your conscious life
GREEN LIVING September 2021
greenlivingmag.com
Empowering Women Through Fashion & Textiles Meet Susan Hull Walker The True Cost of Clothing Do you know how much it’s worth? BREAKING NEWS
The Bangladesh Accord Protecting garment and textile workers worldwide
Sustainable Bridal Fashions Sophie et Viola Couture
US $4.99
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CONTENTS
September 2021 GOOD
16 Earth Gives 18 “The True Cost” of a $4 Shirt 20 The Bangladesh Accord Renewal One woman's mission to give back The harm behind fast fashion
Protecting garment and textile workers worldwide
Champion, 22 Green Joanna Deshay
One ASU professor and fashion designer's advocacy through fashion
STYLE
26 The New Romantics
Sophie et Viola creates sustainable bridal fashions
28 Meet ThredUP Resale over retail
SAVOR
44 Summer Recipes 46 Hayden Flour Mills From favorite restaurants
A new generation maintains ancient grains
30 FEATURES
30
34
Why Sustainable Fashion Is More Expensive
Empowering women and preserving the traditions of textile
What to wear that will make a difference
36 For All Things EV, Arizona is Hot 40 Retro Clothing, Vintage Vibe Vintage looks on location at Hotel Palomar
Arizona generates a lot of attention from EV industry
On the cover: Clothing featured from www.IBUMovement.com Photo courtesy IBUMovement/IBUFoundation.
GR E E N L I V I N G
50 Queen Creek 54 Yoga Tourism
Sustainability as second nature Spirituality and Yoga in Rishikesh, India
DESIGN
Elevating Artisan Women, Fashioning Global Change
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56 KARMA Residences
Bringing smart, modern living to North Central Phoenix
TECHNOLOGY
58 A Partnership for Change
Footprint to create zero waste arena
IN EVERY ISSUE
8 8 10 12 14 60 62 64
Editor’s Note Contributors On the Web What’s Hot Cool Outrageous Stuff She’s Green, He’s Green Green Scenes Final Word
architecture
l if es t y le
inspiring living
a r c h i t e c t u r e your l i f e s thome. y le Reimagining
inspiring living 6900 east camelback road suite 400 scottsdale, arizona 85251 P 602 604 2001 F 480 874 7084 www.candelariadesign.com
EDITOR'S
Note
Contributors
Meet some of our contributors! This month, we asked them… Have you ever shopped in a consignment store before? And if so, what was your greatest find? Welcome to the September issue of Green Living magazine, where fashion has become our passion for the month. As the new Managing Editor, it gives me great pleasure to be a part of this amazing team of eco-conscious colleagues. Our mission is to deliver impactful and interesting information that will allow you to become more aware of how we can protect our environment and sustain a healthier lifestyle. I would also like to introduce you to our new Assistant Editor, Anna Dorl. I am so proud and grateful to have her on our team.
I love fashion. My whole life, I have always looked forward to September — when the temperatures begin to cool down and the new season of clothing would arrive in the stores. It would mean that my mother would take me shopping to get a whole new wardrobe for school. But I remember, however, that it was my uncle who taught me to look at and feel the fabrics, making sure that I was purchasing good quality clothing that would last a long time. During that time, sustainable fashions or fabrics were not words in my vocabulary. The closest I would come to anything recycled was my grandmother’s collection of costume jewelry — hand-me-downs that her friends would give her and she would color-coordinate with her outfits. The collection was rather extensive, as her baubles were tucked away in a six-drawer dresser, filled to the brim.
Karen Langston, Writer Karen Langston is a Virtual Holistic Nutritionist and Orthomolecular practitioner. She lives full-time in a Luxury Motorcoach travelling North America, earthing and living as sustainably as possible with her husband and two cats. “I have been thrifting in consignment shops long before it was trendy! My greatest find was a sweater that had two rings each worth over $2,000 pinned into the underarm. I would have to say that was the best $4.00 sweater I ever bought!"
This month, we are featuring articles on fashion, the industry of fashion and a foundation that is doing its part to support global artisans and the beautiful textiles they create. After interviewing Susan Hull Walker of IBU Movement and IBU Foundation, I too wanted to participate in helping to empower women and give back. I am honored to share their story with you. Storytelling is powerful, and it’s through those stories that we are able to learn and grow, and become inspired and motivated to make changes within our own lives. As I look forward to sharing more stories, I leave you with this: Each of us can make a difference, and together, we can effect change.
Anna Dorl, Assistant Editor Anna Dorl is the new Assistant Editor for Green Living Magazine. She is a recent graduate from Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia and majored in Communication Studies.
Carol
With gratitude,
Carol Kahn
Managing Editor Instagram: @carol_kahn
Photo by Gary Glenn Portraits
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“I’m a huge fan of consignment stores! You never know what you might find. My best finds include a pair of cream linen Madewell pants and a classic 90s-looking skateboard in perfect condition with beautiful purple and blue dragon art on the deck.”
your conscious life
GREEN LIVING greenlivingmag.com
PUBLISHER Dorie Morales MANAGING EDITOR Carol Kahn VP OF OPERATIONS Diana Vowels ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Sly Panda Design GRAPHIC DESIGN & SOCIAL MEDIA Victoria Klotz ASSISTANT EDITOR Anna Dorl COPY EDITOR Michael Ziffer
CONTRIBUTORS Adrianna Bachmann David M. Brown Jennifer Burkhart John Burkhart Deepak Chhabra, PhD Amanda Hooten
Karen Langston Maja Peirce Mary Stanger Elaina Verhoff Kyley Warren
EDITORIAL INTERNS Cassidy Reich Maja Peirce
MARKETING ASST. INTERN Maja Peirce
SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN Samantha Parker ADVERTISING Julie Baum - julie.b@greenlivingmag.com Jayne Hayden - jayne.h@greenlivingmag.com Dorie Morales - sales@greenlivingmag.com
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480.840.1589 • www.greenlivingmag.com 13845 N Scottsdale Rd, Ste. 201, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 Please recycle this magazine Green Living magazine is a monthly publication by Traditional Media Group, LLC. Periodical rate postage paid at Scottsdale, AZ. Publisher assumes no responsibility for contributed manuscripts, editorial content, claims, reviews, photographs, artwork or advertisements. The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the company or official policies. Entire contents © 2020 Traditional Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of content in any manner without permission by the publisher is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in signed columns and articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Submissions will not be returned unless arranged to do so in writing. One print subscription is $25 per year or digital subscription is $12 per year. Canadian orders please add $13 per year for shipping and handling. International orders add $22 per year for shipping and handling. Bulk and/or corporate rates available. No representation is made as to the accuracy hereof and is printed subject to errors and omissions. Green Living magazine is printed on recycled paper.
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ON THE
Web
This month on greenlivingmag.com and social media. /greenlivingmagaz
@greenlivingaz
@greenlivingaz
@greenlivingaz
STYLE
DESIGN
STYLE
Aziza Handcrafted Jewelry
Optima, Inc. Pioneers the Future of Natural Development Design
Swimwear Made Sustainably—and for All Body Types
Driven by creativity, ingenuity, and a passion for nature, Optima, Inc. is pushing the limits of innovation in the architectural design industry with their one-of-a-kind environmental living spaces.
After Kayla Bell realized she was not the only woman looking for a suit that didn’t involve sacrificing style for comfort or vice versa, Arrow + Phoenix Swimwear was born.
Aziza Abdullah-Nicole, an artist and jewelry designer based in Brooklyn, has been inspired by history and heritage to craft a unique conglomeration of pieces to express the experience of Black womanhood.
Dorie Morales, publisher of Green Living magazine, interviews Val Timin—localist, environmentalist, entrepreneur and co-founder of zero waste shop, Cero, based in Tucson—on Instagram Live.
Green Living’s Recap of Plastic Free July dives into the harm that plastic brings to the planet and what we can do to help. Learn some easy alternatives to using single-use plastic products.
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WHAT’S
Hot
UpCircle Beauty
Cariuma Sustainable Sneakers
This sustainable brand capitalizes on the idea that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. By utilizing old coffee grounds and chai tea blends, the company upcycles natural ingredients that provide beauty benefits. After being founded in the U.K. by brother-sister team William and Anna Brightman, they’re finally bringing their worldchanging ideas across the pond. UpCircle Beauty is launching some of their selected products in the U.S., which is available for purchase online and in Ulta stores.
Cariuma sneakers are made entirely from raw materials such as bamboo, natural rubber, organic cotton, sugar cane, cork, mamona oil, recycled PET, leather, suede, recycled paper and Bluesign-certified chemicals. They aim to empower conscious consumers to buy quality over quantity by embracing personal style over status-quo trends. They maintain ethical factories and employ a strict code of conduct in their day-to-day operations. Using eco-textiles and ensuring their workers are properly treated, Cariuma aims to make your carbon footprint a bit smaller with their sneaker brand, and encourages you to remember that good things take time.
Veja Sustainable Sneakers With most mainstream sneaker brands, 70% of revenue goes towards advertising and marketing, whereas only 30% goes into materials and the people who make them. A favorite French sneaker brand of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton, Veja began by trying to redesign this business model by reallocating all advertising resources into production. The soles of their shoes are made from 40% natural rubber sourced in Brazil. For textiles, they source organic agroecological cotton from a small cooperative of 35 producers supported by an NGO in northern Brazil, and since 2005, they have incorporated B-mesh, a fabric made of plastic water bottles. With a passion for fashion, transparency, Fair Trade efforts and climate justice, Veja is taking one step at a time to revise the sneaker industry.
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KADA Headed by Kassia Davis, an entrepreneur from Boston, KADA is changing the landscape of sustainable fashion. After working at New Balance for a decade, Davis knows the ins and outs of the fashion industry, and she noticed a need for staple clothing that is made with sustainable and ethical practices. As a result, KADA was born, with dual focuses on sustainability and female empowerment that Davis hopes will drive the world of fashion forward. KADA garments are made in the U.S. from materials that are either sustainably produced, salvaged or surplus items.
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STUFF Outrageous
COOL
A Conscious Closet
1
1 Layer Responsibly Many retail shoppers recognize Gap as a leading icon for casual American style, but there’s a greater environmental mission behind these popular wardrobe options. This lightweight puffer jacket is made with 100% recycled nylon, reducing waste while still achieving the same comfortable quality buyers have come to expect. The stitches also tell a story of empowerment; the jacket is produced in a factory where women learn life and career skills as part of the company’s P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement) program. Gap makes it easy for shoppers to spot their sustainable products – look for the globe logo at the bottom of the picture and rest assured that your selected piece is responsibly made. You can stay warm this fall and feel a little fuzzy on the inside, too - $98 at www.gap.com.
2 Head for Cleaner Oceans Patagonia is using its apparel to fight ocean plastic. Their classic mid-crown trucker hat features a brim made with NetPlus®, a material created from 100% recycled fishing nets collected from fishing communities in South America. Reusing discarded fishing nets keeps a dangerous pollutant out of the ocean and protects the marine life it could otherwise trap or harm. The material used on the front of that hat is organic cotton, supporting healthy ecosystems by reducing water usage, pesticides and carbon emissions in its growth and production. The hat is Fair Trade Certified™ sewn. Patagonia promises their Ironclad Guarantee on everything they make, which means they encourage customers to return their unsatisfactory products for repair, replacement or refund to prevent unnecessary fashion waste. Better yet, they will give used products a second life through their Worn Wear shop, where customers can shop resale items. Sport this hat proudly on your next outdoor adventure and know you’re a friend to the environment - $ 35 at www.patagonia.com.
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3 See the Impact Ready to shop local? Redemption Market is an ethical boutique out of Phoenix, AZ, where they strive for every purchase to make a difference. By partnering with change-making businesses, they can spotlight great products that make both positive social and environmental impacts. Blue Planet Eco Eye-Wear makes these polarized sunglasses, constructed from 60-75% recycled & reprocessed materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or oceans. The brand also donates a pair of corrective glasses for every pair sold to a person in need. Redemption Market takes pride in selecting brands like these that support a medley of criteria to ensure the product is beneficial to our world and the environment. Find them at the Downtown Phoenix Farmers Market, The Merchantile of Scottsdale, or various pop-up events throughout the year. Try these sunglasses on and see how you can shop for a cause - $45 at www. redemptionmarket.com.
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4 Walk Naturally The dedicated people behind Saola Shoes recognize that producing textiles is one of the highest-polluting industries in the world. When it comes to making shoes, they’re determined to rewrite the story. These Men’s Cannon Vegan Sneakers are making an impact by utilizing natural and recycled materials while maintaining pristine style and comfort. The upper portion of the sole is made up of 3 recycled plastic bottles and tied with 100% organic cotton laces, while the insole contains 100% natural cork, harvested algae foam and EVA. Through their production and choice of materials, 11 gallons of clean water return to the environment per pair of shoes created. Named after beloved Cannon Beach in Oregon, Saola Shoes wants to remind us of the natural beauty all around us that needs our help to preserve it for generations to come. These shoes bring new meaning to taking a step in the right direction! - $89.95 at www.saolashoes.com.
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5 Do Good in Denim
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Universal Thread Co, a brand under the Target umbrella, is committed to creating products that align with people and the planet. These skinny high-rise jeans incorporate recycled plastic bottles in the pockets and meet the standards for being Fair Trade Certified. This designation proves that producing the product, in turn, promotes community development, environmental protection and healthy working conditions. The brand is also using more sustainably sourced cotton and recycled polyester across its versatile line of products, committing to sourcing enough sustainable materials this year to equal seven million pairs of jeans and almost seven million t-shirts. Slide into these jeans and make sustainability part of your everyday style - $24.99 at www.target.com.
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Community
Earth Gives
Building a living ecosystem of caring citizens BY ANNA DORL
I
“I call it my Little Green Engine that Could,” says Rhonda Bannard, the one-woman powerhouse behind Earth Gives. EarthGives.org is Bannard’s brainchild, conceived as the result of a lifetime of wanting to make a difference by bringing together like-minded people. Before it was an expansive website or a downtown revitalization concept, Earth Gives was an ambitious idea. Its ultimate intention? Gathering individuals behind a common cause.
“My backstory frames this story,” Bannard says, regarding how Earth Gives came to be. Originally from Canada, she lived in Phoenix for years and eventually graduated from the University of Arizona with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Radio and TV. Eventually, Bannard found herself drawn
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away from the world of television and instead became interested in working with Arizona nonprofits with her now ex-husband. “For the last 20 years, I’d been consulting with nonprofits predominantly,” she says. “[I realized that] nonprofits need help with fundraising. I always pay attention to a lot of things and connect the dots, and I’ve often been ahead of the curve.” Describing it as a blessing and a curse, she recalled being voted Most Spirited when she was in high school. “I love
people rallying together for a common cause, and I got to thinking. How come we only come together when a sports team’s doing something?” Bannard became a marketing manager for the downtown Phoenix partnership and was tasked with revitalizing the downtown area. She began to conceptualize a physical location in a local and sustainable setting where people could gather together under a common cause. “The whole concept of it was a community gathering space in the core of downtown. [I thought], our downtown isn’t doing what it needs to do,” she says of what Phoenix looked like a few years ago. “Why don’t I do something about it?” Bannard worked for about six years on this particular idea, meeting with hundreds of people in the Valley and conducting focus groups with diverse communities. She eventually fixed her eyes on a building owned by the City of Phoenix. After gaining support from the city council, it looked like her vision would come to fruition in 2018. But at the last minute, she lost the building, forcing her to go back to the drawing board with Earth Gives. Eventually, Bannard began to consider creating a website that could serve as that community she was so desperately trying to create. “How do we bring people together? We start with nonprofits,” she says. And EarthGives.org was born. The ultimate intention behind it was to bridge the gap between important causes and people looking to make a difference by connecting them with nonprofit organizations. Bannard considered creating a Giving Day platform that would “message in a way that provokes outcomes” in a manner that was proven to work. Now, Bannard is counting down the days until the first annual Earth Gives Day on Oct. 7, 2021. It’s set to become a yearly giving day to advance environmental nonprofits through a day of donations and financial support. “This is rooted in my concern for our future and my kids’ future and our world,” Bannard says regarding her journey with Earth Gives. “I’m devoted to this, as long as I can be, to do one little something in the world.” Regardless of its current form, the mission behind Earth Gives continues to live on. “The point is to utilize a proven tool as an entry point around the most pressing issue of our time,” says Bannard. “Thoughtful messaging – that’s what we’re building towards and thinking about.”
every door opens a new opportunity habitatcaz.org half-page ad Green Living Sept 2021.indd 1 SEPTEMBER
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Documentary
“The True Cost” of a $4.00 Shirt Is it worth the price we pay? BY KAREN LANGSTON
D
Do you love a good cheap fashion find? I used to, until I noticed my clothing constantly ripping or developing tiny holes within weeks of casual wear. I would toss items of clothing because the price to repair them was more than just getting another one. Have you ever experienced this? Decades ago, North American companies shifted production offshore, where environmental regulations are little to nonexistent, and textile and garment workers earn meager wages. Clothing became massively cheaper, allowing for fresh styles, with the average shopper purchasing clothing every five days. Yearly, we are tossing 11.9 million tons of clothing, more than a 750 percent increase since 1960. Similar to the speed and quality of our food industry, we are experiencing ultra-fast fashion. It really got me thinking, is it worth it? I came across a documentary called “The True Cost” and it opened my eyes to the truth of our ultra-fast, ultra-cheap fashion obsession. Did you know 97% of the manufacturing of our clothing is done by sweatshop workers? In Bangladesh, for instance, the average laborer is female and makes three dollars per day in unsafe working conditions. Separated from their families, these laborers work endless hours with no breaks, no windows and no air-conditioning. They are also abused verbally and physically for speaking up.
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One large-scale tragedy was the 2013 collapse of a building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, killing over 1,000 workers. In Dhaka, a child laborer works for 10 hours a day to earn the equivalent of one U.S. dollar. Knowing this, as I looked down at my $4.00 T-shirt, I felt dirty. Did you know the fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the world, second only to oil? The industry’s pollution level is extreme, producing between two and eight percent of global carbon emissions. A 2021 report from the World Economic Forum estimates that the fashion industry generates four percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, considering materials, manufacturing and freight operations. Textile dyeing is also the second-largest polluter of water globally. From South and Central America, Asia, Africa, China and India, clothing toxins and hazardous raw chemicals are dumped into rivers and surrounding areas. The manufacturing of polyester and other synthetic fabrics requires large amounts of crude oil, releasing emissions including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter
and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride into our environment. These ecological narcotics, to include pesticides and herbicides sprayed on raw materials, cause illnesses such as cancer in the workers and consumers alike. These chemicals also affect aquatic life, including the feminizing of fish. In turn, the U.S. is importing the toxic seafood heavily laden with poisonous chemicals and endocrine disruptors we are feeding to our families. These chemicals have been identified to cause infertility and health problems—including cancer. Are you loving the current trendy distressed jeans look? In Guangdong Province, China, workers scrub, spray and tear jeans around the clock to create the distressed look. The blue dust from the jeans is a heavy irritant to the lungs, semipermanently staining their skin. According to an Environmental Science and Technology study, numerous synthetic microfibers are shed during conventional clothes-washing. When washing a jacket, for instance, an average of 1,174 milligrams of microfibers are released from the washing machine. These microfibers then travel to local wastewater treatment plants, where up to 40% of them can enter rivers, lakes and oceans. These microfibers are also found in the local environment including farmland. Textiles are estimated to account for approximately nine percent of annual microplastic found in the ocean. Do you donate your clothing to charities? What cannot be recycled is sold to developing countries. Overwhelmed landfills have led to clothes piling up on city streets and beaches, leading to contamination of rivers, streams and oceans. Dead White Man’s Clothes, a multimedia research project
exploring the secondhand clothing trade in Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, filmed a decomposing textile dump which exploded from trapped methane gasses. It burned for months, spewing unknown amounts of contaminants. Pay attention to the label. If it says “poly,” “polyester” or “vegan leather,” or if it is flimsy and see-through, it is not reusable. Avoid acid-washed and colored or bleached clothing. Instead, purchase plant-based fibers – organic cotton, linen, hemp, ramie – which have a low environmental impact. Animal-based fibers include alpaca, silk, responsible wool, responsible cashmere and responsible leather, which are sustainably produced with no animal cruelty. Semi-synthetic fibers have a low environmental impact and include Lyocell/ Tencel® orange or pineapple fiber, coffee grounds, sustainable viscose and cupro. These materials can be recycled and upcycled. Our voice is in our pocketbook. We need to take responsibility now. Remember when you couldn’t find organic food in your grocery store? We made it loud and clear the change we wanted to see happen. Now it’s time for us to force the fashion industry back to humane and proper standards. We only have one planet. We need to protect it, and this starts with you.
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Activism
BRE A K ING
NE WS
The Bangladesh Accord Renewal Taking effect September 1, the ‘International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry’ will add a layer of protection to garment and textile workers worldwide. BY MAJA PEIRCE
O
On April 24, 2013, the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh collapsed with thousands of people inside. At least 1,134 people died, and thousands of others were injured, making it the worst industrial disaster in the history of the fashion industry. It followed many other deadly factory accidents, including the Tazreen and Ali Enterprises factory fires.
Though garment workers knew the building was cracking and structurally unsound, management threatened them with lost wages if they reported their fears to authorities. Due to their dire living conditions, they could not afford a decrease in pay and went back to work at Rana Plaza. This preventable disaster made it clear that the fashion industry needed a more systematic approach to creating safe working conditions in the form of a binding agreement. The Bangladesh Accord was signed within a month, resulting in eight years of progress. The Worker Rights Consortium has estimated that hundreds, possibly thousands, of lives have been saved. The Accord covers 1,687 factories, providing building and fire safety inspections, remediation and training. The initial assessment of Bangladesh's factories in 2013 found over 87,000 safety issues, including at least 50 factories that were at immediate risk of collapsing. By 2018, 85% of all the original hazards found in many of those factories were eliminated, and today, that number has grown to 90%. In order to expand the Accord to other countries, the agreement needs to remain in place.
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The Accord was initially signed by over 200 global apparel brands, including H&M, Zara, American Eagle, PVH (parent company to Tommy Hilfiger), C&A, UNIQLO, Primark, and Adidas. The original Bangladesh Accord was set to expire on August 31. After pressure from activist organizations such as Remake and PayUp Fashion, a new version, the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, is set to take effect September 1. Negotiations in 2021 have built upon the growing occurrences of industrial disasters among garment manufacturing sites, especially in the years following the Rana Plaza collapse. While building safety in Bangladesh happens to be addressed because of this devastating event, other countries are equally unsafe. Currently among the more popular outsourcing locations for fast fashion brands like Zara, H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, and more are China, India, Malaysia, and Pakistan—all countries with garment manufacturing sectors that perpetuate hazardous workplace conditions due to a lack of legally binding and enforceable regulation.
Rather than leaving enforcement and accountability up to a brand’s discretion, the new Accord contends that any brand signatory is held legally responsible for ensuring human rights standards within their supply chain, and maintaining workplace safety. This is an actionable step against the previously voluntary basis by which brands independently held accountability over their supply chains. Signatory brands will be overseen by an independent secretariat. This serves to mitigate any brand biases and ensure that the new international Accord maintains human rights protections for the garment workers it is intended to serve. “The Accord now being international and including textile along with the garment sector is a welcome victory,” says Ayesha Braenblat, CEO of Remake. “Much like #PayUp, this is thanks to the tireless efforts of unions, garment makers and the solidarity shown by our growing conscious citizen community. The Accord has made millions of garment makers safe in Bangladesh. As a Pakistani-American activist, I look forward to this agreement extending to my home country someday soon.”
Remake will continue to target and urge brands to sign on to the new agreement, especially brands that source from high-risk countries in South Asian regions and beyond. Remake and PayUp encourage supporters to publicly tag the brands that have not yet committed to the new Accord using #ProtectProgress, #SigntheAccord, or #RanaPlazaNeverAgain. Visit www.payupfashion.com/ tracking-brands to track brands as they sign the accord.
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Green Champion
Joanna Deshay
Advocate for ASU’s first diversity, equity and inclusion in fashion class BY MAJA PEIRCE
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“It was something I was so driven and passionate about,” Joanna Deshay says about breaking into the world of fashion. “I had to do it. It was gnawing at me. So I left corporate America and I haven’t looked back since.” Deshay grew up in West Africa with a Russian mother and Nigerian father who were both engineers. Because of cultural values, her family viewed fashion not as a career option, but as something that was just for fun, so Deshay knew that designing clothes was going to be a hard sell to her parents. When she reached her late 30s, she finally made the jump, leaving her 9-5 job of 15 years to start the Black Russian Label. In 2009, Deshay entered Phoenix Fashion Week’s Emerging Designer Competition and became one of its first winners. The positive feedback she received gave her the validation that she needed to go back to school again. This time, she would be working towards her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Fashion Design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. “It got to the point where I was telling my kids, who were 3 and 4 years old at the time, ‘Hey, you’ve got to do what you love,’ but I wasn’t doing what I love. I felt like such a hypocrite,” says Deshay. “It was the scariest and bravest thing I had ever done… No one I really know leaves a six-figure job to make no money.” Working 50 hours a week and coming home every night to sew was exhausting for Deshay, but she needed to work as much as she could to afford her classes. She traveled back and forth to San Francisco to let professors see her garments,
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designs and patterns. She made her final leap of faith into the world of fashion after graduating in 2013. It was then that Deshay created the Black Russian Label, choosing the name to honor her Nigerian and Russian roots. Her collections reflect the collective experience of being biracial, including an amalgamation of different patterns, colors and silhouettes. When she first got started, she found herself constantly cutting fabrics, sewing them together, designing outfits, grafting patterns, marketing, promoting and managing vendors. All the money she made was poured back into her brand. “In my mind, worlds were always supposed to collide like that in this very harmonious way,” Deshay says. “It really affected the way I see fashion. I really see it [as something] for all. Part of what makes fashion unique and beautiful is getting to really represent your genuine and authentic self.” Deshay mentored several individual designers and taught classes at the Art Institute in Phoenix for five years. When it closed in 2018, she became an adjunct professor at ASU. Since then, she has taught a wide variety of classes there, including courses on merchandising, manufacturing, fashion technology, intro to fashion, fashion entrepreneurship and capstone projects.
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When the Black Lives Matter movement held protests for the killings of George Floyd, Brianna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery in the summer of 2020, Deshay realized the fashion industry was missing a fundamental human connection. For example, Gucci’s Wool Balaclava Jumper was quickly discontinued in 2019 since the company received backlash that the garment resembled blackface. In Deshay’s mind, this demonstrates how frequent instances of racism, discrimination and unconscious bias are in the fashion industry. This instance was not Deshay’s first time noticing the injustices in the world of fashion. When she became the first woman of color to become Regional Director of a fashion organization, four long-standing white female members who had been with the organization for years resigned from their positions. One of the first workshops Deshay led in her new position centered on diversity, equity and inclusion. The organization fought her on it. “I remember them saying ‘This is not a thing. I don’t know why we have to play in the diversity arena,’” says Deshay. The workshop ended up being the largest attended single-month workshop that the organization had ever conducted. The following month, the cover of Vogue magazine read: “Diversity: The
hot fashion topic.” “In fashion, you have to be ahead of the conversation,” says Deshay. “Being behind the conversation is problematic. That kind of validated what I had been reporting all along – we need to be talking about diversity in fashion.” In addition to evolving the narrative of what is deemed fashionable and beautiful, Deshay recognized a need for further education on fashion as a global business. She wanted students to view fashion as a massive platform that takes place on a global scale. As a result, she began to advocate for a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Fashion class at ASU. “That’s kind of been my mantra my whole life: I’m never going to complain about something I don’t see, I’m going to advocate and then put in the work to create it,” she says. “That’s why I created the class from scratch.” Now that her Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion class has been permanently added to the course catalog, Deshay is pushing for it to be required for fashion students pursuing a bachelor’s in Fashion Design or a Minor in Fashion. The decision is riding on class evaluations. “It can’t just be my fight. It has to be advocated for. This is where that allyship piece is really important. Non-students of color need to be finding importance in it,” says Deshay.
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STYLE
Bridal
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The New Romantics
Sophie et Voilà is designing haute couture dresses that help brides make a sustainable statement on their wedding day and beyond BY KYLEY WARREN
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Once upon a time, a bride-to-be’s greatest pre-wedding concerns revolved around venues, veils, and of course, the daunting journey of finding the perfect gown for their nuptials. Now, with conscious consumerism making its way into mainstream fashion, brides are also confronted with the complications of finding a bridal style that’s both elegant and ethical. But Sophie et Voilà, a sustainable bridal designer based in Spain, is working to un-complicate the process of finding the perfect wedding dress by incorporating recycled materials into contemporary styles—giving “something borrowed” an entirely new meaning and presenting a fresh approach to ethical bridal in an otherwise outdated industry.
While more thoughtful, minimalistic business models— specifically those which focus on limited carbon footprints— might make up the next great wave of fashion innovation, the brand’s founders insist they came into the sustainability space organically.
The collection pays special homage to Basque Country and the area’s bountiful sources for design inspiration—with refined element shapes, minimalist and austere aesthetics, and drapings of clean romanticism, the styles are refreshing additions to Sophie et Voilà’s continued elegance. “Just as the Basque Country is always an inspiration, crepe, gauze and tulle are recurring foundations on which Hydrangea has been built. It is a collection made for women with style and a story.” For more information, visit www.us.sophieetvoila.com.
“We started a sustainable bridal brand without even being aware of it. We live in the Basque Country, where slow isn’t a movement, but a way of life,” says Sophie et Voilà’s founders, Sofía Arribas and Saioa Goitia. “When we created Sophie et Voilà, we started to work on slow fashion in the way in which we had lived our whole lives, with the values that the environment taught us. We are able to create wedding dresses from recycled materials such as satin and crepe in our newest collection.” The bridal company relies on sustainable materials such as recycled fabrics for each of its collections, and each style is specially manufactured for its owner. Beyond the environmentally conscious make of Sophie et Voilà’s designs, the brand also prioritizes working without stock to limit excess, using recycled packaging to ship the pieces, and investing in their mindful team members—the brand’s entire team is made up of women who work in Bilbao-based facilities. Sophie et Voilà just released its latest collection, The Hydrangea Collection, which is inspired by the hydrangea flower—a powerful flora which grows in rare environments and boasts great versatility. According to the brand’s designers, the hydrangea is also a “flower that sprouts with the security of knowing that every spring it will be spectacular—just like Sophie et Voilà.” SEPTEMBER 2021
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STYLE
Fashion
Meet thredUP Resale Over Retail BY AMANDA HOOTEN
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A renewed movement is taking place in the fashion industry, and what was once old is becoming new again. At the forefront of the movement is thredUP, an online thrift and consignment store where consumers can buy and sell high-quality used garments.
This platform is redirecting throwaway fashion into discounted treasures that are delivered right to front doors without the hassle of sifting through sales racks. More importantly, they’re capturing items that already exist, which saves substantial resources and negative environmental impacts that traditionally accompany new textile production. Partnered with the convenience of online shopping, conscious consumers are beginning to use their wallets to protect the environment and choose #secondhandfirst. When it launched in 2009, thredUP set out with a goal to remove the stigma associated with thrift shopping and make it more appealing as a first-choice option. Simultaneously, they began working to solve the waste crisis in the fashion industry, where reportedly 64% of the garments produced for the U.S. market each year end up in landfills. It’s been said that returning just one clothing item back into the circular economy (as a donation or recyclable) reduces its carbon footprint by 82%. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to many traditional donation services as businesses were forced to pause out of concerns for health and safety. Despite this setback, thredUP’s 2021 resale report revealed that 33 million people bought secondhand for the first time in 2020. The resale sector grew during the pandemic and is even projected to increase sales to $77 billion in the next 5 years. This positive momentum is evidence of a shift in fashion culture and will allow thredUP to continue extending the life cycle of millions of garments. “We hope to shine a light on the positive power of resale and create a catalyst for further collaboration and action across the country,” said James Reinhart, co-founder and CEO of thredUP. With over 100 million garments processed to date, they are a shining example for others to follow. A visit to the thredUP website invites you to explore over 35,000 brands that can be filtered by various categories
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based on individual preferences like price, designer or size. Since the majority of items are unique, shoppers have the option to filter their search to show only items that are available based on their size and style preferences. This makes shopping resale more convenient and inclusive across a wide audience with differing needs. Meanwhile, sellers can order a closet clean-out kit, and thredUP will include a label allowing them to drop off the box at the nearest FedEx or USPS location. From there, they can rest easy knowing that the items will be thoughtfully processed, inspected and sorted using worldclass technology. If any items don’t pass inspection, they will be responsibly recycled. Items that make it onto the rack are sold on consignment, which means sellers can earn a percentage of the profits when their item is purchased. Pricing and payouts are determined by brand, seasonality and quality, so the results will vary. Rest assured that thredUP stays in touch with sellers every step of the journey. With companies like thredUP changing the script on thrifting, what was once considered an embarrassing or cheap alternative is transforming into a lasting statement for sustainability. This is a celebration for resale culture, and thredUP has focused its brand messaging on encouraging consumers to “Thrift Loudly” in response. Making a choice to shop secondhand is a decision everyone can be proud of, as it translates into an act of compassion for the planet and the hope for a better fashion future.
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Susan Hull Walker, Founder of IBU
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Elevating Artisan Women, Fashioning Global Change BY CAROL KAHN
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In 2014, a mine exploded in western Turkey, killing over 300 men and injuring many others. The women were left widowed and found themselves without a source of household income. Yildiz Yagci, president and CEO of Anatolian Artisans, recognized this need and created an outlet for the women, providing them with a safe space to come together and earn a sustainable income through their traditional lace-making technique called Oya embroidery. There are 21 women in the cooperative and 185 women on the waiting list, hoping to join the group so they can support themselves and their families.
Founded by Hassana Yusuf, the Queen Anima Embroidery Center works with Hausa women in northern Nigeria to bring their remarkable embroidery and designs to a new market. Starting with five women, the group has grown to 27 artisans, with many more young women currently in training to join their cooperative. From the nomadic traditions of their Kyrgyz families, Seven Sisters began to innovate with the traditional felted textiles for which they are known, translating this cultural language into a whole new medium for clothing in a Western market. Their region was severely hit by COVID-19, affecting many of their families and leaving them without access to proper medical care. As a result, the sisters lost most of their work orders and were in danger of losing their workspace as well. There are a list of nations, mainly in the Middle East and Asia where women are treated as second-class citizens. Many are sexually abused and beaten and some have been brutally murdered. They live in fear and poverty. However, there is a movement of women around the world that are rising out of their situations, educating their children and leading their communities by creating artisan crafts with their own hands. These women are IBU (pronounced ee-boo) – an Indonesian word that means they are women of respect. Susan Hull Walker, the founder of IBU, created this enterprise in 2013. She envisioned a global enterprise where women would be able to sell their goods to other women
all over the world. “If you are living in rural Africa and no one in your village can afford to buy what you have made, you have no way to continue making it,” she says. “So my goal was to expand the market for these women to get their products from the small rural villages to the U.S., to Europe and to those places where [other] women could appreciate their work.” Prior to beginning her fortuitous path of empowering women, Walker went to Divinity School at Harvard, studying world religion. After working as a minister for 18 years, she decided she wanted to experience a more creative life, so she enrolled in the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. There she studied textiles, weaving, spinning, dyeing embroidery and batik — learning not only the techniques but learning the stories behind them and about women who carried those languages of cloth. “I became interested in learning more,” Walker says. “Women put meaning, value and story in what they were creating because, before the Industrial Revolution, it took most of their time — that and child-rearing. There was a lot of time spent on making cloth. As a result, when you spend that much time, you imbue meaning.” Walker explains that when she was a minister, she realized that she had been interpreting sacred text that was written by men, no matter what religion it was from. She always wondered what women would say, and while women may not SEPTEMBER 2021
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these rich languages of cloth. In 2018, she started a non-profit — the IBU Foundation — to help women “come up to a level playing field.” She says most of these women need the “tools of a trade” – a workspace, a way to pay for that workspace, equipment such as sewing machines as well as training on how to run a business. The IBU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and its goal is to give women in countries around the world a chance to become self-sufficient and independent, elevating them out of poverty and into successful artisan enterprises.
have been reading and writing, they were spinning, weaving and dyeing — that was where they recorded their lives. “I became very fascinated with textiles as a [type of] woman’s text and just delved into a more academic study of that, which led me to travel and source old textiles,” she says. “Having studied it myself, I tried weaving, but what these women were doing was so much more complex, and their cloth was exquisite. It would take me a lifetime to achieve what they were doing. I found that I would rather look for a market for them [to sell their goods] rather than stay in a studio by myself for the rest of my life.” Women’s issues and women’s empowerment are two of Walker’s greatest passions. She says that she wanted to put money in the hands of women who need it and to preserve
In 2015, Walker opened IBU Movement, a 2,600-square-foot boutique and studio located in Charleston, South Carolina, offering original designs in clothing and accessories in collaboration with their artisan partners. “It starts with their skill and technique, and we try to work with them on new ways to create products and not take away their original mojo. It’s got to have their soul in it. We also sell directly from artisans. They have already designed it — it’s beautiful and we will sell it. A lot of groups have the skills, but they don’t know this market — they don’t know what you or I would want to purchase — it’s a very fine line.” Walker reiterates that she is not looking to take anything away from their cultural traditions, but wants to work together to make a product that will help the artisans transcend poverty and circumstance. “It is very reciprocal,” she says. “They need our market; we need the beauty they create because very few people in this country know how to weave and spin and dye. We don’t make our own clothes here; to me it’s a wonderful exchange.” For someone who is so passionate about helping others succeed, there was something inherent in Susan Hull Walker that inspired her to create this company and foundation. “It was very much a calling,” she explains. “When I was growing up, my father was an academic, and he had a large library on the top floor of our house with 10,000 volumes of books… My mother was a homemaker and a beautiful seamstress. She had a little sewing room in our basement with no windows and she made all of our clothes — to my horror as a teenager — but [they were] beautifully tailored and exquisite. She was never paid and never really recognized for that, and I think subliminally, I wanted to bring my mother out of the basement and [bring] my father to… recognize her value and [the] worth in what she did. I would have loved for her to manifest her skills in a way [where] she could have been paid to have her own power in her
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relationship and in life. So, I think that is a need in me — to elevate women.” Ironically, it seems that Walker’s personal experience is what motivates her to help and inspire others. “I love paying women for what they already do. They don’t have to go off and learn what a man does or what he traditionally has done… A big part of it is acknowledging and giving respect to women for what they have always done, and paying them, which then changes everything. I imagine the men in their families and their villages look at them very differently, so it is elevating them in a lot of different ways.” Currently, IBU is working with over 40 countries throughout the world. The company continues to monitor its sustainability goals with the fabrics they use, as well as following the goals of no poverty, gender equality, reduced inequalities and creating sustainable cities and communities. IBU has world-renowned ambassadors who help to promote their vision as well as their clothing. Two iconic ambassadors include actress Ali MacGraw and fashion icon Iris Apfel, who both support the mission of IBU. MacGraw has launched an IBU collection of tunics, dresses and accessories for a clothing line bearing her name. Apfel is a huge proponent of preserving the quality of old-world techniques and the designs of the textiles. As Walker looks to the future, she would like to travel more, do trunk shows highlighting the IBU Collection and spread the word regarding female empowerment through the IBU Foundation. While keeping close tabs on what is happening in the world, she is proud of raising over $200,000, which funded 12 projects and helped to elevate 6,000 artisans and their families in 11 countries worldwide — all accomplished during last year’s pandemic.
“Then, they can pass down the skills to their daughters. The truth is, that in the rest of the world, they [women] are our greatest resource and are totally untapped. There are leaps and bounds we could take just by freeing some of these women so that they can be the voice of their own community and articulate another point of view about what is important in their lives and contribute to making a difference.”
“I want women to be able to support themselves and learn how to do business, long after I am gone,” Walker says.
For more information, visit www.ibumovement.com.
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Why Sustainable Fashion is More Expensive What to wear that will make a difference BY ADRIANA BACHMANN
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There are many reasons to participate in the “slow fashion” movement and start shopping sustainably, but the greatest barrier is its financial cost. When 1 in 7 people in the United States live below the poverty line, is it any wonder that some find it hard to justify breaking the bank on one garment when they could purchase multiple items for the same amount of money?
For those who can afford to splurge on ethically made apparel, but still don’t really understand the importance of it, it helps to know exactly what goes into making a sustainable garment from start to finish and how that leads to higher prices.
ORGANIC CROPS USED TO CREATE TEXTILES Textiles made with organic elements typically come at a higher price due to the cost of growing organic crops. These crops are low-impact and grown without pesticides,
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synthetic fertilizers, or genetic modification. There are very strict federal guidelines in place for products to be certified organic, which means it is more expensive to create organic fabrics than conventional ones.
MADE-TO-ORDER SUSTAINABLE FABRICS The use of sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp and recycled polyester is usually expected in the world of sustainably made garments, all of which are made to order. This means the cost savings otherwise accrued by mass-
producing these fabrics are not available. However, this also means the excessive waste that comes as a result of mass production is eliminated.
FAIR WAGES AND SAFE WORK CONDITIONS FOR GARMENT WORKERS Ethical and sustainable brands pay their garment workers a fair wage and make sure that they have access to safe work conditions. This is in stark contrast to fast fashion brands, which may rely on sweatshop workers to do their manufacturing, which saves companies money on labor costs. RESPONSIBLE AND PLANET-FRIENDLY MANUFACTURING A top priority is the health of the planet, meaning that the environmental impact is taken into consideration at every step of the manufacturing process for sustainable clothing. Factors like water usage, energy consumption, carbon emissions and waste production are always top of mind. COST OF CERTIFICATIONS When shopping for ethically and sustainably made garments, it’s usually recommended that shoppers look for thirdparty certifications to verify the claims that brands make. Certifications such as Fair Trade, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), OEKO-TEX Standard and EcoCert are a few to look for. Just remember that there are costs associated with applying for these certifications, including fees for the standard itself, certification bodies, auditors and travel costs. As you can see, sustainable fashion is quite literally the antithesis of fast fashion. However, for all of the unethical aspects of its production, fast fashion brands make fashion more accessible and affordable to the masses. So how can consumers who are not able to purchase sustainably made clothing still participate in the slow fashion movement?
Here are some tips on how to build a sustainable closet without breaking the bank: • Shop your closet: The most sustainable option is always to use what you already have. Think of creative ways to upcycle a garment or play up an outfit with accessories. • Host a clothing swap: Find some friends or family members who have extra clothes in their closet they no longer wear and host a swap. This is a great opportunity to get some new-to-you clothing at no cost. • Buy vintage or secondhand: Buying secondhand clothing creates less waste by saving a perfectly good item a trip to the landfill, with the added benefit of saving some money yourself. • Consider renting clothing: Clothing rentals are no longer reserved for special occasions. Services like monthly subscription boxes, peer-to-peer apps and many others make it possible for consumers to rent everyday looks on a recurring basis. • Create a capsule wardrobe: Focus on purchasing just a few key, sustainably made garments that you can use as staples in your wardrobe. Investing in some longlasting and repeatable items will reduce the need for you to purchase cheap pieces more often. Lastly, the most important tip of all: reduce your consumption. If you have the tendency to over-consume fast fashion, and merely switch to over-consuming slow fashion… are you really making a difference? The ultimate goal is to become a conscious consumer, and hopefully, these tips help put you on that path.
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Retro Clothing, Vintage Vibe PHOTOGRAPHY BY AARON BLACKBURN www.AaronBlackburn.com #AaronBPhotography Location: Hotel Palomar www.hotelpalomar-phoenix.com Produced with Tricee Thomas and ARTLAB.
Styled by Amanda Jacobs - @classic_reclaim Silk Paisley Print Dress with asymmetrical hem (Classic Reclaim Redesign): $65 Accessories: Vintage grey lady driving gloves, vintage fur stole and coordinating black felt hat
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Styled by Ebony Whitaker and Claudia Karim of EC Style Method - @ecstylemethod Blouse: 1980s Evan Picone Bow Blouse $57 Sweater: 1980s Tarazzia Printed Sweater $67 Trench Coat: 1970s Le Soleil Leather Trench $157 Glitter & Stitches Vintage www.shopglitterandstitchesvintage.com @glitterandstitchesvintage Skirt: 1990s Ralph Lauren Country Wool Wrap Skirt $175 available at @time.capsule.vintage
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Styled by Laura Taylor of Vintage by Design AZ @vintagebydesignaz Dress: Handmade from Ireland. $395.00 Accessories: Personal vintage collection, not for sale Shoes: Vintage Evan Picone.
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Designed and styled by Ruby Farias of Ruby Farias Designs www.rubyfariasdesigns.com @rubyfariasdesigns Painted Dress: $500 Painted Jacket: $250 Woven Painted Canvas Clutch: $125 Beaded Gloves: $35
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For All Things EV, Arizona Is Hot Arizona generates more and more attention from EV industry DAVID M. BROWN
ElectraMeccanica will produce the SOLO EV in its new Mesa factory. Photo courtesy of ElectraMeccanica
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ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp., a Vancouver, British Columbia-based designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles, is building a factory in Mesa on a multi-acre site north of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport to produce its three-wheeled single-seat SOLO cars. South of Mesa in Pinal County, two manufacturers are constructing factories. In Casa Grande, Lucid Motors is building luxury high-performance Lucid Air cars. Just last month, the Silicon Valley-based company opened a Scottsdale Fashion Square showroom for consumers to see and purchase them.
And, Mesa-based Atlis Motor Vehicles is manufacturing battery cells and pack solutions as well as its XT Pickup Truck.
And in Coolidge, Phoenix-based Nikola Corp. will complete the first phase of its 270,000-square-foot heavy trucks factory by the fourth quarter of this year. The first truck built at the $600-million facility will be the Nikola Tre battery-electric vehicle.
In the West Valley, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho-based KORE Power Inc. expects to build a 1,000,000-square-foot lithiumion battery manufacturing facility on a 214-acre site in Buckeye, 40 miles west of downtown Phoenix and just south of Interstate 10.
Also at Scottsdale Fashion Square, the Courtesy Automotive Group—a family-owned Phoenix company since 1955—is offering the Swedish-made Polestar electric vehicle brand and will open a store in the center by November.
Northern Arizona is also participating in the state’s EV boom. UACJ Automotive Whitehall Industries, of Ludington, Mich., will soon open an EV auto parts factory in a former Walgreens distribution facility in east Flagstaff.
Li-Cycle Corp., the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America, plans to build its third commercial lithiumion battery recycling facility on 28 acres at Gilbert Gateway Commerce Park in the Southeast Valley at the Loop 202 and Power Road in Gilbert.
“Arizona has become the go-to place for electric vehicle manufacturing,” says Sandra Watson, president and CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority. “EV companies are choosing Arizona because we offer the premier business environment in the country, affordable and abundant energy, a growing
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Nearby, Tempe-based Zero Electric Vehicles Inc., (ZEV) is manufacturing gas-to-electric vehicle conversions for light/ mid-duty fleets and businesses.
workforce and robust talent pipeline, modern infrastructure and much more.”
THE VEHICLES The 235,000-square-foot ElectraMeccanica building is the company’s first U.S.-based assembly facility and engineering technical center, which will include research and office spaces. When fully operational in spring 2022, CEO Paul Rivera says that the plant is scheduled to begin manufacturing SOLOs later that year, completing as many as 20,000 annually and generating up to 500 jobs for the Mesa/Phoenix area. Rivera explains that the company chose Arizona based on the “best overall comprehensive proposal: land, building and workforce” as well as proximity to the prime West Coast EV target market. Other factors include “the cooperation from multiple municipalities, something that is very hard to coordinate. The cities we’re working with in the greater Phoenix area are being extremely supportive.” This is the ElectraMeccanica’s second facility. In China, manufacturing partner Zongshen Industrial Group will supply kits for assembly in Mesa before the factory begins production. Targeting the urban driving market and delivery fleets for the environmentally conscious consumer and companies, the motorcycle-classified SOLO can travel 100 miles per charge, attaining a top speed of 80 mph. The car will retail for $18,500 (electrameccanica.com). As the first greenfield dedicated electric vehicle factory in North America, Lucid’s innovative AMP-1 in Casa Grande was designed for additional phases of expansion at the site, including production of the brand’s first SUV, Project Gravity.
XT Electric Pick-up Truck from Mesa-based Atlis Motor Vehicles. Photo courtesy Atlis Motor Vehicles
2.7 million-square-feet and be operational by 2023. In its final form, AMP-1 will be 5.1 million-square-feet, with a manufacturing capacity of as many as 365,000 units per year. “We chose the Casa Grande location after an extensive search across 13 U.S. states and more than 60 sites,” says a company spokesman. “Arizona presents numerous positive factors, including infrastructure, talent, geographic location, and automotive supply chain.”
The company’s first car, Lucid Air, is a luxury sedan with a projected EPA range of 500-plus miles. Consumers can see the vehicle at the Lucid Studio in Scottsdale Fashion Square as well as other vehicles the company is offering. The second phase of expansion is under way; this will add This includes the Lucid Air Pure, available from $77,400 ($69,900 after available federal The Lucid Air store at the Scottsdale Fashion Square opened in August. Photo courtesy Lucid Motors tax credit); the Lucid Air Touring, which starts at $95,000 ($87,500 after available federal tax credit); and the Lucid Air Grand Touring, beginning at $139,000 ($131,500 after available federal tax credit) (www.lucidmotors.com). Polestar is a Swedish affiliate of Volvo cars headquartered in Gothenburg. “With the growth in electric vehicle sales across the U.S. and particularly in Scottsdale, this was an opportunity to support a stylish and innovative brand,” says Scott Gruwell, CEO for Courtesy Chevrolet, the franchise owner. Until the Polestar store opens at Scottsdale Fashion Square, consumers can see a display vehicle SEPTEMBER 2021
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and configuration table on the food court level. “In addition, people can book test drives in which we will come to their place of work or home for them to test-drive the Polestar 2,” he says, noting that the buying or leasing process is online. “We have a fully functional sales team working there now with next-day delivery,” Gruwell says. The car retails for $59,990 and qualifies for a tax credit of $7,500 (www.polestar. com/us/spaces/Scottsdale).
BATTERY AND OTHER EV COMPANIES Companies supporting the EVs have also found Arizona to be particularly favorable ground.
ElectraMeccanica is building an EV plant in Mesa. Photo courtesy ElectraMeccanica
In Flagstaff, the EV parts store will occupy as much as 70,000-square-feet of the 379,000-square-foot former distribution center. A division of Japanese aluminum company UACJ Corp., the U.S. firm supplies precision extruded aluminum automotive components and assemblies from plants in Michigan; Paducah, Ky.; and San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Li-Cycle’s co-founder and executive chairman, Tim Johnston, says, “Many of our existing battery supply customers have operations in the region, producing a significant supply of battery manufacturing scrap and end-of-life batteries which we will be able to recycle, returning valuable resources back into the economy.” The Ontario-based company utilizes a two-stage “Spoke and Hub” technology model. Its Spoke facilities, such as the one planned in Gilbert, are regional mechanical plants that take in battery scrap and end-of-life batteries, producing intermediate products.
Construction of the KOREPlex facility should start by the end of the year in Buckeye. Photo courtesy KORE Power
These products are then taken to a Hub facility, which takes the intermediate product though a hydrometallurgical circuit to produce battery-grade materials. The company’s first Hub facility is in late-stage development in Rochester, New York, and is expected to be operational by early 2023, Johnston says. When complete, Li-Cycle’s “Spoke 3” facility will be capable of processing more than 11,000 tons of end-of-life batteries and battery manufacturing scrap per year, bringing Li-Cycle’s total recycling capacity to more than 22,000 tons per year. Li-Cycle has obtained zoning approval from the Town and, following two neighborhood meetings, will apply for a required Conditional Use Permit to begin site construction. In the interim, construction of the modular plant is under way off site, with expected completion of the plant by the first quarter of 2022. The facility is expected to create 40–50 jobs, he explains.
This Li-Cycle Commercial Spoke facility is operational in Rochester, NY. Photo courtesy Li-Cycle
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In Mesa, Atlis Motor Vehicles is built on three divisions: Energy, XP Platform and the XT Pickup Truck. The Energy division manufactures the battery cells and pack solutions, which are capable of charging in 15 minutes.
The XP Platform allows aftermarket vehicle partners to electrify RVs, box trucks, vans and fleets. “This is both the base for the Atlis XT pickup and a stand-alone product intended for vehicle builders looking for a medium- to heavy-duty electric platform,” explains CEO and founder Mark Hanchett, who founded the company in 2016. Finally, the XT Pickup Truck is powered by the Atlis Energy and Platform technologies, with 35,000 pounds of towing capacity and a 500-mile range, all on a 15-minute charge. Hanchett notes that Atlis Motor Vehicles has 34 employees and expects to expand to more than 70 by the first quarter of 2022. “Our long-term goal is to power every piece of equipment and vehicle as well as the ecosystem of charging networks and energy-storage solutions that power everyday work,” he says (www.atlismotorvehicles.com).
regenerative technologies, explains CEO Carolyn Maury. A Gilbert manufacturing facility is expected to open in November. (www.zeroevcorp.com) So far, the ZEV technology has improved vehicle efficiency and range by 15 percent while simultaneously driving down maintenance costs, the company reports. “ZEV’s mission is EV for All,” Carolyn Maury says. “We are focused on democratizing EV access by distributing conversion kits, technology, training and services globally to partners and franchise owners who can bring the EV experience to every community and state. In this way, we can work together as one human race to combat climate change”.
In Buckeye, the KOREPlex facility will be the first domestic battery plant owned by a U.S.-based company and is expected to provide 3,400 jobs at peak construction. When the building is open, KORE Power plans to employ more than 3,000 full-time personnel. According to Lindsay Gorrill, co-founder and CEO of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho-based KORE Power), this will generate as many as 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. Founded in 2018, KORE Power develops battery cell technology for the clean-energy industry, serving global energy storage, e-mobility, utility, industrial and missioncritical markets. The Buckeye facility will support up to 12 GWh of battery cell production –– enough capacity to produce power for 3.2 million homes annually. The company’s schedule calls for construction to start by the end of the year, with battery production beginning in the second quarter of 2023.
Tempe-based ZEV manufactures gas-to-EV conversion kits. Photos courtesy Shannon Kendall, ZEV
Arizona, and Buckeye in particular, provided the company with four major benefits for building. “First, the EV and clean-energy sectors in the area offer us a strong client base. Second, the Phoenix area has a booming tech community that embraces innovation,” Gorrill explains. “Third, Arizona has a strong workforce and local colleges and universities educating the sustainability leaders of tomorrow. And, finally, the warm, dry desert climate is ideal for battery manufacturing” (www.korepower.com). ASU alumnus Charlie Maury founded ZEV in March 2020 in Mesa, and today’s Tempe facility has 50-plus employees who develop, prototype and test SEPTEMBER 2021
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SAVOR
Recipes
Gluten-Free Vegan Pizza Crust PICAZZO’S HEALTHY ITALIAN KITCHEN
7 wt. oz. Non-GMO Rice Flour 4.5 wt. oz. Non-GMO Tapioca Flour 2 wt. oz. Non-GMO Potato Starch 1/2 Tsp Non-GMO Xanthan Gum 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt 1 Tbsp Yeast 3 Tbsp Organic Sugar 3/4 Cup Non-GMO Sunflower Oil
Turn speed up to high for about 2-3 minutes or until the consistency is a smooth batter. Scrape from mixing bowl into 12-15 wt. oz. portions (for 12” pizzas, depending on the thickness you like) in presprayed zipper bags. Do not fully seal the zipper bags, but fold so air does not dry out dough, but dough can leaven and release gas.
2 Cups Water (.5 cup warm water for yeast activation) 6 wt. oz. Organic Apple Sauce
Cooking instructions: Preheat the oven to 450°.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, yeast and warm water. Whisk vigorously with a hand whisk until yeast is dissolved. Let mixture sit about 5 minutes until yeast activates. Mix applesauce with remaining dry ingredients in a stand mixer bowl using a whisk attachment on medium-low speed for about 2 minutes. Slowly add water, sugar and yeast mixture to the mixing bowl and turn up speed to medium for about 2 minutes. Slowly add oil.
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Take a zipper bag and push dough out into the center of a pre-sprayed 14” round (or larger) sheet pan. Use a plastic wrap to cover dough and sheet pan as a barrier to avoid dough sticking to hands. Flatten dough and spread out into a round form. Once desired shape is achieved, slowly peel back plastic wrap. Bake dough on the middle rack for about 5-6 minutes until firmed and remove to add sauce and any other desired toppings. Place back in the oven and finish baking for about 12-15 more minutes, depending on preference of doneness.
Los Sombreros Recipes Guacamole
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE AVOCADOS....LOOK FOR HEAVY, SOFT HASS AVOCADOS. THEY HAVE THE DEEP NUTTY FLAVOR AND RICHNESS THAT MAKES GUACAMOLE SO SATISFYING.
Makes 4 cups 3 medium ripe avocados 1/4 cup finely diced onion Juice of half a lime 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely diced Chopped tomato, queso fresco, and radishes to garnish Crisp-fried corn tortillas for serving Cut the avocados in half. Remove the pits and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt, pepper and jalapeño and roughly mash it all together. Top with garnishes to your taste and serve with thick corn tortillas, crisply fried, for scooping.
Tomato & Oaxaca Salad 1 tomato (whole sliced) 2 oz Oaxaca cheese 1 oz diced onion .5 oz sliced radish 1 oz sliced jalapeño 1 tbsp chopped cilantro 1/4 tsp salt & pepper 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp chili oil 1/4 tsp cilantro oil
For more recipes and food-related articles, visit www.greenlivingmag.com/savor
In a bowl, mix apple cider vinegar, olive oil, radish, onion, cilantro, salt and pepper, Oaxaca and jalapeño. Slice tomato in 1/4” slices. Discard the top and bottom. Place tomatoes in a bowl and toss gently. Arrange slices of tomato and top with mix. Continue to layer (approximately 4 layers) and finish with a tomato slice. Drizzle with chili and cilantro oil in a ring outside the salad.
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SAVOR
Queen Creek
Hayden Flour Mills
A new generation maintains ancient grains BY ANNA DORL
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Nestled in the center of Queen Creek, Arizona, is Hayden Flour Mills. Their slogan, “Family Owned, Family Grown” has told their story since its beginning.
Hayden Flour Mills wouldn’t exist without the man who started it all: Charles Hayden. His vision for a legendary flour company began in 1868 when he was traveling in Arizona and observed acres of fertile desert land, where wheat crops often thrive. Over a century later, his dream was finally brought to life in Queen Creek. The Hayden Flour Mills that stands in Queen Creek today is on that familiar fertile land, just like he had initially envisioned. The company was officially founded by Jeff and Emma Zimmerman, a dynamic father-daughter duo, in recent years.
Flour Mills functions. “All industrial mills that produce bread are roller mills, not stone mills.” Roller mills tend to crush and mill grain too finely to maintain the benefits found in whole grains. This produces garden-variety white flour, which is not the healthiest option, despite it producing the tastiest baked goods.
According to Debbie La Bell, the general manager of Hayden Flour Mills, “Jeff really enjoyed baking bread,” which jumpstarted his journey into his career. As the years went by, Zimmerman gathered knowledge about different breadmaking processes, ultimately trying to figure out how he could bake the best loaf of bread possible. He eventually discovered that stone milling was exactly the solution he was looking for.
Stone mills, on the other hand, are used to “maximize and maintain the integrity of the wheat,” which dynamically enhances the final product in multiple ways. During the process, grain is sheared into flour by stones that rotate, which preserves whole grain status – meaning more health benefits. The mission of Hayden Flour Mills is to retain the nutrients naturally found in ancient and whole grains. While positively affecting the health of consumers, this method also maintains sanctity of the wheat itself through better taste, texture and presentation after baking. La Bell said, “Additives [in enriched flour] add back what roller milling takes out of wheat chemically. But blending [stone milled flour] with roller mill flour creates the best loaf of bread… You get the best of both worlds.”
In an interview with Green Living, La Bell explained the importance of this age-old process to the way that Hayden
While Hayden Flour Mills demonstrates a clear commitment to preserving ancient grains, they’re just as dedicated to
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20 years of authentic Italian food and service at our Scottsdale location!
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6339 E. Greenway Rd., Scottsdale, 85254
sustainability. Deep roots throughout the property don’t disturb topsoil, protecting growing wheat. The Farm is also 100% solarpowered, harnessing the sun’s energy to continue a natural growing process. Their products are minimally processed with no additional additives, and are grown sustainably with no chemical use. Their corn products have also been officially certified non-GMO. This makes Hayden Flour Mills beneficial for both people and the planet. “We have products for every skill level to try,” La Bell said. The extensive list of house-made products and other goodies available for sale proves her point. Customers can purchase traditional bread flour, specialty and all-purpose flours, crackers made from different varieties of wheat, pancake and polenta mixes, branded merchandise, kitchen accessories and even
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pastry flours for serious home chefs. Products are available for purchase online at www.haydenflourmills. com and at the Mill Shoppe in Queen Creek. Arguably, the most unique products that they have to offer are made from White Sonora: this heritage wheat crop is one of the oldest and first grains found in North America. “It’s so important for people to vote with their dollars and their wallets,” La Bell said about running a small company. “Businesses like us are dependent on people making these decisions.” Hayden Flour Mills truly gives visitors a true taste of Arizona heritage through their products, especially through their locally grown and harvested ancient grain varieties. “We want to give [customers] the performance that people expect [from us],” said La Bell.
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TRAVEL
Locally
Sustainability as Second Nature in Queen Creek
A
BY ANNA DORL
As the fall season approaches in the coming months, there’s no doubt that those who love the great outdoors are trying to soak up the last sweet moments of summer while they still can. The town of Queen Creek, Arizona, is a local destination that makes sustainable living feel like second nature through agritourism. “Queen Creek was founded on agriculture roots and we strive to work that into all aspects of the Town,” said Mayor Gail Barney. “From establishing an Agritainment zoning designation, to requiring ample open spaces in new developments and creating trails along the natural washes that run through Queen Creek, we are committed to strategic growth that benefits our community today and into the future.”
Olive Mill’s beautiful grounds and award-winning selection of specialty products offers visitors a unique and homegrown taste of this sustainable section of Arizona.
HORSESHOE PARK AND EQUESTRIAN CENTER
Check out these must-see, ecocentric destinations in Queen Creek.
QUEEN CREEK OLIVE MILL
The Queen Creek Olive Mill Farm, Market and Eatery are located in a central and convenient location in the heart of the city. At the Eatery, visitors can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner made with locally grown ingredients from the farm. The peaceful 50-acre property thick with delicate, spindly olive trees serves as a perfect setting for private events. In fact, the Mill is so popular that it even offers its own catering services. But perhaps the most engaging experience that this destination has to offer is its Olive Oil 101 Educational Tour where guests have a hands-on opportunity to learn the Mill’s unique olive oil-making process and the health benefits it includes. The Queen Creek
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Horseshoe Park and Equestrian Center welcomes horse enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels, with opportunities to ride both traditional Western and English styles. Their 38-acre facility is beautifully maintained with indoor and outdoor riding areas. The Community Arena is open to the public seven days a week on a first come, first serve basis. The Park also boasts multiple event venues and even accommodates overnight guests with 65 RV camping spots. The Equestrian Center often hosts horse shows and competitions through various equestrian organizations, constantly celebrating the bond between human and horse.
QUEEN CREEK BOTANICAL GARDENS The goal of the Queen Creek Botanical Gardens is to educate visitors about the importance and impact of a sustainable lifestyle through nature. This is accomplished by the Gardens’ focus on edible plants and how they factor into an eco-conscious lifestyle. The ten acres of beautifully maintained garden space includes multiple demonstration gardens organized according to the plants’ countries of
of the Sonoran Desert. There are camping spots available throughout the park for those who prefer to get more up close and personal with nature. The elevation of the park ranges from 1,400 feet to 2,500, offering perspectives for the more adventurous visitor and the inexperienced explorer as
origin. Guests can also see the American Southwest’s only working water mill from the Industrial Age. Every plant that can be found throughout the Gardens is edible, and available for purchase in the gift shop, allowing visitors to enjoy their strange newfound snacks at home. The Gardens also offers a weekly produce subscription service as well as a year-round fruit orchard, demonstrating their active commitment to combating food insecurity in Arizona.
SCHNEPF FARMS
HAYDEN FLOUR MILLS Self-described as “Family Owned, Family Grown,” the mission of Hayden Flour Mills is to preserve ancient grains, which have had a positive reputation for generations. At the Mill Shoppe and Sossaman Farm located in Queen Creek, visitors can learn all about the benefits that ancient grains provide for both people and the planet. Hayden Flour Mills specializes in stone-milled grain, which is sustainably grown, processed minimally and always free of chemicals and additives found in many conventional flours. Hayden Flour Mills’ products range from all-purpose flours to breakfast items, crackers and even pastas.
This fourth-generation family farm boasts a gigantic orchard full of fresh “U-Pick” peaches for guests to enjoy. The farm’s country store and bakery include organic produce, baked goods and other local products. The Schnepf family’s yearly Peach Blossom Celebration is one of their most memorable annual events, which brings guests together to appreciate the beauty of the farm’s 80 acres of blooming peach trees. The farm often functions as a wedding and event venue, but recently expanded to include a permanent new aspect of Schnepf Farms: The Cozy Peach, a glamping (“glam camping”) experience. Guests can enjoy sleeping in shiny AirStream trailers restored to their former glory. With so many locally grown goodies available and good memories ready to be made, it’s no wonder that Schnepf Farms has remained a familiar favorite in Queen Creek for decades.
SAN TAN MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK Sprawling across over 10,000 acres, this Maricopa County Park is a dream for anyone who appreciates the great outdoors. Part of the San Tan Mountain, the miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails showcase the beauty and variety
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well. The park’s Nature Center educates tourists and locals year-round, often hosting family-friendly events, organizing nature walks and encouraging sustainability initiatives.
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With an option that appeals to just about every eco-friendly Arizonan, this list of Queen Creek’s must-see sustainable destinations seems to speak for itself. The city’s clear dedication to maintaining an environmentally conscious lifestyle through sustainable agritourism destinations calls for two green thumbs up.
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ZenLife Center for Healing is based on the belief that all healing starts from within. In 2017, Melissa Seil-Butler, current owner of ZenLife Center for Healing, experienced a shift in her personal and professional life. It left her wondering how to gather the pieces of the life that she thought that she knew.
“I knew how to do yoga and how to meditate, but somehow I forgot how to go inside,” says Seil-Butler. “Once I reconnected with that part of myself, I knew I never wanted anyone to suffer from unresolved trauma again.” Combining Tibetan Bowls, Rapid Eye movement, hypnosis and Reiki, she has been helping people to facilitate through much of the inner work and introduce them to a path of personal healing that so many are searching for in today’s world.
“Our vision is to create a place where the people of Queen Creek and surrounding areas can feel peace and healing. I told the yoga instructors that they are no longer yoga instructors at a yoga studio, we are a healing center that offers yoga; and each of them have taken that role to heart and work to bring the best practices to our community.” The Center offers a free weekly meditation class, men’s meetings and monthly Reiki for the community in addition to a wide array of yoga classes including Iyengar, Kundalini, Ashtanga, Hatha, Vinyasa, Heated Vinyasa, Nidra, and Yin. “We have the best of the best in our instructors and have worked to make sure that we offer the full selection of yoga and inner healing for the community.” Butler has fostered a knowledgeable and supportive community at the Center with some of the best yoga teachers in the state who have been teaching for up to 20 years. To schedule a class or learn more about the ZenLife Center for Healing, visit https://zenlifehealing.com.
“It was like a light switch!,” she says. “I just knew this is what I was meant to do.” In 2020, Seil-Butler and her husband Chris Butler purchased ZenLife, and since then, they have truly transformed it into a Center for Healing. SEPTEMBER 2021
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TRAVEL
Spiritually
Spirituality and Yoga Tourism in Rishikesh, India BY DEEPAK CHHABRA, PHD AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
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Spiritualism has become an important aspect of well-being, and spiritualityseeking journeys are often undertaken by individuals on a quest for personal meaning. According to Josie Campbell, author of, “To sing the song, to tell the tale: A Study of Tony Morrison and Simone Schwartz,” this quest involves three essential elements — the experience of wholeness and connectivity, going away from home and homecoming with a transformed self. In a broad sense, spiritual tourism is an expression of several traits, such as mobility (slow-physical, slow-internal and spiritual); the heuristic worth of authentic encounters and therapeutic experiences; and the journey itself, which can consist of multicultural or multi-religious routes, contemplative routes and/or therapeutic routes. Therapeutic landscapes, such as natural, pristine, solitary and rural, are often sought for mental cleansing and spiritual healing. Yoga is one prominent expression where spiritual experiences of different intensities can manifest because it offers a platform to nurture the body and mind and realize spiritual aspirations. Several scholars have written that yoga retreats stimulate transcendental experiences and spiritual healing because often focus is on how “taking the body away from
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the ‘everyday’ opens up attention to the body itself, foregrounding its connection to the world.” India is often recognized as the gateway of yoga and is one of the main spiritual hubs of the world. The country is considered holy and authentic by serious yogis and yoga travelers because of its ancient yoga calligraphy. In an article titled published in the Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, author Callie Maddox writes that the yearning for an authentic and “exclusive spiritual experience motivates yoga tourists from the West to visit India for a genuine experience due to its location and groundedness in a distinct lineage.” Two historic pioneers who introduced India’s yoga and spiritual paths to the West were the Beatles through their
spiritual adventure narratives and Swami Vivekananda through his visit to the U.S. In fact, the rural town of Rishikesh, located in the Himalayan foothills in the State of Uttarakhand, is regarded as the yoga capital of the world and has become a spiritual hub. Several scholars recognize that its history, spiritual setting and natural therapeutic attributes offer a quintessential setting for yoga retreats, appealing to visitors pursuing self-inquiry and inner transformation. Rishikesh is situated on the banks of the Ganges River and is considered therapeutic and sacred, and worshipped by many communities in India. (see images 1 and 2). Numerous internationally recognized ashrams are located there and are understood as centers of philosophical studies, yoga and other ancient Indian traditions of wellness.
THE GANGES RIVER IN RISHIKESH To some extent, the explosive popularity of Rishikesh can be attributed to the visit by the Beatles in 1968. Members of this rock band had stayed at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to acquire knowledge about transcendental meditation. The band compiled approximately 48 songs at the ashram and “The Happy Rishikesh Song” was recorded by John Lennon upon return to his home country. In the last few decades, one ashram (yogpeeth) that has risen to prominence for its spiritual retreats and yoga school programs is the Abhayaranya Ashram. (see images 3-4). Cradled in the Himalayas and accessible only by a thirtyminute hike, it promotes itself as an authentic yogpeeth, stimulating an intense spiritual journey and bond with the indigenous culture and lifestyles. The yoga philosophy at the Abhayaranya Ashram teaches that not only is the yoga process as a way of life, but also assists in searching for answers by connecting with the inner self. It unveils an enriching path of inquiry. The results of a 2019 survey indicated that the U.S participants revealed that visiting the Ashram rejuvenated them and offered them an opportunity to slow down and contemplate. The study also showed that the participants continue to seek deep meditative practices and transformative experiences, which stimulate them to attain a higher level of values and promote socially responsible behavior in their home environments.
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DESIGN
Architecture
Creating Good KARMA Bringing smart, modern living to North Central Phoenix BY ELAINA VERHOFF
I
It’s human nature to crave beauty and simplicity – to seek a lifestyle that enables us to focus on the moment and enjoy time with family and friends – all while minimizing our impact on the environment.
Architect, developer Jason Boyer says it was that concept of intentional living that inspired him to create KARMA, the new North Central Phoenix collection of 11 single-family residences coming to the southeast corner of 13th Place and Bethany Home Road in spring 2022. “I actually chose the name KARMA for the property because this project represents the realization of my aspirational goal to move forward with my own architecture and development company focused on smart, modern residences like these,” Boyer says. “The pandemic created some time to reflect on my personal and professional goals and so I decided the timing was right, and from the moment I made the decision to move forward, I have truly felt all good KARMA flowing toward this project.” KARMA is located in the coveted Madison Heights neighborhood and offers three modern floor plans ranging from 2,380 square feet to 2,610 square feet. Each two-story home will include 4 bedrooms, 2.5 or 3.5 bathrooms, a two-car garage and a private backyards. Pricing starts around $1 million.
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SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND DESIGN Every detail of the design at KARMA was thoughtfully selected to maximize energy efficiency and to free homeowners from the upkeep associated with larger, older, inefficient homes. Right-sized lots and a compact building footprint, along with maintenance-free exterior materials, mean less work. Examples include the use of composite UVresistant wood accent walls and acrylic finish stucco on the homes – both requiring no staining, painting, or sealing. All interior materials including paints are low-VOC, meaning there is little or no off-gassing, which improves air quality. A highly insulated envelope makes homes quieter, helping to reduce energy costs, and energy-free passive cooling is provided from operable skylights that can be opened to vent out hot air in the warmer months and bring in fresh air in the cooler months. The base appliance package includes energy-efficient Bosch appliances, and homeowners may choose to upgrade within the Bosch line or opt for packages from Dacor and Subzero Wolf.
A third-party energy modeling evaluation indicates KARMA homes will receive a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) rating of 50, meaning these homes are expected to be 50% more energy-efficient than a standard new home and 80% more efficient that the average resale home. The evaluation will be repeated once the homes have been built. Boyer says he expects the final rating to be lower, noting that the addition of optional solar will drive down the HERS rating even further.
PASSIVE SHADING STRATEGIES KARMA homes are oriented so that most of the windows face north or south – something that Boyer says best suits the area’s desert climate. There are very few windows on the east or west sides of the homes – and where there are windows, deep overhangs provide shade. Another unique aspect of KARMA is that the homes actually provide their own shade for outdoor living spaces, with the second story shading the backyard, making outdoor space more occupiable and comfortable year-round. “Among the key things we learned from the pandemic,” says Boyer, “is the fact that people gravitate to extending their living environment to the outdoors – especially in Arizona, where six months out of the year, it’s nice outside. These passive shading strategies achieved through orientation of the homes make outdoor living more comfortable and enjoyable.”
CURATED PACKAGES Part of the uniqueness of KARMA is that the base product with no upgrades itself is excellent. Buyers can attain an architectural quality home and choose a few key upgrades that make it special to them. Those wanting to upgrade don’t have to spend days combing through choices for everything from flooring to cabinets to lighting. They are presented with curated options that make it simple to get exactly what they expect in a timeless smart modern home.
shade structures and outdoor grills, with distinct zones for dining, lounging and gathering around a fire pit or fireplace. “These special backyard designs let homeowners easily extend their living environment to outside. It’s easy to either choose a whole package or elements within that package. Every choice is designed with intentionally smart sustainable living in mind,” says Boyer. In addition to backyard packages, owners can opt for roofmounted solar, electricity vehicle charging stations for one or two cars, home water filtration, custom closets, appliance packages, home automation and a unique flex space that can accommodate a generous fourth bedroom suite or dedicated home office that can be acoustically isolated or opened up as a loft to the primary living space below.
LOCAL PARTNERS Local companies with a deep understanding of the area have been intentionally selected as KARMA partners. Tucker Blalock and Oleg Bortman, co-founders of local residential real estate brokerage, The Brokery, are handling all sales for KARMA. Kristina Floor, of award-winning Floor Associates, will oversee landscape design for the community, and Mesabased Cayman Pools is KARMA’s swimming pool partner. “I’m hopeful people will see how these homes marry thoughtful design with sustainability – all while elevating the surrounding community,” Boyer says. Good karma all around. Floorplans, upgrades, and a gallery of images can be found at karmaphx.com.
Upgrades include backyard lifestyle packages designed to maximize Arizona's indoor/outdoor lifestyle – two with pools and one without. The backyards offer clean open space, functional and aesthetically pleasing SEPTEMBER 2021
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TECHNOLOGY
Zero Waste
A Partnership for Change Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Real Mallorca Partner with Valley-based company, Footprint, to create Zero Waste Arena
S
BY MARY STANGER
Sports arenas in the U.S. produce an estimated 39 million pounds of trash every single year. But as organizations like the Green Sports Alliance and venues such as Barclay’s Center in New York and the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle pave the way for zero waste, carbon-neutral sports facilities, more have started to follow.
Now, Phoenix, Arizona—the fifth-largest city in the U.S.—is making strides with the recent partnership between the materials science company, Footprint, and the Phoenix Suns. The goal: making the arena carbon-neutral while educating consumers about sustainability. The event center currently runs on solar energy. In the past year, it has installed LED lighting and energy-efficient mechanical systems with economizers, and now it even features recycled materials throughout. With the start of the new basketball season this October, patrons can expect to see even more sustainable transitions: these include compost and recycling bins as well as plant-based biodegradable plates, utensils and coolers designed by the new partner company Footprint. Former Intel engineers Troy Swope and Yoke Chung cofounded Footprint in Gilbert, Arizona, with the goal of eliminating single-use plastic. They have worked together to create plastic packaging alternatives that are compostable, sustainable and biodegradable. “In the next five years, you’re going to walk through a grocery store, and it’s going to be completely plastic-free,” says Swope. Footprint’s goal is to make sure that their products are in every grocery store across the U.S. Everything from microwavable dinner bowls, meat trays, cups, six-pack rings and coolers are produced with their plant-based fiber technology. Additionally, Footprint plans to work with the Phoenix Suns to explore other ways they can leverage half-time shows during games to not only entertain fans but also educate them about sustainability.
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“There will be giant LED screens where we can educate consumers about the impact of plastics on the environment,” says Footprint Senior Vice President of Communications, Heather Knox. “This will be a place where people can go to find out more about our solutions and then take steps at home. We want to educate them on what they can do locally and how they can play a role in making an impact in the community.” And this partnership couldn’t have come at a better time— following the close of an exciting season for the Suns with the team making it to the NBA playoffs for the first time in over a decade. “This was a really bold and courageous move on the part of the Phoenix Suns,” Knox says. “The fact that they are willing to truly embrace this transformation is really exciting. This is the start of a movement here locally and is a huge opportunity for people in the Valley to be thoughtful about what they can do to create a healthier planet.” For more information, visit www.footprintus.com.
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7137 E STETSON DRIVE, SCOTTSDALE, AZ SEPTEMBER 2021
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She’s GREEN He’s GREEN BY JENNIFER & JOHN BURKHART
Quick Snack Ideas It's back-to-school time, wa-hoo! Maybe your family needs some new ideas for quick snacks or lunchbox goodies? Admittedly, we've chosen some single-use prepackaged snacks that include plastic – just don't forget to recycle. Also, sometimes a little bit of convenience on occasion can really save your sanity, so we get it. Have a happy and healthy school year!
Mush Applegate Naturals Uncured Turkey Pepperoni & Cheddar He Said: The tried-and-true holy trinity of meat, cheese and bread. This snack has probably been around since the dawn of time. This Applegate snack was quite tasty. Crisp wheat crackers with salty pepperoni and mild cheddar cheese. Our boys kept trying to steal this while I was trying to review it. I have no doubt that they'll eat some if I put it in their lunchboxes.
She Said: I stacked these up, as you do, and wow – flavor explosion! Salty, creamy, crunchy goodness. I understand the lure of Lunchables and I appreciate an option with better ingredients. My kids always ask for them, so now I can surprise them on occasion with these.
Oats in Dairy-free Milk with Blueberry He Said: This product had to be created by accident. The breakfast factory hired a new guy and he accidentally dumped all the oats into the blueberry milk. Then someone was like, “Hey boss, what do you want us to do with all this Mush?” It's exactly what you'd think it is – chewy, blueberry-flavored, day-old oatmeal. There's really nothing bad about it, but there's really nothing good about it either.
She Said: Hmm, this is not for the texture-shy folks. Yes, it is indeed “Mushy.” I'd say it's sort of like pudding, that you have to chew (a lot of soggy oats). But I liked the cold, creamy, nottoo-sweet blueberry taste. At 5 grams of protein, and clean ingredients, it's not a bad quick snack for any time of the day.
Good & Gather Organic Sweetened Dried Cranberries He Said: This was just dried cranberries and cane sugar, and it was as sweet as candy. Not quite as healthy as raisins, since most of the sugar is added and dried cranberries have the nutritional value of a wooden nickel. But they’re still good for an energy-boosting treat. Pack it with a turkey sandwich and you’ve got a mini Thanksgiving lunchbox.
She Said: Are your kids rolling their eyes at another box o’ raisins in their bag? Toss it up with these! Conveniently found at Target, too. They are quite tart, but very tasty. Now, keep in mind there's 19g of added sugar, so maybe throw a toothbrush in the lunchbox too.
Honest Kids Twisted Tropical Tango He Said: Honest Kids is essentially just watered-down juice. This one had a nice tropical taste, with the mango flavor doing most of the work. We actually took these on a camping trip and the pouches made them easy to fit in the cooler. Our boys drank these like they were going out of style, and with only half the sugar of regular juice, we were happy to let them.
She Said: I'd say if your kiddos are used to a low-sugar diet, these would be enjoyable. I'm definitely NOT avoiding sugar, as my waistline would show, so the juice tasted more like flavored still water. Sour apple with a hint of mango just wasn't my thing, to be honest. Kudos though, to an easier-to-stab-with-a-straw design!
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GREEN
Scenes
September Events Throughout Arizona CENTRAL PHOENIX September 1-5, 8, 10, 12 Exhibition - Fearless Fashion: Rudi Gernreich at the Phoenix Art Museum Explore the wide world of fashion for yourself at this immersive experience. Marvel at 80 outfits, ensembles and other artistic endeavors created by designer Rudi Gernreich. Gernreich’s extensive collection includes unisex clothing, swimwear and women’s pantsuits, making him known for his contributions to gender-inclusive fashion. Ticket prices range from $5-$23, and museum members, military members and young children can enjoy free admission. For more information, visit https://local.aarp.org/event/exhibitionfearless-fashion-rudi-gernreich-2021-09-11phoenix-az.html.
September 1-4
September 4, 11, 18, 25
Rhea Lana’s of Mesa Fall Shopping Event
Après Weekend Yoga Flow at monOrchid
Rhea Lana’s, self-described as the nationwide leader in children’s consignment events, offers sustainable and affordable options for families looking for gently used back-to-school clothes. The Mesa event offers families the opportunity to save anywhere from 60%-90% on thousands of high-quality items for children. The sale includes clothing, accessories, furniture, entertainment, bedding and even decor for nurseries. Families in the Valley won’t want to miss this! Admission is free. For more information, visit www.allevents.in/mesa/rhea-lanas-of-mesa-fall-shoppingevent/10000162734247515.
Start your weekend off right with a Saturday Yoga Flow at 9:00 a.m. Classes will feature our favorite local instructors from around the Valley and your neighborhood yoga studio. Please bring a mat, water bottle and any other equipment you'd like to use for class. Blocks will be available at no charge. All students will receive a Kähvi Coffee + Cafe/Après Yoga antioxidant shot or an adult or NA beverage credit. Tickets are $22. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/apres-weekend-yogaflow-at-monorchid-tickets-163303730855.
September 25 LIGHT (Ladies Igniting Growth Happiness & Transformation) Being a woman in this world can make you feel like you need to be everything to everyone. Have you been putting your own desires and goals on the back burner? Has that little voice inside been nudging you, letting you know it's time to make a change? If so, this six-part workshop series is designed to ignite that very special light inside of you. After all, there is only one you in all of this world, and that’s something to celebrate. That's why these workshops are also a mini-party to celebrate and honor all the unique ladies there. Tickets range from $47 – $225. For more information, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/ light-ladies-igniting-growth-happiness-transformation-eventstickets-153398221209.
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NORTHERN ARIZONA
SOUTHERN ARIZONA
September 10-12
September 5, 12, 19, 26
3-Day "Discovery For Men" Wellness Retreat
Bird Walk At Sierra Vista
Join your fellow man in a 3-day self-discovery, release of anger, fear and stress…into activation of a higher version of Self, greater confidence, presence and clarity of life and soul purpose. Find yourself again and activate your True Self and Divine Masculine within. Learn to use effective tools for life transformation. If you are looking for a better template of what it means to be a conscious, awake and fully activated man… this is for you! For tickets and more information, visit www.bookretreats.com/3day-discovery-for-men-wellness-retreat-in-sedona-arizona-us.
Explore the narrow green oasis rippling through desert grassland, known as the San Pedro River, one of the last and most endangered wild rivers in the Southwest. These 3-hour guided walks from 6:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. among towering cottonwood trees will introduce you to the wildlife who call the sanctuary of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area home. For more information, visit www.beoutdoorsarizona.org/event/riverwalk/2021-06-29.
September 11 Adult Workshop: Food Fermentation for Health and Flavor Do you like sauerkraut, kimchi, ginger beer or chocolate? One thing they all have in common is that they are products of fermentation. Whether you’re trying to preserve your garden harvest or learn new ways to make healthy and flavorful food, this workshop is perfect for learning about basic fermentation techniques and its scientific process. Join Mike Dechter from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. for a morning of learning, tasting homemade fermented foods and getting some hands-on experience making your very own creation to take home (all materials will be provided). This class will show you everything you need to know to confidently ferment your own food at home. For more information, visit www.allevents.in/ flagstaff/adult-workshop-food-fermentation-for-health-andflavor/200021369981255.
September 5-11 Vitality: Boost Your Brain Power It’s important to stay sharp and vibrant through every stage of life, sharing your wisdom and learning more every day. These integrative wellness experts present focused classes, fitness activities and interactive experiences geared toward keeping your brain in top form. During this immersive retreat at the Arizona Wellness Center, you’ll learn about the health habits that affect memory, the relationship between diet and brain function, effective relaxation techniques and practical strategies for maintaining brain health. Personal attention from top specialists and supportive group dynamics make this a powerful, restorative experience that can enhance the rest of your life. For tickets and more information, visit www.allevents.in/tucson/vitality-boostyour-brain-power/200021150998822.
September 25 2021 Sustainable Building Tour: Carbon Neutrality Strategies Sustainable building is a keystone to carbon neutrality. This tour showcases homes that model sustainable methods and technologies including rainwater harvesting, solar design and PV. This event is free and runs from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Pick up a self-guided tour packet at the Willow Bend Environmental Ed Center on the day of the tour, or download at https://www. coconino.az.gov/sustainablebuilding. For more information, visit www.nationalsolartour.org/map/2021-sustainable-building-tourcarbon-neutrality-strategies/.
BUSINESS September 21-23 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo The Greenbuild International Conference and Expo is being held virtually and in person in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Whether you’ll be attending over Zoom from Arizona or you’re traveling to the Golden State, you won’t want to miss out on this opportunity to network and learn more about the green building industry. Passes and ticket prices vary – to register, visit www.informaconnect.com/greenbuild/.
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Here for you
In these unprecedented times, it is important that you know we’re committed to providing you the financial access, guidance and support you need during this rapidly evolving situation. Through digital, mobile, and by phone Wells Fargo Advisors is here and we continue to serve you and support our communities so that you can focus on what matters most — caring for your family’s health and safety.
Helping you focus on what matters most: Mark Morales First Vice President - Investment Officer Direct: (480) 419-2016 mark.morales@wellsfargoadvisors.com https://home.wellsfargoadvisors.com/mark.morales
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Help end hunger here. September is Hunger Action Month
Fry’s and Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is partnering with Feeding America to help end hunger here in our communities. During the month of September, 100% of each donation made at the register will go to support local food banks.
