BARNEYS NEW YORK CO-OP, LOOMSTATE AND SUNDANCE CHANNEL ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF NATIONAL T-SHIRT RECYCLING PROGRAM

Donated T’s to be “Re-Fashioned” into Loomstate for Barneys Green Holiday 2008 Collection

Recycling Bins For Your Old T-shirts

New York, NY – As part of the Season 2 kick-off of “The Green” on Sundance Channel, the network has partnered with Barneys New York and the eco-chic fashion brand Loomstate to launch a first of its kind, national T-shirt recycling program. Beginning April 13th, consumers will be encouraged to drop off old t-shirts at all Barneys’ locations nationwide. Loomstate will “re-fashion” the T-shirts (re-style, re-dye, re-print, etc.) to create a new, limited edition T-shirt collection to be sold exclusively at Barneys for Holiday 2008. Participating consumers will receive a 20% discount on women’s Loomstate for Barneys Green and men’s Loomstate merchandise from April 13-27. Proceeds from the program will benefit 1% for the Planet.

Make sure you check out the “Loomstate For Barneys Green” [www.sundancechannel.com] map marker group to find a Barneys Store Near You.

“With THE GREEN, Sundance Channel hopes to inspire viewers to make changes in their lives and let them know that they don’t have to sacrifice style, quality or design to make a positive impact on the planet,” says Larry Aidem, President and CEO of Sundance Channel. “Our alliance with Barneys and Loomstate creates another opportunity for Sundance Channel viewers to participate in a creative and unique program that benefits them and the planet. As the first network to dedicate a primetime TV destination to environmental programming, we are committed to seeking out ways to illustrate that ‘going green’ is both a movement and priority for all of us.”

Designed by Rogan Gregory and Scott Hahn, Loomstate uses 100 percent certified organic materials to make eco-luxe clothing. According to Rogan Gregory,” Recycling t-shirts to create something new and beautiful personifies the evolution and metamorphosis of the Earth. We are taking eco fashion to the next level.”

“There is a fast growing environmentally based fashion movement that we feel is the New Cool. It is redefining what luxury is all about. We must work together, educate ourselves and inform people of how to participate. Everything we do now must have a conscious thought to it. Thinking, walking and talking and with the flag of intention to create beauty through fashion in a more organic, restorative way is the future.” says Julie Gilhart, Senior Vice-President, Fashion Director of Barneys New York.

The recycling program will kick off with two exclusive VIP events at Barneys New York flagship locations: Los Angeles on April 15th with a special performance by She & Him, featuring Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward and New York City on Earth Day, April 22nd with an exclusive performance by British singing sensation & Geffen recording artist Kate Nash. DJ Paul Sevigny to provide music at both events.

THE GREEN is presented by Lexus Hybrid Living and Citi Smith Barney.

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About Barneys New York
Barneys New York (“Barneys”), www.barneys.com, is a New York-based luxury retailer founded in 1923, with flagship stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, San Francisco and Las Vegas. Barneys New York also operates two smaller regional stores, and fifteen Barneys CO-OP stores with three more to open in 2008. The quintessential New York store is easily recognized by its bright red awnings, iconic black shopping bag, and innovative window displays engineered by its Creative Director, Simon Doonan.

About Loomstate for Barneys Green
Loomstate for Barneys Green is a partnership and commitment between Barneys New York and Loomstate to create sexy, stylish and eco-friendly collections. Loomstate is a fashion brand with sustainable development goals, focused on the cultivation and use of environmentally sensitive materials, primarily 100% organic cotton. Barneys New York is the leader in premium taste and luxury fashion retail.

1% For the Planet
Loomstate and Barneys New York will donate a percentage of their Loomstate for Barneys Green business to One Percent for the Planet. One Percent for the Planet is an alliance of companies that recognize the true cost of doing business and donates 1% of their sales to environmental organizations worldwide. The beneficiary of the Loomstate for Barneys Green label is the Organic Exchange, a unique resource for companies interested in the cultivation and sourcing of certified organic cotton.

For more information contact:
LaForce + Stevens
Venessa Correa
venessa@lsagency.com
212.242.9353 ext 184

In this post, you will learn about Collin Dunn, who will be the primary writer for the Treehugger Blog on Sundance Channel. Collin Dunn has been working at Treehugger.com for a few years and has distinguished himself as an educator and motivator in the environmental movement.

Collin Dunn is a sustainability enthusiast based in Seattle, WA. He really digs modern design, music and pop culture, and believes that they all have a place in our greener world and are a great way to engage a mainstream audience in a greener lifestyle. Over at TreeHugger, he most often writes about ideas and products that can help us all be a little greener and live a little better without sacrificing looks, design and personal style. He figures if we’re going to change the world, we might as well like the way things look while doing it. Collin’s sustainable heroes include the Eames brothers, Rogan Gregory, and Bill McDonough; they’ve all helped show the world that green can be hip, cool and sexy. When it comes to apparel, he believes that organic cotton feels better; with food, he thinks that there’s nothing like fresh basil from your local farmer’s market, and that organic food tastes better when you prepare it yourself. Collin also thinks everyone should see An Inconvenient Truth, and that you should ride your bike to the movie store to rent it. He believes in human ingenuity and the power of positive thinking, that the democratic process works when everyone engages in it, and that we should all vote with our dollars. He doesn’t think there is any reason to take ourselves too seriously all of the time. He knows that no one is perfect, and that’s okay.

When he isn’t blogging about these ideas, Collin daydreams of a sustainable future while feasting on indie rock and sipping java from independent coffee shops. He makes a mean paella, prefers pinot noir from the Willamette Valley and doesn’t mind walking in the rain.

Collin believes everyone can do something every single day to make the world a better place.