The most common subjects I speak on include, but are not limited to: Motivation/activism; sustainable marketing/branding; sustainable development; sustainable design; safe personal care products; fashion modeling & body image; environmental entertainment; green-collar jobs; youth outreach, youth activism and youth entrepreneurship.
Check out some of the 2008 Topics, Current Events, Past Events, and Testimonials below.
Topics
- Brand it!
Create strong and effective brands, messages and awareness campaigns that totally kick ass.
Greenfluentials: The Conscious Cultural Connoisseur
A must-see talk presented by Summer Rayne Oakes and SJR Group. It’s specifically designed for those who want to tap into the green luxury goods and service market. The discussion couples market research with a visual presentation to help define the modern cultural connoisseur. Who is this person? What is their lifestyle like? What matters to them? Where do they get their information? What do they purchase? The presentation helps open the minds and the wallets of this elusive consumer and how s/he can influence and be influenced by your brand.
Designed for business professionals across a variety of professions.
Like for Real!!! Tapping into Teens, Tweens, and Twenty-Somethings (TTT)
Most people could spend the rest of their lives trying to pin down, communicate to, and reach this elusive generation. This presentation drills down into the minds, psyche, and lives of the generation that is not often easily swayed or sold. Presentation helps define the target audience and the best strategies on how to reach TTTs.
Designed for boards, business professionals, NGOs, and conferences. A “Youth Communication Panel” is also highly recommended.
- Style it!
From trends to trade; sustainable development to design–find out the latest stories in eco-conscious style and beauty.
ECOFASHION 101: A conscious curriculum with style
This discussion is designed for schools that are serious about implementing sustainability education lesson plans into their curricula. Summer Rayne takes students and educators through lesson plan examples, helping the classroom think outside the box of traditional subject learning and apply lessons to their everyday life. ECOFASHION 101 can also be taught as a special one-day lecture with hands-on, real life examples that bring the design to life. Powerpoint presentation also optional.
Designed for teacher workshops; middle, high school, and college level classrooms
Style, Naturally: The Global Guide to Sustainable Fashion & Beauty book tour (Start date: December 2008)
A fun and engaging talk, book reading, and short Q & A. Style, Naturally looks and feels like a style guide but touches upon issues as deep as forest conservation, organics, fair trade, and poverty. It never overwhelms the reader, however, because it is balanced by a cool, down-to-earth tone; lavishly designed; and contains real girl-on-the-street style profiles and designer interviews. A must read for all style lovers, sustainable fashion mavens, design professors/students, and designers!
Designed for book stores, retail outlets, events, college campuses, design classes, parties, and festivals. Post Q&A + book signing recommended.
Style Rehab + Trend Forecast: Eco-conscious Fashion & Beauty
A look into the current and upcoming issues and trends in the fashion/textile and personal care/cosmetic industry. The talk can be focused just on fashion or beauty, depending on need and interest.
Designed for boards, businesses, fashion brands, beauty brands, festivals, campuses, conferences–large, mid-size, or small groups. Q&A recommended.
Sustainable Development & Design: Operation Africa
A personal journey with Summer Rayne to Mozambique to highlight the a.d. schwarz sustainable development and design project as well as the obstacles on the ground.
Designed for small groups, classrooms, college campuses, apparel companies, conferences, and fair trade NGOs.
- Watch it!
Turn couch potatoes into community heroes through effective media and entertainment.
Get off your Ass!
How do we go from Second Life to Real Life? A look into how we can use new media to engage and empower users, particularly teens, tweens, and twenty-somethings.
Designed principally for boards, businesses, business conferences, festivals, and MBAs.
- Work it!
Reinvigorate the local economy and get involved with green-collar jobs
Everyone looks good in green
Connect to the national, regional, and community movement for green-collar jobs. Talk gives the 101 on what they are, why they matter, who is involved, and how to get started in your community. “The chief moral obligation of the 21st Century is to build a green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty. Those communities that were locked out of the last century’s pollution-based economy must be locked into the new, clean and renewable economy. Our youth need green-collar jobs, not jails.” - Van Jones
Designed for communities, students, college campuses, businesses, conferences, political rallies, workshops, and festivals.
- We’re it!
Take back our future: How Generation Y is solving today’s environmental dilemmas.
Generation Misunderstood
Thomas Friedman referred to us as Generation Quiet , but we really are a generation that is unrepresented, misrepresented, and therefore ultimately Misunderstood. Why are we letting our parents’ and grandparents’ generation tell us who we are and who we are going to be? See what we need to do to rise up, shake the status quo, unshackle the chains that bind us, get our voices heard, and our visions realized. A riveting, emotional talk guaranteed to rile the crowd.
Designed for students and mixed-generation audiences. Perfect for college campuses, festivals, and political rallies.
Don’t Call us “Your ” Future
A call-to-action to engage and empower Generation Y (and the preceding generations) in the politics and culture of our times. An informative, uplifting, and riveting speech that lays out issues that have penetrated the fabric of our generation, like climate change, jobs, and war & peace. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” - George Bernard Shaw
Designed for students and mixed-generation audiences. Perfect for college campuses, festivals, and political rallies.
An Inconvenient Youth
Back by popular demand! This discussion is part of “Summer Rayne’s School for Students who Don’t give a Damn (but will after she’s through with them) ” talks from 2007. A raw, real, and uncut slice of life straight-up. The talk weaves through personal stories and struggles; the path to success; and no-nonsense, no-bullshit information on making a difference in a craze, craze world that often chews you up and spits you out.
Designed for students- small groups or large lecture series. Smaller post-group informal discussion and Q&A is encouraged.
Upcoming Events
Check out the latest speaking events now and into the future.
“Sustainable Fashion and the new Eco-Haute Couture”
Are fashionistas being converted to the eco cause? There is a new world of organic fiber fashion and design for clothing, fiber and manufacturing. Eco-fashion is now into the “new mainstream”. Learn how quality, fit, style, comfort, and luxury can co-exist profitably with social and environmental responsibility. How are new clothing designers using sustainable practices, including the use of organic fibers and fabrics. What are challenges and benefits of sustainable fashion and what is impact on design? How are Hollywood designers incorporating these new products into their client’s wardrobe?
• Mikey Koffman, CEO and Founder, the Gallery LA
• Amanda Shi, Owner and designer, Avita Co-Op
• Summer Rayne Oakes, Fashion model, Discovery Channel Host, Author
• Rachelle Carson Begley, actress and environmental activist and former co-host of Living With Ed
Moderator: Bianca Alexander, Exec. Producer Co-Host, Conscious Living TV
6PM-7:30PM Roundtable; 6PM-9PM event. 233 Park Ave S, 2nd Fl
December 11, 2008 - New York, NY - C.L.A.S.S. Eco-Materials launch + talk
“The Tipping Point: What is the current state of sustainable fashion?”
How has the current economic downturn affected designers, retailers and consumer spending? And how do we create pathways towards change? Featured speakers include: Summer Rayne Oakes, Bahar Shahpar, Dr. Emanuele Bertoli, Elinor Averyt, and others. Co-produced by Showroom Fourhundred and Barbara Kramer from Designers & Agents.
6PM-7:30PM Roundtable; 6PM-9PM event. 233 Park Ave S, 2nd Fl
Feb 27-Mar 2, 2009 - Washington, D.C. Convention Center
“Powershift 2009″
Join 15,000 young citizens from across the globe at the largest lobby day on climate change policy to date. Attend training programs, learn how to lobby your representatives, and make your voices and votes count.
March 24, 2009 - Pennsylvania State University (Abington, PA)
“TBD”
12:20-1:30PM Lecture + Q&A and class visits
March 25, 2009 - Corcoran Gallery of Art
“Style, Naturally” book talk
Time TBD
March 26, 2009 - Washington, D.C.
“Style, Naturally” Official book party (D.C.-style)
Time TBD
“TBD”
1:00-2:00PM Lecture + Q&A
April 30, 2009 - Tacoma Community College
“TBD”
10:30-11:30AM Lecture + Q&A; 11:30AM-12:30PM class visit
May TBD, 2009 - Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School (Jermyn, PA)
“We give a damn”
National Honor Society Convocation + School lecture/visit
A list of speaking engagements from 2005 to present day.
- 2008
October 16, 2008 - The Feast: A Conference on Social Innovation (NY, NY)
“Why do salmon swim upstream? Forward momentum in downstream trends”
We have the ability to create effective and influential messaging through mainstream outlets. Downstream trends, like fashion and media, have picked up on “green” messaging, but it’s time to hone in on the language and presentation to truly elicit change.
Discover what we, as voracious media junkies, should come to expect from the movement; find out how to launch your message above and beyond the green clutter; explore tactics that take sustainability to the next level; and discuss what it will take to build interaction and leadership from your targeted demographics.
9:00AM-4:30PM at Scandinavian House. Details at FEAST.
September 9, 2008 - University of Central Florida Global Perspectives Lecture Series (UCF, FL)
“We Can Kick Climate Change One Step at a Time”
A keynote addressing community and global youth action on the climate change front. Find out what young citizens are doing around the world, the relevant political topics of the moment, where the movement is, where it needs to go, and a young citizen’s role in moving forward. Personal stories from the frontlines included. A riveting, emotional talk guaranteed to rile the crowd.
10:00-11:00AM informal class visit; 3:00-4:00PM Keynote address
August 21, 2008 - SUNY Binghampton (Binghamton, NY)
“Generation Misunderstood”
Thomas Friedman referred to us as Generation Quiet , but we really are a generation that is unrepresented, misrepresented, and therefore ultimately Misunderstood. Why are we letting our parents’ and grandparents’ generation tell us who we are and who we are going to be? See what we need to do to rise up, shake the status quo, unshackle the chains that bind us, get our voices heard, and our visions realized. A riveting, emotional talk guaranteed to rile the crowd .
6:00-6:45PM Keynote address with informal dinner after
August 2-3, 2008 - Udall Scholarship (Tucson, AZ)
“Environment and Capitalism”
Summer Rayne Oakes, Planet Green “resident expert” and founder of SRO, will talk to students about the intersection of Environment and Capitalism.
June 19, 2008 - LOHAS 12 (Boulder, CO)
Be a part of the new green conversation: Meet the Talent and Execs of Discovery Planet Green
Discuss with our authoritative and diverse group of personalities who share a passion for the planet, the innovative ways to engage people of all ages and background through content that’s entertaining, relevant and accessible through multiple platforms, including the Planet Green Channel, Planetgreen.com, and Treehugger.com.
May 1, 2008 - Natural Product Seal Conference (New York, NY)
“Intro to a New Natural Beauty Seal”
Join industry leaders from Badger, Burt’s Bees, Weleda, the Natural Product Seal, Treehugger.com, Summer Rayne Oakes, and Josh Dorfman for a Q&A about the Natural Product Seal for personal care products. Why does it exist? What does it mean? How does it compare to other seals and certifications out on the market.
April 19-20, 2008 - Green Apple Festival (San Francisco, CA)
“Green Apple Festival: San Francisco”
Come by for free music, speakers, and entertainment on the lawn in Golden Gate State Park. Emceed by Beat-boxer Radioactive and Summer Rayne Oakes.
April 12, 2008 - Green Festival (Seattle, WA)
“Green Apple Festival: San Francisco”
Mainstream America is finally aware of the environmental issues we face. Join Summer Rayne to see what it takes to keep this movement real, grounded, and moving forward. You’re in for an upbeat, intimate, flirtatiously informative and slightly off-the-cuff presentation that will cater to the energy level and “spontaneous collaboration” of the audience. Parental Guidance advised.
March 24, 2008 - Cornell University, School of Textile & Design (Ithaca, NY)
“Living in a Sustainable Fashion Industry”
An intimate presentation and Q&A discussion on the sustainable fashion industry–past, present, and future. Talk includes discussion of job market, new programs, and international interest. Short discussion on Summer Rayne’s personal experiences through college and the professional field.
- 2007
November 2-5, 2007 - Powershift 2007 (Maryland University College Park & Washington, D.C.)
“Powershift 07″
Join 3,000-5,000 young leaders working to fight climate change on October 19-22, 2007. Youth from across the country will convene in Washington, DC for a series of discussions, training workshops, panels and lobbying sessions. Power Shift ‘07 will make history and the youth climate movement will take center stage.
October 3-6, 2007 - Seattle Green Fashion Week (Seattle, WA)
“Seattle’s First-Ever Green Fashion Week”
Summer Rayne Oakes will host Seattle’s first ever Green Fashion Week. Join her for a panel discussion on October 3rd led by Seattle Metropolitan magazine editor, Laura Cassidy. Other events include a trunk show, private cocktail reception and fashion show.
September 29, 2007 - Race Against Global Warming (Santa Cruz, CA)
“We Can Kick Climate Change, One Step at a Time”
Summer Rayne Oakes will keynote at the Race Against Global Warming event, discussing carbon neutrality and the steps we need to take as individuals and as communities to help prevent global climate change.
July 13, 2007 - Project Greenhouse (59 Copeces Lane, Hamptons, NY)
“Project Greenhouse Hamptons: Powershift 2007″
Summer Rayne Oakes and Discovery Chef Nathan Lyon co-host a dinner under the stars. Silent auction + informal speech to benefit PowerShift 2007, the first national youth climate conference.
June 27, 2007 - NET IMPACT, The Foundation Lounge, Kenmore Sq (Boston, MA)
“Sustainability Messaging and Design Trends”
A business discussion sponsored by Net Impact and SustainLane. Summer Rayne Oakes will speak on environmental messaging and the way design trends interact with sustainability, human rights and politics.
May 31, 2007 - NET IMPACT (San Francisco, CA)
“Sustainability Messaging and Design Trends”
A business discussion sponsored by Net Impact and SustainLane. Summer Rayne Oakes will speak on environmental messaging and the way design trends interact with sustainability, human rights and politics.
May 2-6, 2007 - Replay Store 109 Prince Street (New York, NY)
“Replay Jeans launches their ORGANIC Collection”
Press and private invite to May 2nd, 2007 party launch. Organic living and eco-fashion workshops + discussions on May 4, 5, and 6th from 4PM to 6PM at Replay’s SOHO location.
May 1, 2007 - Venice Beach (Los Angeles, CA)
“LEVIS 5-01 Beach Clean-up with Heal The Bay”
Join Summer Rayne in Los Angeles to help clean the beach and get the word out about our waterways.
April 21-22, 2007 - Cornell University, Tompkins County Library (Ithaca, NY)
“ECOFASHION 101″
Summer Rayne Oakes will provide ecofashion workships + attend/speak at Earth Day events in Tompkins County.
April 19, 2007 - Hofstra University (NY)
“Defining Culture Through Dress: Individual and Collective Identities”
Summer Rayne Oakes will serve on a panel open to students and the community on sustainability in the apparel industry.
April 5, 2007 - Washington State University (NY)
“A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing: The Incognito Environmentalist”
Summer Rayne Oakes will speak campuswide + give a closed-door session on eco-fashion.
January 9, 2007 - Sponsored by Gettysburg College, Penn Club (New York, NY)
“Food, Fashion, and Fun Events”
Summer Rayne Oakes will give the students both an overview of the industry as well as some basic understanding of how the key elements are integrated and impact one another. In this case the key elements are: creativity (ideas); business side (finance, marketing); execution/delivery (final product/service, sales, and operations). Oakes will take students through her company and how the key elements come into play on a daily basis.
- 2006
November 2-5, 2006 - Grand Sierra Hotel & Resort (Reno, NV)
“National Alpaca Fiber Conference”
Summer Rayne Oakes will make an appearance on the runway and join a short press conference promoting the alpaca movement in the states.
July 14, 2006 - House of Petals (Los Angeles, CA)
“Eco-Petals Eco-fashion Show”
Summer Rayne Oakes will make a debut on the runway with an introduction on the sustainable fashion industry.
May 20, 2006 - University of Pennsylvania, SBN Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)
“Blurring the Lines”
A discussion on embracing young people in an adult world work force while discussing the need to “scale up” entrepreneurial youth endeavors. The overall topic is on Youth, Sustainability, and Mentoring the Next Generation.
April 29, 2006 - Fashion Institute of Technology & Project Emerge (New York, NY)
“Building on Better Design: An Inside Perspective with Summer Rayne”
A three-part workshop focusing on: 1. A personal story on entrepreneurship and following your passions through the toughest of times 2. A discussion on diversifying talents in the fashion design field, and 3. The global and personal importance of incorporating “sustainability” in design with a special look at international designer labels that carry that mission.
April 28, 2006 - Pace University (White Plains, NY)
“ECOFASHION 101: A Conscious Curriculum with Style”
Summer Rayne will be at the event to talk about her ECOFASHION 101 curriculum, its relevance to sustainability education, and its launch in three pilot schools in Philadelphia.
April 27, 2006 - Cooper Hewitt Design Museum (New York, NY)
“The Business of Sustainable Fashion”
A discussion on the business behind sustainable fashion.
April 7, 2006 - Yale University, Wearing Social Change Conference (New Haven, CT)
“A Bird’s Eye View on Building the Better Brand”
An interactive discussion on Summer Rayne’s business for building infrastructure in the area of sustainable fashion and design. From modeling to marketing, advocacy to outreach, branding to consulting, Oakes takes the audience on a personal, behind-the-scenes journey of taking risks in a neonatal industry. Oakes’ work will offer the audience a unique, birds eye view from a variety of her professional experiential perspectives.
March 6, 2006 - Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
“Mainstreaming Environmentalism”
A 45-minute talk and Q&A section discussing how to: 1. Scale up environmental issues; 2. Incorporate sustainability into our core interests and job focus, and 3. Make the concept more ubiquitous in broader audiences. Focus will be on how students may be able to integrate environmental and social concentrations into their various disciplines during and after college with background information on speaker’s work.
- 2005
December 13-16, 2005 - Fair Trade Expo (Hong Kong)
“Ethical Trade”
An informal talk and press conference on the benefits that creative fair trade-based business models bring to economically-disadvantaged communities; the purpose of the Fair Trade Expo, and its relevance for being held during the WTO Ministerial.
At the Expo, Oakes will appear in the runway show sponsored by People Tree, but will also be a representative and spokesperson for Mercado Global, an organization that assists in development and distribution of fashionable fair trade accessories and artisanal crafts to the U.S. market. In addition to Mercado Global, Oakes will unveil the AD Schwarz label: a high-end, luxury lifestyle line of exquisite Mozambican wood products ranging from jewelry to furniture, due out in the U.S. in 2006. AD Schwarz uses sustainably harvested wood pieces and promotes forest conservation on the Mezimbite Forest Reserve.
October 22, 2005 - Terra SF, (San Francisco, CA)
“When Sustainability Slips into Bed with Fashion”
An UPBEAT, INTIMATE, and INTERACTIVE presenation on sustainability and fashion, stuck somewhere between PG-13 and Rated R. “Eco-fashion” is becoming a hot topic on the fashion scene. Model, social entrepreneur and founder of SRO, Summer Rayne Oakes, takes us through “eco’s” intimate connection to fashion, its international appeal, what solutions are out there, and what still needs to be done to take sustainable style to new spine-tingling heights. The talk seeks to show possible solutions to global issues through local action by introducing eco-fashion case studies and her company’s and partner-client initiatives, including an educational program and an interactive web portal. The 45-minute workshop will be highly interactive, flirtatiously informative, and slightly off the cuff to cater to the energy level and “spontaneous collaboration” with the audience. Available for questions and interviews after. Giveaways, exclusive eco-brands showcased - available for purchase, and limited “Behind the Label” autographed photos (25% of the profits from photos go directly to Mercado Global whose Guatemalan cooperatives were recently hit by Hurricane Stan. Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the recent events).
Take a look to see what some people are saying.
- John C. Bersia, Special Assistant to the President for Global Perspectives, University of Central Florida (UCF)
“…It’s a breath of fresh air to work with someone who is so versatile, has convictions and really understands the advantages of fair trade.” [upon discussing founder's involvement with the Fair Trade Fair, Fashion Show, Press Conference, and Symposium]
- Patricia Jurewicz, 2005 Coordinator for the Hong Kong Fair Trade Fair | Senior Associate for Trade and Global Governance for IATP
“…If Al Gore and Elle McPherson ever had a daughter, she may have turned out a bit like model/sustainable business consultant Summer Rayne Oakes.”
- The National Post (Canada)
“RecycleBank is proud to partner with Summer Rayne. She and her company possess a tremendous ability to help people make a connection between the fashion they wear and the environment they live in.”
- Ron Gonen: Co-founder, Managing Director | RecycleBank
“When Summer Rayne lectured to my group of emerging fashion designers about why it matters to be concerned with where your materials come from and their environmental and social impacts, it was amazing to see and feel the energy shift in the classroom. The group of students walked into the lecture quite indifferent, but towards the end of the presentation they began connecting themselves to larger global issues.
I would highly recommend Summer Rayne to any classroom or group who is seeking to expand the minds and talents of their design students.”
- Page Neal: Jewelry Designer (f190) & Coordinator for Project Emerge at the Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC
“Summer Rayne Oakes made an outstanding presentation at our Youth Leaders in Sustainability Forum in Phila at the Sustainable Business Network. She demonstrated a unique and thorough grasp of the opportunities in both the economic and social change/social learning dimensions of this American moment as we enter the sustainability era.
Her engaging presentation style included sharing products with the audience that represented reuse of materials and ethical materials sourcing. While she spoke the audience could touch and feel The Future right there in the room. Indeed, an ambassador was addressing them.”
- Douglas Cohen - Chair, Resource Council; US Partnerhsip - Education for Sustainable Development
“Oakes is not just some hottie manufactured by a team of advertisers and consultants. She’s a Cornell grad who majored in natural resources and spent years writing papers about sewage sludge. After graduating, she decided to take her passions out of academia and into the real world.”
- Vanity Fair
“Summer Rayne Oakes: The hottest eco-model…okay, the only eco-model!”"
- Grist Magazine
