Sir Richard Branson has always had a reputation for pushing the boundaries and doing things differently. Recently, he made his mark again, by partnering Virgin Atlantic with renowned fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, to bring sustainable style to the skies.

In only the fourth upgrade to the uniform in over 30 years, Westwood was asked to reinterpret the signature red looks, as part of a collaboration that will run for a decade and follow a decidedly eco-friendly theme.

The uniforms themselves, inspired by 1940s French couture and futuristic looks, will be made from a selection of eco-friendly, recycled and recyclable fabrics, and will be worn by the more than 7,500 Virgin employees. Even the ground staff will enjoy a collection of bags made from unusual materials including discarded roadside banners and recycled brass. These materials are being sourced in Nairobi through the Ethical Africa Program in collaboration with the International Trade Centre.

Virgin Atlantic is also developing all items with closed loop recycling in mind. This new technology takes worn polyester clothing and turns it back into fibers that can be woven again into new fabrics and in turn new clothing.

Westwood and Branson may seem an unlikely pair, but they were first introduced in 1977 by Westwood’s ex-husband, Malcolm McLaren, who Branson knew from signing his band The Sex Pistols, to his label. When it came time to revamp the Virgin Atlantic uniforms, Branson told Vogue UK, “The one person in this world who could create unique designs is Vivienne. So it’s great to be working with her. What we don’t want to do is work with anyone who comes up with a design and just dumps it on the cabin crew. It’s glamorous, it’s stylish.”

A world famous fashion designer in her own right, Westwood has also recently become a campaigner in the fight against climate change. Back in 2005, she set up the Active Resistance Project to encourage engagement with environmental and humanitarian issues. She also designed a t-shirt for the Environmental Justice Foundation for a campaign to support climate refugees. She has made generous personal donations to the climate cause and not that long ago, unveiled her new manifesto entitled ‘Do It Yourself’, which suggests that fashion should be less about the ‘throw away’ philosophy and more about recycling, quality and utilizing key pieces.

In the official press release about the partnership, Westwood said, “My clothes have always got a very strong dynamic rapport with the body- they are very body conscious, they help you to look glamorous, more hourglass, more woman. I design things to help people to hopefully express their personality. I am always trying to find fabrics that are more friendly to the environment – working with Virgin Atlantic they managed to research into this and find more eco fabrics.”

The women’s outfits includes a waist-cinching jacket and pencil skirt, with the men’s look being a three piece Savile Row inspired suit in rich burgundy wool.

Although the full collection won’t be formally launched until next year, some Virgin staff will be trialling the new looks, so keep your eyes peeled!

Images: ausbt

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Billionaire Richard Branson’s energy drink ‘Pussy Natural Energy’ has received hundreds of complaints in the UK. I wonder why.

According to FoodNavigator.com, the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency has sided with consumers in four of six issues filed against Branson’s Pussy Natural Energy including complaints about posters and marketing on the website of the product.

Marketers—particularly in the energy, soft drink and alcohol categories—have always used sex to sell products. Some efforts have been way more blatant than others, but the use of the word “pussy” in a product name takes things to a whole new…bubble.

Complaints have alleged that the ads are offensive because of the overt sexual implications. According to Food Navigator, the complaints against Pussy Natural Energy also include: derogatory, sexist and degrading to women; offending religious beliefs (poster near a church); unsuitable to be viewed by children.

“P-U-S-S-Y” is spelled out in large bold text in advertisements all across the UK with subtext reading: “The drink’s pure, it’s your mind that’s the problem.”  In some cases, the ads claim to be seeking distribution, stating: “Our goal is global pussyfication, and we aim to bring Pussy within everyone’s reach.”

The brand claims it’s done nothing offensive because the Oxford English Dictionary defines “pussy” as a feline animal. So, apparently, they’re not just huge jerks, they’re sarcastic pricks, too.

There’s no question, the gimmick is both an achievement and a huge failure, much like energy drinks themselves. The truth is, we all know it’s easy to find ways to boost your energy safely and naturally. Yet we allow ourselves to be seduced by sleek cans and clever marketing campaigns, despite the deaths and illnesses connected with caffeinated energy products. We’re even willing to suspend our disbelief for a moment and imagine a world of “global pussyfication.”

I suppose there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of fantasy, or carbonation, for that matter. Maybe the real question is whether or not we’re being preyed upon by products like Pussy Natural Energy or we’re invoking them into being in the first place. As consumers, do we really even know what we want? Does it come in a can?

What’s difficult about situations like this is on one hand, there are a few things to applaud: an idea like this, no matter how heinous, is still pretty darn creative. Our world needs as much genuine creativity as we can produce. And, it’s bold; knowing there would be a huge backlash, the company was willing to do it anyway. We need more of that type of fearlessness towards life as well.

But on the other hand, where is the line, exactly?

Is it in being comfortable knowing that no matter how playful or sarcastic the gimmick intended to be, that it will inevitably offend a lot of people, and doing it anyway?

Is it knowing that women and men battle with their sexuality, their gender roles and just how difficult it is to reconcile those struggles, but adding to the objectification of women anyway?

Is it in knowing that yet another highly caffeinated, sugary energy drink on the market will inevitably wind up in the hands of reckless teenagers, potentially hurting or even killing them, and doing it anyway?

Or, perhaps, is it lacking the ability to treat people as more than just gullible dollar signs despite knowing (even if only deep down inside) that we’re capable of doing a whole lot of voting with those dollars, and attempting to take our money under ridiculous pretenses anyway?

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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Virgin unveils the country’s first green airport terminal.

Wednesday, Sir Richard Branson himself was on the scene at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to open the new, fully green $383 million terminal that will house both American and Virgin America airlines. The terminal will likely be the first in the United States to achieve gold LEED certification. (That’s not the only first: Virgin Galactic’s White Knight Two and SpaceShipOne made an appearance, as well. If you’re going to have a green terminal, it may as well debut with a spaceship.)

Global architecture firm Gensler remodeled Terminal 2, originally erected in 1954, thoughtfully – and under budget. The most significant change to the structure is the addition of more windows, lending a spacious, bright quality to the entire space. As Forbes reports, Gensler architect Melissa Mizell says that “the goal was to pair passenger delight with energy efficiency and water efficiency.”

The terminal uses a host of technologies to boost its green credibility, including low-flow faucets in the bathrooms and displacement ventilation systems for more efficient temperature regulation (the architects explain this should reduce power usage by at least 20%). There are also new spaces for art installations and play; partners in the project believe fliers will now enjoy the experience of visiting the airport. The space may be conscious in every way – art, check, green, check, retrofit vs. tear-down, check – but as Forbes points out, there’s no word on making the planes themselves more efficient.

Catch more pictures of the terminal, including art installations, at 7×7.

Images via: 7×7

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Aviation and space exploration suck – fossil fuel that is. Not to mention clean air, and quiet habitat. Can these industries, so essential to global scientific and economic progress, go green? The race is definitely on.

Offering hope, inspiring blog posts and tweets-a-plenty over the past two weeks were the test flight of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner, which burns 20% less fuel than other passenger planes of its approximate size, and the unveiling of the world’s first, commercial passenger space craft, the SpaceShipTwo (SS2) by Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites. SS2 is reportedly more fuel efficient than NASA’s spacecraft.

But such breakthroughs are just the start of what’s possible, in terms of fuel efficiency and other environmental advances, says Joe Parrish, vice president of research and development for Aurora Flight Sciences in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Aurora makes innovative aerospace products, including unmanned space vehicles, planes that can fit in your pocket, and planes with a 500-foot wingspan that can stay aloft for five years.

Working on the NASA N+3 “future commercial flight program” with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), and the engine technology firm Pratt & Whitney, Aurora Flight Services’ research showed, in preliminary results, “that as much as 40% fuel reduction can be achieved through reduced cruise speed and redesign of aircraft,” Parrish reported.

In other words – a makeover and taking it easy!?

“You can’t take an existing aircraft and just reduce its speed to realize these environmental benefits. It’s not a matter of pulling back the throttle. But the redesigned aircraft does not look totally different from the old,” Parrish notes.

The more fuel efficient flying machine Aurora researchers envision (illustration, above) would be designed to cruise at mach 0.72 instead of the industry standard of mach 0.8. It would not have to use composite materials (which are lighter weight and used in the newly tested Boeing 787 Dreamliner) but it could use conventional aluminum and manufacturing technology, while still saving substantial amounts of fuel.

25% of costs for a typical airliner are spent on fuel, studies show. So the environmental benefits should deliver economic benefits, too.

Can the same efficiencies apply to space travel and space ships? As an industry, commercial space travel is too nascent to “go green,” Parrish says. But it is starting with a very ecological-minded entrepreneur, Richard Branson, along with pioneering spacecraft designer Burt Rutan. Branson famously supported and financed the development of alternative, renewable energy and signed the Clinton Global Initiative in 2006.

A report out on Wednesday (Dec. 16, 2009) from the American Lung Association showed “sixty percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air pollution levels,” even with new laws in place attempting to regulate and improve air quality. Every little bit of petroleum saved, and greenhouse gas emission avoided, helps.

Read up on the Boeing 787, and the SpaceshipTwo, and make your wishes for greener commercial and space flight known.

Basic Reading:

“With more than 300 future passengers already putting up the $200,000 for a seat on SpaceShipTwo, there appears to be a strong demand for the rides to the blackness of space…” – Wired.com

“Boeing’s first new aircraft for ten years represents a radical departure for the manufacturer, eschewing traditional aircraft materials in favour of composites, in the pursuit of efficiency and lightness. If the composites, comprising 50% of the aircraft by weight, do not perform as expected, major headaches could emerge.”- Center for Asia Pacific Aviation

“The [Boeing 787] Dreamliner will offer greater efficiency for airlines”¦ The plane [should] use 20% less fuel than today’s aircraft of comparable size, provide up to 45% more cargo capacity and include a new interior environment with cleaner air, larger windows, more stowage space, improved lighting and other conveniences.”- AviationRecord.com

Further Resources:

A NasaWatch blog entry in anticipation of the roll out of SpaceShipTwo, entitled “Big Party in the Mojave Tonight”

A blog entry at UniverseToday that includes photos and a video tour of the six-passenger vehicle, the SpaceShipTwo

A story in the New York Times entitled “A Takeoff and Hope for Boeing”

The official home page of N.A.S.A., the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the U.S. Government

Image: Aurora

This is the latest installment of EcoMeme, a column featuring eco news, tech and business highlights by columnist Lora Kolodny.

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