What happens to elaborate opera costumes after the curtain comes down?

This week on The Lexy Show, Lexy talks with Kostis Protopapas, Artistic and General Director of Opera Santa Barbara, and Julia Lieberman, Company and Media Manager, who are partnering with Lexy for The Ultimate Halloween Swap this year! They discuss the creativity, reuse, and community behind live opera. Opera Santa Barbara has been part of the Santa Barbara arts community since 1994, producing both classic and contemporary opera while building programs designed to make the art form more accessible.

Kostis and Julia explain why opera has always relied on practices that sound surprisingly familiar to the sustainable fashion world, from renting and borrowing costumes to redesigning and reusing pieces across productions. They talk about the amount of creativity that goes into making an existing costume work for a completely new character, why local artists and production teams matter, and how Opera Santa Barbara balances ambitious storytelling with the realities of running a nonprofit arts organization.

The conversation also explores what it means to create opera specifically for the Santa Barbara community, how the company is working to make live performance feel more welcoming and accessible, and why participating in local arts can help keep creative communities alive.

If you love fashion, costume design, creative reuse, or just want a behind-the-scenes look at how opera actually comes together, listen now and subscribe to The Lexy Show.

Social Media

Opera Santa Barbara:
Instagram & TikTok: @operasantabarbara

Lexy Silverstein / The Lexy Show:
Instagram & TikTok: @LexySilverstein

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

What if one of fashion’s most interesting natural fibers starts with rethinking how we raise the animals behind it?

This week, Lexy talks with Yussy McManus, co-owner of Black Barn Alpacas, a Maryland alpaca farm and agritourism destination she runs with her husband, Travis. Yussy made the unexpected move from a career in interior design and construction into farming, and today Black Barn Alpacas focuses on animal welfare, responsible breeding, education and creating products from alpaca fleece.

Yussy shares what makes alpaca fiber different, why the way animals are raised matters just as much as the material itself, and what sustainable farming actually looks like day to day. She and Lexy also talk about building a farm from the ground up, moving the operation to Maryland, growing a large alpaca herd, and turning the property into a place for tours, education and community experiences. They also get into women in agriculture, the realities of leaving a completely different career for farm life, and how Black Barn Alpacas is trying to connect people more closely with where natural materials come from.

If you’ve ever worn alpaca but never thought about the farm, animals or people behind the fiber, this episode gives you a completely different perspective.

Listen now, subscribe to The Lexy Show, and follow Lexy for more conversations about fashion, sustainability and the people changing how things are made.

Follow Black Barn Alpacas on social @blackbarnalpacas

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

Leather is often marketed as a natural, durable, and sustainable material. But what if the story behind your leather jacket or handbag is much more complicated?

In this episode of The Lexy Show, Lexy sits down with Matthew Hayek, Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at New York University, whose research examines the environmental impacts of food systems, animal agriculture, and the materials we use every day.

Matthew explains how his work studying cattle emissions led him to investigate leather’s role in the fashion industry and why leather has largely escaped the same climate conversations surrounding beef. He breaks down what the “leather is just a byproduct” argument gets wrong, how researchers calculate the environmental footprint of animal-based materials, and why leather’s impact can vary dramatically depending on where and how it is produced.

The conversation also explores what consumers can realistically do without feeling overwhelmed, including why repairing what you already own, buying fewer items, and asking brands for more transparency may matter more than chasing perfection. Matthew shares why transparency alone is not enough and why the fashion industry needs bigger changes in how materials are sourced and produced.

If you’ve ever wondered about the true environmental impact of leather, sustainable materials, or how your closet connects to climate change, this episode will change the way you think about what you wear.

Subscribe to The Lexy Show and follow along for more conversations about fashion, sustainability, and the choices behind the clothes we buy.

Social Media:

Matthew Hayek

• Instagram: @enviromatt
• LinkedIn: Matthew Hayek (NYU)

The Lexy Show

• Instagram/TikTok/YouTube: @LexySilverstein

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

What if the biggest mistake we make about waste is simply calling it waste?

This week on The Lexy Show, Lexy sits down with Kirsten Junor, CEO of Reverse Garbage, a creative reuse nonprofit in Sydney, Australia that has spent more than 50 years helping keep useful materials out of landfills and putting them into the hands of artists, educators, makers, and the community. Kirsten brings a unique perspective shaped by her background in theater, costume design, and a lifelong practice of reusing materials creatively.

In this episode, Kirsten shares how creative reuse became part of her life before she even had a name for it, from transforming costumes and fabrics to helping people see discarded materials as resources rather than trash. She explains why reuse should come before recycling, how overconsumption impacts sustainability, and why asking “Do I really need this?” can change the way we shop. Lexy and Kirsten also discuss repairing clothing, learning hands-on skills like sewing and making, the rise of community sharing spaces, and some of the unexpected materials Reverse Garbage has rescued and helped transform into something new.

Kirsten also talks about the importance of making sustainability feel accessible, creative, and community-driven rather than overwhelming or impossible. Whether you love thrifting, crafting, sustainability, or simply want to rethink your relationship with the things you already own, this episode is full of practical inspiration.

Subscribe to The Lexy Show and follow along for more conversations with changemakers creating a more sustainable future.

Social Media Tags:
Reverse Garbage: @reversegarbage (Instagram/Facebook)

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of animal cruelty, factory farming, and graphic descriptions of the treatment of animals.

What if the things we wear, eat, and buy every day are connected to a bigger story about animals, sustainability, and the planet?

In this episode of The Lexy Show, Lexy talks with Jamie Logan, an animal rights activist, filmmaker, and host of Jamie’s Corner, a platform where she uses street conversations, interviews, and humor to challenge the way we think about our everyday choices. Jamie’s work explores the connections between food, fashion, beauty, and the impact those industries can have on animals and the environment.

Jamie shares how she went from someone who never expected to become an activist to creating a platform built around asking difficult questions and encouraging people to look more closely at their habits. They discuss why Jamie believes veganism is about more than food, how compassion can influence the way we shop and live, and why uncomfortable conversations can sometimes be the ones that create the most change.

The conversation also dives into the relationship between fashion and animal rights, including Jamie’s thoughts on leather, alternative materials, fast fashion, and why she believes the industry needs to rethink what we consider luxury and sustainability. They talk about Jamie’s experience disrupting a Coach runway show during New York Fashion Week, the role of activism, and how humor can help open people up to difficult topics.

Subscribe to The Lexy Show for more conversations about sustainable fashion, conscious choices, and the people challenging industries to do better.

Jamie Logan: @itsjamiescorner
Website: itsjamiescorner.com
Lexy Silverstein: @lexysilverstein

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

What if the most sustainable craft supply is the one you already own?

Toban Nichols is the director of education and development at Remainders Creative Reuse, a nonprofit that gives donated fabric, yarn, paper, tools and all kinds of unexpected materials a second life. After 15 years teaching visual arts and photography, including to underserved young people, Toban has seen firsthand how access to creative materials can shape who gets to see themselves as a creative.

In this episode, Toban and Lexy get into the surprising ways crafting can fuel overconsumption, from resin and glue-heavy trends to buying supplies for projects that never actually happen. Toban shares some of the wildest things that have landed at Remainders, including a Rolex, a grand piano, a jar of teeth and a very unexpected truck accessory. They also talk about the difference between sustainable reuse and hoarding, why Toban eventually stopped bringing materials home without a current project in mind, and how Remainders is making creativity more affordable and accessible. 

If you love crafting, thrifting or finding new uses for old things, listen to the full episode and follow The Lexy Show for more conversations about fashion, creativity and demanding better from the things we buy.

Find Remainders Creative Reuse:
Instagram: @remainders_creative_reuse
Facebook: Remainders Creative Reuse
Website: remainders.org

Follow Lexy: @lexysilverstein on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

What if the future of sustainable fashion starts not with bigger brands, but with empowering the people who make our clothes?

In this episode of The Lexy Show: Fashion That Gives A Damn, Lexy sits down with Madhu Vaishnav, founder and director of Saheli Women, a women-led sustainable fashion production house creating economic opportunities for women in rural Rajasthan, India. Madhu shares how Saheli Women grew from five women working with a $100 budget into a global organization supporting more than 200 women through ethical garment production, natural dyes, organic cotton, and artisan-led craftsmanship.

Lexy and Madhu talk about why sustainability has become more complicated than it needs to be, how consumers can recognize greenwashing, and why transparency matters when brands make claims about ethical fashion. Madhu also shares the powerful story of the first women who joined Saheli Women, including the moment they earned their first income and realized their own financial independence was possible.

They discuss the importance of giving artisans a voice beyond marketing campaigns, building a seed-to-sew supply chain, supporting women of all ages through skills training, and creating systems where communities can thrive. Madhu explains why true sustainability is about people, equality, and opportunity as much as it is about materials and production.

Follow The Lexy Show for more conversations about fashion, sustainability, and the people working to change the industry.

Follow Madhu and Saheli Women:
Instagram: @saheliwomen
Website: saheliwomen.com

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

What happens when traditional shoemaking meets leaves, bark, vines and flowers?

Lenny Wilson is an artist and horticulturist known for creating intricate, life-size botanical shoes from natural materials. After studying shoemaking at a leather-trades college in London and building a career in public horticulture, he found a way to bring his two worlds together through art.

In this episode, Lenny shares how an early experiment with plants and traditional shoemaking techniques grew into his distinctive botanical sculptures. He explains how he chooses and gathers materials, from patterned leaves and seed heads to branches and bark, and how the character of each plant shapes the final design. Lexy and Lenny also talk about the temporary nature of his work, why something does not need to last forever to have value and what fashion can learn from paying closer attention to the natural world.

Listen to hear how Lenny is turning horticulture into wearable-looking art and challenging the way we think about shoes, materials and beauty.

Subscribe to The Lexy Show wherever you listen to podcasts.

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

What will it take to move net zero from an ambitious goal to the way we actually design and operate our buildings?

Drew Shula is the founder and CEO of Verdical Group, a sustainability consulting firm focused on decarbonizing the built environment. Since founding the company in 2012, Drew has worked to advance greener buildings through engineering services, green building certifications, sustainability strategy and net-zero consulting. He is also the founder of the Net Zero Conference, one of the world’s largest events dedicated to building a net-zero future.

In this episode, Drew breaks down what net zero means and why buildings are such an important part of the climate conversation. He and Lexy discuss the work involved in making buildings more sustainable, how organizations can turn environmental goals into practical action and the role green building certifications can play in that process. Drew also shares the story behind the Net Zero Conference and why education, new ideas and collaboration are essential to accelerating climate progress.

Whether you already work in sustainability or are simply curious about how the places where we live and work can become part of the solution, this conversation offers a practical look at the path toward a lower-carbon future.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to The Lexy Show wherever you get your podcasts.

Social Media

Drew Shula: Instagram @sustainability_ceo | LinkedIn Drew Shula
Verdical Group: Instagram @verdicalgroup

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/

What if the most sustainable thing in your closet isn't something new, but something already hanging there?

On this episode of Fashion That Gives A Damn, Lexy sits down with Vanessa Sanchez, co-founder of Bonnie, a clothing swap app built to help people refresh their wardrobe without spending money or feeding fast fashion. Vanessa has spent her career thinking about overconsumption, and Bonnie is her answer: a social, swap-first alternative to shopping and resale apps.

They dig into why most people only wear a fraction of what they own, the sentimental pieces we can't let go of, and how repair culture and thrifting fit into a bigger sustainable wardrobe strategy. Vanessa shares the story behind Bonnie, why she built a swap platform instead of another resale app, and why swapping feels more social and more fun than shopping ever did. They also get into closet clean-out strategies, no-buy challenges, and why overconsumption keeps winning even among people who genuinely care about sustainability.

By the end, you'll know how to start swapping instead of shopping, and why your next wardrobe refresh doesn't have to cost anything or create more waste.

Follow BONNEE on social media @SwapBonnee

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/