Ethical Ocean Interviews Chloé Jo Davis

Joining GirlieGirl Army isn’t as tough as it sounds. The “glamazon guide to green living” is a playful online spot where you can learn to live the vegan life with a touch of glamor. But when it comes to animal welfare and eco-consciousness, the army’s all business.

These two sides mirror Army-founder Chloé Jo Davis’ own dynamic personality. Chloé’s as likely to be found in the front row of an NYC fashion show as she is at Farm Sanctuary—though only one gives her a chance to cuddle chickens. Never at a loss for inspiring words, she was happy to take a front row seat with us too: talking stereotypes, green living, and fashion.

EO: Five-inch heels, luxe fashions, a NYC condo... your lifestyle doesn’t exactly fit most peoples’ idea of eco-friendly veganism.

CD: You’ve got that right.

EO: But it sure has caught on. Tell us why.

CD: GirlieGirl Army represents a niche—the same one I looked for when I had my own vegan "aha" moment years ago. I wanted there to be a place for fabulous people who love animals and mama earth, but don’t want to ditch their lip gloss and cocktails either. If I wanted it, I knew there must be thousands of others looking for it too. So I made it happen. And now GirlieGirl Army has over 300,000 visitors a month.

EO: You’ve done a lot to share this more glamorous side of veganism on GirlieGirl. Is that a statement in its own right?

CD: The tired cliché of Animal Activist-Girl, with her dark under-eye circles, hacky sacks and 76 cats, is just that: Tired. You can live a fascinating, exciting life and also care about the earth. It’s not one or the other, it’s just about making compassionate choices.

EO: ‘GirlieGirl Army’ sounds militant, but the website’s really snarky and fun. You’re a serious activist, so why take this approach?

CD: ‘GirlieGirl’ and ‘Army’ don’t go together in most people's eyes, but I've always loved dispelling myths like that. Save the world, I say. Be a tough cookie. But wear your damn sexy lingerie while you do it. Be a contradiction and love yourself.

Anyway, I’ve learned that wagging fingers doesn’t work. When I get really frustrated seeing women wearing fur on the Upper East Side, which is very difficult for me as an animal rights activist, I take a minute and think about those animals and whether I’m helping them or hurting them by acting aggressively. I’m never helping anyone, particularly myself, when I’m angry or aggressive.

My lot in life is to spread awareness about veganism and the plight of farm animals. Start with meatless Mondays, and go from there. I'm happy to personally guide anyone on their cruelty-free journey!

EO: You talk about greening your life. What’s the biggest change people can make to green theirs?

CD: They can start by remembering that animal rights and environmentalism are inexorably linked. The UN said it best: Reducing consumption of animal products is necessary to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change. If you drive a Hummer and never recycle once, you’re still doing less damage to the planet than a person who eats meat every day.

To me, compassionate living comes first, and you know, it’s no coincidence that most compassionate choices impact the environment in a positive way.

EO: A lot of people talk about the sacrifices they’d have to make to go vegan. Yet when you describe your personal style, it never sounds like you’re doing without. How do you create your look?

CD: I’m an ethical drag queen! I love my lashes, heels and glitz, but I’m rarely into spending beaucoup bucks on fashion. I find some of my favorite pieces at vintage shops and clothing swaps. I like supporting eco-designers too, though, so I always make room in my budget for a splurge.

EO: When it comes to ethical fashion, what do we need to see more of?

CD: Wool alternatives! Vegan sweaters are hard to come by. Almost all eco-designers still show wool. People need to know that wool is a cruel byproduct of the animal farming industry. Bamboo knits are fabulous, but we can go further to develop more popular cruelty-free yarns. Soy knits are on their way, so I've been told by some bigwigs in the eco fashion industry, and I can't wait!

EO: What’s your top pick on Ethical Ocean right now?

CD: This ruffled maxi dress by Modahnik is stunning, and a must have for a vacation!  And you know I'm all over the Madeline Blouse by Device, which is just sex on wheels!  Perfect for Fall, I plan on wearing mine to the theatre with a pencil skirt and something red and frilly beneath it!