Fashion, fabrics, and fusion ⚡️, with Gabriela Hearst

Hey there Earthlings. 💛 We’re talking sustainability and fashion, again. It’s a major industry impacting the environment and shaping the cultural context within which we make climate decisions... and I may be overcompensating for having not given fashion a chapter in the What If We Get It Right? book.

A few weeks ago, I shared here a conversation on Sustainable Fashion and the Art of Care with supermodel/artist Cameron Russell. And what better time to continue this discussion than in the wake of the 2025 Met Gala. Our guest this week is phenom Gabriela Hearst, a super-eco designer.

I spoke with Gabi in her Manhattan studio, at a table she’s had for decades, on chairs she’d upcycled. We discussed her commitment to sustainability across her entire supply chain, how she turned iconic French fashion house Chloe into a B-corp while she was creative director there, how growing up on a ranch in Uruguay informed her worldview and approach to climate work, and her complete obsession with fusion power.

GABI’S CALLS TO ACTION

* Be kind. Reach for the balance of heart and mind.

* Meditate — just close your eyes and breathe.

* Buy less. Buy high quality items that will last.

REFERENCES:

* Gabriela Hearst at COP27 - Fusion: Clean Energy for All

* Overview of B-Corp

* Article on Designers for Democracy

* Fossil fuels account for 82% of global energy mix.

* More than 23 million people face severe hunger due to drought in Horn of Africa.

CREDITS: Produced and edited by Matthew Nelson/Stramash Media and me, with help from assistant producer Jenisha Shrestha.