Who's Who: The Eco-Guide

Thursday, Apr. 20, 2006 By NIA ELIZABETH SHEPHERD, NADIA MUSTAFA, CHRISTINE LENNON, CAROLINE TELL, MELISSA CERIA, KATE NOVACK

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BIG BREAK After designing couture in Paris, Loudermilk returned to the U.S. to start a line of clothing that would help the environment and "do more than feed the female ego." She developed a high-end T shirt line made of organic cotton, which she sold in Europe. "People were really into what we were doing then," she says. "There was a real void in the market." She calls her customer a "metro-naturalist: someone who is artistic and urban, self-expressive and makes choices out of the norm."

DESIGN TOUCHSTONE Loudermilk credits the environment for influencing her punkish, rock-'n'-roll style and hopes her clothing will help people bond to the earth. "Nature has more edge than we can ever create," she says. "I want to help people feel a connection to it on a daily basis."

The Healthy Hardware Hawker Timothy Taylor 55, Seattle

CLAIM TO FAME As CEO of Built-e Inc., Taylor has presided over the growth of Seattle's Environmental Home Center, a one-stop shop for building an eco-friendly house. The 30,000-sq.-ft. space functions as a warehouse, showroom and design center. "We marry good information about a product with convenient access to it," says Taylor. "It's all under one roof in a high-style setting." Some of the sustainable products for sale include 100% organic-wool carpets, nontoxic paints and home-insulation units made from recycled denim.

BIG BREAK The longtime businessman met company founders Matthew and Alison Freeman-Gleason in 1996. At the time, they had a 12,000-sq.-ft. showroom in downtown Seattle. Taylor, who predicted that home building was going green, jumped on board in 2000 to help expand their vision.

DESIGN TOUCHSTONE Taylor understands the importance of style. "Good aesthetics are a key attribute in sustainability," he says. "When you have something beautiful, you'll use it for life." The center carries materials at a range of price points and tries to sell local brands. Taylor stresses that it does not, however, skimp on quality. "Our goal is not to have 57 different hammers," he says. "Our customer appreciates the selection process we go through."

The Cleanup Team Adam Lowry & Eric Ryan 31 & 33, San Francisco

CLAIM TO FAME In 2000 Lowry and Ryan, high school friends from Detroit, decided to contest the idea that stronger chemicals make for better household cleaners. They introduced Method, a mass-market line of health-conscious and aromatic dish and hand soaps, bathroom cleansers, surface cleaners, laundry detergents, floor-care products and air fresheners. "It's been pounded into our heads that you can't have safe and effective products in one," says Lowry, who studied chemical engineering and environmental science at Stanford University. "That isn't true."

BIG BREAK Method positions itself as a brand that benefits, above all, personal well-being. The company's mission, "People Against Dirty," points to the harmful ingredients in cleaners as the real pollutants in our homes. Two years ago, Method came out with a triple-concentrated biodegradable laundry detergent and now the competition is catching on (Unilever launched its version, All Small & Mighty, last fall). Lowry says that if all detergents were to switch to concentrated formula, it would save 400 million gal. of water and about 200 million lbs. of plastic a year.