lights out”, with only task lighting for each exhibit…very cool (literally). It’s happening at the Portland Expo Center, so there is plenty of public transportation available to get there too.  There are two highlights at this event in my book. The first takes place on Saturday, March 29th, from 5-8pm, when Portland Fashion Week, in collaboration with the producers of the Better Living Show, are hosting an eco-fashion panel discussion and installation fashion show. For this event, members of the global eco-fashion community will gather to discuss sustainable apparel design and manufacturing processes and to illustrate how Portland is leading the international fashion community in its quest to go green.

The Green Toe line was launched by Simple Shoes back in 2005. According to Simple, “Green Toe represents our best possible effort towards making things better for the planet.” By my estimates, they’re doing pretty well. Sustainable materials used in Green Toe include organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, jute, cork, latex, wool felt, crepe, and recycled car tires. They use post-consumer recycled waste for their packaging and have won awards for their meticulous recycling practices. Green Toe has styles for Men, Women, and Kids that are funky, fresh, and made for comfort.

In addition to making incredible environmentally-aware footgear, Simple supports its local community and the earth at large in a myriad of ways. Earlier this week, Simple sponsored the Solutions For Dreamers Festival with Michael Franti and Spearhead, ALO, Culver City Dub Collective, and puppeteer Michael McAvene; the proceeds of which went to Santa Barbara’s own Heal The Ocean. Apparently being superstar eco shoemakers is just that Simple.

Wanna see how “Simple” it is to make shoes? Check out their DIY shoe video Stitch It. (You should check it out just in case you end up on a deserted rocky island or forget your shoes at home before heading to Lightning In A Bottle.)

Well, Greenloop readers, you’re lucky I am such a devoted reporter of eco fashion news that I dragged myself out last night to Global Green’s star studded 5th Annual Pre-Oscar fete at Avalon Hollywood. It was treacherous, but it seems I’ll do just anything to keep you in the know.

Ironically founded by Mikhail Gorbachev, Global Green USA works with governments, industry, and individuals to create a global shift toward a sustainable and secure future. They focus on green building (think Brad Pitt erecting solar powered houses for stormtorn New Orleans), clean and accessible water for all, and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. This election year, Global Green USA used their Pre-Oscar paparazzi party to highlight their 2008 theme: “Drive Green. Live Green. Vote Green.” (I guess Party Green is assumed here.)

Photos: Daniel Jackson for H&M

Though, of course, purchasing locally made goods at a nearby Mom-and-Pop operation is clearly the ideal, occasionally an eco diva may have to dip into an H&M for a few guilty pleasures. Well, guilty has gone guilt-free with H&M’s campaign and fashion line dubbed Fashion Against Aids. The t-shirts, tank tops, and hoodies are all 100% organic cotton and 25% of gross sales go to AIDS/HIV prevention in 60 different countries. Adding to the extreme coolness factor, the designers are all incredible musicians and artists. The long list includes Rihanna, My Chemical Romance, Rufus Wainwright, Scissor Sisters, The Cardigans, Timbaland, Ziggy Marley, and my personal favorite, Justice.