Conscious Style Podcast

In this episode, we're going to get a glimpse into the world of supplier factories in fashion.

You'll hear from Arjen Laan, the CEO of Pactics, a sustainability-minded manufacturing company focused on building longer-term partnerships with conscious brands instead of short-term sales.

Arjen is sharing his perspectives, from a supplier side of things, on audits, certifications, and even compliance legislation. 

He's also talking about:

• The power imbalances between brands and suppliers (particularly, big brands)
• The imbalance of financial risk and how that leads to a lot of the poor conditions we see at factories today, and
• The differences between working with smaller brands versus larger corporations

There are a lot of great insights in this episode that gave me some really important food for thought when it comes to how we can really build a better future for fashion. I hope you learn from this conversation, too!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/fashion-brand-supplier-partnerships

LINKS MENTIONED:

• [Article] Changing fashion’s buying practices: What’s to come for brands
• Ep.40 What It’s Really Like Working for Fast Fashion with Amanda McCarty

CONNECT WITH ARJEN AND PACTICS:

• Website
• LinkedIn

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Investing in high-quality clothing is something we talk a lot about in the slow fashion space. But how can we actually tell if a garment is high quality or not? 

In this episode, we are going to be learning all about quality garments from one of the most in-demand fashion design instructors in the industry, Zoe Hong.

Zoe has over half a million subscribers on YouTube. But in case you're unfamiliar with Zoe's work, Zoe drew upon her years as a fashion designer, illustrator, and instructor at one of the world’s most prestigious fashion universities, to build one of the largest online fashion education platforms!

In this interview, Zoe is sharing: 

• Everything that goes into making a garment
• Where fast fashion cuts corners with quality, design, and fit
• How we can tell if a garment is high quality (even when shopping online)
• And: what we can do to make our clothes LAST!

Hit play to find out how you can make better (and more sustainable) choices the next time you're shopping for clothing.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/identify-high-quality-clothing

LINKS MENTIONED:

• How to Shop for Quality Clothing Video
• Jeans Left In Compost Article
• Zoe's Conversation with Personal Stylist Cassandra Sethi
• Tote Bags Made From Billboards: RAREFORM

CONNECT WITH ZOE:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram - @zoehong
• TikTok - @zoehongteaches
• Twitter - @zoehong

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

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Imagine if, the next time that you were shopping, you could find fashion labels on every garment or pair of shoes or handbag that were as in-depth as the nutrition facts that we see on our food packages.

What if when we looked at a product's tag, it didn't just say where it was made and which fibers it was composed of, but shared if the makers of that garment or pair of sandals or handbag were making living wages and working in good conditions? Or if you could see the carbon footprint and ecological impact of a pair of sneakers and how that stacked up compared to other sneakers that were on the shelf?

Today we are going to envision that future with Matt Stockamp, the Sustainability Lead at an ethical fashion brand you might have heard of, Nisolo. 

Hit play to find out how this project can help push for better transparency in fashion.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/sustainability-facts-label

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Sustainability Facts Label
• Sustainable Apparel Coalition's Higg Index
• Social Accountability International's SA8000 Standard
• Fair Labor Association’s Workplace Code of Conduct
• Better Work Program
• Fair Trade USA
• B Impact Assessment
• Global Living Wage Coalition
• Cradle to Cradle Product Program
• EON’s Digital ID
• Leather Working Group
• Regenerative Organic Certified
• Bluesign
• OEKO-TEX
• REACH
• The Lowest Wage Challenge
• ABLE

CONNECT WITH NISOLO:

• Website
• Instagram - @nisoloshoes
• Facebook - @NisoloShoes
• Twitter - @NisoloShoes
• Pinterest

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

Selina Ho of the slow fashion consultancy Recloseted is addressing some of the biggest questions and most talked about topics in the conscious fashion space today, like:

• How can small fashion brands with limited resources integrate sustainability into their business?
• How can existing fashion brands become more sustainable?
• How can we tell (as individuals) if a brand is authentically interested in being more sustainable?
• Since no brand can be perfectly 100% sustainable, how can we REALLY tell if a brand is green or just greenwashing?
• How can genuinely conscious fashion brands navigate communicating their efforts WITHOUT *accidentally* veering into greenwashing territory?
• How can true conscious brands stand out in an increasingly crowded — and greenwashed — market?

Hit play to tune in to all of this and more!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/selina-ho-recloseted

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Recloseted Radio EP16: Incorporating Sustainability With Limited Funds, Resources, and Time

CONNECT WITH SELENA & RECLOSETED:

• Website
• Instagram - @recloseted
• Facebook - @recloseted
• LinkedIn
• Podcast

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

Hear from Trisha Bantigue, the CEO and co-founder of Queenly — which is the leading online marketplace and search engine for pre-loved formalwear — about building an authentically inclusive fashion business.

In this episode, Trisha is also sharing:

• Why fashion companies are stuck at this surface level view of diversity, rather than really addressing inclusivity at a root level
• The negative perceptions of secondhand that Queenly was (and continues to be) up against in the formalwear industry
• The challenges of securing funding as a women-founded business
• How tech can be used to increase accessibility to secondhand

Hit play to tune in to all of this and more!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/trisha-bantigue-queenly/

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Queenly app on Google Play Store
• Queenly app on Apple Store
• Julie Wainwright, CEO of The Real Real

CONNECT WITH TRISHA & QUEENLY:

• Website
• Instagram - @queenlyapp
• Facebook - @queenlyapp
• Pinterest - @queenlyapp
• Twitter - @queenlyapp
• Tiktok - @queenlyapp
• LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

Amanda McCarty, the host of Clotheshorse and an experienced buyer in the fast fashion industry, is giving us an inside look at the practices used by the fast fashion industry and revealing the realities of working for fast fashion corporations.

You'll hear about:

• How overproduction is part of fast fashion's business model
• Why most deals today are really just a delusion
• What drove the dramatic drop in quality of fashion
• What the toxic environment is like many fast fashion corporate offices
• How Amazon is taking the fashion world by storm (but not in a good way...)
• And why small business is the future

Hit play to hear Amanda pull back the curtain on the fast fashion industry!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/amanda-mccarty-clotheshorse

LINKS MENTIONED:

• #PayUp Movement
• The Rana Plaza factory collapse (Article)
• The Amazon That Customers Don’t See (Article)
• EP22 Aja Barber on Colonialism, Consumerism, and Changing the Fashion Industry (Podcast)

CONNECT WITH AMANDA & CLOTHESHORSE:

• Website
• Instagram - @clotheshorsepodcast
• Email
• Clotheshorse Podcast

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

In this episode, I'm sharing the most transformative resources on my personal conscious fashion journey in an effort to share useful resources that you can turn to on your own path.

So, hit play to hear 7 resources that I have either learned the most from or that have shifted my mindset around slow, conscious, and sustainable fashion most profoundly.

Looking for more resources? Grab your free 10 page Google Doc full of sustainable fashion resources (books, documentaries, podcasts, courses, etc.) by signing up for the Conscious Edit newsletter at consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/sustainable-fashion-resources

LINKS MENTIONED:

• The True Cost Documentary
• River Blue Documentary
• Conscious Chatter podcast
• Green Dreamer podcast
• Wardrobe Crisis podcast
• Crash Course Fashion podcast
• Clotheshorse podcast
• View all previous Conscious Style Podcast episodes
• Slow Factory Open Education
• 15 Sustainable Fashion Books to Add to your Reading List
• Remake's website and Instagram and Ambassador Community
• Vogue Business Sustainability Section
• Sourcing Journal
• Sophie Benson
• Ethical Style Journal
• Atmos: #ReFashion
• The Fashion Law
• The Guardian
• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Conscious Fashion Collective website
• @ConsciousFashion Instagram
• @TheSustainableFashionForum Instagram
• Grist
• Free Courses and Education to Learn More About Sustainable Fashion

EPISODES MENTIONED:

• EP8 Unpacking Fashion’s Colonial Roots & Modern-Day Realities With Sophia Yang
• EP9 Creating an Intersectional Sustainable Fashion Future with Sophia Yang
• EP12 From the Frontlines: Fighting for Garment Worker Rights in Bangladesh with Nazma Akter
• EP24 The Fascinating Psychology Behind Fashion and Consumption with Shakaila Forbes-Bell
• EP29 Compostable Clothing, Natural Dyes, and Localizing Fashion Systems
• EP30 Regenerative Fashion & Building a Seed-to-Sew Supply Chain
• EP31 The Reality of the Secondhand Clothing Trade with Nikissi Serumaga
• EP22 Aja Barber on Colonialism, Consumerism, and Changing the Fashion Industry
• EP11: Fashion Activism: It’s Time for Brands to #PayUp with Ayesha Barenblat

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

Custom Collaborative is a New York-based nonprofit transforming the apparel industry economics for low-to-no income women and immigrant women.

In this episode, you're going to hear from Custom Collaborative’s founder and Executive Director, Ngozi Okaro.

Ngozi advocates for a fashion industry that honors both planet and people. In this episode Ngozi talks about:

• Custom Collaborative's various programs: their training institute, business incubator, advocacy work, and cooperative development support
• Why local manufacturing is important for a sustainable and ethical fashion future,
• What we need at a legislative level for more accountability in the industry,
• How cooperatives can be an approach to a more equitable garment production system.

If you know someone else that you think would also get something out of this episode, you can grab the share link on your podcast app and send it their way.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/custom-collaborative-ngozi-okaro/

OTHER EPISODE(S) MENTIONED:

• EP11: Fashion Activism: It’s Time for Brands to #PayUp with Ayesha Barenblat

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Fashion That Works Production
• Garment Worker Protection Act (SB 62)
• New York's Fashion Sustainability and Accountability Act, (“The Fashion Act”)
• Garment Worker Center

CONNECT WITH NGOZI AND CUSTOM COLLABORATIVE

• Website
• Instagram - @customcolab
• Facebook - @customcollaborative
• Twitter - @customcolab
• LinkedIn
• Youtube
• For volunteers, send your applications to: [email protected]

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

Is it possible to preach the values of sustainability while still promoting consumption?

This is the question posed by a recent article in The New York Times titled, "The Moral Quandary of ‘Slow Fashion’ Influencers". The piece explored what it is like navigating the nuanced world of working with brands — and making a living — while also advocating for sustainability and reduced consumption.

And a lot of what was in this article and what some of the creators said in this piece really resonated with me. Being an influencer or creator in the sustainability space comes with a lot of complexities and challenges, and my personal journey is no exception.

In today’s solo episode, I will be talking about how I navigate balancing my values while sustaining a media platform and business. I'll be talking about:

• The balancing act of working with brands while sustaining my values of minimalism, slow fashion, and conscious consumption;
• How to provide more value to brands beyond promoting their products;
• Diversifying income streams and platforms to not be overly dependent on social media or advertising;
• Creating content that’s meaningful, educational, and one that drives change without being caught up in the numbers games;
• Dealing with negative comments on social media and talking about challenging (sometimes controversial) topics while setting boundaries;
• And more.

This is a bit of a different topic than usual, but I think it's an important one. And I hope that this episode will be useful for any of my fellow creators or entrepreneurs out there.

If you know someone else who would find this content helpful, grab the share link in your favorite podcast app for this episode, and send it their way. 

If you want personalized advice, learn more about my creator consulting services.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/sustainable-influencer-challenges/

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

CREATOR CONSULTING SERVICES:
https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/contact/consulting-services/

In this episode, you are going to get a behind-the-scenes look at one element of Conscious Life & Style as a business and you'll get to meet a member of the team! 

My partnerships manager, Abigail Davidson, and I will be talking about all things sustainable brand and influencer (or creator) partnerships.

Abigail has a boutique agency, ADH Management, where she helps conscious creators increase their income and save them time through brand partnerships management and content optimization. 

In this episode, Abigail is going to talk about:

• What the differences are between conscious creator-brand partnerships versus sort of typical or "mainstream" influencer partnerships, so to speak,
• Her thoughts on navigating the tough balance of trying to be a sustainable influencer,
• What the pros and cons are of working with small versus larger brands are,
• Her perspectives on gifting partnerships (i.e. when a brand wants to gift an item in exchange for something in return)
• And a TON of do's and don'ts for both brands and creators.

Click play to dive into this conversion with Abigail!

And if you know a conscious creator or a friend that owns a brand and wants to learn more about influencer marketing, share this episode with them if you think they'd get something out of it.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/sustainable-influencer-brand-partnerships/

LINKS MENTIONED:

• [EBOOK] The Complete Guide to Creator Partnerships and Influencer Marketing (get 10% off with the code CONSCIOUSSTYLE)
• Eco-Friendly Mattress Brands guide
• Canva

CONNECT WITH ABIGAIL AND ADH MANAGEMENT:

• Website
• Email

CONNECT WITH ELIZABETH & CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSCIOUS EDIT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit