Summer Rayne Oakes

Summer Rayne Oakes was researching toxins in sewage sludge, identifying aquatic insects, revitalizing rainforests, and mapping invasive species when she came up with the notion that the fashion industry might be the ideal venue to disseminate environmental awareness.

Oakes is now considered the world's first eco-model for seamlessly combining her environmental expertise and vision with her modeling career. As brand ambassador and sustainability strategist for Portico Home, Payless ShoeSource's zoe&zac line, MODO ECO Eyewear, and Aveeno Smart Essentials, Oakes has kept busy on and off camera, advising and consulting on various aspects of design, production, and practice.

Oakes is also co-founder and CEO of Source4Style, a B2B marketplace portal that allows fashion and interior designers to source more sustainable materials and services from around the world. She is the author of the best-selling style guide Style, Naturally and editor-at-large of ABOVE Magazine.

Vanity Fair has named Summer Rayne Oakes a "global citizen," Outside called her one of the "top environmental activists," CNN hailed her as a "young person who rocks," and CNBC named her one of the "top ten green entrepreneurs of 2010." She has degrees in environmental science and entomology from Cornell University.

In June 2017, Oakes began to foster a Rhode Island Red hen that was an abandoned Easter gift. Oakes named her Kippee and took her on the street in a bird carrier, on the subway, and to photo shoots, attracting attention from media and passersby. Eventually Kippee got photo shoots of her own, including commercials for Lululemon and Celestial Seasonings tea.

Oakes lives in a loft apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and has filled the apartment with over 500 plants.