This beautiful video details how The Coral Restoration Foundation is helping coral in the Florida Keys survive.

Watch the below video to see how Ken Nedimyer, aquarist and founder and president of The Coral Restoration Foundation, created his wonderful foundation, and how Lululemon helped get other like-minded conservationists interested in the foundation, too.

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The post The Coral Restoration Foundation Does Gorgeous, Ocean-Saving Work [Video] appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnGratitude is a big deal this time of year. Here are five things that have happened this year (so far!) that I am grateful for.

1. Wendy Davis Secured her Spot as a National Figure

My personal Superbowl took place June 27 when Wendy Davis tied on her pink sneakers and performed a 13-hour filibuster to prevent the passing of an incredibly restrictive anti-choice law in Texas. The bad news is that, as of November 20, The Supreme Court cleared the way for Texas to enforce strict abortion regulations that will close at least one third of the state’s clinics. The good news is that Davis’ attempt to protect the women of Texas made her a national figure and she’s running for Governor. Stand with Wendy!

2. Ash Beckham’s TED Talk Went Viral

Ash Beckham’s TED Talk, Coming Out of Your Closet, is so much more than a talk about a how a woman handles being mistaken for a boy. It is a beautiful take on facing the fear of being yourself and sharing yourself with the world. Since her talk has picked up steam, Beckham has used her popularity for good. She shares inspiring coming out stories of all kinds on her Facebook page.

3. “Orange Is the New Black” Brought ALL of the Awesome

The new Netflix trend of releasing entire seasons of a series at once is magical for a binger like me. This year brought us the long-awaited return of “Arrested Development” and, I think, one of the most socially interesting and entertaining shows of the year, “Orange Is the New Black.” With great roles for women, women of color and trans actresses, I am on edge waiting for season two.

4. Lululemon Exposed

See-through pants led to the exposure of Chip Wilson as a total douche as he fat-shamed women on national TV—and then Stephen Colbert shamed him right back. This brand has irked me for a long time (for eco-washing, Ayn Rand-loving and general creepiness), but I’m hoping that this year’s PR mess will be the last straw for many women. Let’s all set a mantra together, shall we? “My values are more important than a cute ass. I will not shop at Lululemon. I will buy woman-friendly, eco-friendly yoga and athletic clothes.”

5. Gay Marriage Picked Up Steam

We’re long overdue for total marriage equality in this country, but some states caught up this year, including my home state, Illinois. We’re number 16!

To be sure, there are a lot of things to hate on right now, too. It has been a truly shit year for rape culture and abortion—and don’t even get me going on Return of the Kings. But I will save that list for Christmas.

Image: Ash Beckham

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The post Gratitude and Feminism: That Happened appeared first on EcoSalon.

Underneath the inspirational sayings, some pretty shady right-wing ideologies.

Very few people can argue with the feel-good affirmations printed on the Lululemon Manifesto. There are practical directives (“Drink fresh water and as much water as you can”); important reminders (“What we do to the Earth we do to ourselves”); feel-good quotes (“Do one thing a day that scares you”); and inspirational action statements (“This is not your practice life. This is all there is”). Loyal customers of the yoga-inspired apparel company carry reusable tote bags printed with the manifesto, hang the recognizable red-hued posters on their walls, and spread the message across pretty much every social media channel there is.

The Lululemon Manifesto is a veritable viral sensation. But what do the words indicate about Lululemon Athletica and the ideologies underlying its operations? The answer is slightly more complicated than “Dance, sing, floss and travel.”

Lululemon Athletica was founded in 1998 by Dennis “Chip” Wilson, a husky Canadian businessman who had previously produced snowboarding and ski apparel. According to Lululemon lore, Wilson was exhilarated after taking his first commercial yoga class, and he spotted an opportunity to tap into the growing market of upper middle class female yogis. In 2000, Wilson opened the first Lululemon store in the beachside Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver.

The Good

According to Wilson, the company’s initial vision was to be a “community hub to provide our guests with knowledge, tools and the components for people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives.” But after realizing that this vision could not scale, Lululemon refocused its efforts on staff development, particularly in the areas of goal setting and personal responsibility. The company’s vision then shifted to “elevating the world from mediocrity to greatness.”

What does that mean, exactly? According to Wilson,

Mediocrity can be defined in many ways. To paint you a picture, mediocrity is doing an “okay job,” having a relationship that “works,” being just “a little” overweight, or having a job that “pays the bills.” Mediocrity is putting up with things the way they are with no firm plan to change the situation by a specific date. Mediocrity is following a predetermined and unfulfilling path. Most people live in a state of mediocrity. Mediocrity is as close to the bottom as it is the top.

In contrast,

Greatness is demanding the best of everything and doing what is required to get it. Greatness is demanding friends who demand the best, demanding the best wife or husband and the best job with the best pay. Greatness is demanding the company you work for to make the best products and be uncompromising in its promise to its customers. Greatness is demanding the best out of one’s self.

It’s certainly a positive message, one that has resonated with Lululemon fans around the world. The Lululemon Manifesto, which translates the mediocrity-to-greatness concept into a series of inspirational sayings, has served to connect these values of action, wellness, and personal responsibility with the company’s pricy line of yoga-inspired athletic wear. By purchasing a $98 pair of sweatpants, customers aren’t just purchasing a new piece of apparel. They are buying into a lifestyle and a set of values.

The formula has been wildly successful. Lululemon has built up a loyal community of devotees, and it has hundreds of locations around the world. Despite the recession, annual revenue continues to grow, and earlier this year the company was added to Goldman Sach’s list of top stock picks.

The Bad

The words of the Lululemon Manifesto are viewed as inspiring and uplifting.

“Effectiveness is predicated by replacing the words ‘wish,’ ‘should’ and ‘try’ with ‘I will.’”

“Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocrity is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.”

“Have you woken up two days in a row uninspired? Change your life!”

But in absorbing these messages, history nerds (hi!) may discern traces of Herbert Hoover’s “rugged individualism” – the Republican concept that man is self-sufficient and does not require assistance in tough times (like, say, the Great Depression… we all know how that turned out). They may also observe strains of social Darwinism – the “survival of the fittest” ideology that was used to explain away historical events like colonialism, slavery, and even the Holocaust. Contemporary readers may hear echoes of Mitt Romney’s now infamous “47 percent” blunder, in which he chastised people who “refuse to take personal responsibility” because they rely on government programs.

Perhaps most obvious, though, are notions from Ayn Rand’s classic 1957 novel, Atlas Shrugged, in which the author lays out the tenets of Objectivism, a philosophy stating that man’s “pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.” Rand’s “Shrugged,” and Objectivism have recently been adopted by the Republican Tea Party movement to propel forth its right-wing, anti-Socialist agenda. Needless to say, the messages are a far cry from the liberal ideals that many in the yoga community embrace.

What does all of this have to do with sports bras again?

Well, it’s the very same ideologies that underlie the Tea Party movement that form the foundation of Lululemon’s mission. According to the Lululemon blog, founder Chip Wilson first read Atlas Shrugged when he was 18 years old, and the book heavily influenced his “quest to elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness” – a quest that later became Lululemon’s company vision. Last year, the company printed thousands of reusable tote bags with the words “Who is John Galt?” – a famous line from the book – and distributed them in stores.

Our bags are visual reminders for ourselves to live a life we love and conquer the epidemic of mediocrity. We all have a John Galt inside of us, cheering us on. How are we going to live lives we love?

This emphasis on Rand’s ideologies, particularly the “virtue of selfishness,” goes a long way to explain some of the highly questionable actions that Lululemon has taken over the past several years.

Take, for instance, the time that Chip Wilson told a conference of North American business owners that “third world children should be allowed to work in factories because it provides them with much-needed wages.”

“I look at it the same way the WTO does it, and that is that the single easiest way to spread wealth around the world is to have poor countries pull themselves out of poverty,” Wilson told The Tyee, a Canadian publication.

Lululemon has also been criticized for its “survival of the fittest” hiring policies, which tend to favor competitive, type A personalities.

“When we first started, we hired nothing but yogis,” Wilson told Fast Company in 2009. “But it didn’t work because they were too slow. So we started hiring runners who like yoga. They’re more on the ball, more type A.”

In that article, Fast Company described Lululemon as a “cult of selling,” informed by “a heady self-actualizing cocktail from equal parts Landmark Forum (seminars based on the philosophy of Werner Erhard), the books of motivational business guru Brian Tracy, and Oprah-endorsed best seller The Secret, by Rhonda Byrn.”

The result may be positive for sales, if revenue growth is any indication, but it may also be dangerous, as a highly publicized murder case hinted last year. In that case, Lululemon employee Brittany Norwood brutally killed co-worker Jayna Murray after a conflict that reportedly involved a pair of stolen yoga pants. While there is no proof of Lululemon’s involvement in the crime, Huffington Post columnist Stewart J. Lawrence questioned if the company’s policies may have been a contributing factor.

Lululemon is no typical workplace, in fact. It’s highly competitive – indeed, cultish – corporate culture has raised serious ethical concerns for years, and so have the company’s exploitative marketing and advertising policies.

The Questionable

The instances highlighted above constitute only a sampling of Lululemon’s missteps. Manipulative marketing techniques? Check. Racist “marketing strategies”? Uh-huh. Blatant greenwashing? Naturally. Drug-related secret messages hidden on shopping bags? Yup, even that.

Lululemon has been hailed by the New York Times for its successful promotion of “conceptual consumption” – the notion that “what we buy is not simply some thing but some idea that is embodied by that thing.” On the surface, the ideas that Lululemon promote appear to be positive: drink fresh water, avoid chemical cleaners, get the right amount of sunshine, floss.

But it’s impossible to ignore the controversial, right-wing ideologies under these messages, and the ethically irresponsible practices of the company behind them. If I’m going to spend $68 on a sports bra, my money is better spent with a company that authentically embodies the values it promotes.

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Behind the Label: Levi Strauss’ E-Valuate Program

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Behind the Label: Anthropologie’s Made In Kind

Behind the Label: Is Stella McCartney A Sustainable Brand?

Behind the Label: Tommy Hilfiger’s Promise Collection

Behind the Label: Alternative Apparel

Read more Behind the Label here.

Images: Lululemon Athletica, [2]

The post Behind The Label: The Lululemon Manifesto appeared first on EcoSalon.

SeaCell fiber makes the benefits of seaweed wearable. 

We usually obtain natural textiles from the fiber of earth-bound plants like cotton and bamboo or trees like eucalyptus and beech, but who would have thought of using the sea as source for nutrients that  can enhance our fibrous yarns and fabrics? German company smartfiber AG has taken on this challenge of scavenging the blue waters, and introduced seaweed as a material to be woven and blended with other fibers for fabrics that harness the benefits of deep-sea minerals and trace elements.

Enter SeaCell, a cellulose-based material that is mostly made up of the fiber from the eucalyptus tree and processed through the same method as Tencel. The eucalyptus fiber is combined with seaweed and turned into a fabric that contains numerous benefits for human skin. With a fiber structure that facilitates active exchange of nutrients between the skin and fabric, SeaCell releases nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron and vitamin E (which is extremely beneficial for repairing stretched or damaged skin) onto the wearer.

Long considered a healing plant in Chinese medicine, seaweed can boost immune systems, reduce blood sugar, promote circulation and digestion, and revitalize skin, hair and nails. Seaweed constitutes around 5% of the SeaCell fiber, and although the number may seem small, its qualities are omnipotent. Known as an anti-inflammatory that activates cell regeneration and re-mineralizes the skin to protect the largest organ of the human body, who wouldn’t want to wear seaweed fabric?

The specific variety of seaweed used in SeaCell fiber is known as brown algae or knotted wrack, and is harvested from the northwestern shores of Iceland. The obtained seaweed is sushi grade and certified organic by the USDA. After harvest, the fresh seaweed is dried and crushed, then ground and introduced to the cellulose fiber in a way that binds the seaweed powder to the raw fiber.

The fiber is made entirely of renewable resources, and processed in closed-loop methods through Lenzing’s Tencel method, making it one of the most sustainable natural fibers to date. SeaCell has been awarded several certifications, including the EU’s EcoTex 100 standard and the EcoLabel, and is constantly tested for its benefits and lack of toxins from raw fiber to finished fabric.

SeaCell fiber can be blended with nearly any other type of fiber, rendering it applicable as a knit, woven or non-woven fabric. The resulting material is one of the most breathable and soft fabrics on the market, attracting the likes of sportswear and yoga attire manufacturers, as well as markets for sheets, towel, blankets and baby clothing.

The material is currently being used by various active wear manufactures that openly market their use of SeaCell, with lululemon, Orca triathlete outfitters, Adea yoga clothing & sleepwear, and Falke socks & hosiery already on the growing list. Fashion designer Christine Zillich, whose dress is pictured above, has created an entire collection out of the material, showcasing a range of beautiful designs fit for the earth-bound mermaid. So let the ocean feed and rejuvenate your skin to sea and feel the difference.

The post Fiber Watch: Fabric From The Deep Blue Sea appeared first on EcoSalon.

Where wicking and Objectivism collide.

What’s not to love about a company that manages to combine subliminal messaging with a strong social message? Here, in no particular order, are a series of statements you’re unlikely to overhear at everyone’s favorite purveyor of hundred-dollar hoodies.

“Yes, but do I need a separate sweat-wicking infinity scarf for jogging and Zumba?”

“What a coincidence! Atlas Shrugged inspired me to take up yoga, too. Did you know that “namaste” is the Sanskrit word for Objectivism?”

“Well, at least no one’s been brutally murdered in this particular store.”

“I can’t decide who’s more charming, Dov Charney or Chip Wilson. I like them both so much.”

“Of course I love Bikram yoga, but I’ve been looking for something a little more structured and competitive. And litigious. Are there any cults you can recommend? Maybe one with a worldview that links $70 tank tops to personal growth?”

“This sweater doesn’t have enough zippers on it.”

“Sure, I’ve been to other sporting apparel outlets, but I just don’t feel comfortable buying leggings unless I can see the personal fitness goals of the clerk selling them to me scribbled in chalk on a blackboard by the door.”

“Thank God someone‘s brave enough to speak out on behalf of child labor. I am so sick of Big Youth pushing athletic wear manufacturers around.”

“I’ve been looking for something that combines meditation with balls-out capitalism and a murky connection to Scientology, and I think I’ve found it.”

“Do you have this in a size 14?”

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The post 10 Things You’ll Never Hear at a Lululemon appeared first on EcoSalon.

Lululemon’s Atlas Shrugged-inspired bags give double meaning to the Hero Pose.

If you commute, you’ve probably seen women carrying lunch or a change of shoes in a bright red reusable bag with white messages about drinking water and doing scary things alongside figures in yoga poses. This is the signature “Lulu Bag.”

Recently, Lululemon switched things up and started giving out bags that read: Who is John Galt? Many people have seen it and wondered why that name sounds familiar. The question comes from Ayn Rand’s novel, Atlas Shrugged – which is sometimes referred to as the Tea Party’s bible.

Here’s the explanation, straight from Lululemon’s mouth: “You might be wondering why a company that makes yoga clothing has chosen a legendary literary character’s name to adorn the side of our bags. Lululemon’s founder, Chip Wilson, first read this book when he was eighteen years old working away from home. Only later, looking back, did he realize the impact the book’s ideology had on his quest to elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness (it is not coincidental that this is Lululemon’s company vision).”

If you have no information about the book or the author and trust the Lululemon blog, or even bothered to look into the phrase, the idea seems to be fairly benign: don’t settle for being less than you can be. But, at the core of Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism is this, “the virtue of selfishness.”

The bag, introduced early in the holiday shopping season, has gotten a fair share of press. The controversy has been covered on NPR, The Huffington Post, The New York Times, Forbes and many others—even Steven Colbert chimed in offering the company a hat tip on the segment, “Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger.”

Founder Chip Wilson has declined interviews on the subject.

Will this be the straw that breaks the yoga giant’s back? For many, it just might be. Chip Wilson already got flack after being quoted saying he thinks it’s funny to hear Asians say the word “Lululemon,” and has said publicly that child labor isn’t so bad because kids get an opportunity to not be mediocre.

And this isn’t the first time that Lululemon has faced controversy over their bags. In December 2010, it was reported that, for about a year, the bags had lead in them. And back in 2008, bags were recalled when a 17 year-old found a hidden message revealed someplace between advice on jealousy and oral care: ” Some brief or quick-fix incidences when our minds are clear to be creative are….when drunk or stoned…just after an orgasm.”

Add to that the green-washing, corporate manifesto and strong bond with Landmark Education—a company that grew out of “cult” status EST. (At this time, every employee who reaches a certain level at Lululemon is “encouraged” to participate in Landmark Forum training.)

Nerve, quotes one Lululemon shopper as saying: “I don’t want people looking at me with that little logo on my pants or on my hoodie and thinking I’m going home to read Atlas Shrugged after, you know, downward dog.” And a commenter on the Lululemon blog wrote, ‘Rand’s philosophy is totally incompatible with the roots of yoga, but I suppose it makes sense for a conceited sportswear entrepreneur seeking full license to screw over anybody he wants to in pursuit of a buck.'”

NPR writes that while Ayn Rand is best known for her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, “The ideas behind them — her philosophy — have sunk so deeply into our political thought, most people don’t even recognize them as her ideas anymore.”

That’s what you call good branding.

The post Ayn Rand’s John Galt Stretches Out with Lululemon appeared first on EcoSalon.

“Stylish” is the clothing one dons after yoga, yes?  Yoga and fashion have never been soul sisters, and getting busted wearing my yoga pants in the grocery store, hours after class is over, has never been my proudest fashion moment.

No more, says Tobie Orr, Denver, Colorado stylist and fashion expert, best known for her annual Riverfront Park Fashion Series in the Mile-High City, “Lifestyle plays a lot into this movement of yoga apparel going mainstream. We need to achieve a lot in a day, and busy women are looking for clothes that are easy, efficient, and streamlined.”

Georgia Benjou, Fashion Editor of 5280 Magazine in Denver adds:

“Fashion has definitely embraced the sport world over the past few seasons with both European and American designers filtering sport and yoga influence into their collections. I think designers have been able to use core items – racer back tanks, bandeau tops, drawstring sweat pants – to create comfortable pieces that are still stylish and give an urban edge.”

Better yoga clothes are popping up everywhere. High-profile designers like Alexander Wang and Stella McCartney have brought a chic and sophisticated twist to the utilitarian clothing usually relegated to yoga class. This year, the marketplace at the Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park, Colorado featured the curve-hugging Lycra, cotton and microfiber styles of hip yogawear purveyors like Lucy, Lululemon Athletica, and Be Present.

Eco-minded trendsetters will be delighted to learn that modern yoga clothes not only look better, but actually are better – using innovative natural fabrics, socially conscious manufacturing practices, and fewer chemicals and waste.

Canadian designer Eric Wazana makes his Second Denim Yoga Jeans with environmental principles in mind. Not only are the jeans comfortable enough for yoga class (yes, you heard that right), but Second Denim’s new line of Eco Jeans are manufactured using 97 percent organic cotton, less water, and fewer dyes and chemicals.

Natural lifestyle company Clary Sage Organics is on a mission to make dressing easier by providing fashion-forward workout wear with an urban edge. Their thoughtfully designed yoga clothes, like their sophisticated scalloped seamed leggings, or the carefully detailed, corsetey vintage swim girdle, reflect the company’s efforts to “empower people to live healthy, thoughtful and ecologically responsible lives,” and look good doing it.

So go on. Find your inner yoga rockstar, your downtown hipster, or your spiritual diva and sport those clothes to yoga class, and beyond.

Editor’s note: This is a guest post written by Sandja Brügmann. Sandja is managing partner of Refresh Agency, a leading specialist PR and digital media agency focusing on the green lifestyle market [LOHAS – lifestyles of health and sustainability].  Sandja was born and raised in the fashion-centric and sustainability-minded Denmark. She grew up in a household run mostly on solar power by an entrepreneurial mother and an eco-conscientious father. Sandja’s vibrant and passionate commitment to inspiring positive planetary change, without compromising on style, is visible throughout her work. Sandja is a certified yogini, a Danish national team and former Olympic hopeful archery champion and she adores her daily lessons as a parent. Follow Sandja on Twitter @sandja.

Images: adifansnet, adifansnet, lululemon athletica

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