ReFashion Workshop

There is a plant in the Philippine highlands that grows without pesticides, without irrigation, and without displacing food crops. For most of modern history, nobody thought of it as the future of fashion. Hannes and the team behind Bananatex did.

In this episode of ReFashion Workshop, I sit down with Hannes to talk about how a bag brand went looking for a better material and ended up helping invent one. What they found was Abacá, a banana plant native to the Philippines, tough enough to make a durable technical fabric and gentle enough to give back to the land it grows on.

Where it started

Bananatex did not begin as a materials science project. It began as a problem. The team behind the bag brand Qwstion wanted to stop relying on synthetic, petroleum-based fabrics, and they could not find anything on the market that met their standards. So they set out to build the material themselves.

That search led them to the Abacá plant. It grows in the highlands of the Philippines inside a natural forest ecosystem, needs no chemical treatment, and requires no additional water beyond what the environment already provides. It regenerates the land rather than draining it.

Why the material matters

Most fabrics ask something of the planet. Cotton drinks water. Polyester is oil in another form. Abacá is different. Hannes walks through how the plant restores soil, supports biodiversity, and gives local farming communities a crop that works with the forest instead of clearing it.

The result is a fabric that is fully biodegradable, strong enough for everyday use, and honest about what it is and where it comes from. When Bananatex says the material is regenerative, that is the actual math, not a slogan.

What we get into

Hannes and I talk about the long road from idea to finished textile, the choice to open-source the innovation so other brands could use it, and what it means to build a company around a material rather than a trend. We also get into the harder questions. What does real sustainability cost. Who pays for it. And whether the industry is ready to slow down enough to do this properly.

Thank you for being here.

— Courtney

Courtney Barriger is a founder, poet, and visual artist working at the intersection of fashion and the planet. She is the founder of Holding Court Inc., a made-to-order sustainable swimwear brand rated “Great” by Good On You and certified through GOTS, OEKO-TEX, GRS, and SEDEX. She also runs ReFashion Workshop, a brand and podcast devoted to upcycling and sustainable fashion education, where she talks with the people rethinking how clothing gets made, worn, and remade.

Her work as an artist reaches beyond fashion. A piece of her art is part of NASA’s Artemis mission. Across everything she builds, the through line is the same: create beautifully, live honestly, and leave the world better than she found it.

Follow along at ReFashion Workshop for new episodes, and subscribe to the newsletter for the stories behind each one.

I’ve spent years exploring the intersection of fashion and sustainability with ReFashion Workshop, but this conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Brown cracked something open for me that goes way beyond eco-consciousness. It’s personal. It’s about your body. And it’s about the chemicals hiding in your favorite leggings.

If you’ve ever wondered why more women than ever are struggling with infertility, painful periods, or hormonal chaos, and why your conventional doctor keeps handing you birth control instead of answers, this episode is for you. Dr. Brown, a functional medicine physician who’s spent over 15 years helping women reclaim their fertility after conventional medicine told them surgery was their only option, pulled on a thread most of us have never even noticed: the polyester hanging in our closets.

The Thread We Need to Pull

Here’s what most people don’t realize: the polyester in our closets is often processed along plastics containing BPA, a chemical directly linked to hormone disruption and fertility struggles. We talk about diet. We talk about stress. We talk about sleep. But how often does your doctor ask about the synthetic fabrics touching your skin every single day?

“When it comes to environmental exposures,” Dr. Brown told me, “it’s one of the hallmarks of healing and helping hormones to rebalance itself.”

One month of his six-month program for women with endometriosis and adenomyosis is devoted entirely to detoxification, understanding toxins, improving your body’s ability to get rid of them, and learning how to eliminate those exposures altogether. Because here’s the thing: if we don’t tackle the source of the problem, the hormones won’t reestablish balance.

The Big Three Endocrine Disruptors

Let me introduce you to the chemicals you’ve probably never heard of but are definitely carrying in your body right now:

BPA, PFAs, and phthalates.

These are the heavy hitters. And they’re everywhere—especially in the clothing industry.

Dr. Brown explained it better than I could: “These chemicals interfere with the body’s chemical messengers. Hormones are the body’s way of delivering messages, right? They’re signals. And these chemicals get in the way of those messages.”

Think of it like this: your hormones are trying to have a conversation with your body, and these chemicals are just creating noise—misdirection, interference, chaos.

When your hypothalamus (the control center of your entire hormonal system) tries to send signals for estrogen production, but BPA is already pretending to be estrogen? Your body doesn’t produce the hormones it actually needs. Your ovulation gets disrupted. Your progesterone drops. And suddenly you’re living in an estrogen-dominant state with all the painful cramps, irregular periods, and PMS symptoms that come with it.

“It disrupts the whole hormonal cascade,” Dr. Brown said. “Too many women are suffering because of these chemicals, and they’re just disrupting the body’s way of communicating with itself.”

We’re Literally Passing This to Our Children

This is the part that kept me up at night.

Studies have found over 100 chemicals in fetal cord blood. Children are being exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the womb. And one theory about why endometriosis rates are skyrocketing? Fetal exposure to these chemicals is affecting genetic expression and hormonal development before a girl even gets her first period.

Dr. Brown shared something sobering: “You start seeing childhood cancers, all these things we know are contributing to these chemicals. Cancer is an adult disease as you age. It shouldn’t be in children.”

The chemicals are changing our DNA. They’re affecting genetic expression. And the kicker? Fertility rates are declining at an alarming rate—we’re seeing about a 40% decline in fertility based on chemical involvement alone.

The Microplastics Problem (And How They Work)

Here’s where it gets really interesting. Microplastics aren’t just floating around doing nothing. They’re carriers. They attract and hold onto these endocrine disruptors, traveling through your body and storing themselves in your organs and tissues.

“We’ve tested every bodily fluid you can think of,” Dr. Brown told me. “Stool, urine, semen, blood—microplastics are everywhere. And here’s the problem: it’s extremely challenging for your body to get rid of them.”

The microplastics themselves already contain BPAs and phthalates because that’s literally what they’re made from. The BPA makes the plastic rigid. The phthalates make it flexible. So when that plastic breaks down into microplastics, those chemicals come with it.

And they’re storing themselves in our tissues. They’re wreaking havoc on our hormonal systems. And our bodies don’t have an easy way to get rid of them.

But Here’s the Good News (Yes, There Is Some)

Dr. Brown doesn’t believe in doom and gloom—he believes in optimization. And that’s actually empowering.

You can’t necessarily break down the “forever chemicals” already in your body. But you can help your liver, kidneys, and GI system work more efficiently. You can support your body’s natural detoxification pathways. You can reduce inflammation. You can stop introducing new toxins.

“Our bodies are wonderfully made,” he said. “We just need to help them work more efficiently. Too many of these chemicals and habits interfere with that efficiency.”

His detoxification protocol focuses on:

* Supporting liver and kidney function through targeted nutrition

* Improving gut health (do you know how many women are chronically constipated? When you’re not having regular bowel movements, you’re just reabsorbing those toxins)

* Reducing inflammation by cutting out processed foods and the SAD diet

* Eating cleaner and making intentional choices about what touches your body

And the results? People see a difference. Energy improves. Brain fog lifts. Pain decreases.

The Practical Changes You Can Actually Make

Here’s what I love about Dr. Brown’s approach: he doesn’t want you to stress yourself into financial ruin trying to overhaul your entire life.

Instead, he recommends incremental change:

The next time you’re shopping, make one healthier choice.

Buy one organic cotton t-shirt instead of polyester. Switch one plastic food container to glass. Replace one synthetic sports bra with a natural fiber option. That’s it. One item at a time.

Before you know it, you’ve replaced your entire wardrobe without the financial or emotional stress of trying to do it all at once.

Dr. Brown’s hierarchy of change makes sense:

* Start with diet. Cut out processed foods. Reduce inflammation.

* Then household items. Glass containers instead of plastic. Stop heating food in plastic.

* Then clothing. Natural fibers, especially for things touching your skin all day (looking at you, yoga pants).

* Then cosmetics and cleaning products. One at a time.

And here’s the thing: if it stresses you out, it defeats the purpose. Stress is another toxin. So go slow. Go steady. Go with intention.

California Just Changed the Game

I have to mention this because it’s huge: California passed a law two years ago requiring clothing companies to test their apparel for chemicals.

Last month, Nike, Adidas, Fabletics, and Lululemon all had their workout clothes tested. 100% of their products tested at 40 times the safe level of BPA.

They’re getting sued. And they’re going to be forced to change.

Until we have better federal regulation, the courts are where these battles get won. But this is a massive shift. The system might be set up to let corporations get the green light quickly, but we have the power to hold them accountable.

What Dr. Brown Would Change About Women’s Healthcare

If he could redesign one thing about women’s health, it would be this: reverse the burden of proof.

Right now, in America, chemicals have to be proven unsafe before they’re pulled from the market. Other countries do the opposite, chemicals have to be proven safe before they’re allowed.

Think about the difference: We’ve been using chemicals for years that are causing cancer, infertility, and hormonal chaos before we finally say, “Okay, maybe this is a problem.” By then, damage is done. Lives are affected. Generations are impacted.

“If we just adapted the policies other countries are doing,” Dr. Brown said, “companies would have to prove safety first. Then you don’t have to see all the damage before you pull it.”

Tighter regulation. That’s what would solve so many of our healthcare problems.

His Program (And How to Find Him)

Dr. Brown created a virtual six-month program specifically for women suffering from endometriosis, adenomyosis, and chronic pelvic pain. Each month focuses on a different pillar: detoxification, hormonal balance, gut health, inflammation reduction—all designed to help your body work more efficiently and reclaim its fertility potential.

He does free monthly webinars. He offers consultations. He’s built an entire practice around the idea that women deserve more than a pill and a dismissal.

You can find all of it at hormonehealthwithdrbrown.com.

Go there. Explore. If you’re struggling with fertility, painful periods, or unexplained hormonal chaos, book a consultation. This is the kind of medicine we need more of.

The Bottom Line

Here’s what this conversation taught me: What we wear matters. What we eat matters. What we expose ourselves to matters. And none of this is too big to change.

The chemicals in your closet are real. The impact on your fertility is real. The solutions are within reach.

You don’t have to burn your wardrobe. You don’t have to become a perfect person overnight. You just have to start. One item. One choice. One conversation at a time.

Because your body deserves to communicate with itself without interference. Your hormones deserve to do their job. And your fertility deserves a fighting chance.

If today’s episode has you thinking differently about what’s in your closet, head to hormonehealthwithdrbrown.com to learn more about Dr. Brown’s work and book a consultation. And keep exploring with me here at Courtney Barriger’s Substack for more conversations on the intersection of fashion, health, and consciousness every week.

Grab your copy of ReFashion Workshop at refashionworkshop.com or anywhere books are sold.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for caring. And thank you for choosing to change, one thread at a time.

On this episode of ReFashion Workshop, we have Casey Lum creator of the Fashion Wellness Revolution and the Wearing Joy Project. Rewriting the Rules of Style and Self-Worth. A confidence-boosting, wellness-driven approach to style that lasts far beyond the closet.  Casey brings light to one of the most overlooked wellness tools hiding in plain sight: the closet. A morning ritual you return to every single day without ever realizing its power.

Through her signature Wear Joy Method, she introduces simple ways to transform the morning closet experience from draining and discouraging into energizing and focused, creating a ripple that carries women more confidently throughout the day. And the most surprising part... buying less is the gateway to becoming more. 

Casey teaches audiences that if we can pause the cycle of consumption, we will discover better style, more joy, and infinite self-worth.

Fashion Wellness lives at the intersection of personal style and mental well-being, and it is a conversation women's conferences and wellness summits have been waiting for.

After women hear Casey speak, they will walk lighter in the world because she will give them simple methods to use their closet as a magic pathway to more joy, freedom, and self-love.

@WearJoyProject

Jimi Cohen has already broken one Guinness World Record — 30,469 mangroves planted by his own two hands in 24 hours on the coast of Kenya. Now Jimi Cohen, founder of TreeGens, is going after something almost too big to say out loud: one billion trees, planted in a single day, across fifteen countries, on July 26th.

In this episode, we get into how this historic day actually comes together, and how you or your company can be part of it. Jimi walks us through TreeGens' DAO, where the community — not a boardroom — helps steer the mission, and how carbon credits and TreeGens tokens let individuals and businesses fund real trees even if they can't get their own hands in the dirt on July 26th. Download the TreeGens app to track your impact, join the movement, and watch the trees you helped plant grow in real time.

This is a story about scale, yes. But it's also a story about what happens when one person decides "impossible" is just a number nobody's tried hard enough to move. Like the four-minute mile — but for the planet.

Listen and connect with Jimi Cohen & TreeGens: Website: treegens.org / treegens.com App: TreeGens (available on the App Store and Google Play) Instagram: instagram.com/thetreegens / instagram.com/jimicohen X (Twitter): x.com/jimicohen TikTok: tiktok.com/@treegens

Learn the power behind Lucid Dreaming and manifestation, and come back with real life tools on how to improve your journey into the unknown at night.   This is a pre-recorded talk I gave many years ago when I was writing the draft of my latest book The Royal Robe - an eco fashion tale, and the implications are incredible for personal growth, and also for rewriting the subconscious script to become a better steward of the planet.  While most of the time these days I am all about sustainable fashion, I am also a writer of fantasy and fiction, and I am developing a project right now that will cross the barrier of paper and will be seen on the big screen.  And while I can’t speak too much about that right now, I want to give you all a little insight into how Lucid Dreaming is an instrumental tool in all of my written works - both as a subject matter and as a practitioner. 

This episode of E.S.Now is going to be a little different.  To honor an innovative and expansive collaboration spanning art and environmental regeneration, from the ocean to the moon, we are having an open conversation with the leaders of BitBasel art gallery who is sending a micro-engraved solid gold disc or artwork curated by, Refi Tulum blockchain and regeneration, onto a rocketship to the moon, literally. This is a conversation between the gallery owner, curators and some of the artists themselves as we reach touch the moon and save the oceans simultaneously. 

The Ocean SDG 14 Collection focuses on “Life Below Water.”  This collection will be exhibited during Miami Art Week and is part of BitBasel’s Lunar Mission—sending digital artworks to the moon as a timeless message of care for our planet.  In this unusual episode, we are turning over the mic to Sandra Ponce De Leon of Refi-Tulum, to be the host.  With special guests, co-founder of BitBasel Scarlett Aranared, and several of the participating artists that Sandra will introduce, including myself. This is a larger conversation about ocean conservation and the length of humanity's reach, that you will find absolutely fascinating. Let’s jump right in. 

www.bitbasel.com

www.instagram.com/refitulum

Chemical toxins from apparel accumulate in your body, and overtime can cause hormonal changes, nerve damage or even cancer.  In this two part conversation, DeAnna Batdorff, a 30 year practitioner of Ayurveda leads us through detox protocols for forever chemicals and microplastics.  Have your notebooks ready. 

And explore her upcoming classes at www.dhyanaessentials.com 

DeAnna Batdorff, a Generation-X born and raised in California, is a wholistic health detective with over 30 years of experience as an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Lymphatic Massage Specialist, Nutrition Counselor, Western Herbalist, and Clinical Aromatherapist. She specializes in reading the pulse, spine, face, skin, and tongue as primary assessment tools. All of DeAnna’s teachings are rooted in her three foundational pillars: listen to self through symptoms, the right to take action, and ‘follow-through means feeling better.

Chemical toxins from apparel accumulate in your body, and overtime can cause hormonal changes, nerve damage or even cancer.  In this two part conversation, DeAnna Batdorff, a 30 year practitioner of Ayurveda leads us through detox protocols for forever chemicals and microplastics.  Have your notebooks ready. 

And explore her upcoming classes at www.dhyanaessentials.com 

DeAnna Batdorff, a Generation-X born and raised in California, is a wholistic health detective with over 30 years of experience as an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Lymphatic Massage Specialist, Nutrition Counselor, Western Herbalist, and Clinical Aromatherapist. She specializes in reading the pulse, spine, face, skin, and tongue as primary assessment tools. All of DeAnna’s teachings are rooted in her three foundational pillars: listen to self through symptoms, the right to take action, and ‘follow-through means feeling better.

In this two part episode of E.S.Now, we are with Jeff Garner, an Emmy Award winning fashion designer and documentary filmmaker who is about to release his feature film Let them Be Naked on Amazon Prime worldwide.  In his twenty years of design, he has done extensive research and testing on different types of popular fabrics and has found disturbing levels of carcinogenic chemicals.  Catch part two of this episode in two weeks. 

Let Them Be Naked is an audacious exploration into the presence of toxic and often harmful chemicals in the fabrics and materials used in our everyday clothing. Since his mother’s death from breast cancer, designer and activist Jeff Garner has spearheaded a campaign to uncover the health implications of exposure to these chemicals and the urgent need for more ethical production of garments. His advocacy has created relationships with research organizations and innovators across the globe, all leading the conversation surrounding unregulated toxins in the fashion industry.

www.letthembenaked.com

A Powerful Two-Part Interview

In this two-part podcast episode on Environmental Style Now, Jeff Garner discusses his upcoming feature film "Let Them Be Naked," set to release worldwide on Amazon Prime September 18th. With twenty years of design experience, Jeff has conducted extensive research on popular fabrics, revealing disturbing levels of carcinogenic chemicals present in everyday clothing.

The documentary was born from personal tragedy—after losing his mother to breast cancer, Jeff embarked on a mission to investigate the potential links between toxic chemicals in clothing and serious health conditions. His journey has connected him with research organizations and innovators across the globe who are leading conversations about unregulated toxins in the fashion industry.

Behind the Documentary

The filmmaking process for "Let Them Be Naked" spanned several years as Jeff traveled worldwide, collecting evidence and testimonials from scientists, medical professionals, and individuals affected by textile toxins. Working alongside an impressive team including Executive Producer Suzy Amis Cameron and consulting producer Gerard Butler, Jeff has created what former HBO Films President Len Amato calls "a beautiful film and an important one."

The documentary combines personal narrative with scientific research, creating a powerful call to action for both consumers and the fashion industry. Jeff's approach blends investigative journalism with artistic storytelling, resulting in a film that is both informative and emotionally resonant.

Jeff's Creative Design Process

As both filmmaker and designer, Jeff brings a unique perspective to sustainable fashion. His design philosophy centers on using natural, organic materials that are processed without harmful chemicals. Each garment is created with consideration for its entire lifecycle—from cultivation of raw materials to production methods and eventual disposal.

Jeff's collections feature plant-based dyes, hand-loomed fabrics, and techniques that honor traditional craftsmanship while embracing modern innovation. His work demonstrates that fashion can be both beautiful and ethical, challenging the industry standard of prioritizing profit over people and planetary health.

Upcoming Events

We're thrilled to announce that Jeff will be presenting his latest sustainable collection at London Fashion Week this fall, coinciding with the premiere of "Let Them Be Naked." This dual showcase represents the integration of his design work with his advocacy, bringing the message of the film directly to one of fashion's most influential platforms.

The London premiere will gather industry leaders, environmental advocates, and health professionals for a meaningful conversation about the future of fashion and its impact on human health.

Join the Movement

To learn more about Jeff's work and the "Let Them Be Naked" documentary, visit www.letthembenaked.com. The official companion book is also available now on Amazon.

Don't miss part two of our interview with Jeff Garner in two weeks, where we'll delve deeper into practical solutions and actions we can all take to create a healthier relationship with fashion.

LISTEN HERE

Together, we can ReFashion our approach to clothing for a healthier planet and healthier bodies.

In conscious style,

Courtney Barriger

ReFashion Workshop