Green Dreams

In fact, Seo was so impressed by the line’s greenness, he partnered with the manufacturer to help make it better for the environment and beautiful as well.

Simmons’ Natural Care by Danny Seo debuts Thursday at JC Penney stores nationwide and its online catalog.

Seo also is serving as the retailer’s green living partner and has helped it showcase and develop environmentally conscious products, as well as teaching the store’s customers what it means to be green.

“The Natural Care line is truly designed with a healthier lifestyle and sustainable living in mind. Because the beds are made with luxurious natural materials, the collection is the perfect marriage of style and sustainability,” Seo said.

A sneak preview of the line was offered to industry professionals earlier this year at the World Market Center.

Seo, whose birthday is on Earth Day, became interested in a greener life when he was young. On his 12th birthday, he and a few friends started an environmental group, and by the time he was 18, he led the country’s largest teenage environmental organization and spearheaded worldwide campaigns, garnering accolades and the Albert Schweitzer Reverence for Life Award.

He became an expert about incorporating style and beauty into environmentally friendly living by accident when he was 21. He was being interviewed by a Washington Post reporter about environmental activism among young people. He invited the reporter to his home for an all-organic lunch in his beautifully decorated home. When the profile came out, it wasn’t about activism, but the idea that green living could be chic and stylish.

Seo said his decision to help create a line of green and organic mattresses stemmed from his own experiences trying to purchase one. Available only through Internet sources, he said the company that sold him his mattress had poor customer service.

“It came to my house unwrapped, folded in half; it was dirty and left at my door.”

He also said finding an affordable green mattress can be a “daunting” process.

One of the reasons he agreed to talk with Simmons is because “I am obsessed with Simmons’ Heavenly Bed,” which he sleeps on at hotels during his travels.

The Natural Care collection features natural rubber tree-based latex made from biodegradable materials like rubber tree sap and soy. Not only is latex comfortable and supportive, but it is also naturally anti-microbial, hypoallergenic and resistant to dust mites, mold and mildew.

The mattresses also feature a natural knit cover made from wood fibers. The fabric is constructed with biodegradable yarn and is both breathable and comfortable. Plus, the wood used in the company’s Triton foundation comes from evergreen trees instead of hardwoods and is typically sourced from companies that participate in the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. Even the metal in the foundation’s interior grid is eco-friendly, including as much as 80 percent recycled steel.

“The Natural Care by Danny Seo line is a natural extension of our efforts to deliver luxurious mattresses that are good for the environment. We’re proud to do our part to help consumers sleep easy knowing they could be contributing to a healthier lifestyle and a healthier planet,” said Tim Oakhill, Simmons’ executive vice president of marketing.

Not only is the mattress good for the environment and healthier for its users, Seo said he made sure it looked good too, which is one of the primary tenets of his books and appearances on television.

The mattresses’ ticking, for example, features large rubber tree leaves that were inspired by the source of the latex inside, he said.

The new line of Simmons mattresses will start at $1,599. It will debut at select retailers nationwide starting in September.

For additional information, visit www.naturalcarebed.com.