Conscious Chatter

In episode 135, Kestrel welcomes Lydia Wendt, the Founder + Creative Director of Cloth Foundry, as well as Ashley Denisov, the Design Lead at Cloth Foundry + founder of womenswear label 1x1, to the show. In collaboration with nature, Cloth Foundry creates textiles and apparel in California.

"This is constantly the industry dilemma. Small brands are the most innovative and they don't have access to the best fabric because they can't support the volume that needs to be supported to create the orders for the mills to start up the mill and knit or weave the fabric." - Lydia Wendt, Founder of Cloth Foundry

In this episode, Lydia shares more on the origins of Cloth Foundry and how her collaboration with North Face for the Backyard Project inspired the early days of the company. She and Ashley dive into more of their thoughts on what a healthy wardrobe can look like, and how much it can impact our health in different ways.

Additionally, Lydia and Ashley share their thoughts on the difficulties that young designers have in sourcing sustainable fabric options. For Cloth Foundry, they truly want to help support smaller designers to give them access to smaller minimums and textiles with a more transparent supply chain.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• "A Healthy Wardrobe" - just as we think about wanting to put healthy food options into our body, the garments we wear can have an impact on our health as well

• "Our skin is our largest organ, and it's capable of absorbing up to 64% of the chemicals that come in contact with it from fabrics." -Ashley

• "There has been an increase in allergies - skin allergies in particular over the last few years." -Lydia

• PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals) - are often used for waterproofing fabrics, and have been found through studies to cause cancer, thyroid issues, and other health impacts

• Fire retardant chemicals that are required to be added to our upholstery, beddings and children's sleepwear are being found in the fetuses of newborn children, and in breast milk of mothers in the state of California.

• The Sustainable Cotton Project - a nonprofit that supports the farmers that grow cleaner cotton

• Cleaner Cotton - a brand of cotton that has eliminated the use of the 13 most toxic chemicals in cotton farming. They are not organic - they have not certified their land organic, but they are eliminating 50-70% of the toxins that are notoriously used in conventional cotton farming.

EVENT ALERTOn Saturday, October 13th from 6-10pm, the Pollima Material Revolution event will be happening in Los Angeles. The event is all about giving us an opportunity to touch, smell, and learn about how biology and waste are contributing to the next generation of materials, and tickets are free here >

In episode 134, Kestrel welcomes Kathleen Talbot, the VP of Operations + Sustainability at Reformation, to the show. A revolutionary lifestyle brand, Reformation offers thoughtfully produced clothing at an affordable price–a reminder that being green shouldn't mean sacrificing style and quality.

"If you're confident and you're motivated to really manage the impact of your product and really your product's whole life cycle, you shouldn't be afraid of growth. You should be really trying to maximize that because by growing our business, by reaching a bigger consumer base, we're actually magnifying our impact." - Kathleen Talbot, VP of Operations + Sustainability at Reformation

In this episode, Kathleen shares more on the origins of Reformation, and how they are an act + iterate company. For Reformation, they're all about testing to try to reduce their impact - when they discover that something isn't working and/or reducing their footprint, they shift right away and try something else.

Kathleen also shares more on how Reformation believes that growth isn't something they shy away from - instead they lean into it, and believe that growth - if done in the right way - can only expand their impact exponentially.

Throughout this chat, Kestrel + Kathleen talk specifically about the resale market, and Reformation's recently launched partnership with ThredUp to help close their loop.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• "Up to 90% of the clothing that is thrown away is before the end of its useful life and can be reused, and only a fraction of stuff is getting recycled."

• According to ThredUp's 6th annual Resale Report released this last April, they stated that by 2022, the resale market will hit $41 billion.

• ThredUp's Report outlines that RESALE is growing 24 times faster than RETAIL.

• ThredUp's Report says that 1 in 3 women (18 years of age and older) shopped secondhand last year.

• Reformation Vintage Shop in Los Angeles

• Vestiaire Collective, another resale platform Kathleen mentioned that Ref has partnered with in the past

• Depop, another resale platform Kathleen mentioned that Ref has partnered with in the past

FROM THE INTRO:

Kestrel is traveling with Remake on their Made In Mexico trip this upcoming week. Alongside students from California College of Arts, the group will travel to Mexico City and Oaxaca, with the intention to meet directly with garment workers and artisans to hear their personal stories.

If you are interested in following along on the journey, you can watch Kestrel's Instagram @consciouschatter or Remake's @remakeourworld.

In episode 133, Kestrel welcomes Nasreen Sheikh, the founder of both Local Women's Handicrafts and nonprofit LOCWOM, to the show. An international public speaker and anti-sweatshop advocate, Nasreen has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan and more.

"I was working in this small room, thousands of t-shirts would be all around the room, the window would be so small so there would be not enough air, and really when you have a new t-shirt that just came from the other factory and it's literally filled with so much chemicals - and one of the hardest things for me was not being able to breathe sometimes." - Nasreen Sheikh, Founder of Local Women's Handicrafts

In this episode, Nasreen shares stories of growing up in rural Nepal, and the fear that was connected to growing up as a woman. She tells a story about a woman being murdered in her village for being too outspoken, the numerous forced marriages that happened around her, and the challenges she faced paving herself a different route.

Nasreen also shares intimate details about the realities she endured for two years, working in a sweatshop with her cousin, starting when she was 9 or 10 years old.

Also, Nasreen shares more on the issues surrounding documentation with relation to the garment industry. As she explains, many people that work in the garment industry are not documented, which means that their rights are diminished - if they get hurt, they cannot place claims about workplace injuries, and if they die, a police report will generally not be filed.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• Local Women's Handicrafts, a fair trade textile and handicraft collective in Kathmandu, focused on empowering and educating disadvantaged women using sustainable methods
• 1.6 million children in Nepal are forced to work, or 21% of all children in the country, according to the ILO's 2008 report
• "85% of sweatshop workers are young women between the ages of 15-25", via Feminist.org
• LOCWOM, the nonprofit that Nasreen founded, has trained over 100 women to work with them in Nepal
• According to Nasreen, when women in Nepal are menstruating, they are considered impure and often have to go stay in a hut for 5 days. She and her nonprofit LOCWOM are trying to shift the stigma associated with menstruation, and instead want to help emphasize that it is natural and beautiful. They have also helped distribute hundreds of biodegradable antibacterial sanitary pads to rural women and girls who cannot afford basic hygiene supplies.
• Nasreen's TEDTalk, "How To Record Silence"

LOS ANGELES EVENT ALERT

The Sustainable Fashion Forum is a one-day conference focused around sustainable fashion, textile processes and practices, and offering tangible ways fashion businesses can lead in sustainability, ethical responsibility, and climate change.

Speakers include Patagonia, Reformation, Levis, Fabscrap and more. Kestrel will be speaking at 4:20pm about Sustainability + Storytelling.

Get tickets here >

In episode 132, Kestrel welcomes Renee Peters, the founder of Model4GreenLiving, to the show. A fashion model, lifelong animal lover and nature enthusiast, Renee's interests have inspired Model4GreenLiving, which showcases practical tips and everyday actions that help encourage mindful, sustainable living.

"Feminism and environmentalism are not two separate things - they go together." - Renee Peters, Founder of Model4GreenLiving

In this episode, Renee shares her insider insight on the modeling industry, from its challenges to its perks to its abusive nature. She also talks about where she is now in her career - at 29 - and how she can already see that the end of her modeling days are in sight.

Kestrel + Renee also talk about Project Drawdown, the book edited by Paul Hawken, that outlines solutions that reduce greenhouse gases by avoiding emissions and/or by sequestering carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.

For Renee, she believes strongly that if you are an environmentalist, you should be a feminist. As it's outlined in Project Drawdown, supporting the empowerment of women and girls is listed as the 6th and 7th most impactful way to reduce climate change.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• The Model Alliance says that according to one survey, 29.7 percent of female models have experienced inappropriate touching at work.

• "What It's Truly Like To Be A Fashion Model" - video story by the New York Times that Renee was featured in

• Project Drawdown: according to Project Drawdown, supporting the empowerment of women and girls are the 6th and 7th most impactful ways to drawdown carbon emissions

• "Always leave the place better than you found it" - something that Renee learned from her 10 years of being a Girl Scout, and something that still impacts the way she thinks about her actions today

• The True Cost film was monumental in Renee's journey, and ignited her desire to want to learn as much as possible about the issues of the fashion industry to use her position as a model for good; listen to Conscious Chatter's episode with Andrew Morgan, director of True Cost here >

• "I was unsure about who I was, and fast fashion only perpetuated that confusion." - quote from Renee's post called "Why Giving Up Fast Fashion Is One Of The Best Things I've Done"

• Elizabeth Suzann, one of Renee's favorite brands

• Reformation, one of Renee's favorite brands

LA EVENT ALERTGALERIE.LA + international online magazine MOCHNI are partnering for Happy Hour | A sustainable fashion networking event on Wednesday, September 19th from 7 - 9 pm at GALERIE.LA's store at ROW DTLA.

Get Your Ticket Here.

In episode 131, Kestrel welcomes Kohl Crecelius, a social entrepreneur, and the founder and owner of two social impact apparel brands, the the show. With a focus on helping shoppers know and connect with the makers behind their clothing, KNOWN SUPPLY and Krochet Kids intl. are pushing to humanize the fashion industry.

"I remember in probably our first couple years, all we ever heard (because we were starting around the same time that Tom's was really starting to take off), all we ever heard was - what is the tagline that's like one-for-one? And we thought about it and we came up with all these iterations and then, eventually we kind of just said - you know what, there's so much more to who we are and what we're trying to accomplish than a simple little quip." - Kohl Crecelius, Founder of Known Supply + Krochet Kids

In this episode, Kohl shares more on the origins of Krochet Kid intl., and how it evolved out of a company he and his friends started in high school after his brother taught him how to crochet.

Additionally, throughout the show, Kestrel + Kohl talk about different tactics for storytelling as a socially conscious brand. Kohl sheds light on the idea that maybe you don't need to have a tiny tagline for your brand - maybe you don't need to sum up your entire brand in a mini statement.

For Kohl, he and Known Supply are inspired by Patagonia's approach, which has led them to take more of a longterm approach to storytelling. They believe in putting in the work to develop the story, while educating their shoppers and sharing more in-depth information with them over time.

Kohl also shares some of his thoughts on how much potential there is out there to partner with larger brands. He outlines that too often, younger or smaller brands sell themselves short and don't present or embrace the big value (knowledge of sustainability, ethics, or supply chains) that they can actually provide to bigger brands.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• "Why this clothing startup wants you to know thy T-shirt maker", article discussed that Kohl was featured in on Fast Company
• "My theory was that if we could understand the people behind our product, we would think about purchasing differently," Crecelius says. "That we would realize that our story is bound up in the story of others." -via Fast Company article
• Global Citizen Festival, a festival based in New York that Kohl and his team collaborated with in the past to create garments for them
• The Giving Keys, brand that Known Supply recently partnered with
• "What we feel like is going to change the industry is collaboration and connection."
• "Initially, I had stepped into so many of those experiences thinking that I had a clear path or a clear way to help people - that I was going to come and help people that were less fortunate than I, who didn't have the same opportunities. And I - in that - sort of had these preconceived notions of who people were and what brought them to the circumstances they were in, and how I was going to come save and change and help those. And - what I came face to face with - when I initially started traveling was people. It wasn't statistics, it wasn't the image that I had seen growing up about poverty. It was people full of life and joy and laughter, and I found that there was so much that we could connect over and we shared far more similar than we did different."

EVENT ALERT

The Mindful Materials Summit, hosted by Textile Arts LA, is taking place on September 15th-16th at the Helms Design Center in Los Angeles. Kestrel will be moderating a panel focused on Material Accessibility on the 15th. If you are interested in attending, you can purchase tickets at the link here. Use promo code CCFRIENDS for $70 OFF the ticket price.

In episode 130, Kestrel welcomes Shelly Gottschamer, the head of sustainability and supply chain at Outerknown, to the show. A sustainable menswear brand co-founded by 11-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater + designer John Moore, Outerknown believes in building products by making every decision with the highest regard for the environment and the people they work with.

"We're in an environmental crisis that we cannot ignore, so you have to kind of take that approach to business, and do what you can in business to sort of change that paradigm - and that's a piece of smash the formula. We really want to do things differently and inspire others by proving the case that you can do this." - Shelly Gottschamer, Head of Sustainability + Supply Chain at Outerknown

In this episode, Shelly shares more on her personal journey, how she's had an interest in fashion since she was a young child, and the amount she learned about sustainability working with Levi's in the past.

She also shares details on Outerknown's approach to fabric selection, as well as their multilayered system to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the humans in their supply chain.

Additionally, Shelly explains in detail the ways that Outerknown is pushing the needle to take transparency + circularity to the next level.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• Outerknown's Preferred Fiber Strategy: organic, recycled, regenerated.
• "Up to 90% of our raw materials fall within that preferred fibers, and the last 10% is really due to minimums as an emerging brand."
• "I feel as a sustainable brand, unless you know your inputs, you can't really say you're a sustainable brand because your raw materials are on average two thirds of your environmental impact."
• Outerknown is a Bluesign Partner
• "We really need to change the way that we think about apparel. The take-make-use cycle needs to be turned into the reuse-reduce cycle, and figuring out how to take those inputs and put them back into a working system is super important and there's a lot of work to do there."
• Evrnu, fiber technology that is working to transform textile waste into pristine new fiber
• Outerknown has partnered with Bard University's Sustainability MBA program, where they are working to develop a Circularity Roadmap For Apparel Brands, which will be open source
• Outerknown has also joined the Ellen MacArthur Fiber Initiative, which is a three year plan to really figure out which levers need to be pulled to move toward a circular economy
• In The Copenhagen Fashion Summit's 2018 Pulse Of The Fashion Industry Report, Outerknown published their first three years sustainability strategy as open source (can be found on page 30 of the report)
• "I think that transparency is becoming a trend, and I think it's a good one."
• Outerknown lists all of their suppliers on their website here >
• Outerknown is a Fair Labor Association accredited brand
• Outerknown uses the Better Work Vietnam program (an ILO program)
• Outerknown's buttons are made in collaboration with Oceanworks out of recycled ocean plastics
• Outerknown's S.E.A. Jeans are now available - they come with a lifetime guarantee: Outerknown will repair or replace damaged jeans for no charge, because these jeans were built to last

In episode 129, Kestrel welcomes Zacil Pech, the Health & Safety Organizer at The Garment Worker Center, as well as Blanca Hernandez, a member of The Garment Worker Center, to this week's show. A worker rights organization, The Garment Worker Center's mission is to organize low-wage garment workers in Los Angeles to fight for social and economic justice.

"I would often ask myself, but it was the fear of losing my job that kept me there. Anytime someone tried to speak up - especially in these type of garment shops - they always tell us if we don't like our job, then there's a lot more people that would be willing to do our job, so we are disposable." - Doña Blanca Hernandez, a member of The Garment Worker Center + garment worker in Los Angeles (translated by Zacil Pech)

While on Conscious Chatter we often discuss human and environmental rights when it comes to the fashion industry, we rarely get the chance to hear directly from individuals working in garment factories. This is a powerful and important show, as we are able to hear from Doña Blanca about her personal experience working in the garment industry in Los Angeles for over 20 years.

Throughout this show, Doña Blanca shares painful stories that highlight the way her rights have been denied over the years, through her work in the garment industry in Los Angeles. For example: Doña Blanca shares that she rarely get breaks for lunch or to go to the restroom, she generally can't drink water even though the factories are extremely hot because she can't use the restroom as often as needed, and sometimes there's only one restroom for 60-70 workers.

In Doña Blanca's case, she had to hold her pee for an extremely long time in a certain factory, which led her to have severe problems, including a urinary tract infection.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• The Garment Worker Center was founded in 2001, and its origins are connected to the Thai garment worker slave case that happened in El Monte, CA, where dozens of garment workers were trafficked from Thailand and imprisoned in an apartment building that was made into a makeshift factory.
• "We say 'race to the bottom' prices because it's the piece rate. In Los Angeles, we have garment workers earning anywhere from 5 cents to the lowest I've seen is half a penny - whether it's stitching or per-piece clothing that they do. So, the ways that we organize garment workers is encouraging them to try and organize with other garment workers and organize for brands to stay accountable to the workers." -Zacil Pech
• "They rob us of our wages, in terms that they pay us by the piece rate, and unfortunately the piece rate is an illusion. They tell us, 'yes - you might be able to earn even the minimum wage,' but even when we start working faster and harder to try and make the minimum wage, they cut our prices by the piece." - Doña Blanca
• "Just to give you a bit of context, the price per piece in Los Angeles hasn't been raised in over about 33 years. We've seen that it has been steady even if the cost of living has been going up, minimum wage has been going up, the price per piece hasn't." -Zacil Pech
• "What we're seeing right now [the piece rate] is anywhere from 3 to the most is about 7 cents. The lowest that I've seen in my time here is half a penny." -Zacil Pech
• "For workers, we're seeing that the average is anywhere from $4-6 dollars [per day], which is way below the federal minimum wage - in Los Angeles, we're going to reach $15/hr by 2020. That gives you an estimate of just how stark the situation is within the garment industry." -Zacil Pech
• "We also don't have the luxury of buying ourselves clothes. We don't have the luxury even of buying ourselves shoes. We don't have the luxury of going into a store and buying these garments. On the contrary, what we've learned to do is go to swap meets where they are selling used clothes for 50 cents, even a dollar, which are the things that we can afford." -Blanca Hernandez
• When asked what she would like to say to the people to buy the clothes that she makes, Blanca said, "I would tell them the truth about how we live. I would tell them the truth about how we learned to survive. I would tell them the truth about how they steal our wages, and how they steal our health. I would tell them not to shop at these certain shops. I would tell them to boycott these stores. I wish they would listen and I wish they would understand our realities, but I know that I can't tell people how to live their life - but this is just my wish, that they would listen to us and support us."
• GET INVOLVED with The Garment Worker Center

In episode 128, Kestrel welcomes Morgan Hamel, the founder of The Garment, to the show. A platform that helps connect women and responsible brands, The Garment is known for their Virtual Pop-Ups, which showcase quality products from makers who also have a good story.

"I realized that there was an entire community of makers out in the world who basically were trying to connect to a community of women who are interested in living more vibrant lives by owning fewer, better things, and sometimes those communities struggle to find each other. Basically, The Garment stepped into the middle." -Morgan Hamel, Founder of The Garment

In this episode, Kestrel chats with Morgan about the origins of The Garment, and how their Virtual Pop-Ups really work.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• Unfancy by Caroline Rector, a blog that inspired Morgan in her early explorations of ethical fashion
• 10,000 Garment Goal, The Garment's goal to connect women and 10,000 responsibly made garments by the end of 2018
• Interested in a garment from the Garment's Workwear Virtual Pop-Up? Use the code CONSCIOUS10 for 10% off your order on any of the brand sites featured below

The 6 featured brands + links to their platforms are outlined below:

• Brass Clothing
• ABLE
• SoMo London
• Revelle
• Sene
• Miik

In episode 127, Kestrel welcomes Saloni Shrestha, the cofounder + designer of Agaati, to the show. A womenswear brand that is committed to bringing accessible luxury to the industry, Agaati believes there is a way to fuse cultural traditions with today's fast-paced tech-driven world.

"Designing with what is there at the moment is complicated. So using both the channels: preserving this art of weaving; at the same time, working with the eco-friendly mill-created textile is I think a good balance for our company." -Saloni Shrestha, Cofounder + Designer of Agaati

In this episode, Saloni shares more on her background, and how she found herself leaving the corporate world and moving to New York to study fashion at Parsons.

Saloni talks about how intentional her internship process was - she went into her experiences working with Oscar De La Renta, Diane Von Furstenberg, Zac Posen and Naeem Khan, with a larger goal in mind. For Saloni, it was about learning to understand the design process & the decision-making process, and to be present to admire and soak up all the beauty of creativity around her.

Also, Saloni gets honest about the challenges of sourcing and developing sustainable materials, as well as finding clear answers behind fabrics. As she says, "I think what matters at this moment is there is an effort in the right direction."

Kestrel asks Saloni about Slow Weave, the film that Agaati produced to tell the untold stories of artisan weavers in India. Saloni explains how weaving is becoming an endangered art form, and how important she believes it is to help support the weavers still doing it today.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• Timo Rissanen, taught the zero waste design course that Saloni took at Parsons, listen to our show with Timo here >
• Matka Silk, a type of silk Agaati uses, which is made in India from waste mulberry silk yarn
• "I think what matters at this moment is there is an effort in the right direction."
• "[Handweaving] is becoming an endangered art in India."
• "Even though these weavers do not sit in beautiful offices or a very air conditioned room, the work that they do I think is no less than couture. So, that is kind of the parallel that we draw and we want to preserve this craftsmanship."

RECOMMENDED MAGAZINE: Ethical Style Journal by Editor-In-Chief Katie Pruett

In episode 126, Kestrel welcomes Zoe Cleary, the cofounder of Nisolo, as well as Matt Stockamp, the Impact Associate at Nisolo, to the show. A fashion company known for their hip, fairly made shoes, Nisolo's mantra is: Intentionally designed. Ethically made. Fairly priced.

"Our mission has really been to kind of bridge the gap between the end consumer + the producer, and show how you can make a positive or a negative impact into producers lives. And to have that conversation going - for the consumer to feel like they understand where their products are really from, and the importance of the role that they can really play in that." -Zoe Cleary, Cofounder of Nisolo

In this episode, Zoe shares her unique story, and what led her to shift away from the conventional fashion industry. She also shares the background of how she first connected with her cofounder over a 4-hour Skype call, that pushed her to buy a ticket to Peru to meet him, and then, quickly after - she quit her job in New York to move to Peru to help build Nisolo.

Also, Zoe shares more on how Nisolo has grown over the years - after starting with 4 shoemakers, they now have 80 full-time shoemakers working in the factory that they own and operate.

To keep customers + other up-to-date, Nisolo shares an Impact Report regularly through their website. Matt shares more on this and the additional programs that Nisolo is working on to offset their carbon footprint, as well as close the loop in their supply chain.

The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:

• Good World Solutions, Matt had a social entrepreneurship fellowship with them during university
• About 80% of Nisolo's products are made in their factory in Trujillo, Peru
• Nisolo & Ecosphere+ Partnership
• Nisolo's Impact Report
• "45% of our producers who are working with us have never held a formal job in the economy before. This is the first time that they're receiving a stable salary, this is the first time that they are receiving benefits."
• 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment by Global Fashion Agenda, Nisolo has signed it
• Soles4Souls, Nisolo's partner for their takeback program

BONUS FROM NISOLO Zoe wanted to extend an exclusive 20% off site wide discount at Nisolo for all Conscious Chatter listeners! :)

Use code CHATTER20 on Nisolo.com if you find something you'd like to add to your wardrobe. The code expires November 1st.

RECOMMENDED READING FROM INTRO"Here's Why We Think Sustainable Fashion Is A Moving Target" via The Good Trade