Interview with Anna Griffin, publisher of Coco Eco magazine.
(Launching October 18th.)

You’re a popular commentator on the LA greenscene. You’ve filmed videos for Ecorazzi. We met on MySpace where you host some really terrific interviews with Hollywood celebrities and green business leaders. In a few days you’re launching your own new green fashion magazine online… Coco Eco…  It’s a labor of love, isn’t? How did the name come about? Coco Chanel? Who is involved?

Coco Eco Magazine is much more than a love.  It’s a privilege.  I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to do this, and be surrounded by very talented and visionary individuals who’ve made this a reality. 

The name came accidentally.  We were building under another name until we ran into trademarking issues, and to be honest, I don’t remember when I thought of Coco Eco.  It just came to me, and when I thought about it, it stuck.  Everyone loved it, and that was that.  And of course it doesn’t hurt paying accidental hommage to the world’s greatest fashion icon! 

As to my team, I have the best and brightest people in the eco-scene working with me.  They really are mavericks!  My Beauty Director is Emma Pezzack, CEO of Futurenatural.com, our Photo Director is Courtney Dailey who is one of the hottest new photographers in LA, and our Senior Stylist is Robin Garvick who is THE eco-celeb fashion stylist in town.  We also have Contributors like the legendary Barbara Kramer of Designers & Agents, Stefanie La Rue, breast cancer survivor and Founder of SLAM.

Coco Eco is going to bring something new and different into the mix. While the web is rich with green fashion blogs, there’s still little focus on editorial fashion photography, bringing whole teams of designers, models, make up artists and stylists together. There’s a reservoir of new talent out there, ready to become the next generation of trend setters. They only want to do green work, and yet they want to make a living doing what they love. Explain how you’re going to tap into that desire and make it all possible.

Coco Eco brings together all those key elements of a traditional fashion glossy, but paperless and 100% eco friendly in its content.  I don’t understand really why no-one has done it before.  It’s a no-brainer.  Through publishing Coco Eco, we hope to create a shift in how women view media, and therefore inspire a generation of like-minded paperless publicatons.  It’s the wave of the future and where we are all headed!  This is when these new green talents will be able to make more of a living doing what they love.  It’s only a matter of time.

What constitutes a green photographer, make-up artist, model? The role the web is playing in scouting green talent? There’s a green rat pack forming in LA, and you’re right in the thick of it. Can you mention a few of your sources of inspiration? Where do you guys all hang out? Where do you shop?

A “green” anyone is a person who is conscientious in their lifestyle, aware of their surroundings, mindful of the choices they make and the subsequent cost on the environment.  It doesn’t matter if they’re a photographer, make-up artist or model.  And I don’t know what role the web is playing in recruiting green players?  Of course though it makes sense.  The web is a powerful tool in a collective movement, and it is much easier to connect as a result.

Yes living in LA, I am defintely in the thick of the eco rat pack, and to be honest, it’s fun!  It’s a colorful, interesting crowd, and there’s a lot of energy around it.  I think what makes it cool is that it is a really diverse group of people, all with the same commitment to our planet, and we all support one another.  As for where we hang out, we usually see each other at green events.  It’s always the same crowd.

Where do we shop?  Eco boutiques in LA like Visionary, and of course a lot of vintage from stores and flea markets!

We’re part of a new breed of internet eco-warriors who have staked claim to the web as the best means to quickly spread green information far and wide, in a race to save the planet. It’s interesting that while major publishers like Hearst, CondeNast and HachetteFilipacchi are still horribly timid about sustainability in their own industry, only publishing special green editions rather than chance a complete overhaul of major titles, there seems to be many independent green fashion magazine upstarts popping up everywhere, covering all the bases, trying to do everything right. Soon we’re going to completely take over! We must, that’s the mission. Feels like boot camp, doesn’t? What’s the tipping point going to be for the major magazine publishers to finally come around and recruit us?

Publications like Coco Eco Magazine.  Until independent publishers like all of us create a movement, there will be no tipping point. It’s up to people like us to fuel that movement, and inspire consumers to make new choices. Until that shift happens, nothing will change.  We need to create an appetite and a demand, and then more traditional entities will follow.

There’s a sense of community and friendly competition which has grown between many all over the world. It’s a global movement telling us to buy local. Fewer educated consumers today jump on the bandwagon of massive promo campaigns, all buying the same item. I look at Coca-Cola, not a green company by any means, but they only ship their syrup abroad… everything else, water, bottle, sugar… is locally sourced. Because of it, Coca-Cola tastes different in every country on Earth, with a low carbon footprint. Strange how that might be a good model for future global branding. Sustainability is synonymous with diversity. How could that relate to fashion, design, photography, cosmetics?

Firstly, it’s funny you mention Coca Cola as they are also planning to do a test run this November using their distribution network to deliver rehydration salts and help reduce child mortality in East Africa.  It is a campaign called colalife.org spearheaded by Simon Berry.  So they are doing more than most of us are aware of. And that’s the point about sustainability.  It is diverse and has many different facets.  There are so many ways to live an aware and good lifestyle that is kind not only to our planet, but to our communities, and each other.  As for fashion, design, photography, and cosmetics, that’s the fun stuff.  It plays its part because let’s face it, who doesn’t want to see beautiful things especially when life is so stressful right now?  Art is always inspiring no matter its context.  And fashion of course is always diverse and is what sets trends that people follow.  In this capacity, utilising this diversity can be a powerful tool for inspiring sustainability.

Designers & Agents is hosting the launch party for Coco Eco on October 18th in Los Angeles. This aligns some of the top sustainable fashion designers with a chance to develop showcases on Coco Eco. This must be exciting, a wonderful opportunity for a lot of new talent and fresh ideas. I’m keeping this short because I know you’re very busy getting everything ready. Any last words?

I’m thrilled at the honor of Coco Eco Magazine being invited to be introduced by Designers & Agents, and excited to work with some new and innovative sustainable designers.  There is so much fresh and exciting things happening within the green arena, and we can’t wait to feature them on our pages.  What can I say?  Stay tuned!!!

(Photos: Courtney Dailey & Anna Griffin, Chelsea Sexton & Anna Griffin)