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We speak to the supermodel, eco-activist and yogi.
We at Rêve En Vert have long been fans of model Angela Lindvall, loving her commitment to environmental causes and strong emphasis on nature and yoga to remain rooted in the high-speed world of fashion.
Last week, she taught a yoga class at Madison Square Garden for Impact Garden-a phenomenal event that brought together conscious shopping advocates in NYC. Here we talk to her a bit more about what she is up to.
-How did you become involved with Impact Garden and Global Fashion Exchange?
I’ve been an activist for positive change for a long time. Heidi Lindgren reached out me after she heard that I’m also a kundalini yoga teacher. She invited me to come teach at the Impact Garden event and I find what they are doing very impactful. These brands are creating beautiful products that change the lives of the people who create them in such a positive way.
-What role does your yoga practice play in your everyday life and connection to nature?
A daily practice of yoga and meditation is a must for me now that I know the science behind the practices and I have experienced profound benefits from including these in my daily routine.
It primarily helps to keep my mind clear of all the clutter. We have so many demands, stresses and external influences on ourselves today and if we don’t clear our subconscious mind, we can be ruled by it. It also gives me strength physically & mentally to cut through daily challenges. It connects me with my infinite self and has helped me develop deep awareness and intuition.
Nature is a huge part of connecting and healing. We are a part of the natural environment, yet in so many ways have disconnected ourselves from the natural Arcadian rhythms. Nature heals and balances us.
-You practice and now teach kundalini yoga, can you tell us a bit more about this?
I went through teacher training five years ago with no intention to teach, but rather deepen my own practice and learn the science of yoga. It was somewhat accidental that I became a teacher.
My own teacher had been encouraging me to teach for years, but I had reservations and fears about putting myself out there. As soon as I finally agreed to teach the Monday class, I got a call to teach Impact Garden. I guess the universe is trying to tell me it’s time. It was baptism by fire to teach 200 at Madison Square Garden!
-What shaped your passion for the environment and has led to you being so active in promoting environmental concerns?
I grew up in nature and have always had very a close relationship to the natural world. I moved from a small town in Missouri to New York when I was 17 and I was unaware of the state of our environment at that time. I started to question where all our trash went, what was in our food and water.
I was blown away when I started discovering what was going on with our natural world. I wondered why this wasn’t on the front pages of newspapers. I then began to discover amazing organisations and people out there making a difference and creating solutions. Unfortunately not a lot of people knew about them and it became a mission of mine to draw more awareness to these causes.
-You founded the Collage Foundation, which teaches young people about environmental causes, and Clean By Design, aiming to revolutionize the Chinese textile industry. Can you tell us abit more about the evolution of these two initiatives?
I saw how powerful the media is from working in fashion and how quickly trends are started. I also saw how many more people knew about their favourite celebrities than these environmental concerns. I started The Collage Foundation to integrate pop-culture and media as a means of stimulating awareness, and to provide resources for positive change.
It was a platform to bring light to all the great people and organisations making a difference. Collage is no longer active, but I do see how much more these issues have become present in the mainstream. Unfortunately things just move slowly.
Clean By Design was created by Anna Carter and NRDC. I was asked early on to be on the founding board. It’s an amazing initiative to improve standards of manufacturing to reduce the environmental impact. It’s devastating how damaging the textile industry is on our air and water. Massive improvements need to be made, and Clean By Design has the resources to help achieve some of these.
-You’ve worked significantly in the fashion industry as a model-do you think the conversation around people and planet in that field is becoming more prominent?
Definitely! Fashion has always been a reflection of the times. We are in an age of awareness, where our health and survival depends on our choices and actions. There are better ways to do things than we have been doing them. There are amazing technologies today to support that.
-What are the things you do as part of your daily routine to live a more mindful life?
It starts with reverence. Reverence for ourselves, our communities, and nature. The daily choices we make in caring for ourselves, our homes, and our family is where it begins. The health of the planet, starts with the health of ourselves. I’m a big advocate for sustainable and organic agriculture, and the support of small farms. I helped start The Rockland Farm Alliance just outside of New York City. Where we get our food and how it’s grown has a huge impact on the health of our bodies and the earth. I am also very aware of how much I consume and what products I choose to buy. I try to support people and organisations that are creating change as much as possible.
-What do you consider to be the meaning of sustainable fashion?
Fashion that was produced in a mindful way, be it the fibres, the production, the people who made it, and the environmental impact created in the process.
-What three words would you choose to describe your own personal sense of style?
Comfortable, chic, and whimsical.
-Who is your fashion icon and why?
There are so many. I respect Coco Chanel’s perseverance, and I love Lauren Hutton’s lust for life and adventure.
