In episode 241, Kestrel welcomes Akilah Stewart, the founder and creative director of FATRA, to the show. A creative waste management company, FATRA makes luxury bags from recycled plastics and fabric. On this week’s show, Akilah shares stories about some of the ways her grandmothers have influenced her and her work today. She also reminds us of the importance of thinking about creativity as a tool for building solutions — and not just an aesthetics-oriented idea. Kestrel and Akilah talk about t...
Jun 29, 2021•44 min•Season 5Ep. 241
In episode 240, Kestrel welcomes Maxine Bédat, the founder and executive director of New Standard Institute, to the show. A think-and-do-tank, New Standard Institute is dedicated to turning industries into a force for good. Maxine is also the author of Unraveled: The Life and Death Of A Garment . "The society in which we live in is very much a result of the rules of our society — in that, it is people who change the rules, who create them and can change them, I should say. And so, I think that w...
Jun 22, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 240
In episode 239, Kestrel welcomes Lauren Bartley, the head of sustainability and CSR for GANNI, to the show. A Danish contemporary ready-to-wear fashion brand, Ganni is known for building a cult following in the fashion space. “Nowadays, sustainable or sustainability — it means different things to different people. To you, it might mean plastics and to me, it might mean human rights or circularity or carbon. You know — it’s so broad. I just think we need to move away from this broad brush approac...
Jun 15, 2021•48 min•Season 5Ep. 239
In episode 238, Kestrel welcomes Jazmine Rogers (AKA @thatcurlytop) and Gabby Masuda Ambata (AKA @gabrielasage) to the show. A Black + Mexican creator, Jazmine is passionate about sustainable fashion and living, and sharing about it in a fun and graceful way. A Japanese American digital creator, Gabby is focused on sustainable fashion and lifestyle, and she’s also a mental health advocate. “I’m trying to reclaim the word influence because I think the word is so special and so powerful. Like I sa...
Jun 08, 2021•58 min•Season 5Ep. 238
On episode 237, Kestrel welcomes Ben Mead, the Managing Director of Hohenstein Institute USA, to the show. Hohenstein Institute USA is one of the founding members of the OEKO-TEX® Association, and Ben serves as the company’s liaison with government agencies, industry collaborations and trade associations. “Green chemistry has a kind of textbook definition around design of chemicals and processes really to help reduce or eliminate hazardous substances or the toxicity and those sort of hazard type...
Jun 01, 2021•37 min•Season 5Ep. 237
In episode 236, Kestrel welcomes Emi Ito, a Multiracial Japanese American mother and educator, as well as Gina Stovall, the founder of Two Days Off, to the show. Emi, @littlekotoscloset on Instagram, is the founder and co-moderator of Buy From BIPOC , and Gina was featured back on episode 224. The two recently came together on a collaborative collection — The Yoko Capsule — envisaged in the spirit of Emi's late mother. “I felt acutely my own mortality and the urgent need to leave something behin...
May 25, 2021•51 min•Season 5Ep. 236
In episode 235, Kestrel welcomes Mikaela Clark, a visual artist and designer, to the show. The founder of Hansel , Mikaela makes handpainted, upcycled apparel in Brooklyn, New York. “At the time, I was like hey, I’m gonna invite in whatever good is trying to worm its way into my life. And then, as we make these decisions, we grow, we learn, and we think — ok, how can I get even more nuanced, how can I make more decisions in the future that align even more with my personal ethos? What have I lear...
May 18, 2021•58 min•Season 5Ep. 235
In episode 234, Kestrel welcomes Lottie Bertello, the founder and creative director at LOTI, to the show. An upcycling design studio recently launched in 2021, LOTI reuses materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. “We’re gonna be really vocal with our platform to show people that we don’t need to be following these trends. I think trends is what has pushed this overconsumption in massive amounts. And there’s the misconception that trends are the only fun clothes you can use — like tren...
May 11, 2021•50 min•Season 5Ep. 234
In episode 233, Kestrel welcomes Katherine Theobalds, the founder and creative director at Zou Xou, to the show. A slow fashion footwear brand, Zou Xou shoes are made in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “I like using the word sensible to describe our shoes because it kind of challenges the common assumption of what sensible shoes mean. I don’t mean that they’re boring, I don’t mean that they’re not exciting, and I don’t mean that they can’t express your style. To me, the sensibility aspect of it speaks ...
May 04, 2021•43 min•Season 5Ep. 233
In episode 232, Kestrel welcomes Kara Fabella, an ethical fashion advocate, digital creator and stylist, to the show. Known as @theFlippside on Instagram, her Living In Color(ism) series on IGTV features discussions where she passes the mic to guests to share their experiences with colorism. On this week’s show, Kara shares more on her past explorations in blogging, and what led her to begin shifting the relationship she was building with her wardrobe. She also shares more on what influence mean...
Apr 27, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 232
In episode 231, Kestrel welcomes Lauren Tanaka-Fortune and Rory Fortune, the cofounders of Goods & Services, to the show. A modern repair shop in Los Angeles, Goods & Services specializes in sneaker repair. “I think we just have to start changing our mentality around consumption and buy things that you really love and can potentially pass down one day. I think that when you buy things that are made better, you can wear them longer — I mean, eventually they’ll be a cool vintage piece, rig...
Apr 20, 2021•45 min•Season 5Ep. 231
In episode 230, Kestrel welcomes Kiana Kazemi, a current undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, studying the intersections of technology and environmental justice, to the show. The Editor in Chief of the campus environmental publication The Leaflet and the Digital and Community Operations Coordinator at Intersectional Environmentalist , Kiana is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Circularity , a soon-to-launch multi-medium environmental justice platform. “Climate change is a huge problem that we’re f...
Apr 13, 2021•48 min•Season 5Ep. 230
In episode 229, Kestrel welcomes Dani Des Roches, the founder of Picnicwear, to the show. A slow fashion brand, Picnicwear is made by hand in NYC (almost) entirely from vintage and deadstock materials. “A statement piece doesn’t have to be a trendy piece per se — those descriptors can exist separately from one another. So just like a sustainable item doesn’t have to mean that it’s banal or it’s expensive, a statement piece can be special today, and still can be special 2 years from now, 3 years ...
Apr 06, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 229
In episode 228, Kestrel welcomes curator and writer Catherine McKinley to the show. The author of Indigo, a journey along the ancient indigo trade routes in West Africa , and The Book of Sarahs, a memoir about growing up Black and Jewish in the 1960s-80s , Catherine has taught creative nonfiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University. Her newest book, The African Lookbook, A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women , draws on her extensive collection of photos to tell a d...
Mar 23, 2021•53 min•Season 5Ep. 228
In episode 227, Kestrel welcomes Yessenia Funes, the Climate Editor at Atmos, to the show. A new climate and culture magazine, Atmos is curated by an ecosystem of adventurers, creatives, and journalists, and dedicated to pioneering progress around the world. “So much of what we do is working with frontline organizers, so that they can tell their own stories — inviting them to come write for us, creating space so that they’re not just quoted in an article, but they’re writing the article. And I t...
Mar 16, 2021•53 min•Season 5Ep. 227
In episode 226, Kestrel welcomes Matty Hickey, the founder of Be Kind Vibes, to the show. A social impact brand, Be Kind Vibes creates ethically-made goods that inspire love & compassion for each other and our natural world. “Kindness is a way forward for us out of these times — it’s a chance for us to be able to reconnect with ourselves, and then, that way, we can kind of express that out into the world and to others. It’s one of the values, one of the pillars of the brand, and it’s how I g...
Mar 09, 2021•34 min•Season 5Ep. 226
In episode 225, Kestrel welcomes Chantel Keiko Ricks, the Distribution Manager & Sustainability Lead at Urban Native Era, to the show. Based in Los Angeles, Urban Native Era specializes in clothing design and content to increase the visibility of Indigenous Peoples. “We pride ourselves in providing tools, resources, highlighting thought leaders, sharing about changemakers and being a source for Indigenous perspective on society’s current events — and that is us providing our community with w...
Mar 03, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 225
In episode 224, Kestrel welcomes Gina Stovall, the founder and designer behind Two Days Off, to the show. An independently, woman-owned and operated lifestyle brand, Two Days Off makes garments designed for longevity that are ethically cut and sewn in small batches in Los Angeles, California. “In sciences, and especially the environmental sciences, we think of everything as a system. Everything is interconnected and there are ramifications for every decision made, every act that’s taken, every r...
Feb 23, 2021•36 min•Season 5Ep. 224
In episode 223, Kestrel welcomes Maggie Hewitt, the founder and designer behind Maggie Marilyn, to the show. Made in New Zealand, Maggie Marilyn is working toward a more transparent, circular, regenerative and inclusive fashion industry. “Really the biggest achievement of all to-date was making this sort of bold decision to pivot our business model to operate entirely direct-to-consumer, and I think really now — our values and our business model actually align.” -Maggie Hewitt, Founder + Designe...
Feb 16, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 223
In episode 222, Kestrel welcomes Selina Sanders, a slow fashion artisan who makes clothing that is always one-of-a-kind and upcycled, to the show. After over a decade of working as a designer in fashion, Selina started her eponymous label to help reduce the industry’s carbon footprint and build an environmentally responsible brand. “Fashion is in the business of creating culture — we are culture creators — that is an immense power that we have is the influence of creating communities in culture....
Feb 09, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 222
In episode 221, Kestrel welcomes Roopa Pemmaraju, the founder of her namesake label, to the show. A slow luxury fashion brand, with an emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, Roopa Pemmaraju’s collections celebrate Indian crafting techniques that have been handed down for hundreds of years. “We don’t buy fabrics in bulk or we don’t create the products in bulk. If we have an order today, that’s when my atelier back in India would create that product, so that’s why we ask our custome...
Jan 26, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 221
In episode 220, Kestrel welcomes Chanelle Harris, the founder of NELLO, to the show. A curated thrift brand, NELLO is non-binary to any form of fashion and promotes positive self-love with sustainable clothing through artistic expression. “These aren’t just clothes — it’s what you make it, and that’s part of your style. And although you’re not going to get the latest trends that are happening (these items aren’t a part of that category), you can still make it your own. It’s how you define yourse...
Jan 19, 2021•40 min•Season 5Ep. 220
In episode 219, Kestrel welcomes Dr. Kimberly McGlonn, the CEO and creative director of Grant Blvd, to the show. By sourcing reclaimed fabrics, manufacturing exclusively in Philadelphia, and supporting incarcerated & returning citizens, Grant Blvd believes it’s time to recalibrate our systems and our style. “Love takes commitment — right? Those of us who have loved something fully, richly, wholly — it is an act of daily commitment. And so, actually the word love is not a light word at all. H...
Jan 12, 2021•59 min•Season 5Ep. 219
In episode 218, Kestrel welcomes the multifaceted 20-year-old phenom, Maya Penn, to the show. The award-winning founder and CEO of eco-fashion brand Maya’s Ideas , Maya is a 3 time TED Speaker, artist, global activist, animator, filmmaker, social entrepreneur, coder and Simon & Schuster author. “Especially now, with things really coming to a tipping point of sorts, with so many different environmental and social issues — I think people still need to continue to have hope, because the main po...
Dec 29, 2020•48 min•Season 5Ep. 218
In episode 217, Kestrel welcomes Katie Pruett, the founder and editor-in-chief of Ethical Style Journal, back to the show to reconnect. A multimedia platform exploring fashion with a modern and mindful perspective, Ethical Style Journal is expanding the conversation surrounding ethics and sustainability in fashion. “That’s the issue with sustainable fashion a lot of the times is that people want to do good, but they want to do good on the surface — they don’t really want to do good at the core, ...
Dec 22, 2020•54 min•Season 5Ep. 217
In episode 216, Kestrel welcomes Robbie Stuart, the founder of KIDS WORLDWIDE, to the show. A collaborative brand, KIDS WORLDWIDE is focused on supporting, empowering and nurturing youth through socially and environmentally-conscious fashion. Robbie is also joined by Swami Durga Das, the founder of nonprofit River Fund, who KIDS WORLDWIDE partners with for several layers of their work, as well as Zara, Nishaul, Chrissy and Washal — young artists whose work is featured on KIDS’ designs. “It reall...
Dec 15, 2020•38 min•Season 5Ep. 216
In episode 215, Kestrel welcomes Kameese Davis, the founder and CEO of Nylah’s Naturals, to the show. A young plant-based hair care brand, Nylah’s Naturals has introduced a science-based approach to textured hair products, and is pushing boundaries for clean and sustainable products. “It’s about combining that plant-based knowledge with the knowledge that our foremothers had and our grandmothers had in terms of how they would use plants and herbs for natural healing and for their beauty treatmen...
Dec 08, 2020•32 min•Season 5Ep. 215
In episode 214, Kestrel welcomes Isaias Hernandez, the creator of Queer Brown Vegan, to the show. As a Queer, Brown, and Vegan environmentalist, Isaias makes accessible environmental education content, showcased on his platform Queer Brown Vegan , and seeks to provide a safe space for other like-minded environmentalists to engage in the discourse of the current climate crisis. “I really believed in creating a space as Queer Brown Vegan to discuss everything that I learned and just put it out the...
Nov 17, 2020•51 min•Season 5Ep. 214
In episode 213, Kestrel welcomes Reza Cristián, the founder and editor-in-chief of SUSTAIN The Mag, to the show. An online media platform, SUSTAIN The Mag is a space where eco-conscious warriors cultivate a healthy, planet-friendly lifestyle. “There was mostly you know, white people that were at the top, executives and editors-in-chiefs for example, and then, people on the covers — they weren’t really everyday people, so I was really turned off by that. And that’s really what led me to want to s...
Nov 10, 2020•47 min•Season 5Ep. 213
In episode 212, Kestrel welcomes Comet Chukura, the founder of GLOW, to the show. A knitwear brand pioneering adaptable accessories that reflect light, GLOW is committed to using sustainable materials and ethical production, with an intention to create social as well as environmental impact. “The point is to always work with women on the peripheries — slow fashion, since it’s all hand-knitted and crocheted, it does take a while to make — but the point is to utilize skills, which they would other...
Nov 03, 2020•40 min•Season 5Ep. 212
