The Friday Five, Vol. 17

A weekly roundup of EcoSalon’s top stories.

As one of the most sustainable cities in the U.S., it’s not hard to fall in love with Austin. In fact, the love is so strong that 1,500 people move there weekly. In Austin: Texas’ Most Sustainable Oasis, our new EcoSalon writer, Shira Levine tackles all the reasons why people do consider it an oasis and what her own trek was like while there recently.

Since 1995, Japanese artist SASAKI has been creating portraits from human heartbeats, which he does by spraying a steady stream of paint to the sound of beating hearts. HeARTbeat columnist Dominique Pacheco writes in HeARTbeat: Sasaki connects with heartbeat Portraits, “What can one expect from a live Heartbeat event? During a recent 6-day workshop, Sasaki gave us a taste by creating ‘Heartbeat Portraits’ of 139 participants. A pulse monitor was attached to the finger of each individual and the measured signal was output as audio in real time through a set of speakers – the sound and rhythm echoing and reverberating throughout the space.” The result is a multi-sensory experience unique to all involved.

In Part 3 of The Post-Recession Fashion Industry: A Return To Nature, we again look at how the fashion industry is emerging from its cocoon post-recession, a changed sector where consumers are more cautious, manufacturers are on their toes and designers are struggling to stay afloat doing business as usual. In this five-part series, we take a hard look at the fashion world, speaking with industry leaders, luminaries and experts. This week we asked: Now more than ever, is eco-fashion inextricably linked to conscious connections with land and place?

This week marked the summer solstice, and if there’s any place that knows how to celebrate this time of year, it’s Sweden. Foodie Underground columnist Anna Brones writes: “Its northern latitude makes the winters dark and long and the summers light and short, which means there’s plenty of reason to celebrate the official start to the summer season which kicks off at midsommar.”

In Foodie Underground: Celebrating Midsommar, we learn all about this Swedish food fest and even learn a few recipes.

EcoSalon Senior Editor Kathie Butler writes, “If you are an American woman who decides to get married, you will likely change your name. In fact, three million American women do so every year, roughly encompassing the 90 percent of women entering matrimonial bliss. This leaves the 10 percent of women who decided to keep their birth surnames, or the men who decide to change their own, navigating an interesting cultural landscape.” In 7 Reasons Married Women Keep Their last Names, Butler makes us reflect on the history of how this whole tradition even started.

 


Amy DuFault

Amy DuFault is a conscious lifestyle writer, consultant and fashion instigator. She resides in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.