Progress Chic | Diana Eng's Ladybug Pins

The next big thing in fashion accessories is actually quite small. In November 2011, science-inspired fashion designer, Diana Eng, debuted her line of stunning ladybug pins made in the NYC jewelry district and hand painted by Eng herself. No surprise coming from Eng...the tiny gems are actually modeled after 11 real species of Coccinellidae (aka ladybugs). Insects have long been a favorite ornament on many a fashionista so Eng's pins are a welcome addition.

Cause model Summer Rayne Oakes makes bold stand for bees

Model, author, adviser, and TV host Summer Rayne Oakes often refers to herself as a 'cause model' because the fashion and art poses she strikes in her work are frequently done to raise awareness for social and environmental challenges that face our world. Her studies in entomology (insects) at Cornell may have prepared her well for her latest assignment, authoring an article and posing for a photoshoot on European honeybees (Apis mellifera) for the premier issue of Above Magazine - For the Earth coming out in October of 2010 (PLEASE NOTE: the photos and videos at this link, though educational and artistic, do contain nudity). Summer signed on to the job to help raise awareness for Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in bees. The magazine's slogan is "Beauty will Save the World" so Summer's article and stunning photo editorial truly fits the bill. A preview of the issue is available online and it is filled with other outstanding science, design, and culture content that is certain to inspire. Read Summer's account of the photoshoot on her website, "The End of Bees - a story of survival" (PLEASE NOTE: the photos and videos at this link, though educational and artistic, do contain nudity).