In this episode, Dessie gives 8 simple and hands-on ideas for a more sustainable wardrobe. 

Here are some useful links:

The meaning of the bodhicitta concept: https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5940/bodhicitta

Websites and apps for apparel rental

Rent the Runway https://www.renttherunway.com/ HURR Collective https://www.hurrcollective.com/  endlos fesch https://www.endlosfesch.at/ 

Websites and apps for second hand apparel

Willhaben in Austria https://www.willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verkaufen/ Vinted https://www.vinted.com/ Vestiaire Collective https://vestiairecollective.com/  The Real Real https://www.therealreal.com/ 

The Austrian company producing Tencel, Lenzing: https://www.lenzing.com/ 

Additional information on sustainable fabrics https://goodonyou.eco/most-sustainable-fabrics/ 

Additional information on certifications https://eluxemagazine.com/culture/articles/ethical-fashion-certifications/ 

Music credit: 

Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

In this episode Dessie welcomes Mare Muijs, foundner of ESSEN (https://essenthelabel.com/). Marre takes us through the whole process of founding and managing a sustainable footwear brand. She talks about the concept of ESSEN: a well-curated range of classic shoes with an edge, that creates the basis for a perfect capsule wardrobe. Furthermore, she dives into the way ESSEN has taken a sustainable approach throughout the whole process - from the choice of raw materials for their shoes, through the production factories, and to the packaging. Last but not least, Marre walks us through the price model of a sustainable direct-to-consumer shoe brand, and the effects of the current COVID crisis on the business. 

To get all the details, make sure to tune in and hear everything from Marre herself. 

Check out ESSEN here: https://essenthelabel.com/ , follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/essenthelabel/ , and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essenthelabel/

Follow Dessie on Instagram for more sustainable fashion inspiration here: https://www.instagram.com/dsustainabilityissue/

Music credit: 

Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

- Maya Angelou

In the past few weeks, one issue is shaking up the whole world - racism. The murder of George Floyd on May 25th, 2020, an African-American man, by a white police officer triggered a strong rise in the #blacklivesmatter movement with hundreds of thousands of protesters against police brutality and systematic racism across the world.

In the context of that, and due to the so many ways in which racism is embedded in the fashion system as well, there was simply no was not to talk about it.

In this episode, we address 4 questions:

Why #blacklivesmatter is the right phrase?

Why now?

What does this have to do with the fashion industry?

What can I do to help?

Sources used:

US prisons statistics

Locked-In Profits: The U.S. Prison Industry, By the Numbers

Racism is at the heart of fast fashion – it's time for change

Primark and Matalan among retailers allegedly cancelling £2.4bn orders in ‘catastrophic’ move for Bangladesh

Does fashion have a cultural appropriation problem?

Reformation founder apologises for workplace racism

On Racism, Fashion Must Do More Than Speak Up

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CBF8XgFoalS/?igshid=1dx5pt3xnrxmf

A few ideas on what to do:

Support

PayUp movement

The Fashion Revolution

Fair Wear Foundation

Black Lives Matter

Amadeu Antonio Stiftung

Sign petitions and donate to causes that are making a difference:

Make White Privilege and Systemic Racism a Compulsory Part of the British Education Course

The 15% Pledge

Read

How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X Kendi

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge

White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo

White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color, Ruby Hamad

And more

Listen

Dismantling White Fragility on Spotify

EXIT RACISM, Tupoka Ougette on Spotify

“Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race” — a Guardian podcast episode

Pod Save The People, a podcast

Watch

13th on Netflix

When They Say US on Netflix

Time: The Kalief Browder Story on Netflix

Dear White People on Netflix and Amazon Prime

This is the very first, “0” episode of D Sustainability Issue Podcast - a podcast about sustainable fashion and mindfulness.

In this very first episode, I’m telling a little bit about myself, my upbringing and background in fashion and sustainability. My name is Desislava Georgieva, but everyone calls me Dessie. Born and raised in Bulgaria, I was fascinated by fashion from a very young age. Starting my studies in Vienna at the University of Economics and Business at the age of 18, I started becoming more and more aware of the topics of sustainability and the issues associated with the fashion industry.

2017 was a turning point in my life. After watching The True Cost https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3162938/ among other documentaries about fashion, and reading books on mindfulness among which A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76334.A_New_Earth , I made it my purpose to contribute to a better and fairer fashion industry with all I could. I started a blog called D Golden Hour about fair fashion and mindfulness, and a t-shirt line with the same name, incorporating the same values, which you also find on my site.

I go into the “Why”, “How” and “What” of D Sustainability Issue, a concept I’ve learned from Simon Sinek’s book “Start With Why”. https://simonsinek.com/product/start-with-why/ He also has a TED Talk, called “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA&vl=en on the same topic, which is one of the most watched TED Talks of all time.

The podcast connects my both passions, fair fashion and sustainability, and therefore in each episode I’m going to share a quote, a poem etc, that has affected me in a way. Today, it is: „Give everything for the sake of giving because it hurts not to.“ - David Deida.

I believe the industry can change and fashion business can be done by creating value for the business and society simultaneously, and not sacrificing the latter.

In fact, I was born and raised in Bulgaria, a country that is traditionally known for garment production, including for some of the most luxurious brands in the world. Due to the fact I have relatives working in the industry, I’ve been able to gain direct insights into the working conditions oft claimed “fair” by fashion brands.

Numbers regarding the fashion industry:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035161

https://www.fashionrevolution.org/exploitation-or-emancipation-women-workers-in-the-garment-industry/

If anything, during the current Corona crisis, we saw how much our individual action affects our environment and the world. Therefore, now is more than clear that what each one of us individually does, matter. Sustainable fashion start-ups are on the rise, and revolutionising the industry one item at the time. There are such cool ethical and sustainable brands out there that I’m gonna make sure you learn all about. In the meantime, large corporations are listening, because our power as consumers nowadays is so high, that you cannot not listen. So whatever we demand, it eventually going to change. It’s time to change now.

Music credit:

Wholesome by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome

License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/