Sustainability by Design

In this episode, Giff sits down with Ed Bartlett, founder of cycling apparel brand Kostüme, to explore what happens when you challenge accepted wisdom and rethink an industry from first principles.

After years of spending long hours in the saddle, Ed found himself questioning many of the assumptions underpinning the cycling apparel industry. From product design and marketing to manufacturing and retail, there seemed to be an accepted way of doing things that nobody was stopping to challenge. Rather than accepting the status quo, he decided to build the kind of company – and products – he wished already existed.

That company became Kostüme: a design-led cycling apparel brand built around a simple philosophy – create exceptional products with as little waste as possible, and remove everything that gets in the way.

The conversation explores how Kostüme's small-batch pre-order model enables greater investment in quality, comfort and performance, while creating a more efficient and sustainable business. Ed also shares why comfort became the brand's defining idea, how customer trust has fuelled organic growth, and why challenging industry conventions can lead to better products and better businesses.

At the time of recording, ultra-endurance cyclist Dr Sarah Ruggins was attempting to break the Europe End-to-End record, riding from the southern tip of Spain to the northernmost point of Norway accessible by road. As Kostüme's technical apparel partner, her challenge became the ultimate test of the comfort, durability and performance Ed has spent years obsessing over.

Key topics covered:

• Dr Sarah Ruggins' extraordinary Europe End-to-End world record attempt
• Why questioning industry assumptions can create better products and better businesses
• How Kostüme's pre-order model removes waste and enables greater investment in quality
• The relationship between customer trust, product excellence and organic growth
• Why comfort is often overlooked as a performance metric
• Building a brand around what customers actually value
• Artist collaborations, design and creating a distinctive brand identity
• The challenges of growing a business without compromising its principles
• How Kostüme's approach could influence the future of fashion and retail

Links
You can follow Kostüme here:

www.kostume.cc

https://www.instagram.com/kostume.cc/

Live preorder:
https://kostume.cc/edit010

Ed's podcast conversation with Sarah:
https://youtu.be/gysE9s80ypo

You can follow Sarah's One Way North record attempt here:

https://www.instagram.com/sarah_ruggins/

https://www.own2026.com/

Looking for fresh ways to make your sustainability message stand out?

Download Blast’s free guide, 5 Ways to Unearth Big Ideas for Successful Sustainability Campaigns, at bright-ideas.blast.co.uk — it’s full of practical ways to develop ideas that are original, on-brand, and effective.

If you’re ready to take the next step, book a call with our team to discuss your project: https://calendly.com/blastdesignlondon/intro-video-call-clone.

In this episode, Giff is joined by Ann Claes, co-founder of Masjien, a technology and sustainability agency working at the crossroads of fashion, innovation and systems change.

Ann shares her journey through fashion production, business development and mentorship, and why she now describes herself as a “techno optimist”. She explains how Masjien challenges the status quo by using technology in two ways: to accelerate sustainability and to help creativity flourish.

The conversation digs into what’s really slowing fashion down, from the speed and volume of consumerism to how hard it’s become to keep sustainability on the agenda. Ann unpacks why storytelling and emotion matter, how tools like digital product passports can make sustainability communication more engaging, and how to balance inspiration with transparency to avoid greenwashing.

We also dive into TURBO, Masjien’s sandbox project for “stacking” technologies into a strategic toolbox, plus what it takes to move innovation from interesting to adopted.

Key topics covered:

• Ann’s path into sustainability, tech and fashion
• Techno optimism and reframing sustainability communication
• Why storytelling and “love brands” matter more than ever
• Credibility, transparency and avoiding greenwashing
• TURBO as a sandbox for stacking technology strategically
• Change management, cross-team buy-in and collaboration

Looking for fresh ways to make your sustainability message stand out?

Download Blast’s free guide, 5 Ways to Unearth Big Ideas for Successful Sustainability Campaigns, at bright-ideas.blast.co.uk — it’s full of practical ways to develop ideas that are original, on-brand, and effective.

If you’re ready to take the next step, book a call with our team to discuss your project: https://calendly.com/blastdesignlondon/intro-video-call-clone.

In this episode, Giff is joined by Will Hayler, co-founder and CEO of Blue Earth Summit, to explore how entrepreneurial thinking, creativity and capital can come together to drive real climate solutions.

Will shares his journey from media, marketing and events into building Blue Earth Summit – not as another climate conference, but as a movement focused on transforming the way the world works. He explains why Blue Earth centres investment, scale and economic reality, and how moving money from investors to innovators and NGOs is essential to making change happen.

The conversation digs into why sustainability needs optimism as much as urgency, how innovation and technology create genuine reasons for hope, and why bringing non-traditional climate voices into the room is critical. Will also reflects on the role of creativity, music and culture in shaping what comes next – and why the future of sustainability should feel inclusive, energising and human.

Key topics covered:

• Will’s entrepreneurial journey and the origins of Blue Earth Summit
• Why Blue Earth is a movement, not just an event
• The role of investment in scaling climate solutions
• Moving from problem-focused narratives to solution-led thinking
• Technology, innovation and reasons to be optimistic
• Collaboration between business, NGOs and investors
• Creativity, culture and the future direction of Blue Earth Summit

Looking for fresh ways to make your sustainability message stand out?

Download Blast’s free guide, 5 Ways to Unearth Big Ideas for Successful Sustainability Campaigns, at bright-ideas.blast.co.uk — it’s full of practical ways to develop ideas that are original, on-brand, and effective.

If you’re ready to take the next step, book a call with our team to discuss your project: https://calendly.com/blastdesignlondon/intro-video-call-clone.

In this episode, Giff sits down with Georgia-Rae Taylor, founder of sustainability consultancy Common Ground, to explore how impact and imagination can work together to create real change inside brands.

Georgia-Rae shares her journey from growing up in rural New Zealand to building a strategic sustainability and communications agency that turns sustainability from a siloed function into a creative, commercial and cultural force.

She lifts the lid on what really happens between sustainability and marketing teams, why greenwashing is more nuanced than simple lying, and how brands can communicate credibly without losing their personality.

Key topics covered:

• Georgia-Rae’s path into sustainability and founding Common Ground
  
  
• How growing up in New Zealand shaped her view of people, place and community
  
  
• The gap between sustainability teams and brand or marketing
  
  
• Greenwashing as a consumer protection problem
  
  
• Common pitfalls in sustainability communications and how to avoid them
  
  
• The role of AI in amplifying greenwashing
  
  
• Why sustainability must move out of the silo and into a shared brand language

Looking for fresh ways to make your sustainability message stand out?

Download Blast’s free guide, 5 Ways to Unearth Big Ideas for Successful Sustainability Campaigns, at bright-ideas.blast.co.uk — it’s full of practical ways to develop ideas that are original, on-brand, and effective.

If you’re ready to take the next step, book a call with our team to discuss your project: https://calendly.com/blastdesignlondon/intro-video-call-clone.

In this episode, we sit down with Harriet Vocking, founder of For.Tomorrow and a veteran of 14 years in sustainable fashion and communications. Harriet shares her unconventional path into PR, her early encounters with sustainability in the 90s, and the highs and lows of building (and rebuilding) a purpose-driven agency.

She reflects on her years at Eco-Age, working alongside Livia Firth, travelling to supply chains across the world, and using the red carpet as a storytelling platform for sustainable fashion. Harriet also opens up about the shock closure of Eco-Age and how it spurred her to launch For.Tomorrow with a renewed focus on people, positivity, and creative, credible communications.

From redefining sustainability storytelling to tackling the industry’s systemic failures, Harriet brings humour, honesty and razor-sharp insight into what needs to change — and how creative industries can help drive that change.

Key topics covered:

• Harriet’s career journey into sustainability and PR
• The rise of Eco-Age and the Green Carpet Challenge
• Surviving crisis and rebuilding through For.Tomorrow
• Why sustainability communications must be creative, credible and human
• Challenges facing the fashion industry and why progress is slow
• Collaboration, networks and the power of bringing people together
• Innovation stalling in fashion and how to change it
• The future of Threads of Change
• Harriet’s dream influencer partnership (hint: Stacey Solomon)

Looking for fresh ways to make your sustainability message stand out?

Download Blast’s free guide, 5 Ways to Unearth Big Ideas for Successful Sustainability Campaigns, at bright-ideas.blast.co.uk — it’s full of practical ways to develop ideas that are original, on-brand, and effective.

If you’re ready to take the next step, book a call with our team to discuss your project: https://calendly.com/blastdesignlondon/intro-video-call-clone.

In this episode, Blast’s Colin Gifford speaks with Heather Smith of Heather Smith Commercial about Planet Croxley – the sustainability initiative bringing ESG to life at Croxley Park. Together, they explore how design and communication can make complex sustainability work visible, meaningful, and commercially valuable.

Heather shares the challenges landlords face in proving the ROI of ESG initiatives, especially across existing building stock, and how Planet Croxley united dozens of disconnected projects under one cohesive, human-centred brand. From biodiversity and community engagement to data reporting and tenant collaboration, the initiative shows how clarity of design can drive real behavioural change.

Key topics covered:

• Making ESG a commercial asset, not a cost
• Turning scattered sustainability actions into one coherent ecosystem
• The role of authenticity in building trust and engagement
• Balancing seriousness with playfulness in sustainability branding
• The power of communication and collaboration between landlords, tenants, and local stakeholders

A compelling look at how thoughtful design can help property owners turn sustainability ambition into everyday action.

Looking for fresh ways to make your sustainability message stand out?

Download Blast’s free guide, 5 Ways to Unearth Big Ideas for Successful Sustainability Campaigns, at bright-ideas.blast.co.uk — it’s full of practical ways to develop ideas that are original, on-brand, and effective.

If you’re ready to take the next step, book a call with our team to discuss your project: https://calendly.com/blastdesignlondon/intro-video-call-clone.