Why do we need to "fix" fashion? Try because textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined and consumes lake-sized volumes of fresh water. If current consumption levels continue the industry could account for 25% of the world's carbon budget. Because our wardrobes are full of clothes we don't wear, yet we keep buying more and more garments, most of which are made from polyester and shed tiny plastic microfibres every time we wash them. Be...
Oct 16, 2019•52 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast How are you doing with all this climate news? Is it getting you down? This Episode to the rescue! It's all about climate hope and how we can feel more courageous and positive about our activism. Meet climate activist, Anna Rose. She started forming environmental groups when she was a school kid. By the time she was at university, she, and her friend Amanda McKenzie, cofounded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, which today has more than 150,000 members. She's been involved in leadership for ...
Oct 10, 2019•40 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast This Episode was recorded during London fashion week. Extinction Rebellion is a grass roots activism movement demanding radical action on the global climate crisis. The group formed in the UK in October 2018 on the premise that trying to be a bit more sustainable, tinkering around the edges of the system but essentially carrying on with business as usual, will not save us from climate breakdown. They are calling on governments to declare a climate and ecological emergency , and to act immediatel...
Oct 01, 2019•46 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast How does colonialism play out in fashion? And how can we encourage the fashion industry in general, and retail in particular, to be more inclusive? And when will fashion finally wake up to cultural appropriation and do better? Join me and Sara Ali, a London-based luxury fashion consultant who focuses on Arabia and Africa, as we decode this sensitive subject and ask, Why don't more conversations focus on it? Enjoying the show? Thank you for listening. Please help us spread the word. Rating and re...
Sep 11, 2019•48 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Have you heard the one about denim factories turning rivers blue in China? Horrendous, right? But change is possible. Kirsten Brodde is a former science journalist on a mission to clean up fashion. Meet the Greenpeace activist who led the Detox My Fashion campaign, which spurred an industry-wide commitment to phase out harmful chemicals from clothing production. In this interview, we unpick what it takes to be an effective activist (think dogged persistence!) and passion but also a willingness t...
Sep 04, 2019•40 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast The New York Times calls him "the poster boy for zero waste living". He's a florist, artist, restaurateur, architect, inventor and revolutionary thinker. Meet the man on a mission to convince us we can grow all the food we need where we live. In this riveting episode, we discuss everything from how wasteful the floristry industry is to the microbial power of healthy soil to boost serotonin (Yep, it can get you high apparently). What would happen if we reconnected with the natural world? How migh...
Aug 21, 2019•48 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast Do you have any idea how much it actually costs to make your clothes? Most brands would rather you didn't. Meet the fashion disruptor who is happy to tell you exactly what it costs his company to make its products, and exactly how much profit they make on each style. Michael Preysman founded Everlane on the concept of "radical transparency" and says: “We believe our customers have a right to know how much their clothes cost to make. We reveal the true costs behind all of our products—from materi...
Aug 14, 2019•42 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast Did you know that handwork , or craft, is the second largest employer of women in emerging economies? Since a large proportion of them work from home, this is an often hidden and unregulated sector. Post Rana Plaza , there's been more attention on garment factories, but how often do we consider outworkers - homeworkers - who are often contracted by third parties? This week's guest is Rebecca van Bergen , founder of fab New York-based NGO, Nest . They are on a mission to “build a new handworker e...
Jul 30, 2019•45 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast I'm sure you've heard that sustainable fashion is the thing right now. Searches on Lyst increased by 66% last year. Vogue has a sustainability editor. Slow fashion is so popular that even Zara is trying to convince us they're not a fast fashion brand . But what does it take to make it as an independent designer working in this space? To cut through the noise to become a sustainable label people talk about? And buy? Are hard work and dedication enough? Nope, says Courtney Holm , the A...
Jul 24, 2019•37 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Denim is ubiquitous. Almost 2 billion pairs of jeans were sold around the world in 2017. That's a lot of jeans. It's also a lot of jeans waste. According to The New Textiles Economy report, less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new clothing. We're landfilling and incinerating more while at the same time decreasing clothing use over time. The new Jeans Redesign Guidelines from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation seek to solve this. Can they get everyone on bo...
Jul 17, 2019•41 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast By 2030, we keep going as we are, the fashion industry will manufacture 102 million tons of clothes and shoes. For comparison, that's the weight equivalent of half million blue whales! Growth is not something we like to question in the fashion industry (or indeed any industry). In our capitalist system, commercial success is measured by growth. But, how can we support infinite growth on a finite planet? “If we could live within the limits of what we've already got, we could get a glimpse o...
Jul 10, 2019•42 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast What drives us to consume, and what does over-consumption do to us and the planet? Twenty-five-old British poet , filmmaker and activist Wilson Oryema describes himself as “a semi-retired fashion model”. He was scouted on his lunch break when he was working a London office job, and walked his first show for Margiela in Paris in 2015. He went on to appear in ads for Calvin Klein Underwear and Hugo Boss. His first book of poetry, titled Wait , explores consumerism, contemporary culture and waste. ...
Jul 03, 2019•39 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast Cameron Saul is a British social entrepreneur and the co-founder of ethical accessories brand Bottletop . For his next trick, he's teamed up with the United Nations and Project Everyone on #TOGETHERBAND - which is all about spreading awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals - (SDGs) - also known as the Global Goals. “We want solutions, but what most of us don't realise is that there is a roadmap for a healthy planet, and that's the Global Goals. It's an extraordinary framework for actio...
Jun 27, 2019•43 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast (Trigger warning: this interview contains a brief reference to suicide.) This week's interview is with brilliant writer and activist Professor Jennifer Finney Boylan . Her memoir She's Not There, A Life in Two Genders is a must-read, as are her New York Times columns. For many years, Jenny was the co-chair of GLAAD's board of directors. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kinsey Institute for Research on Sex, Gender and Reproduction, and she advised and appeared on the TV series I A...
Jun 20, 2019•36 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast Blue jeans were invented by Jacob Davis and Levis Strauss in the 1870s. They were worn by gold miners and cowboys, then James Dean, Marlon Brando, American teenagers and rock stars. If you want to talk about the history of cool, Levi's was there. From Debbie Harry and The Ramones to Jim Morrison - they all wore Levi's. And did you also know that Levi's introduced women's jeans in 1934, when skirts were the norm? The company has also been active raising money and awareness in the fight against AI...
Jun 11, 2019•44 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast CHOOSE LIFE, EDUCATION NOT MISSILES, WORLDWIDE NUCLEAR BAN NOW, SAVE THE FUTURE, and more recently, CANCEL BREXIT...just a few of the iconic slogan T-shirts designed by this week's guest over the years. Designer Katharine Hamnett is one of the pioneers of modern British fashion . She invented the much copied slogan T-shirt, was the first winner of the British Fashion Council's 'Designer of the Year' award (in 1984), and championed organic cotton long before it was trendy. This year marks her 40t...
Jun 05, 2019•40 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast We don't talk very much about mindfulness in fashion , but it's not like the two are mutually exclusive. If the opposite of sustainable fashion is thoughtlessly buying more and more clothes and getting rid of them after just a few wears, then mindfulness surely has a place. Fashion journalist Bandana Tewari is a former Vogue India editor who now writes for Business of Fashion , and speaks globally on India's rich tradition of fashion craftsmanship. This episode covers that but from a unique pers...
May 29, 2019•49 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast In 2011, Arizona Muse landed a Prada contract and a 14-page story in American Vogue, with Anna Wintour comparing her to Linda Evangelista and Natalia Vodianova. She's since become a familiar face on Vogue covers everywhere (including Vogue Paris, British vogue plus she's graced 3 Australian Vogue covers). But these days Arizona has new priorities. Today she is using her platform to help the industry that she loves transition to a more sustainable future. She's been working with The Sustainable A...
May 15, 2019•42 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast Meet the millennial behind cult New Zealand label Maggie Marilyn . We hear a lot about how the Gens Y and Z are more woke, more into sustainability and of course more worried about climate change and the environment - why wouldn't they be? These are the generations that are going to inherit the mess that's been made. They are already inheriting it. Find out why designer Maggie Hewitt is determined to do fashion differently, how she sold her very first collection to Net-A-Porter and gets most exc...
May 08, 2019•41 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast The mainstream fashion production process is extremely wasteful. The whole system is built on over-ordering , taking a punt on how much will sell, and writing off over-production . This leads to shocking amounts of pre-consumer textiles and garments being landfilled or incinerated - according to some estimates, 1/3 of all the fashion ever produced it never sold. Australian made-to-order T-shirt company Citizen Wolf is using big data and algorithmic power to disrupt this. And they plan to take on...
May 01, 2019•29 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast Fashion has a long association with craft, but what about fashion activism? Could we stitch out way to a better world? Meet the author of How to be a Craftivist and founder of Craftivist Collective. Sarah Corbett believes, “If we want a world that is beautiful, kind and fair, shouldn't our activism be beautiful, kind and fair?” This Episode is a call to arms for fashion change-makers, a demonstration of the persuasive nature of gentle activism, and the wonderful idea that together we might stitc...
Apr 23, 2019•44 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast As we gear up to Earth Day on April 22 , we're thinking about living more lightly on the planet. This year's theme is Protect Our Species , and one of the quotes that inspired it is from Rachel Carson, who said, “In nature nothing exists alone.” This week's podcast guest is proof of that. She is Natalie Isaacs , the super-inspiring Australian movement builder behind 1 Million Women. Natalie is one-woman powerhouse who decided to harness that power of other women - heck, the whole of womank...
Apr 16, 2019•43 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast Who's up for stopping our wasteful ways and reimagining trash as a resource ? This week's guest is proving fashion can be made from entirely from recycled materials . He is Javier Goyeneche , president and founder of Ecoalf , the Spanish clothing company that pioneers high-tech new materials made from waste. If you're a sustainability nerd , you've no doubt heard of Ecoalf. It was Spain's first B-corp and Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan - a few years back she did a collab with them for Goop. They've de...
Apr 10, 2019•47 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast Have you heard that phrase: from seed to garment ? Probably, right? Because most natural textiles are grown in the Earth. Around 24% of textiles are made from cotton, while hemp, linen and wool all depend on soil. But how often does fashion get its fingernails into the actual dirt? Perhaps it ought to start, because according to the UN, globally, one third soil is degraded. If we carry on like this, we could lose all of our precious topsoil in 60 years. Fashion isn't entirely to blame, but ...
Apr 03, 2019•37 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast Is sustainable fashion elitist? Does fashion contribute to poor body image and eating disorders by perpetuating a single, unattainable beauty ideal? What can we do about fashion's diversity problem? How do we, as consumers of fashion, navigate all this? "You can't do it all at the moment,” says this week's guest. “You have to make choices based on your values and those are your personal ethics. ” Sass Brown is an English designer, educator and the author of Eco Fashion . For many year...
Mar 27, 2019•44 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast This episode is about purpose, co-creation and building a social enterprise with a friend. It's about fashion with a heart, and following your dreams. Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah are Studio 189 , a social enterprise fashion, lifestyle and media brand based between New York and Ghana, that won the CFDA Sustainable Fashion Initiative Award last year. They work in countries with valuable skills but little infrastructure and limited access to markets, to help build the creativ...
Mar 20, 2019•45 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast You know it: Stella McCartney does the eco things first. Whether it's making all things green super-cool, proving non-leather accessories can compete with traditional animal leather in the luxury market, or bringing the circular fashion conversation mainstream, this fashion brand leads the way. So who makes all this happen? There's McCartney herself, of course - the designer is a visionary greenie. But no woman is an island. Claire Bergkamp has her back. Meet Stella McCartney's Worldwide Sustain...
Mar 12, 2019•52 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast VOGUE once called him a “high-end scavenger”. Meet Dutch designer Ronald Van Der Kemp - the "sustainable couturier" behind RVDK. Fans include Lady Gaga and Kate Moss, Emma Watson and Lena Dunham. While he was still in college, Ronald wrote a thesis on fashion and nature , and designed a collection using vintage materials. He then spent two decades working in luxury fashion for the likes of Barney's, Bill Blass, Guy Laroche and Celine. Now he's come full circle. Today, brand RVDK - whi...
Mar 05, 2019•47 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast Meet London fashion star Amy Powney : an eco pioneer in polka dots and pearls, who grew up off-grid in a caravan and is simply not content to let fashion off the sustainability hook. Amy is the creative director of Mother of Pearl , a British sustainable luxury womenswear brand that celebrates individuality and authenticity. Known for its dark florals, satin bows, ruffles and outsized faux-pearl trims, you could never accuse Mother of Pearl of being homespun or beige. Amy's put...
Feb 27, 2019•43 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast Fashion schools everywhere are full of eco warriors and bright, brilliant kids who are determined to do fashion differently. London is the leader. Long known for its fashion creativity , this is the capital that produces the most vibrant student shows and earth-shaking emerging designers. The big international and Paris-based design houses look to London fashion schools like Central St Martins and the London College of Fashion for their future stars - but will they be seduced? Many in this...
Feb 21, 2019•55 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast 
