Heart of Green:

It was a glamorous night for the environment as the eco-glitterati turned out at the Bently Reserve in San Francisco for the Gorgeous & Green Gala benefiting Global Green USA and the greening of schools nationwide. My fellow co-chair Zem Joaquin and I want to thank everyone who helped to make this year’s sold-out event the best Gorgeous & Green ever.

This year, we were inspired by classic dinner theatres of decades past. After pouring over photos of Paris and the Moulin Rouge, we worked with Blueprint Studios to design a décor that we hoped would be “Spectacular, Spectacular.” It turned out even better than our wildest dreams with a red carpet runway, crystal candelabras, velvet curtains, sensational banquettes with front-row seating, live trees, sumptuous lighting, and more. See photos below. Everything was rented and returned with the help of Blueprint Studios for a full circle eco-design experience. We even had the Moulin Rouge movie playing on the bar. I am not sure anyone noticed that last detail, but it didn’t matter because it meant that people were having too much fun!

The star-studded night began with a gourmet organic Patron Dinner by celebrity chefs Michael Mina, Michelin 2-star Joseph Humphrey of Dixie, and Bill Corbett, the master pastry chef at Absinthe. The eco-friendly and talented Taste Catering served up delicious, farm-to-tray hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail receptions. Raves about the food were heard throughout the night, and things were just getting warmed up! VIP guests sipped Korbel California Champagne made with organically-grown grapes, our local favorite Mateveza beer, Numi teas, and specialty cocktails made with 360 Vodka (organic of course). We are deeply grateful to Rutz Cellars and Keith Rutz for the phenomenal high-end wines and encourage everyone to visit their legendary wine cave in the Russian River Valley.

Celebrity Chefs Bill Corbett, Michael Mina & Joseph Humphrey

Notable guests on the green carpet included Jennifer Siebel Newsom and California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, Omar Miller from CSI:Miami, and multi-platinum recording artist Michelle Branch. With a passion for the environment and healthy living, Michelle Branch wowed the crowd by singing beautiful ballads while strumming on her guitar. Actress Rosario Dawson Skyped in from London to show her support for the event, while DJ Donovan serenaded the guests with his French-inspired beats.

Levi’s and eBay were thrilled to win the inaugural Eco-Accolades for their Water<Less Jeans Collection and Common Threads program respectively. Matt Petersen, President of Global Green, announced that the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin had won the National Green School Makeover Competition presented by Pureology. In an ode to Silicon Valley, a new Green School Mobile App powered by Lincoln MKZ Hybrid was unveiled. I have to say that the MKZ Hybrid is one very handsome car, and it is a hybrid to boot with 41 mpg!

A lively and spirited auction orchestrated by Lenny Broberg saw guests outbidding each other for eco-luxury packages including the Post Ranch Inn, a custom sustainable suit from Tailored San Francisco, a Bay Area organic farm tour with a suite at Cavallo Point, VIP tickets to the Global Green Pre-Oscar Party, and more.

The magical night culminated with the Gorgeous & Green Runway Fashion Show. The dazzling models from Stars strutted their stuff in the eco-fashions of California designers Minolya, Karen Caldwell, Sara Shepherd, and Oliver Tolentino. A favorite of Hollywood actresses, Tolentino debuted hand-woven couture gowns made of sustainable pineapple fiber and water lily fabric from his native Philippines. Eco-fashion has never looked so stunning. The show was produced by Lily Achatz and Clarissa Nicosia with hair by Pureology, makeup by Vapour Organic Beauty, accessories by Make Love Not Trash and Amber Marie Bently jewelry, and music by DJ Donovan.

Gorgeous & Green Eco-Fashion Show

I know that the real reason people attend Gorgeous & Green is for the VIP gift bag (wink), and this year’s ecofabulous goodies did not disappoint. Guests were treated to a stylish bag by Make Love Not Trash containing Earthlust chandelier water bottles, eye cream from 29 Cosmetics, Essence of Vali essential oils, popchips, Miette fudges and caramels which are truly to die for, Vapour Organic Beauty’s fabulous cream blush, the very popular Green Ocean cleaner, a fashionable handbag by Envirosax, and beautiful bamboo notecards from Bambootility Media and Smock Paper.

We raised over $250,000 for Global Green USA’s green schools program and could not have done it without our generous sponsors and partners including Rabobank, Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Pureology, Intel, The 11th Hour Project, Bently Holdings, Catamount Ventures, PG&E, Speedpro Imaging Marin for eco-friendly signage, Alyssa Warnock Design Studio for the beautiful graphic design, Miette, Virgin America, New Leaf Paper, Cross Marketing for the expert PR, Leftwich Event Specialists, and the incomparable LEED-certified Bently Reserve. We are grateful to our media partners SFWire, ecofabulous.com, Drew Altizer Photography, San Francisco Magazine, and SF Examiner Green Living.

To see all of the fabulous photos from the event, please see the web site of Drew Altizer Photography.

Media Coverage

San Francisco Chronicle: Global Green USA's annual gala Gorgeous & Green

The Examiner: A glamorous gala for green living in San Francisco

SF Wire: Global Green USA’s 7th Annual Gorgeous & Green Gala

Ecofabulous: Gorgeous & Green Gala 2011 – The Highlights

SF Examiner: Green event of the year Gorgeous and Green 7th annual gala

SF Examiner Green Living Slideshow

The Sop: Global Green Dazzles with their 7th Annual Gorgeous and Green

Haute Living: San Francisco Gets Gorgeous and Green

SFLuxe: Time to be Gorgeous and Green

Fibre2Fashion: Oliver Tolentino shows Eco at Gorgeous & Green