Image © Lisa Young

Fondly known as ‘The World’s First Eco-Model’, Summer Rayne Oakes is a model-activist, author of bestselling style guide Style, Naturally (Chronicle 2009), and Editor-at-Large of ABOVE Magazine. As a brand ambassador and sustainability strategist, her work keeps her busy on and off camera, advising and consulting on various aspects of design, production and practice.

In February 2010 she launched a new company called Source4Style - a B2B marketplace that allows designers to search, compare and purchase more sustainable materials from around the world. Vanity Fair has named Oakes a ‘Global Citizen’; Outside called her one of the ‘Top Environmental Activists’; Glamour anointed her one of the ‘70 Women of Green,’ and CNBC Magazine listed her company in ‘The Top 10 Exciting Eco-Businesses’. Summer Rayne has degrees in Environmental Science and Entomology and is an Udall Environmental Scholar.

At MADE-BY UK’s launch party in 2009, Summer Rayne supported us with her inspirational opening speech about her experiences with MADE-BY through her past projects and introduced our partner brand catwalk show.

MADE-BY were very proud to have ambassador Summer Rayne Oakes with us in Amsterdam to celebrate our 5-year anniversary event.

MADE-BY joined forces with Bono & Ali Hewson’s eco fashion brand EDUN LIVE to launch a limited edition range of sustainable T-shirts. A ‘RESPECT’ print adorns each T-shirt and is the result of a pan-European design competition to offer young, aspiring design-talent a chance to create a sustainability themed T-shirt.  Summer Rayne played a leading role acting as a judge for the competition alongside many other key industry figures, namely: Ali Hewson (EDUN LIVE), actresses Bonnie Wright and Georgia Groome, and Claudia Straatmans (Cosmopolitan Magazine Holland), Mark Huis in’ t Veld (MADE-BY) and de Bijenkorf (a major Dutch department store). With the help of MADE-BY, EDUN LIVE is further helping its African suppliers in Uganda and Tanzania to achieve better social and environmental standards.

With her extensive experience in the fashion industry, as Summer Rayne travels the world for her various ventures, she actively spreads MADE-BY’s message of sustainability to the global masses.