In episode 211, Kestrel welcomes Diandra Marizet, who spearheads Business Development + Operations at Intersectional Environmentalist . A conscious curator, brand strategist + writer, Diandra is dedicated to elevating intersectional sustainability through the lens of fashion, social impact + culture. “We need everybody pursuing intersectionality, environmentalism, sustainability — like, whatever you’re latching onto in terms of progress, latch onto it, but do it in a healthy way that’s manageabl...
Oct 27, 2020•50 min•Season 5Ep. 211
The Root Episode 6: The New Standard is broken down into 3 parts — 1) coproducers Dominique and Kestrel interview each other to get a brief feeling of how this project has impacted them individually, 2) we share interviews with 4 of our sponsors from this project, and 3) we share more on what “The New Standard” means to us, the pillars it is built upon, and what questions we all need to be asking moving forward. THE ROOT SPONSORS SAMATA, CEO of Red Carpet Green Dress “It’s mandatory listening to...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 51 min•Season 4Ep. 210
The Root Episode 5: Where Do We Go From Here? is a unique compilation of all 17 guests from the previous 4 episodes sharing a proclamation statement of how we intentionally move the fashion industry forward. PART 1, Historical Analysis & Paradigm Shift MIKO UNDERWOOD “The American fashion community was born from the inception of indigo farms in America. The enslaved labor of Black Americans grew the cotton industry and built America’s fashion economy … we are required to be culturally accoun...
Sep 29, 2020•31 min•Season 4Ep. 209
The Root Episode 4: The Future Of Fashion is broken down in 4 lightening talk segments, hosted by Dominique Drakeford. Part 1 discuses Marketing with Aditi Mayer & Terumi Murao. Part 2 hones in on Education with Kimberly Jenkins and Whitney McGuire. Part 3 dives into Small Business Entrepreneurship with Akilah Stewart and Ibada Wadud. Lastly, Part 4 contextualizes the landscape of Policy with Ify Ike and Ayesha Barenblat. Terumi Murao is a sustainable stylist and model who works in the fashi...
Sep 22, 2020•2 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 208
The Root Episode 3: Racism In The Fashion Industry is broken down into 2 segments. The first segment focuses on the designer lens in which Dominique Drakeford speaks with sustainable fashion designers Miko Underwood and DJ discussing the creation of the fashion industry and the importance of shifting the white exploitive gaze through historical analysis, Black abundance mindset and cultural responsibility. In the second segment, Dominique Drakeford hones in on the “influencer” lens by speaking w...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 59 min•Season 4Ep. 207
In The Root Episode 2: The Power of Privilege, Dominique Drakeford speaks with activist-educators Ericka Hart, Blair Imani and Rachel Ricketts, discussing the functions of privilege and the importance of applying critical and intersectional approaches toward dismantling white supremacy in fashion and beyond. Rachel Ricketts is a global thought leader + outspoken champion for Black and Indigenous womxn. As a racial justice activist, lawyer, healer, speaker + author, she educates white folx on the...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 4Ep. 206
In The Root Episode 1: Racism as a System, Dominique Drakeford speaks with scholars and academic activists Nikki Sanchez and Lisa Betty on the importance of dismantling colonial systems and reclaiming the fullness of Native American & Afro-Indigenous history as a regenerative framework for liberation and true sustainability across every industry. Nikki Sanchez is a Pipil/Maya and Irish/Scottish academic, Indigenous media maker, environmental educator and community organizer. She holds a mast...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Season 4Ep. 205
In episode 204, Kestrel welcomes Kamea Chayne, the host of Green Dreamer Podcast, to the show. A Taiwanese American eco creative, writer and author, Kamea illuminates our paths to ecological regeneration, intersectional sustainability, and true abundance and wellness for all through her powerful show, Green Dreamer . “Sustainability to me isn’t an individualistic pursuit for individual people or brands — rather, it’s a collective goal requiring context and systemic change. In order to be sustain...
Aug 04, 2020•52 min•Season 4Ep. 204
In episode 203, Kestrel welcomes Manpreet Kaur Kalra, the founder of Art of Citizenry, to the show. An activist and educator, Manpreet is dedicated to exploring the intersection of digital media, social impact and justice. “One of those very tangible things that I often tell people that they need to work on is the language they use — really being thoughtful about words such as empowerment , which really imply this idea of the person on the receiving end is not empowered to begin with.” -Manpreet...
Jul 29, 2020•59 min•Season 4Ep. 203
In episode 202, Kestrel welcomes Fashion Psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell to the show. With her area of research focused on diversity in fashion and the importance of multicultural marketing, Shakaila was among the first people in the world to hold a Masters Degree in Psychology for Fashion Professionals at University of the Arts London: London College of Fashion, and she is also the founder of the platform Fashion Is Psychology . “In the wake of the Black Lives Movement, when people are really...
Jul 21, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 202
In episode 201, Kestrel welcomes Samata, the CEO of Red Carpet Green Dress, to the show. A women-led global change-making organization working from ‘moment’ to movement, Red Carpet Green Dress creates awareness by showcasing sustainable fashion on the red carpet. A British born Ghanaian entrepreneur, Samata is also the founder of THE TRIBE , a women’s empowerment collective. “I try and choose talent that will speak to different audiences, because part of the way that I think fashion is not inter...
Jul 15, 2020•53 min•Season 4Ep. 201
In episode 200, Kestrel welcomes Sanah Sharma, the founder of her eponymous label, to the show. A conceptual sustainable fashion brand from Chennai, India, Sanah Sharma is focused on making aesthetic clothing that is intelligently engineered and tested for human kinetics. “Everything in our universe is in a constant state of motion. So, I really think — you know, we’re not static, so why should our clothes be statically designed?” -Sanah Sharma, Founder of Sanah Sharma On this week’s show, Sanah...
Jul 07, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 200
In episode 199, Kestrel welcomes Laura Wittig, the cofounder and CEO of Brightly, to the show. A curated discovery platform, Brightly aims to empower conscious consumers around the world. Laura is also the co-host of the Good Together podcast . “You are sending a message to the big corporations of the world — whether you are purchasing Fair Trade coffee at Target or you’re purchasing something from a small brand.” -Laura Wittig, cofounder + CEO of Brightly On this week’s show, Laura shares more ...
Jun 24, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 199
In episode 198, Kestrel welcomes Vin+Omi, award winning fashion and multi media designers, to the show. One of the leading pioneering eco fashion brands today, VIN+OMI are focused on sustainable approaches to business, design and textiles. “We don’t need another fashion brand — we don’t. You know, we have enough clothes, if everybody stopped production tomorrow (all fashion houses and every fashion brand stopped), we have enough clothes to last us at least 6 generations.” -Omi, Cofounder of VIN+...
Jun 18, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 4Ep. 198
In episode 197, Kestrel welcomes Dr. Hakan Karaosman and Professor Donna Marshall to the show. A sustainability management professional and award-winning researcher, Hakan is also a fashion supply chain and sustainability expert at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Donna is a Professor of Supply Chain Management, Head of Research, Innovation and Impact, and the Director of the Centre for Business and Society at University College Dublin. The European Commission recently awarded ...
May 27, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 197
In episode 196, Kestrel welcomes Kayti O’Connell Carr, the founder and creative director of MATE, to the show. A clean essentials brand, MATE is made sustainably in Los Angeles with nontoxic and certified organic materials. “I realized that the missing piece — a part of the sustainability conversation — is fashion’s impact that it has on us as women from a health’s perspective.” -Kayti O’Connell Carr, Founder of MATE On this week’s show, Kayti shares more on her journey of starting MATE, and how...
May 13, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 196
In episode 195, Kestrel welcomes Umberto De Marco, the founder of sustainable footwear brand, YATAY, to the show. In addition to his work building sneaker brand YATAY , Umberto is the president of eco-leather giant and family business Coronet . “What I’ve been doing since I started working in the family company — I had a mission: trying to change a material that has always been just a simple, cheap alternative of leather — trying to evolve this material in a more sustainable and durable one.” -U...
May 05, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 195
In episode 194, Kestrel welcomes Shahidha Bari, author of Dressed: A Philosophy Of Clothes , to the show. A Professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at the London College of Fashion and a fellow of the Forum for European Philosophy at London School of Economics, Shahidha is dedicated to contributing a discourse around fashion to the philosophy field. “I feel like there has to be some sort of intellectual, cultural shift about the way that we regard our clothes— the forms of attention we give ...
Apr 22, 2020•48 min•Season 4Ep. 194
In episode 193, Kestrel welcomes James Bartle, the Founding CEO of Outland Denim, to the show. Outland crafts premium denim jeans designed to bring the worlds of their seamstresses and their customers closer together. They made history as the first-ever denim brand to win the Thomson Reuters Stop Slavery Award in 2020. “It’s like they absorb history — they’re kind of like a song where they take you back to a memory and it’s for that reason that you don’t throw out a beautiful, premium pair of je...
Apr 01, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 193
In episode 192, Kestrel welcomes Brian Bushell, the cofounder of By Humankind, to the show. A personal care brand, By Humankind’s products are designed to reduce single-use plastic waste from your daily routine. “We really wanted to be able to make an impact — we wanted to allow our customers to truly reduce their own single-use plastic waste function just by going through their morning routine.” -Brian Bushell, Cofounder of By Humankind On this week’s show, Brian shares more on how a scuba divi...
Mar 25, 2020•36 min•Season 4Ep. 192
In episode 191, Kestrel welcomes Kimberley Smith, the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Everlane, to the show. Known for their messaging around radical transparency, Everlane prides themselves on building timeless products that are designed to last. “We can be better — I mean we’re not perfect in any way. It doesn’t happen overnight, and I think that’s something that — our customer, just be patient, but we are listening … we really admire them, and we really want their feedback. And so, I think that...
Mar 17, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 191
In episode 190, Kestrel welcomes Erin Flynn, the CEO of Cladwell, to the show. A personal styling app, Cladwell allows users to add in their clothes (without taking photos) and it will generate daily outfits personalized for their weather. ”I would go to my closet and say the same thing which is, I have too many clothes and nothing to wear, which was ridiculous because I had over 450 items hanging in my closet — so, there was no reason that I should have nothing to wear.” -Erin Flynn, CEO of Cla...
Mar 11, 2020•34 min•Season 4Ep. 190
In episode 189, Kestrel welcomes Clarenda "Farmer Cee" Stanley, a fifth generation farmer, to the show. In addition to being the CEO of Green Heffa Farms , a medicinal plant and hemp farm in Liberty, North Carolina, Cee is also a senior principal gifts officer at The Nature Conservancy's World Office. ”We hustle, and the reason for that is being a black-owned farm, a black woman-owned farm — I mean, you gotta look at the numbers: 96% of all private farm land is white-owned — that leaves 4% for e...
Mar 07, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 189
In episode 188, Kestrel welcomes Adriana Galijasevic, the Denim and Sustainability Expert at G-Star RAW, back to the show, alongside Sofie Schop, G-Star RAW’s Sustainability Director. Less than 2 years since the last time G-Star RAW came on the show, this conversation provides an opportunity to check in on the brand and how far they’ve come with their sustainability goals. ”It’s a journey of continuous improvement, and always looking for the solutions. And we always look at these challenges as a...
Feb 26, 2020•35 min•Season 4Ep. 188
In episode 187, Kestrel welcomes Dana Thomas, the author of Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes , to the show. A regular contributor to The New York Times Style section, Dana has also written for The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Vogue, and Harper's Bazaar, among others. She was recently named the editor-at-large for Vogue Business, which is based out of London. “They’re saying from day 1 — no, we’re going to...
Feb 23, 2020•37 min•Season 4Ep. 187
In episode 186, Kestrel welcomes creative consultant, writer, author and photographer Olivia Lopez to the show. Known for her aesthetics-driven Instagram presence and design-travel-and-fashion blog Lust For Life , Olivia is also the founder of Bon Weekender , an art and objects shop featuring vintage sourced from around the world. She also recently published her book “Lust for Los Angeles: A Cultural Guide to LA”. “I’m spending so much more time investing in dance classes and all these other thi...
Feb 12, 2020•29 min•Season 4Ep. 186
In episode 185, Kestrel welcomes Amanda Parkes, the Chief Innovations Officer at Pangaia, to the show. A materials science company, Pangaia is on a mission to save our environment. “We are moving into the bioeconomy, which is this very notion that biomass is at the base of both agriculture, materials and energy. So, we can think about the circle and the interchange between all of those systems — it’s the basis of the true circular economy.” -Amanda Parkes, Chief Innovations Officer at Pangaia On...
Jan 29, 2020•53 min•Season 4Ep. 185
In episode 184, Kestrel welcomes Kelly Phenicie + Ellen Saville, the cofounders of The Endery, to the show. A brand born in Lima, Peru, The Endery plays with color using quality fibers to create lifelong knits that would otherwise have become waste. “And just the whole manufacturing system has always been built around making what you need or want, rather than using what already exists. So, it is a lot of work to get people to think and work differently. There’s certainly not a blueprint for usin...
Jan 21, 2020•42 min•Season 4Ep. 184
In episode 183, Kestrel welcomes Megan Villa, the cofounder and creative content director of Svn Space, to the show. A female-focused multimedia platform, Svn Space is dedicated to educating the mainstream on the lifestyle benefits of Hemp, and how the plant can feed you, house you, clothe you, heal you and beautify you. “We were kind of dumbfounded when we realized how incredible hemp is — you know, it has over 25,000 known uses. Like our motto is: hemp is a plant that can feed you, house you, ...
Jan 15, 2020•40 min•Season 4Ep. 183
In episode 182, Kestrel welcomes Brian Linton, the founder of United By Blue, to the show. A sustainable apparel brand, United By Blue removes one pound of trash from U.S. oceans and waterways for every product sold. “This year, we’ll have sold over a million products for the first time, and we’ll pick up, therefore, over a million pounds of trash next year.” -Brian Linton, Founder of United By Blue On this week’s show, Brian shares more on what led him to have such an interest in ocean conserva...
Jan 08, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 182
