Miss Vermont Goes "Green" To Miss America
Ashley Wheeler to wear an eco-friendly, locally made gown
LYNDONVILLE, VT - Miss Vermont 2008, Ashley Wheeler, is putting the final touches
on her preparation for the Miss America pageant in January. This week she is picking up
her custom-made evening gown from eco designer
Tara Lynn, and the cool thing is that this
gown is green - not forest green or sage green, but green, the concept – it’s an
eco-friendly dress made of hemp and silk, lined with hemp and organic cotton, and adorned
with re purposed gold lace, beads and sequins.
"I was raised as part of a family-run business and I understand how important it is to support
locally-owned and operated businesses. So when it came time for me to purchase an evening gown
for the Miss America pageant, I decided to keep my business in Vermont and call upon a designer
from the Northeast Kingdom. I had heard about
Tara Lynn and it was very appealing to go "green"
for Miss America. I will be making a significant statement and suspect I will be the only
contestant who has chosen to go this route. I think this is the perfect way for me to share
my stance on preserving our environment and set myself apart from the other contestants."
Tara Lynn Scheidet, owner of
Tara Lynn, believes, "Beauty is not artificial. Natural clothing
is sexier than lifeless textiles made from hazardous materials. When women wear my clothes I
want them to feel exuberant and special rather than objects of desire: strong, smart and
powerful. Stylish sexy women set the example for the next generation." As a representative
of America’s #1 scholarship provider for young women and an organization whose mission is to
promote personal and professional development, civic consciousness, service, higher education,
and integrity, Ashley Wheeler believes she has found the “perfect fit.”
