“I love the beauty in creative expression. Fashion, music and art are three forms in which I express myself and am touched by others doing so,” says Vanessa Diaz, founder of Moxie Industries, an animal-friendly and eco-conscious company that produces and distributes eco-friendly fashions, music and art. The company is launching with a selection of Certified Organic Cottons T-shirts, glam-rock and classic jeans, art made with recycled products and music from earth-friendly artists, delivered through environmentally sound downloads, not CDs.
Founded by musical artist Vanessa Diaz, Moxie Industries’ original Certified Organic Cotton T-shirt line features “Sammy Green,” a cartoon character with a green brain, reminding people to think green with messages like: Recycle, Ride a Bike, Plant a Tree, Car Pool and Solar Powered, in men’s and women's styles that include crew neck, scoop neck and v-neck t-shirts and spaghetti tank tops.
The company's environmental commitment is reflected in the signature green stitching in the clothing line, which includes twill shorts, a denim skirt and several styles of jeans, each named after flowers that represent qualities Diaz believes are important:
Camellia (graciousness) = straight leg jeans
Azalea (abundance) = boot cut jeans
Peony (healing) = wide leg seamed jeans
Iris (inspiration) = R&R bell jean
Zinnia (goodness) = skinny scrunch jeans
The rock star R&R Bell jean has interchangeable panels on the sides so people can have two different looks from one pair of jeans. R&R can represent “reuse and recycle” or “rock and roll.”
The rock and roll jeans were inspired by Vanessa’s roots in music: she has been performing since the age of six, and began performing professionally in 2001. For her stage performances, Vanessa designed and modified clothes to create her own unique looks. This inventiveness naturally progressed into the creation of her own clothing line. With her interests in art and the environment, combining all aspects to create Moxie Industries was a natural evolution.
Vanessa is recording her first solo album in both English and Spanish. “My style of music is earthy, heartfelt, alternative,” says Vanessa, whose musical influences include Heart, Patsy Cline, Steven Tyler, and Janis Joplin. Vanessa plays both electric and acoustic guitar when she sings. She performs and records with her band, which includes drums, bass, guitar and sometimes keyboard, playing uplifting, thought-provoking songs.
To help people keep up with their favorite earth-friendly artists and discover new ones, Moxie Industries digitally distributes music, video content, event information and links to perks for band merchandise.
For people who are interested in visual art and the environment, Moxie Industries sells unique creations from eco-friendly artists who use items like re-purposed make-up, scrap wood and bottle caps to create works of art. The art collection continues to grow as Vanessa discovers artists through word-of-mouth, websites and serendipitous meetings. Vanessa’s own art created from items bound for the trash became the inspiration for the T-shirt prints, which started when she recycled a bicycle tire inner tube and placed it on canvas as part of an art piece.
“We’re planning to build Moxie Industries into an international brand promoting environmental awareness and entertainment,” says Vanessa. “We all have the freedom of choice to do our part in loving our world, and if you listen to your heart you will know what to do. I listened: here I am.”
A native of Miami, Florida Vanessa moved to Southern California three years ago to pursue her dreams and is now watching them flourish. When she is not working, she enjoys salsa dancing, attending the opera and musicals, cooking, getting together with her family and friends, hiking with her beagle, Sammy, and riding her motorcycle.
