S4: Substance, Sexiness, Style, Sustainability

Model, entrepreneur and eco-Renaissance woman Summer Rayne Oakes adds another line to her already impressive resume' with the publication of S4, a magazine-style industry newsletter that gives readers a comprehensive look at sustainability and social justice issues in the fashion and apparel sectors. Subtitled "The Moso Issue," the newsletter's premier takes an in-depth look at many designers' embrace of bamboo as a "green fiber," and asks the tough questions about the environmental and economic impact of this move. Science, marketing and design all figure into the equation, and Summer takes her readers on a journey from bamboo's native habitats in China and India to the workshops of fashion labels such as Linda Loudermilk, Undesigned by Carol Young, and Gypsy and Loic that are finding innovative uses for the grass species. S4 is available to download for free (registration required); a separate, more thorough edition is available only to clients of SRO, Summer's consulting and multimedia company. ::SRO News