Circle of Influence The RealReal, Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), and produced by Hangar Studios

We Are All Connected: From inclusivity to virtual living- the future of fashion will be shaped by our relationships. While there is no playbook for today’s uncertainties or blueprint to navigate un-chartered systems of change – guided by unity and by taking care of each other – together we can design stronger futures. When we are connected, we are adaptable and resilient. By applying circularity and innovation, we can valuably evolve and transform, making positive social and environmental impact as one. 
Hosts:    
Julie Gilhart, President of Tomorrow Projects and Chief Development Officer of Tomorrow Ltd., on behalf of The RealReal
Sara Kozlowski, VP of Education + Sustainability Initiatives of CFDA
Guests:
CaSandra Diggs, President of CFDA 
CaSandra Diggs is President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), a group of over 400 American womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessory designers. A native New Yorker, she has merged her CUNY education in law and political science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice with accounting from the Baruch Zicklin School of Business to oversee CFDA’s multifunctional operations, including but not limited to finance and administrative roles. Under Diggs’ leadership, the CFDA has experienced unprecedented expansion with the successful relocation of its corporate headquarters to NOHO NYC, and acquisition of the Fashion Calendar – the official schedule of New York fashion shows and events. She has also helped launch many successful programs, including the CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund to support emerging designers and IMPACT to provide employment opportunities to BIPOC creatives and professionals in the fashion industry. As part of the executive team working directly with CFDA Chairman Tom Ford and the Board of Directors, Diggs is a highly valued contributor to the organization's strategic planning.
James Rogers, Director of Sustainability at The RealReal
As The RealReal's Director of Sustainability, James Rogers leads the company's sustainability initiatives, including carbon and packaging reduction efforts, influencing industry partners, driving adoption of the circular economy and managing The RealReal's proprietary sustainability calculator.
James has deep corporate and nonprofit sustainability experience, specifically in building value-driven circular economy models, driving product innovation and implementing long-term projects that move the apparel industry towards a more sustainable future. Prior to joining The RealReal, James spent nearly a decade developing, leading and executing sustainability strategy for The North Face as its Director of Sustainability.  While at The North Face, he drove environmental responsibility initiatives spanning product creation, climate change agenda and environmental impact of owned facilities and supply chain partners.
Sanjeev Bahl, Founder and Chief Executive of Saitex
Born in India in 1963, entrepreneur Sanjeev Bahl has ventured into businesses across diverse industries and focuses including apparel manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology – earning a reputation for himself as a forward-thinking trailblazer, set on finding solutions to the world’s biggest inefficiencies and problems.
His apparel venture is called SAITEX – a state of the art system of fabric production ,apparel development, innovation, and manufacturing in Vietnam. The facilities and systems are all built on environmental impact reduction technologies, with a core philosophy of creating positive social impact. His IT venture – SAI Digital, is spread over five countries and builds software solutions in the Ecommerce & Digital space.
Watch the episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neZ8SfdT93s

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Digging deeper into the minds of seasoned industry leaders who have successfully championed and fostered sustainability within the fashion industry, this episode will go straight to the source to uncover how the groundwork for sustainable practices can be formed to produce long-term results. From obstacles encountered to solutions found, follow the journeys of three advocates who are committed to bringing sustainability with them into 2021 and beyond.
Host:
Julie Gilhart, President of Tomorrow Projects and Chief Development Officer of Tomorrow Ltd., on behalf of The RealReal
Guests:
Mara Hoffman, President and Creative Director of Mara Hoffman
Mara Hoffman founded her label in 2000 after graduating from Parsons School of Design in New York City. As President and Creative Director of her privately owned company, Hoffman hopes to foster mindful consumption habits and encourages consumers to reevaluate the relationship society has with clothing. The brand’s approach centers on sustainable materials, processes, and production in order to improve and extend each garment’s life. Hoffman commits to presenting collections devoted to color, each inspired by and in celebration of women. Headquartered in New York, she is an active member of the CFDA and serves on the boards of artisan-focused nonprofit Nest, community organization Glam4Good, and youth empowerment charity ArtStart. In 2017, Hoffman was awarded the 2017 Positive Impact Award for Brand Leadership in Advancing Sustainability. Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., Hoffman now lives in Brooklyn with her husband, artist Javier Piñon, and their son Joaquin.
Claire Bergkamp, Chief Operating Officer at Textile Exchange
Claire Bergkamp is the Chief Operating Officer at Textile Exchange. Previous to joining Textile Exchange she held the position of Worldwide Sustainability and Innovation Director for over eight years at Stella McCartney, leading the global environmental, human rights and innovation strategy for the brand. During her time at the brand she built a qualified, high-functioning sustainability department and team, a purposeful strategy and ambitious project portfolio. Claire is a purpose driven leader and a systems thinker who delivers measurable results. She is passionate about identifying and accelerating solutions and believes that textile supply chains and raw materials systems must be radically transformed at scale. Claire serves in advisory and leadership positions for a wide range of collaborative initiatives. Notably, she is currently serving on the steering committee for the UNFCCC’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, where she is the co-chair for the Raw Materials Working Group. She also serves on the steering committee for the British Fashion Council’s Institute of Positive Fashion, is a senior advisor to the Stella McCartney board and CEO and is a trustee and board director for the Stella McCartney Foundation.
Spencer Phipps, Founder and Creative Director of PHIPPS INTERNATIONAL
PHIPPS INTERNATIONAL was started in 2017 by Spencer Phipps. Born and raised in San Francisco, he studied at Parsons School of Design in New York City graduating in 2008 with a nomination as “designer of the year” for his final year collection - an initial exploration of sustainable fashion. He started his career at Marc Jacobs as part of the menswear design team and after, relocated to Antwerp to work with Dries Van Noten as the first American menswear designer. He is currently based in Paris.
Watch the episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFHviK5tIjQ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saddled with the burden of fixing the environment that previous generations ignored, millennials are heeding the call of the IPCC and leading the charge on sustainability - setting a strong example for Gen-Z. Savvier with social media than previous generations and more politically engaged/disruptive than their parents, they are solidly exhausted with bureaucracy and becoming leaders in their own right. So what gives?
Host: 
Julie Gilhart, President of Tomorrow Projects and Chief Development Officer of Tomorrow Ltd., on behalf of The RealReal
Guests:
Hillary Taymour, Founder of Collina Strada
Collina Strada isn’t just a fashion label, it's also a platform for social issues and awareness. Created by Hillary Taymour, her main concern is staying true to her craft, and staying on course to becoming a fully sustainable and radically transparent brand in the near future.
Based and manufactured in New York, the brand’s cult status core pieces transcend trends. Taymour’s designs are imbued with a fearlessly fluid attitude, re-inventing classics and unexpected details. Collina Strada embodies humor and youth. The brand DNA is now firmly cemented in the ability to look inward, even when we’re loud and expressive on the outside. Season after season, Collina Strada’s goal remains the same: to encourage self-reflection through clothing. How can you be the best version of yourself today?
Becca McCharen-Tran, Founder of Chromat
Becca McCharen-Tran is the founder and creative director of the future-forward bodywear label Chromat. With a degree from the UVA School of Architecture, McCharen-Tran fuses a technical background with a focus on the body to create designs for boundary-breaking women like Beyoncé, Madonna and Nicki Minaj. A Forbes "30 Under 30" pick for "People Who Are Reinventing the World," McCharen-Tran speaks about the fraught impact that fashion had on her own upbringing -- motivating her to reshape the industry into a more inclusive and accessible space. Each Chromat collection explores the intersection of architecture, fashion and technology, producing garments that augment and enhance the body’s performance through innovative design and cutting-edge technical fabrics. Chromat is designed in New York City and Miami by a diverse team of creative collaborators ranging from artists to scientists to choreographers.
Priya Ahluwalia, Founder of Ahluwalia
Ahluwalia was founded by London-born Priya Ahluwalia in 2018, after graduating from the MA Menswear course at The University of Westminster. In 2020, Ahluwalia became one of the eight brands to win the LVMH Prize, was named as a part of Matches Fashion’s Innovators programme and listed as one of the Forbes 30 under 30 on the European Arts and Culture list. Through her design ethos, Priya combines elements from her dual Indian-Nigerian heritage and London roots to explore the potential of vintage and deadstock clothing by giving existing textiles and traditional techniques a new life. SS21 marks Ahluwalia’s fifth collection, having already shown at Paris Fashion Week in collaboration with Adidas (AW19) and through standalone presentations at London Fashion Week Men’s (SS20 & AW20). 
Priya has published two books – Sweet Lassi & Jalebi – which capture the visual narratives of her world through a mix of photographs and personal stories. Ahluwalia is currently stocked with Browns, Matches, Ssense, LN-CC, and more.
Watch the episode on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKPp3PSxsg

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Planetary Healing, New Fashion Paradigms, Value Systems + Quantum Leaps.. Is the new normal Mindfulness? From challenge to opportunity = Regeneration + Transformation.
In this episode, we’ll talk with global climate, circularity and policy experts on what matters most - when mapping a future that is creatively resilient, truly transformative and collaborative. Underlining bright spots for Hope, we’ll explore how applying a quadruple bottom line thinking mindset {People, Planet, Purpose, before Profits} can be a compass for navigating industry mobilization, and for identifying opportunities for accelerated momentum - towards goal of building a new tomorrow together - a fashion ecosystem embedded with climate justice, social equity, and sustainable innovation. 
Host:
Sara Kozlowski, VP of Education + Sustainability Initiatives of CFDA
Guests:
Francois Souchet, Make Fashion Circular Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Francois joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2016 to work with its Strategic Partners such as Google and H&M, to help drive circular economy innovation. In 2018, following the launch of the report ‘A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning fashion’s future’, he moved to lead Make Fashion Circular, shaping the programme to be a truly disruptive force within the industry.
Having studied in Paris and Melbourne and working internationally, he now find myself based in the UK leading a team dedicated to redesigning the fashion industry, based on circular economy principles. This new approach ensures that clothes are used more, are made to be made again and are made from safe, recycled and renewable materials.
Kerry Bannigan, Founder of Conscious Fashion Campaign
Kerry Bannigan is a social entrepreneur and advocate pioneering conscious fashion and media initiatives to drive transformative change. Bannigan spearheads global business, government, and industry impact partnerships to action the creative sectors for global good as key shapers for regenerating sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economies. Bannigan is the founder of the Conscious Fashion Campaign, an initiative in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Partnerships that co-creates high-visibility global fashion event partnerships to advance the Decade of Action to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The campaign was established in 2019 to inspire innovative ideas, connect industry leaders, enable new partnerships, and enact sustainable change. Bannigan is a founding member of the SDG Media Zone in partnership with the United Nations Department of Global Communications and the PVBLIC Foundation. Since 2016, the SDG Media Zone has been one of the main features of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week as a prominent platform for progress and action bringing together UN Member States, advocates, world leaders and media.
Lucie Brigham, Chief of Office of United Nations Office for Partnerships
Lucie is the Chief of Office of the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP). In her role, Lucie helps co-create partnerships for the UN system to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She connects companies, non-profits and foundations with relevant partners within the United Nations system and highlights innovative solutions that drive the Decade of Action to Deliver the SDGs by 2030.
Since its launch, Lucie has worked with the non-profit Conscious Fashion Campaign (CFC) to enable and inspire partnerships with the fashion and textile industry in the Decade of Action. Most recently in December 2020, the CFC and UNOP launched the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network as part of the Partnerships for SDGs platform of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Lucie has over 20 years of experience in international development and the foreign service. Prior to joining UNOP, Lucie worked on advocacy and prevention of modern-day slavery at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Lucie has a Mas

Race and the intersection of sustainability: While much of fashion is course correcting and reworking its production praxis and textiles for a more sustainable future, we haven’t as of yet tackled the issue of race and environmentalism. All too often the most vulnerable communities to the fallout of pollution are those of color. Like all of society, the issue of environmentalism is stratified along racial lines and in order to create a brighter future for all, we must expand the dialogue on diversity, equity, and inclusion with this sphere.
Host:
Marjon Carlos, Guest Editor
Guests:
Abrima Erwiah, Co-Founder and Director of Studio One Eighty Nine, and Founder of Fashion Our Future
Abrima Erwiah (based between Accra and New York), with actress and activist Rosario Dawson, is the co-founder of Studio One Eighty Nine, an artisan produced fashion lifestyle brand and social enterprise that has recently won the prestigious CFDA Lexus Fashion Initiative for Sustainability. The brand is made in Africa and produces African and African-inspired content and clothing. Studio 189 works with artisanal communities that specialize in various traditional craftsmanship techniques including natural plant based dye indigo, hand-batik, kente weaving and more. Studio 189 focuses on empowerment, creating jobs and supporting education and skills training. 
Erwiah is also the founder of Fashion Our Future. She also teaches an undergraduate BFA course called “Systems & Society” at Parsons School of Design at the New School. She was an advisor to the United Nations International Trade Center Ethical Fashion Initiative and as the Global Associate Communications and Marketing Director and Worldwide Social Media Director at Bottega Veneta (Kering Group). 
Race and the intersection of sustainability: While much of fashion is course correcting and reworking its production praxis and textiles for a more sustainable future, we haven’t as of yet tackled the issue of race and environmentalism. All too often the most vulnerable communities to the fallout of pollution are those of color. Like all of society, the issue of environmentalism is stratified along racial lines and in order to create a brighter future for all, we must expand the dialogue on diversity, equity, and inclusion with this sphere.
Rachael Wang, New York Based Stylist and Creative Consultant
Rachael Wang is a New York based stylist and creative consultant. She previously served as Fashion Market Director of Style.com and Fashion Director of Allure where she collaborated with some of the most influential talents in the industry. Her fashion direction can be seen in collaborations with brands like Bergdorf Goodman, Bottega Veneta, Levi's, Nike, Nordstrom and Saks and in her inspired editorials for Document Journal, Telegraph, Office, ELLE and international editions of Numero and Vogue. Rachael is an advocate for bringing sustainable and responsible practices into the high fashion space and in 2017 she founded Rachael Wang Studio where she continues to focus on bringing ethics and thoughtful representation to creative and fashion direction.
Tracy Reese, Designer and Founder of Hope for Flowers
Tracy Reese is an American designer and design philosophy is rooted in a commitment to bringing out the beauty in women of all shapes, sizes and colors.  Tracy Reese launched her namesake fashion brand in 1998 in New York City and over the past twenty plus years, she has expanded to include three sub-brands (Plenty, Frock! And Black Label).
A member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America since 1990, Tracy Reese serves on its Board of Directors. Tracy also serves on the boards of NEST Artisan Guild and College for Creative Studies Fashion Accessories Design Program. 
Tracy recently moved her design studio to her hometown, Detroit, actively participating in plans to make Detroit a modern, sustainable garment production hub. Tracy is president of the board of ISAIC, the Industrial Sewing

Race and the intersection of sustainability: While much of fashion is coursecorrecting and reworking its production praxis and textiles for a more sustainable future, we haven’t as of yet tackled the issue of race and environmentalism. All too often the most vulnerable communities to the fallout of pollution are those of color. Like all of society, the issue of environmentalism is stratified along racial lines and in order to create a brighter future for all, we must expand the dialogue on diversity, equity, and inclusion with this sphere.
Host:
Marjon Carlos, Guest Editor
Guests:
Abrima Erwiah, Co-Founder and Director of Studio One Eighty Nine, and Founder of Fashion Our Future
Abrima Erwiah (based between Accra and New York), with actress and activist Rosario Dawson, is the co-founder of Studio One Eighty Nine, an artisan produced fashion lifestyle brand and social enterprise that has recently won the prestigious CFDA Lexus Fashion Initiative for Sustainability. The brand is made in Africa and produces African and African-inspired content and clothing. Studio 189 works with artisanal communities that specialize in various traditional craftsmanship techniques including natural plant based dye indigo, hand-batik, kente weaving and more. Studio 189 focuses on empowerment, creating jobs and supporting education and skills training. 
Erwiah is also the founder of Fashion Our Future. She also teaches an undergraduate BFA course called “Systems & Society” at Parsons School of Design at the New School. She was an advisor to the United Nations International Trade Center Ethical Fashion Initiative and as the Global Associate Communications and Marketing Director and Worldwide Social Media Director at Bottega Veneta (Kering Group). 
Race and the intersection of sustainability: While much of fashion is course correcting and reworking its production praxis and textiles for a more sustainable future, we haven’t as of yet tackled the issue of race and environmentalism. All too often the most vulnerable communities to the fallout of pollution are those of color. Like all of society, the issue of environmentalism is stratified along racial lines and in order to create a brighter future for all, we must expand the dialogue on diversity, equity, and inclusion with this sphere.
Rachael Wang, New York Based Stylist and Creative Consultant
Rachael Wang is a New York based stylist and creative consultant. She previously served as Fashion Market Director of Style.com and Fashion Director of Allure where she collaborated with some of the most influential talents in the industry. Her fashion direction can be seen in collaborations with brands like Bergdorf Goodman, Bottega Veneta, Levi's, Nike, Nordstrom and Saks and in her inspired editorials for Document Journal, Telegraph, Office, ELLE and international editions of Numero and Vogue. Rachael is an advocate for bringing sustainable and responsible practices into the high fashion space and in 2017 she founded Rachael Wang Studio where she continues to focus on bringing ethics and thoughtful representation to creative and fashion direction.
Tracy Reese, Designer and Founder of Hope for Flowers
Tracy Reese is an American designer and design philosophy is rooted in a commitment to bringing out the beauty in women of all shapes, sizes and colors.  Tracy Reese launched her namesake fashion brand in 1998 in New York City and over the past twenty plus years, she has expanded to include three sub-brands (Plenty, Frock! And Black Label).
A member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America since 1990, Tracy Reese serves on its Board of Directors. Tracy also serves on the boards of NEST Artisan Guild and College for Creative Studies Fashion Accessories Design Program. 
Tracy recently moved her design studio to her hometown, Detroit, actively participating in plans to make Detroit a modern, sustainable garment production hub. Tracy is president of the board of ISAIC, the Industrial Sewing a