Episode 7 – Akilah Stewart

Akilah Stewart joins Eric to discuss how sustainability is all about people and why it must be inclusive and acknowledge indigenous peoples' wisdom who gifted us this knowledge to live in harmony with the planet. Akilah also shares the work of her company FATRA which is already redirecting plastic and textile waste streams into a more closed-loop system creating products that educate, alleviate, and inspire.

Akilah Stewart, the founder of FATRA, a creative waste design company. She works on analyzing plastic and textile waste and reintegrating it back into the production process to reduce pollution and increase holistic wellness. FATRA is pioneering the use of alternative materials and closed-loop design systems. Fatra, the Haitian Creole word for “trash”, is a global leader in the sustainable fashion movement and continues to challenge mainstream ideas while fostering an evolution of radical elegance and eclectic statement pieces.

She teaches formally at Parsons while also conducting waste design workshops for different institutions here and abroad. FATRA is committed to a cleaner, safer, more equitable fashion industry and environment overall.

hifatra.com

The musical is guest is Heads on Sticks performing the song "The Landscape Vanishes".

Theme music by Casual Motive

At the end of each episode, we ask our guests what their ideal climate design project would be. They have four weeks with a class full of design students. We translated their response into a project brief that you can use for your class.

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