A simple ‘how are you’ evokes a major answer from Project Green Search winner Rachel Avalon. “It’s been the busiest week of my life.” As one of ten PGS finalists, Rachel has spent the last week doing hair and makeup at Shades eco beauty salon, a 7-hour photo shoot with Courtney Dailey at Environment Furniture, Guerilla Gardening on the streets of LA, modeling in a show at EcoStiletto’s Green Blogger Conference, and mingling with distinguished judges at the PGS Wrap Party, and then…she won. Since then, Rachel’s been to one eco event after another as the “It Girl” of the Green Movement, fielding collaboration requests and doing interviews like this one…

What was your central focus previous to Project Green Search?
I work with clients as a holistic nutritionist and I also have a well-respected program called the Avalon Cleanse.

Did the win come as a surprise to you at all?
Of course! My friends, family, and clients were incredibly confident in me winning, but I’m sure you could say the same for all the contestants involved. I could’ve seen the judges go a couple directions for various reasons and at the same time I knew my eco ability, knowledge, and commitment was strong. So, I guess I wasn’t totally shocked either that I did win. I just felt filled with gratitude.

What inspired you to enter Project Green Search?
I saw the opportunity to have a larger platform for raising awareness around much needed eco, social, and animal welfare values. On a personal level, I also thought it could benefit my holistic health practice, lecturing engagements, hosting jobs, and the book I’m working on.

How does your practice as a holistic health practitioner effect your view of planetary health and long term sustainability?
Our bodies and the planet have a lot in common. So many people are overloaded with toxins and are out of balance. The same is true with the Earth. In my profession I witness first hand how people suffer with suppressed immune systems, chronic diseases, cancer, weight gain, inflammation, and emotional challenges. The body is always seeking balance and will sometimes take drastic measures to try and accomplish that. I think there’s a parallel in what we’re seeing with climate change and a number of other planetary symptoms. The key is to find the gift in the symptoms, whether with our personal health or the environment, and make the necessary changes.

What do you think is the greatest impact you can make as the face of Project Green Search?
I suppose time will tell, but I like to think that I have an ability to help people see the big picture. So often people get swept up or overwhelmed by statistics or selecting various products. In my opinion, when you teach someone the real value of making green and holistic choices that value clarifies what questions to ask and what decisions to make. I always say to my clients that I teach what Mother Nature teaches, balance and variety. When people really get that, their habits change for the better.

Time will tell indeed, as this Green It Girl continues her press junket and prepares for her PGS promise to volunteer with favorite environmental group, Heal The Bay. As a holistic nutritionist and champion of superb health and wellbeing for all, Rachel Avalon is unwavering in the face of her win. “My focus has been, and will continue to be, to help people care for themselves and the world around them by honoring the mind, body, spirit, and planet connection.”

Last Friday, the green community of Los Angeles gathered for the Project Green Search Wrap Party. The PGS Top 10 finalists were all gorgeous, well educated, and talented women. From extremely diverse backgrounds, the PGS Top 10 consisted of:

• Jessica Williamson, Host of Zaproot
• Leilani Munter, Racecar Driver
• Ariel Clay, Global Exchange
• Rachel Joy, Host of Ecopop TV
• Juliana Tran, Eco Student Activist
• Rachel Avalon, Holistic Nutrition Expert
• Erika Schmidt, Model & Environmentalist
• Zion Francis, Model/Actress & Civil Engineer
• Karen Pannocchia, Environmental Science Teacher
• Vanessa Meier, Water Quality Task Force Director for Surfrider Foundation

As the contestants mingled around the room in sustainable fashions by Deborah Lindquist, Charmone, and Stewart+Brown amongst others, the judges got to experience the women on a social level. Co-Creators of Project Green Search, Remy Chevalier and Aysia Wright, got to enjoy the culmination of many months of hard work. For Remy C., child of the haute couture world and longtime environmental advocate, creating Project Green Search was a natural step for the Sustainability Movement. After several attempts at founding a green division at an established modeling agency, Remy decided to go at it from a different angle.  “I brought the idea of a green modeling competition to Aysia, who immediately saw what I saw…and here we are three months later, with 10 finalists and a winner. We’ve been strengthening our relationship with Global Green USA and hopefully next year, we’ll be back for round 2.”

***To find out who the Project Green Search winner is, check out the video above.

The term “It Girl” was first coined by Elinor Glyn in 1927 to characterize up-and-coming starlet Clara Bow. Glyn, a well known novelist and screenwriter of the times, boldly described her new turn of phrase, ‘”IT’ is that quality possessed by some which draws all others with its magnetic force. With “IT” you win all men if you are a woman, all women if you are a man. “IT” can be a quality of the mind as well as a physical attraction.”

An “IT Girl” for the Green Movement is currently being sought out through the Project Green Search contest. Masterminded by Greenloop’s Aysia Wright and fashion maven Remy Chevalier, the contest is searching for more than a green model, they’re looking for “an all around green model citizen.” a quest for more than just a model, they are hoping for more of a model citizen. They’re looking for “the woman who wants to take a stand, get noticed, and align her career endeavors with her personal beliefs, to be an advocate for the environment, animal welfare, fair trade, and human rights.”

The judges are a who’s who of eco fashion and beauty superstars, including Alter Eco host Darren Moore, model-activist Summer Rayne Oakes, Eco Chick blogger and published author Starre Vartan, model and organic cosmetic line creator Josie Maran, talent manager and eco fashion design queen Deborah Lindquist, amongst others.

Aysia recently pondered what role models can play in the preservation of the environment.” Fashion is a very visible, tangible expression of where a society is at any given time…Models create an image that men and women aspire to emulate. Combined, fashion and the models who portray them, present a powerful vehicle for changing, using these mediums of expression to start a conversation about environmental and social responsibility, serving as a catalyst for change both within an industry that has long been callous to both human and planetary suffering. On an individual scale, each of us can use fashion as a mode of self expression, both aesthetically and ethically, choosing to support companies that are responsible and ethical in their practices, and spreading awareness through talking, one person to the next, about the stories behind the pieces we wear.”

If it sounds like this job’s for you, register immediately-the submission period ends October 11th. Good luck ladies!

In the course of organizing Project Green Search (PGS) we have come across a whole world of pageants and beauty competitions we didn’t know about, which have a green twist to them, like Miss Earth, founded in 2001, the annual international beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. They host an Eco-Fashion Design Competition through their foundation.

The winner of Miss Earth UK, Caroline Duffy (featured above) contacted us. She cannot enter PGS in our first year, because of work permit concerns we are limited to US residents. But Caroline is helping us spread the word. She is currently representing Natural Empathy, a new British organic cosmetic line.

Caroline writes:
“For me, being Miss Earth England was an honor! I love nature, animals and our earth is a beautiful place. I’m so passionate about keeping it that way for future generations to enjoy! A competition like Miss Earth means that young women like myself can be heard. On a large scale, we can make a big impact, which is what Miss Earth is all about. 85 countries meeting in the Philippines for the finals showed the world that we can join together and make a difference, we are all in this together!”

See 2008 Miss Earth contestants plant trees with the Philippine Army.

Last Thursday, at Visionary’s Greendrinks in LA, Tamara Henry (below with PGS judge Darren Moore) covered our press conference with her Green T camera crew.

Tamara has personally entered PGS as a contestant, and so happens, works with the Miss America Pageant, helping them go green. You can see more images from the evening on Roxio Photo Show.

In Miami, the gateway to the Americas, Green Fashion Miami invites winners of International beauty pageants to walk the runway, like Miss World, Miss Earth and Teen Earth. Top designers from Latin America and the United States, present sustainable collections. Amy Diaz is Miss Earth United States 2009. She’s from Rhode Island. Miss Teen Earth Florida, Jolie Noelle Schamber is the new Miss Teen Earth United States 2009. Runner ups are referred to as Miss Air, Miss Water and Miss Fire!

See more photos from the show at the Sun Sentinel newspaper.

Everyone loves a contest.  According to  Treehugger.com, “It was only a matter of time before we’d sync up with sustainable fashion brand, hessnatur. We’ve been writing about the German-born company for a while now, gushing about their commitment to organic and natural clothing . …”

See the article here:
Take Planet Green and hessnatur’s Eco T-shirt Design Challenge …

What MySpace did for musicians, Us Trendy is attempting to do for fashion designers and models. Us Trendy (sorry about the name, we didn’t pick it) is bringing self-publishing to the fashion industry by putting promotional tools in the hands of the people.

Designers and models can upload their portfolios, along with blogs and event calendars. Users then vote on their favorites. The cream of the crop can have their designs produced, winning models feature the best pieces in an Us Trendy fashion show, and all winners scoop up some cold, hard cash.

Eco designers, get on this! It’s time to integrate into mainstream fashion competitions and prove that sustainable materials and manufacturing never go out of fashion.

Submissions for the Us Trendy Spring Competition are being accepted now. $3000 Grand Prize…don’t sleep.