Summer Rayne Oakes

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Summer Rayne Oakes (born June 1984) is an American-born model known for her social entrepreneur work in ecofashion and related sustainability ventures. Because of her close ties to the environment, she is often referred to as "the eco-model." ^[1]

Summer Rayne at the Vanity Fair "Green Issue" Party at ABC Carpet and Home, copywrite: Patrick McMullan

Her work has been featured on CNN, NPR, Sirius Satellite Radio, NY1, Current TV, Video Fashion News, the Fashion & Beauty Channel, and LinkTV. Recent interviews and articles include: French Vogue, Elle Magazine, Lucire, Experience Life, Artist Interviews, Entertainment World, GQ, Healthy Living, E, The Fader,Yogi Times, Sustainable Industries Journal, and Grist Magazine.

Summer Rayne at the Operation Smile Event in NYC with Mariah Carey; copyright Patrick McMullan

On September 5, 2005, Oakes launched "Behind the Label," a bimonthly sustainable style editorial produced for Lucire. On October 23, 2006, Oakes took over as acting editor for the magazine. In September 2006, Oakes also launched S4, a sustainabilty trends in fashion newsletter.

Summer Rayne for S4, Bamboo Issue, copywrite: S4

Summer Rayne Oakes speaking at the Eco-Petals Ecofashion Event, LA; copyright Eco-Petals

Her educational curriculum entitled ECOFASHION 101 links pop culture, fashion, and mainstream media into traditional subject topics and was launched in Philadelphia schools in September 2005.

Summer Rayne Oakes in Behind the Label

Summer Rayne was represented by Boss Model Management in New York City from September 2004 to July 2005 until she went under private management. That same month, she founded SRO, a consulting and production firm focused on sustainable business.

Oakes currently co-hosts Eco 4 The World created by Big Durian Productions.

1 Early Years
2 Personal life
3 Quotes
4 Stats
5 External links

[edit] Early Years

During her high school years, Summer Rayne was an avid artist and poet and a self-taught naturalist.

Oakes began modeling while in college at Cornell University where she was studying environmental science and entomology. She was approached by a Philadelphia-based modeling agency, which later led her to New York City where she now resides. Her first project brought attention to sustainable fashion and rainforest conservation with Photographer John F. Cooper's and stylist, Peter Brown's Organic Portraits series.

Oakes is a Udall Scholar and National Wildlife Federation Fellow. She is also a United Nation's US Partnership Youth Emissary, a program founded in conjunction with the United Nation's Decade for the Education of Sustainable Development and the Millennium Development Goals. Her current work as a model is exclusively tied to socio-environmental issues, sustainability, equitable trade and education.

Summer Rayne Oakes for the Ethical Fashion Show, Paris, copywrite: Laure Maud

[edit] Personal life

Summer Rayne has never been married. She is reportedly single, but has been linked to dating fellow environmentalists in the past.

[edit] Quotes

"The glamorous appeal that surrounds modeling really helps target a wider and more varied audience for the causes that I am associated with. Environmentalism and humanitarian issues are hot button topics all the time, but usually within certain cliques. My image is the primary draw for most viewers, but I've received countless mail from individuals who inadvertently learn about my work and can relate to it, are interested in it, or are inspired by it. It's really energizing to hear what they have to say. You don't always get that appeal and response from general audiences to traditional activism. I think it's a viable way to engage fringe groups."

- Lucire, April 2005

"I've always cared for the environment, but I've never wanted to be limited to studying or caring for just one aspect of it. I want to use all my assets toward making a difference."

- Experience Life Magazine, April 2006

"Take me out to [a bog mat] and I would be shoving my nose in moss or looking at insects. I get really excited about that kind of stuff!"

- Grist Magazine, September 2006

"I think the press first started using that phrase [to describe me]. It doesn't really describe the depth of my work, but it does roll off the tongue quite nicely, doesn't it? I guess if I were a comic book character, I'd be somewhere between Captain Planet and Wonder Woman, and that isn't half bad."

- Capricho Magazine, November 2006 [after asking who started calling her "The Eco-model"]

"Just from my background, I've really honed in on a lot of broad skill sets...I was also asking in my own life, how can I get my environmental and social issues that I feel most passionate about out to a mainstream audience? How can I get this brand or this product or this company out into the mainstream? There are so many companies that are doing good and do have a good message, and not getting the limelight they deserve..."

- Sustainable Industries Journal, December 2006