From Here to Eternity A look at a sustainable future

From H e to

When it comes to sustainability, there’s no time like the present to start thinking about the future. Here, we look at a handful of categories for an update on how brands are enacting changes both large and small to make a major impact on improving things in the years to come.

> BY IRENE RAWLINGS

Food, Wine, d Roses

Last year will be remembered as the year grocers ran out of eggs, our, and yeast as we learned to bake bread, slow-cook comfort food, and nd new uses for forgotten items at the back of the pantry. Now, with COVID still with us, grocery shelves are fully stocked—but knowing where our food comes from and shopping for exotic ingredients (like organic hemp milk, dried morels, and black garlic) at natural-food meccas LASSENS and EREWHON have become more important than ever. Swing by the GOOD LUCK WINE SHOP on East Foothill for naturally fermented wines from hand-harvested organic grapes.

If your meat-loving heart is craving prime beef, join the Brassas Food & Wine Society to have a box of pasture-raised Black Wagyu beef delivered to your door six times a year from California’s GENESEE VALLEY RANCH. It’s owned by the Palmazes, who ranch with sustainable practices: technology monitors water usage; the land is naturally irrigated; the cattle graze to naturally maintain the land; and the ranch uses infrared photography to capture monthly aerial photos, assuring that the cattle are moved around to optimal settings to even out the land.

The SALMON SISTERS sh in Alaska’s Copper River (for salmon) and the Bering Sea (for halibut) and ship worldwide. The Natural Resources Defense Council tells us that 40% of food grown in the U.S. is wasted every year. One solution: no-waste booze. A collab between a bartender and an agricultural economist, Vista, California-based MISADVENTURE & CO. makes vodka from all manner of surplus baked

Et nity

To’ak chocolate is grown in Ecuador.

goods—from jalapeño bagels to blueberry muf ns—because yeasts like sugar and turn into alcohol. Colombia’s HACIENDA EL ROBLE is the holy grail of coffee. The plants are shaded by native trees (part of a reforestation project) and nourished by compost from a neighboring farm. Small-batch cacao producer TO’AK charges a small fortune (from $295 for 1.55 ounces) but, through their efforts, was able to bring Ecuador’s Ancient Nacional Cacao groves from the brink of extinction—only 15 trees were left, from which seedlings were propagated.

Finally, located in Santa Ynez, California, GRACE ROSE FARM (started as a backyard garden) specializes in fragrant, old-fashioned roses that are lovingly and organically grown. Community-supported agriculture shares are possible.

Genessee Valley Ranch

Home

it is an exciting time for well-designed, eco-friendly home furnishings. Flagship brands are increasingly aware that good design and sustainability go hand-in-hand. ROOM & BOARD partners with small, family-owned American manufacturers for innovative reuses of products that would otherwise end up in a land ll. Recycled plastic bottles become low-maintenance outdoor furniture. Recycled natural steel becomes the frame of a sleek Parsons table. IKEA sources 80% of its wood from recycled or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certi ed sources and partners with World Wildlife Fund to combat illegal logging. Since its founding in 2005, LOLL Designs has recycled over 120 million plastic milk jugs into sculptural outdoor furniture. WEHLERS, a small company in Denmark, makes a mid-century-inspired chair upcycled from commercial shing nets and recycled steel. In New Zealand, an upstart brand called NOHO makes a futuristic, ergonomic chair using recycled ocean plastic. Handcrafted in California (and shipped worldwide in recycled packaging), MEDLEY HOME’S smartly scaled sofas are made with FSC-certi ed wood, solid bamboo, CertiPUR foam, and certi ed organic textiles.

L.A.-based JENNI KANYE sources ethical textiles from women’s cooperatives in Peru. AVOCADO handmakes mattresses (in sunny California) with Global Organic Textile Standard-certi ed cotton, wool, and Global Organic Latex Standard-certi ed latex—also vegan-certi ed crib mattresses. HÄSTENS offers uberhigh-end mattresses, entirely handmade from premium natural, biodegradable materials. COYUCHI bedding and bath linens begin with 100% organic bers and a traceable supply chain. For ethically sourced oor coverings, check out the rugs and throws from a small design studio—RRRES—in Oaxaca, Mexico; THE RUG COMPANY makes rugs in Nepal and is a charter member of GoodWeave, a nonpro t that works to ban child labor.

RRRes

Net Sustain

Fashion

from supply chains to fabric dye and a plethora of textile waste with each season’s collections, the fashion industry has long been plagued by a mountain of unsustainable practices. But where once “sustainable fashion” offered little more than shapeless canvas shift dresses, major fashion brands are now getting behind the movement. A growing number of ethical and sustainable labels are increasingly championing transparency and empowering people in the supply chain by insisting that artisans are paid a living wage. This movement is driven, in part, by fashion-forward consumers who are holding their favorite brands accountable for their clothes’ impact on the planet. So, what does sustainable look like? Natural and heritage materials, fairly paid artisans and growers, a reduced environmental footprint, responsible and well-managed supply sources, and hands-on service (such as aftermarket care and repair). Early adapters have proved that sustainability and luxury are not mutually exclusive: STELLA MCCARTNEY (vegan…before it was cool), EILEEN FISHER (upcycled cashmere), GUCCI (95% materials traceable), and PATAGONIA (100% renewable and recycled materials). High-end cashmere guru BRUNO CUCINELLI offers a “mending department” to make his ultra-luxe products last longer. Premium denim label RAG & BONE joined Cotton Inc.’s Blue Jeans Go Green initiative to create all-natural insulation distributed to nonpro ts such as Habitat for Humanity. Los Angeles–based FRAME launched a creatively upcycled collection of denim, silks, cotton tees, and cashmere using recycled materials and post-consumer plastic bottles. Meanwhile, from its Australian hub, cult-favorite athleisure label P.E. NATION is using innovative fabrics such as regenerated nylon and recycled polyester for its bold jackets and sweats.

Across all of their categories, NET-A-PORTER created Net Sustain to source materials and ingredients cultivated and produced in a way that takes into account the welfare of people, animals, and the environment. Footwear brands have taken notice, too. Rugged OLIBERTÉ boots are made in the world’s rst Fair Trade Certi ed™ footwear factory; ALBERTO PIFERI (he designed for Jimmy Choo) makes fashionable and cheeky shoes out of recycled plastic and bio-based leather; KOIO and Koio ReCycled™ are made-in-Italy sneakers using certi ed leather and leather alternatives.

Aston Martin DBX

T nsportation

if we had to say just one good thing about 2020, it would be that the air in the Los Angeles Basin and the Central Valley—communities that routinely see some of the dirtiest air in the country—became practically pollution free. The California Air Resources Board is developing regulations to mandate that 100% of in-state sales of new passenger cars and trucks are zero-emission by 2035. Already, car makers are designing a new generation of electric vehicles. Japanese electric hypercar company Aspark has unveiled the ASPARK OWL, the rst of a lineup of speedy, sculptural, and high-dollar cars ($3.2 million). Ford is remaking its storied F-150 into a brawny all-electric. GMC has reintroduced its gas-guzzling HUMMER as a 1,000-horsepower EV. Aston Martin has also relaunched LAGONDA as an all-electric luxury brand.

The past year has seen a boom in recreational-vehicle travel as new generations of travelers discover the thrill of the open road. The aluminum-clad BOWLUS ENDLESS HIGHWAYS has a streamlined 1930s look but with all the modcons: lightweight (any car can tow it), solar panels, HEPA air lters, organic interior fabrics, and heated wood oors. For the ultimate in sustainable off-grid campers, EARTHROAMER LTI is a carbon ber monocoque camper body hand-built on top of a Ford F550 Crew Cab. The interior looks like a mini, upscale Northstar ski condo.

For the ultimate water getaway, the MAGELLANO 50 AZIMUT is a luxe long-range cruiser with serious environmental cred, including the new Easy Hybrid system (created by the Azimut-Benetti R&D department) that allows cruising in complete silence. Air travel has been looking at ways to become sustainable. The DASSAULT FALCON 6X, powered by newly developed, energy ef cient Pratt & Whitney engines, is designed for transoceanic travel but also for landing at airports with unusually steep approaches (like Aspen and Saint-Tropez). No civilian has own supersonic since the Concorde eet was grounded, but that’s about to change. Nevada-based Aerion Supersonic is designing the AS2, a private jet with speeds up to Mach 1.6 (over 1,200 mph). More good news: Aerion is partnering with Carbon Engineering to make the AS2 the world’s rst carbon-neutral supersonic commercial aircraft.

T vel

nothing has transformed the world of travel more dramatically than the past year, but the enforced pause has given us time to think about how to travel better—for the Earth, for people, and for the destinations we visit. As the world opens up, as it will, we look forward to spectacular but responsible adventures. Jet charter services like EASYJET are offsetting carbon emissions by investing in projects such as reforestation while also exploring the possibility of hybrid and electric aircraft. ROAR AFRICA’s Roar Privé ( rst-class, private end-to-end travel) partners with Proof of Impact so travelers can see projects their travel bucks are funding—solar panels in Rwanda or protecting baby rhinos in Botswana.

Ritz-Carlton is an industry leader with its environmentally sensitive RESERVE PROPERTIES—all have been early adapters of linen reuse; getting rid of plastics; offering sustainable choices in restaurants; and organic treatments in spas. The recently opened Ritz-Carlton Reserve Zadún in Los Cabos takes it a step further with a composting program, a wastewater puri cation program, and by launching Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment—immersive experiences in native culture and local ecosystems. Forward-thinking hotel brand ZANNIER is opening two new hotels: Sonop, a posh solar-powered tented camp in the epic Namibian desert, and Vietnamese beachfront Bãi San Hô with villas inspired by historic shermen’s houses.

Naya Traveler offers a not-for-the-faint-hearted experience— walking the legendary Inca Trail through ancient villages, 15 different ecosystems, and 15,000-foot mountain passes. Each day’s trek, led by local mountain guides, ends with a hot shower, a massage, and dinner made from just-picked local ingredients. Conservation-based ONE&ONLY NATURE is the ecominded offshoot from One&Only, which currently has three boutique properties. Stay in a tree-top room at Rwanda’s One&Only Gorilla’s Nest, where you can trek to see mountain gorillas in the wild. Hop aboard the hotel’s helicopter to visit sister property One&Only Nyungwe House (in a tea plantation at the edge of one of Africa’s oldest rain forests). Australia’s One &Only Wolgan Valley is the rst carbon-neutral (carboNZero©™) resort in the world.

Zannier Hotels Sonop