Berkeley, CA, May 23, 2011 - The University of California Botanical is pleased to announce the Green Gala 2011 - a Garden Party Fundraiser. Building on the University of California Botanical Garden's Green Gala 2009 event, which was featured in the Style section of the of  San Francisco Chronicle, this year the Garden is bringing back the successful fashion show with a new theme. For the Green Gala 2011 fashion show, Saturday June 18, 2pm - 5pm, the line-up of eco-chic designers will create a two-piece collection inspired directly from the Garden's extensive and stunning plant collection, curated by Permacouture Institute.

The event will kick off with a live auction followed by the show in the Garden's breathtaking Redwood Grove Amphitheater. The Gala will continue with a live band and silent auction and part-goers will enjoy local artisan wine and food served amongst the preeminent collection of plants from around the world.

The Green Gala represents a culmination of educational programs, events, and collaborations that spurred from the Garden's annual Fiber & Dye exhibition (March 19-April 3, 2011). Deepa Natarajan, the organizer behind the 2009 show, launched the first season of plants and fashion at the Garden in 2008.

Natarajan explains that, "Eco-fashion and the Garden was an easy match. Traditionally, our clothes came from plants, our colors came from plants. I saw the Garden as a resource for both the public and the eco-fashion community to come together to learn from each other about the uses of plants both past and present. We're fortunate to live in the Bay Area, a place where the community is engaged in building a wardrobe of ethical, ecological and beautiful clothing rooted firmly in gardens. Green Gala was started as a way of building that community and highlighting a use of plants that is not so widely known, yet a basic human need." 

Sasha Duerr, co-founder of Permavouture Institute and curator for this year's show says, "Having worked closely in the past on the Garden's annual Fiber and Dye Exhibit as well as on special programs for regenerative design for fashion and textiles, Permacouture Institute is immensely excited to be collaborating with the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley to curate this year's Green Gala Fashion Show.  To honor the extensive biodiversity of the Garden, we have brought together a talented group of local and sustainable fashion designers to create two garments inspired directly from the Botanical Garden's awe inspiring plant collection. We are looking forward to seeing how the designers will  inform their work by spending time in the Garden, whether it be through identifying creative sources of plant-based fibers and dyes, using the tools of biomimicry as a guide, being captured by the colors in a native leaf, or the form of a succulent  to give their creations patterns and shape. We are excited for the designer's to bring their unique vision of the UC Botanical Garden to life through this process of exploration and to nurture a deeper sense of ecoliteracy in the design process."

The Green Gala aims to bring together those with a love of plants, food, wine, fashion, and the common value of preserving our natural resources and living  sustainably.  All proceeds from the benefit event will support the Garden's "living museum" of plants and its mission of global biodiversity, conservation and education.

A new year of plant collections and fashion collections will be helping the Garden accomplish its mission for 2011.  

EVENT INFORMATION

Green Gala

Saturday, June 18, 2011

2pm - 5pm

Tickets: $125

RELATED LINKS

Green Gala Webpage  

Green Gala Blog 

http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu  

http://permacoutureinstitute.org

SF Chronicle Green Gala 2009 article

ABOUT THE GARDEN

The UC Botanical Garden is a non-profit research garden and museum for the

University of California at Berkeley, having a notably diverse plant collection including many rare and endangered plants. Established in 1890, the Garden, which is open to the public year round, has over 13,000 different kinds of plants from around the world, cultivated by region in naturalistic landscapes over its 34 acres.

GARDEN INFORMATION

Location:

200 Centennial Drive,Berkeley, CA 94720-5045

Hours:

Open Daily from

9am - 5pm, no admission after 4:30pm

Garden Shop and Plant Deck Open Daily from

10:30am - 4:30pm

Closed the first Tuesday of each month.

Admission:

Adults $9, Seniors (65+) $7, Students (non-Cal) $7, Juniors (13 - 17) $5, Children (5 - 12) $2, Children (under 5) Free
UCBG Members, current UCB and LBNL staff, faculty and UCB students Free,

First Thursday of each month Free

For More Information:

510-643-2755 |

garden@berkeley.edu|http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu