Conscious Style Podcast

Conscious Life & Style

What will it really take to create a more sustainable and equitable future for fashion? Each week, hosts Elizabeth Joy and Stella Hertantyo interview fashion changemakers — from labor activists to slow fashion entrepreneurs — to explore this very question. Hear about topics like greenwashing, garment worker rights, consumer psychology, secondhand fashion, making the most of your closet, and more. For more, visit consciouslifeandstyle.com and follow @consciousstyle on Instagram.

  1. 110) "Sustainability is Not Just a Buzzword" | LIVE Panel Recording

    18 MAR

    110) "Sustainability is Not Just a Buzzword" | LIVE Panel Recording

    I'm so excited to be bringing you this special edition episode featuring the recording of our LIVE panel discussion in Chicago with Chicago Fair Trade and 3 of their business members. This was such a fun event to uncover the powerful stories behind these purpose-driven founders in Chicago and what ethically-made and sustainably-made mean in practice.  We've all seen words like "sustainable" become buzzwords by Big Fashion, but what does it actually look like to do the work to ensure fair employment, responsible sourcing, and mindful production? This was an ongoing theme throughout the panel — each of these founders' ideas of sustainability was distinct and yet overlapped. Pushpika Freitas, founder of Marketplace Handwork of India, told the story of partnering with artisans in India to create truly fair trade fashion; Jamie Hayes, founder of Production Mode, discussed what it really takes to produce ethically in the US today (hint: "made in the US" does NOT automatically equal ethical); and Vanessa Arroyo shared how her heritage and 15+ years in fashion helped her build an authentic, ethical footwear brand.   🌿 CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS: Pushpika | Marketplace Handwork of India: marketplaceindia.comJamie | Production Mode: productionmodechicago.comVanessa | SERES: seresfootwear.comChicago Fair Trade: chicagofairtrade.org🧵 CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE: WebsiteInstagramPinterest📧 JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER: consciouslifeandstyle.com/subscribe 💚 JOIN THE CFC MEMBERSHIP: consciousfashion.co/community

    54 min
  2. 108) Inside the Decline of Sweater Quality — and What to Look for in a Durable Knit with Mari Medina

    10/12/2024

    108) Inside the Decline of Sweater Quality — and What to Look for in a Durable Knit with Mari Medina

    The declining quality of sweaters has been a big discussion in the past year, but is a reality we've been witnessing for the past couple of decades. But what exactly is so much worse about today's sweaters and what has been going on behind the scenes that's made them so bad? And importantly, how can brands do better? What should we be looking for in a high quality knitwear piece? We're covering all of this and more in today's Conscious Style Podcast episode with expert knitwear designer and product developer Mari Medina. Mari is the founder of April Knit Studio, a design studio dedicated to creating high-quality knitwear for fashion brands. With an extensive network of trusted suppliers and artisans, April Knit Studio offers brands access to natural materials, enabling the development of knitwear that reflects each brand's unique identity. In this episode, Mari also discusses what an ethical supplier or artisan partnership looks like, the benefits for both the customer and the brand of keeping the same styles year over year, and the value of harnessing external expertise instead of going at it alone as a brand founder. 🎧  LISTEN NEXT >> EP44: How to Identify High Quality Clothing with Zoe Hong 🌿 JOIN THE COMMUNITY >> Conscious Fashion Collective Membership 💌 FOR MORE >> Subscribe to Slow Fashion Saturday ***** 🧶 CONNECT WITH MARI >> Website: aprilknitstudio.com Instagram: @aprilknit.studio LinkedIn: April Knit Studio

    42 min
  3. 107) The State of Circular Fashion with Cynthia Power

    03/12/2024

    107) The State of Circular Fashion with Cynthia Power

    What is the state of circular fashion today? There has been a LOT happening with circularity in textiles in recent years, which is exciting but also means that it can be tough to keep up with and to discern what the most promising signs of progress actually are. So in today's episode, you'll hear from Cynthia Power about the state of circular fashion, 5 areas of "invisible progress" in circularity, and what fashion brands should know about implementing circularity into their value chains. Cynthia also speaks to the happiness of repair, illuminating something that doesn't get talked enough about enough — that yes, slow fashion can actually be joyful! Cynthia Power is the founder of Molte Volte and is an expert in the fields of fashion resale, reuse, repair, recycling and design for circularity. Working in fashion for over 17 years, she spent 6 years at the helm of EILEEN FISHER Renew and two years working on the service provider side at Recurate with dozens of brands. (In fact, you can hear Cynthia speak on behalf of Recurate in episode 27!) Cynthia is also the co-host of the Untangling Circularity podcast. Hit play to dive in!   LISTEN NEXT >> EP83: What is Circular Fashion Design? with Carmen Gama  FOR MORE >> Join Slow Fashion Saturday: consciouslifeandstyle.com/subscribe   CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA: Newsletter: moltevolte.substack.com Molte Volte: moltevolte.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cynthia-power-24963513

    41 min
  4. 106) Behind the Greenwashing of "Artisan-Made", the Art of Collaboration, and Sustaining Yourself as a Creative with Anjali Purohit

    19/11/2024

    106) Behind the Greenwashing of "Artisan-Made", the Art of Collaboration, and Sustaining Yourself as a Creative with Anjali Purohit

    When you hear the term artisan-made, what do you think of? Do you assume that it means ethically made? Do you assume it's a certain aesthetic? Is it old-fashioned or contemporary? In today's episode, Elizabeth is speaking with Anjali Purohit, founder and creative director of the home and fashion textiles brand Studio Variously to unpack and demystify all things artisan-made. Anjali has over 20 years of experience in design, working globally with brands like Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. Based in the US for 16 years, she collaborates with artisans in India, Nepal, and Peru to create sustainable, handwoven textiles and home goods. Anjali has won multiple design awards and was Eileen Fisher’s 2019 Artist in Residence, and continues to consult and develop ethical, artisan-made collections. In this episode, you'll hear Anjali speak to the greenwashing of “artisan-made” goods and what it means for brands and designers to work ethically with artisans. Also in this conversion, the thread of “collaboration” kept coming up in really interesting ways! Anjali not only talks about the processes of collaborating with artisans in India, but collaborating with her clients — whether that's retail buyers, interior designers, or end-customers — to see what is truly resonating with them.  Think of it as an elegant dance balancing the heritage techniques that Variously's artisan partners work with, the physical realities of natural materials and natural dyes, and also what her ideal client actually wants in their home or wardrobe and importantly, is willing to invest in. She is constantly paying attention to what materials and formats people are excited about and willing to pay for.  This isn't about following every trend, but Anjali has found a beautiful balance of keeping Variously's products relevant while also respecting traditional artisanal practices. Anjali has been a Conscious Fashion Collective Member with us, so we've gotten to know her work over the past year and a half, and are so excited for all of you to get to know her work + insights now as well! Iif you're also a slow fashion founder looking for community and resources to support you in your professional and business development, you can join us inside of the CFC Membership here: consciousfashion.co/community   CONNECT WITH ANJALI: studiovariously.com @studiovariously LinkedIn   STAY IN TOUCH: Subscribe to Slow Fashion Saturday Join the CFC Membership

    38 min
  5. 22/10/2024

    105) The Blueprint for a Successful Circular Fashion Program

    Is it possible to truly balance financial and environmental sustainability in circularity? This week's guest not only believes that it's possible to do both, but has proven it by architecting one of fashion’s most impactful resale programs, Worn Wear (at Patagonia). In this episode, she's sharing her lessons learned on everything from the type of resale model that could be capable of reducing new production to how we can better engage customers in circularity. Our guest Nellie Cohen spent nearly a decade at Patagonia as the architect of the brand’s precedent-setting and award-winning circularity program, Worn Wear. She holds over 15 years of sustainability experience and is widely recognized as a leading figure within the circular economy movement. In 2019, she founded her consultancy — Baleen — which is a specialized agency that focuses on circularity design and implementation. Over her career, she has worked with some of the world’s best known brands including Levi’s, Target, lululemon, and DÔEN. *** This is a recording of a conversation that Stella led with Nellie inside the Conscious Fashion Collective Membership community!  If you'd like to join in on future conversations like this, access our entire past session library, unlock our value-packed resource hub, and connect with a changemaking community, join us inside the CFC Membership. 💚 Learn more & join: consciousfashion.co/community

    50 min

About

What will it really take to create a more sustainable and equitable future for fashion? Each week, hosts Elizabeth Joy and Stella Hertantyo interview fashion changemakers — from labor activists to slow fashion entrepreneurs — to explore this very question. Hear about topics like greenwashing, garment worker rights, consumer psychology, secondhand fashion, making the most of your closet, and more. For more, visit consciouslifeandstyle.com and follow @consciousstyle on Instagram.

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