Spending More To Save More.(International Edition; TOP SHELF)

Byline: Sameer Reddy

The trappings of ecological elitism include hydrogen--powered cars, grass skirts and recycled gold jewelry.

Between the upcoming launch of Brad Pitt's biodegradable body wash for Kiehl's and the recent "green" issues of glossy magazines like Vanity Fair, it's easy to forget that eco-consciousness hasn't always had upscale cachet. When I was growing up in the 1980s, it consisted mainly of hippie-dippie products like Birkenstocks and hemp T shirts and annoying tasks like recycling. Now that saving the Earth has become trendy, entrepreneurs have begun to brand green products across all price points--including the highest ones. For the carbon-footprint-erasing jet set, this translates into a new breed of luxury products that allow them to indulge in the kind of excess to which they've become accustomed while still feeling virtuous about their impact on the planet. The age of the eco status symbol is upon us.

The automobile provides one of the most obvious applications for green technology, but until recently it didn't get much more exciting than Toyota's electric hybrid, Prius, which isn't exactly competing with Mercedes for clientele. Luxury consumers with more traditional tastes can take heart, as some of their favorite gas guzzlers are being retooled to meet SULEV (super-ultralow-emission vehicle) standards. Lexus's 2008 LS 600hL features a 438-horsepower V-8 engine that delivers V-12 power, with an additional high-output, electric-drive motor. Packed with the same over-the-top options as its gas-only sibling the LS 460--including a reclining rear seat with a massage function and an automatic parking-guidance system--it comes at a much steeper base price: $104,900, compared with the LS 460's $62,900.

BMW is looking past electricity to hydrogen as an energy source, with the advent of the Hydrogen 7, a modified version of its top-of-the-line 760Li sedan. The V-12 engine can run on either liquid hydrogen or gasoline, and spokesmen have been quoted as saying it could be sold at a "manageable premium" over the standard $125,000 for the 760Li (the Hydrogen 7 has not yet been released for sale). For wealthy auto enthusiasts, the sticker shock isn't an impediment; if anything, it's the opposite--the extreme price tag makes these cars seem even more appealing as a way to stand out while making a progressive political statement.

For those who wear their planetary concern on their sleeves, the fantastical creations from Franz Grabe Flower Couture are the ultimate expression of conviction in both sustainable, and conspicuous, consumption. The series of outfits recently unveiled during the AuDITIONS show at Sanlam South Africa Fashion Week ...