Conscious Chatter

In episode 235, Kestrel welcomes Mikaela Clark, a visual artist and designer, to the show. The founder of Hansel, Mikaela makes handpainted, upcycled apparel in Brooklyn, New York.

"At the time, I was like hey, I'm gonna invite in whatever good is trying to worm its way into my life. And then, as we make these decisions, we grow, we learn, and we think — ok, how can I get even more nuanced, how can I make more decisions in the future that align even more with my personal ethos? What have I learned along the way that's made me maybe want to shy away or maybe want to lean closer to the decisions I've made. It's all a process and it just can't be separated — it's all intersectional, everything's at play when we're trying to have this discussion about ethical fashion." -Mikaela Clark

On this week's show, Mikaela shares more on how she learned to sew from her mom at an early age, and how that nurtured her love of fashion and making clothing. After she pursued music in college, an infection led her to lose her ability to use her voice for a period of time — she started painting as an alternative creative outlet, and then eventually led her to painting garments.

Kestrel and Mikaela also explore more about Hansel's recent collaboration with Urban Renewal (a sub-sect of Urban Outfitters) called "Sacred Space". Mikaela shares an array of thoughts around this partnership, the intentions she went into it with, how it has been meaningful for her and what she has learned from it.

• "I think since I first learned to sew, I always knew that I wanted to have a fashion brand at some point — music was always the first love, but fashion was just something that I was so passionate about … I used to sketch little clothing brands and I would name them after my grandmas." -Mikaela

• "It's really grown from being just a lot of word-of-mouth commissions to being these larger bodies of work that really help carry me through tough seasons of life." -Mikaela

• "I'm one of three sisters — we're all different shapes and sizes and colors and all beautiful in our own way, and I didn't feel comfortable making clothes that my sisters couldn't wear … it's about the long game, it's about figuring out what your process is as you go, and doing what you can to hold that intention close to your heart, until you're in a place where you're able to really execute on it and make it reality." -Mikaela

• "There are a lot of things that go into pricing, and I think having that bubble burst for a moment — it didn't make me want to change anything that I do, but it just made me want to communicate mores the purpose and passion behind why I do what I do." -Mikaela

• "I can't separate my Blackness from how I approach my decisions either. And when I'm thinking about the lesser opportunities that Black people, and then more specifically Black women, and then even more specifically dark-skinned really kinky-haired Black women get to share their art, and to have backing put behind them and to be supported in that way, I mean — the landscape's so different, it's not an easy black and white discussion, and so for me, it was very like — I wanna be able to say my piece, I want to be able to put my work in front of people and stand proudly behind it, and in front of more eyes than I've been able to in the past. I also want to be able to pay my rent, you know, it's been a hard year." -Mikaela

• "We have to be willing to discuss how the human experience is so much more nuanced than just — this is good, this is bad, and you gotta be on either side of the aisle or you're wrong. It's: we're all human, we all need to do better, and the ways we're gonna dismantle the system are by changing the way we approach consumption, being more mindful to reuse the things in our lives, but also being patient with ourselves as we slowly make that transition." -Mikaela

• Hansel website

• Follow Mikaela on Instagram >

• Follow Hansel on Instagram >

This week's episode is brought to you by OEKO-TEX® - a worldwide association of 18 independent research and test institutes that sets standards for safer textile and leather production and products. The OEKO-TEX® portfolio of independent certifications and product labels help all of us make responsible decisions to choose products that are safer, more environmentally friendly, and manufactured in a socially responsible way.

Learn more about their labels at www.oeko-tex.com.

In episode 234, Kestrel welcomes Lottie Bertello, the founder and creative director at LOTI, to the show. An upcycling design studio recently launched in 2021, LOTI reuses materials that would otherwise end up in landfills.

"We're gonna be really vocal with our platform to show people that we don't need to be following these trends. I think trends is what has pushed this overconsumption in massive amounts. And there's the misconception that trends are the only fun clothes you can use — like trendy clothes equal fun and sustainable clothes equal boring, which is absolutely not the case at all." -Lottie Bertello

On this week's show, Lottie shares more of her experience working within the conventional fashion industry, and how for her, that made her realize that building her own project was where she could make the most positive impact.

Lottie highlights some amazing stories from the beginnings of building the brand — one day, she was browsing the racks at a Goodwill, and she ended up buying 300 men's button up shirts, without having a plan as to how to use them. Those shirts became the first building blocks of what LOTI has become today.

Also, Kestrel and Lottie also explore some of the nuances around "trends" and where they fit into the sustainability and fashion movement.

• "I think developing our aesthetic was the most challenging part of developing LOTI because as much as our brand stands for textile waste reduction and ethical manufacturing, we have nothing without a good product that people like — it's unsustainable for us to sell a product based on the fact that it's quote unquote sustainable. You know, if you don't love it, then you're not going to wear it, and if you're not wearing it, you might be throwing it out, and that's not the point." -Lottie

• "Ultimately — trends are what make clothing be disposable, because once a trend is gone, people are no longer wearing that, and then that garment doesn't have a space in your closet anymore. I think there is a distinct difference between relevant items and trendy items." -Lottie

• LOTI's website

• Follow Lottie on Instagram >

• Follow LOTI on Instagram >

This week's episode is brought to you by OEKO-TEX® - a worldwide association of 18 independent research and test institutes that sets standards for safer textile and leather production and products. The OEKO-TEX® portfolio of independent certifications and product labels help all of us make responsible decisions to choose products that are safer, more environmentally friendly, and manufactured in a socially responsible way.

Learn more about their labels at www.oeko-tex.com.

In episode 233, Kestrel welcomes Katherine Theobalds, the founder and creative director at Zou Xou, to the show. A slow fashion footwear brand, Zou Xou shoes are made in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

"I like using the word sensible to describe our shoes because it kind of challenges the common assumption of what sensible shoes mean. I don't mean that they're boring, I don't mean that they're not exciting, and I don't mean that they can't express your style. To me, the sensibility aspect of it speaks to the practicality of it and how often you're using it, and the versatility of it in your wardrobe." -Katherine Theobalds

On this week's show, Katherine shares more on how an array of circumstances led her to build out Zou Xou. Also, she explains some of the ways she and her team have had to get extra creative in their business throughout COVID-19.

Katherine also dives into more of what sensible shoes mean to her, and why she thinks this is an important way to build products — and in her case, shoes that you will build deep relationships with.

• Two Days Off, Kestrel and Katherine mention Gina and her brand — listen to the Conscious Chatter episode with Two Days Off here >

• "The last thing we want to do is promote mindless consumption — we don't want someone to buy something because it's inexpensive — we want them to buy it because they really love it and they're going to wear it … you know, I am a reformed fast fashion shopper — I remember the times I would buy things just because they were on sale, not even because I liked it that much. And so that kind of affects our decision to not do too many markdowns as well — if we're only producing what we're sure we'll sell, there's no need to mark things down to get rid of them." -Katherine

• Li Edelkoort, Katherine mentions her work as a trend forecaster and with "new materialism"

• Zou Xou Spring Collection Guide >

• Who Makes Zou Xou's shoes >

• About Zou Xou >

• Follow Zou Xou on Instagram >

This week's episode is brought to you by OEKO-TEX® - a worldwide association of 18 independent research and test institutes that sets standards for safer textile and leather production and products. The OEKO-TEX® portfolio of independent certifications and product labels help all of us make responsible decisions to choose products that are safer, more environmentally friendly, and manufactured in a socially responsible way.

Learn more about their labels at www.oeko-tex.com.

In episode 232, Kestrel welcomes Kara Fabella, an ethical fashion advocate, digital creator and stylist, to the show. Known as @theFlippside on Instagram, her Living In Color(ism) series on IGTV features discussions where she passes the mic to guests to share their experiences with colorism.

On this week's show, Kara shares more on her past explorations in blogging, and what led her to begin shifting the relationship she was building with her wardrobe. She also shares more on what influence means to her, how she vets the brands she works with, and some of the nuanced challenges that come with being a digital creator in the sustainable fashion space.

Additionally, Kara shares more on the intentions behind her Living In COLOR(ISM) series, and how she's consciously building out her ethical styling services.

• Aditi Mayer, mentioned when it comes to the way she leverages her paid partnerships as an educational opportunity

• Alder Apparel, brand Kara mentions

• Living In COLOR(ISM) episode that Kara mentions with @mayetteraisa

• "We need to heal from within to tackle anti-Blackness, discrimination and white supremacy, and the colonization that happened within each of these communities — I hope that I continue to have these conversations so that there is a space for people to talk about this, and in turn, for them to have conversations with their family members and with their peers, because it just needs to be talked about basically." -Kara on her Living in COLOR(ISM) series

• Conscious Creator feature, includes photos from Consciously's Earth Day 2021 shoot that Kara styled

• Follow Kara on Instagram >

• Follow Living In COLOR(ISM) on Instagram >

In episode 231, Kestrel welcomes Lauren Tanaka-Fortune and Rory Fortune, the cofounders of Goods & Services, to the show. A modern repair shop in Los Angeles, Goods & Services specializes in sneaker repair.

"I think we just have to start changing our mentality around consumption and buy things that you really love and can potentially pass down one day. I think that when you buy things that are made better, you can wear them longer — I mean, eventually they'll be a cool vintage piece, right? We just need to get away from this need for 'more, more more' and get back to sort of the olden days of really buying something that you love and wearing it forever." -Lauren Tanaka-Fortune, Co-Owner of Goods & Services

On this week's show, Rory and Lauren each share their unique experience, working within the conventional fashion industry, and what "aha moment" led them to want to reassess the way they were working in fashion.

Rory explains a bit more on what led him down the path of learning more about shoe repair, and how that led he and Lauren to open their own repair shop in 2019.

While Goods & Services offers repair for all shoe types, they specialize in sneaker repair. Rory and Lauren explain why they think we are not typically taught that our sneakers can be repaired, and how, through their custom resole process, they can set your sneakers up for years and years of future repair.

• Global Garbs, Lauren's sustainable fashion magazine

• "Sneaker Drops Keep Coming. Are They Sustainable?" in Vogue Business

• Goods & Services YouTube

• Follow Goods & Services on Instagram >

• Follow Global Garbs on Instagram >

In episode 230, Kestrel welcomes Kiana Kazemi, a current undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, studying the intersections of technology and environmental justice, to the show. The Editor in Chief of the campus environmental publication The Leaflet and the Digital and Community Operations Coordinator at Intersectional Environmentalist, Kiana is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Circularity, a soon-to-launch multi-medium environmental justice platform.

"Climate change is a huge problem that we're facing, but it's really the symptom of capitalism, of the patriarchy, of so many other systems that have bigger histories and have been in place for such a long time. And so, if as engineers, we're only taught to tackle those surface-level symptoms, we're not tackling the wider systems, which is what we need to be tackling. " -Kiana Kazemi, Intersectional Engineer

On this week's show, Kiana shares more on her backstory, what led her to pursue engineering, and what being an "intersectional engineer" means to her. Also, she helps provide some historical context on the ways in which engineering has and continues to perpetuate systemic injustices.

For Kiana, community engineering is important for a more equitable future — she shares more on what this means to her, and how it can be more effectively integrated into practice for the engineering and tech industries.

• Of course technology perpetuates racism. It was designed that way. by Charlton McIlwain in the MIT Technology Review

• Khalid Kadir, professor Kiana mentions

• "Because engineering is often about innovation and about the future, we're never told to study the past or even the current systems — it's always about create, create, create more, innovate more and think about the future. But again, if we don't take into account that context and that history, then we're just going to perpetuate those same problems over and over again." -Kiana

• Why intersectional environmental pedagogy belongs in all fields by Kiana Kazemi

• Engineering x Social Justice Conversation with Kiana Kazemi and Diandra Marizet

• Co-Founder of Circularity (launching soon!)

• Tech Community Leader at Intersectional Environmentalist

• Slow Factory Foundation, founded by Céline Semaan

• Follow Kiana on Instagram >

In episode 229, Kestrel welcomes Dani Des Roches, the founder of Picnicwear, to the show. A slow fashion brand, Picnicwear is made by hand in NYC (almost) entirely from vintage and deadstock materials.

"A statement piece doesn't have to be a trendy piece per se — those descriptors can exist separately from one another. So just like a sustainable item doesn't have to mean that it's banal or it's expensive, a statement piece can be special today, and still can be special 2 years from now, 3 years from now, 10 years from now." -Dani Des Roches, Founder of Picnicwear

On this week's show, Dani shares more on how her love and appreciation for secondhand fashion started at a very young age. Not only was she influenced by her family's lifestyle, she also had this desire to always look "different" through the way she dressed, which drew her to the one-of-a-kind nature of vintage.

Dani went to fashion school and ended up working in fast fashion for years. While she was grateful to have these opportunities in the industry, they weren't resonating with her and her lifestyle - she never was even buying fast fashion in her own life.

While she had left her fast fashion job before COVID-19 hit, when most of her freelance jobs dried up amidst the pandemic, it inspired her to dive in and push to make Picnicwear come to life.

• Selina Sanders, designer and friend of Dani, featured on Conscious Chatter episode 222 — listen to that episode here >

• "Right now, the way I'm working is not really sustainable, because I'm working all the time. But, it's also my first year in business, so I'm learning — what's working, what doesn't work, where am I spending too much time, how can I scale that down and be able to focus more on these things that are more productive, and then be able to get some time back to myself. So yeah, that's definitely the work of the work when it comes to how to scale this type of brand, for sure." -Dani

• Follow Dani on Instagram >

• Follow Picnicwear on Instagram >

In episode 228, Kestrel welcomes curator and writer Catherine McKinley to the show. The author of Indigo, a journey along the ancient indigo trade routes in West Africa, and The Book of Sarahs, a memoir about growing up Black and Jewish in the 1960s-80s, Catherine has taught creative nonfiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University. Her newest book, The African Lookbook, A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women, draws on her extensive collection of photos to tell a different visual narrative of African women.

"In most of the societies, cloth is just, it's essential, it's considered something that contains the human spirit and it's the layer next to the skin — you know, it has all those meanings. And cloth is essential from what you're wound in the moment of birth to what you're wound in at the grave." -Catherine McKinley, Writer + Curator

On this week's show, Catherine shares more on what led her to have an interest in writing, cloth, photographs and fashion. Through our conversation, she reminds us of the layers of meaning that can be embedded in cloth - from culture to identity to wealth to power and beyond.

Catherine also explains more on why she highlights the sewing machine and the camera as the two most important machinery for African women in her book — as she calls them, "steadfast instruments that offered a powerful means to author one's own life."

• "I'm really driven by this idea of holding onto things from the past and things that are disappearing or are ephemeral in some way." -Catherine

• Seydou Keïta, photographer

• Malick Sidibe, photographer

• Okwui Enwezor, Catherine studied with him

• The Walther Collection, Catherine worked here in the past

• "And then I started feeling competitive in a way — these enormously wealthy men who could just acquire and acquire and acquire — you know, every amazing photo document that was coming in, and I started to take it a little bit more seriously. I started doing it in earnest and my collection is primarily women's photos and I really felt like it's not theirs, you know. It's not theirs — I don't have the access that they have, but to the extent that I can collect, I'm going to collect and I'm gonna claim this and I'm not gonna let it just be our object — I'm gonna think about its use and value to other people, beyond just sitting on a gallery wall." -Catherine

• "I was at a dinner with a group of men in the art world — I was the only female there, I was the only non white person there … it was a very male conversation about photography, and I think I blurted out this thing about the sewing machine and the camera, and everybody looked at me like I was crazy — you know, to say they were the most important machinery for African women." And then, I went home and I still felt like this thing is right, I'm right about this, and I don't have evidence, but … it was kind of what finally organized the book for me — it was like ok how now am I going to prove this argument to these men in particular? Not that I was all that interested in whether they agreed or not, but it just seemed like this really outrageous claim, so how now am I going to make good on it?" -Catherine

• "Cloth certainly has been one of the absolutely most important commodities for women — if you had access to buy one or two pieces of cloth and put that on your head and walk the street and try to sell it, it was small capital to build up more and more and more." -Catherine

• The McKinley Collection, Catherine's archive representing African photographers from 1870 to the present

• The African Lookbook

• Follow Catherine on Instagram >

In episode 227, Kestrel welcomes Yessenia Funes, the Climate Editor at Atmos, to the show. A new climate and culture magazine, Atmos is curated by an ecosystem of adventurers, creatives, and journalists, and dedicated to pioneering progress around the world.

"So much of what we do is working with frontline organizers, so that they can tell their own stories — inviting them to come write for us, creating space so that they're not just quoted in an article, but they're writing the article. And I think that there's sometimes hesitance to do that in the media industry, out of this sort of obsession with objectivity — I think is honestly what sometimes drives some of that. And we do that in a way that, we're not here to necessarily push an agenda, but we're here to give people space to to tell their truth, tell their stories and to educate the public about the battles that many of these people are fighting." -Yessenia Funes, Climate Editor at Atmos

On this week's show, Yessenia shares more on what led her to writing about race and the environment. She is now focused on telling human-centered stories, and welcoming frontline organizers to write their own stories on how the climate crisis is impacting them and their communities.

Kestrel asks Yessenia for her thoughts on where she thinks the media stands today, when it comes to covering stories around environmental racism and environmental justice.

• "It's an exciting moment now to see so much understanding of what environmental racism is, of what environmental justice is, but it is alarming to see the slow response to do anything about it, especially at a scale that matters." -Yessenia

• "Report: we have just 12 years to limit devastating global warming" via Vox, addressing the IPCC report from 2018 that Yessenia mentions

• "My favorite thing about working here at Atmos is just our dedication toward heart-centered and community-centered stories." -Yessenia

• "You don't need to have a graduate degree or a bachelor's in environmental studies or climate science to be an expert on your community — you just need that lived experience, and I think there's a growing recognition of how vital the lived experience is now." -Yessenia

• Professor Bryan Higgins, mentioned by Yessenia — taught a class about the history of national parks in the U.S.

• "'It's About Sacrificing': Indigenous Youth Runners Call on Biden to Shut Down DAPL" on Atmos

• "How Black Women Have Reimagined Nature On-screen" on Atmos

• "The Climate Movement Has Always Been Black" on Atmos

• "A Bright, Green Future" on Atmos

• The Frontline, newsletter edited by Yessenia — "a daily reminder that the warming of the world is unjust"

• Follow Yessenia on Instagram >

• Follow Atmos on Instagram >

In episode 226, Kestrel welcomes Matty Hickey, the founder of Be Kind Vibes, to the show. A social impact brand, Be Kind Vibes creates ethically-made goods that inspire love & compassion for each other and our natural world.

"Kindness is a way forward for us out of these times — it's a chance for us to be able to reconnect with ourselves, and then, that way, we can kind of express that out into the world and to others. It's one of the values, one of the pillars of the brand, and it's how I guide the direction of the brand in everyday decisions — it's a powerful thing, and I think if we can really tap into it and use it, it is a way forward and I think it's a way that can unite all of us, really." -Matt Hickey, Founder of Be Kind Vibes

On this week's show, we take a little journey down memory lane, as Matt was the person who suggested Kestrel start a podcast over 5 years ago now. The two discuss those early ideas, and how Matt really helped spark the early idea for Kestrel to build out this audio community.

The two explore several facets of "kindness", as that is the driving force behind Matt's work. Also, Matt shares a bit more on his future vision for the brand, and how his priorities have evolved over the years, bringing him further back to a place where natural materials, natural dyes and hyper localized production are king.

• Promoting The Power Of Kindness, story from CBS Sunday Morning that Kestrel mentions, that discusses a new documentary called "The Antidote"

• "I think kindness and being kind — it's an action word and phrase — it's doing. It's a way to express and show others compassion and love, and that also extends to our natural world and the environment. I see it as a common thread that connects all of humanity — it's something that is inside of all of us and it's something that we can all turn to and begin to express to others." -Matt

• BKV "Of The Earth" Bandana Capsule, created in collaboration with Kristin of All Species and Paul Cannon of Iron Sage Wood

• Follow Matt on Instagram >

• Follow Be Kind Vibes on Instagram >