By By Rob Tokanel, News Staff

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Before environmental expert and author Summer Rayne Oakes infiltrated the New York fashion scene with an entomology degree from Cornell, there was no such thing as an eco-model.
On Monday, Oakes told a group of about 100 students in the West Addition of the Curry Student Center how she was able to parlay her ambitious intention to green up the textile industry into an inventive modeling career that has given her a platform to spearhead a multitude of environmental and humanitarian efforts worldwide.
During the event, which was co-sponsored by the Sigma Delta Tau sorority and the Husky Energy Action Team (HEAT), Oakes discussed her recent project in Mozambique to counteract deforestation, her collaboration with the Discovery Network’s Planet Green and her recent book, ‘Style, Naturally:’ The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty,’ which promotes green fashions for everyday women.
Oakes said she hoped her experience driving from Cornell to New York on weekends to network and establish herself in the fashion industry would set an example for students:’ they don’t have to wait until after college to pursue causes that are important to them.
‘I hope now by doing what I’m doing, a byproduct of what I’m able to showcase is that you can align your values with who you are as a person,’ she said. ‘I encourage young people to start in college because you have a safety net. Whatever you believe, the time to do it is now when you’re young and you have the freedom and the energy.’
Oakes said her initial plan was to connect with models and celebrities who already had a platform to speak from, but that quickly changed when busy schedules and conflicts of interest made it easier to start modeling herself.
‘There was this disparity between who they were and what they were trying to represent,’ she said. ‘I realized it’s not their job, so why not create a job with my own values ‘hellip; that works in any industry.’
Kelly Allen, special events chair for Sigma Delta Tau, said the event was special because her sorority had been trying to get Oakes to come speak since last fall. During the Rock The Vote event before the presidential election, Sigma Delta Tau chose to present the environmental policies of each candidate, and Allen felt hosting Oakes would be fitting.
The sorority found her appealing, Allen said, because her looks draw in male audiences and her focus on fashion interests women. But the causes she supports are also exigent. Oakes echoed that sentiment in her presentation.
‘Fashion can very easily be a hook to pull people in, but you’ve got to have the substance behind it,’ she said.
Oakes’ book was written with the same principle in mind; the beauty tips are geared toward a general female audience, but she emphasizes the stories of people working to create sustainable products and explains how earth-friendly materials can be incorporated into everyday styles.
‘I wanted to communicate in a way that says to women, ‘I can do this, that’s my style,’ and really open it up to women who don’t have ‘green’ or ‘environment’ in their lexicon,’ she said. ‘We need to reach out to those audiences that aren’t ‘converted.”
Middler business major Wes Falik said it was interesting to see how Oakes combined modeling with social causes. He said he felt the subject of her presentation was different from other speakers he had seen on campus in that it encouraged students to take action in a general sense, not just specifically for the environment.
‘Initially I kind of thought, ‘Oh she’s just going to tell us to recycle more,’ but she showed us things that actually do matter,’ he said. ‘You could tell me to carpool on my way to work or to save water, but that isn’t necessarily going to change anything. It was nice to see important things people are doing in other parts of the world.’
Oakes stressed the importance of establishing a network of people with similar interests, but added that it is paramount to be able to take initiative and communicate ideas to audiences who come from different backgrounds.
‘You can really create amazing opportunities for yourself, especially when you think outside the box and just start doing it,’ she said. ‘Don’t wait for anybody else, and connect what you do to as many people as you can.’