WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

The mainstream fashion production process is extremely wasteful. The whole system is built on over-ordering, taking a punt on how much will sell, and writing off over-production. This leads to shocking amounts of pre-consumer textiles and garments being landfilled or incinerated - according to some estimates, 1/3 of all the fashion ever produced it never sold.Australian made-to-order T-shirt company Citizen Wolf is using big data and algorithmic power to disrupt this. And they plan to take on the world. Can it work? How did founders Zoltan Csaki and Eric Phu build it? This thought-provoking discussion looks into the fashion crystal ball to imagine a leaner, greener, more responsive manufacturing future.For links and further reading, check out the show notes here.Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast in Apple, and join the conversation on social media. You can find Clare on Instagram and Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fashion has a long association with craft, but what about fashion activism? Could we stitch out way to a better world?Meet the author of How to be a Craftivist and founder of Craftivist Collective. Sarah Corbett believes, “If we want a world that is beautiful, kind and fair, shouldn't our activism be beautiful, kind and fair?”This Episode is a call to arms for fashion change-makers, a demonstration of the persuasive nature of gentle activism, and the wonderful idea that together we might stitch a rebellion, sweep out the status quo and usher in a fairer world in fashion and beyond.Happy Fashion Revolution Week! For links and further reading, check out the show notes here.Are you a craftivist? Would you like to be? We'd love to know what you think. Find Clare on Instagram & Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we gear up to Earth Day on April 22, we're thinking about living more lightly on the planet. This year's theme is Protect Our Species, and one of the quotes that inspired it is from Rachel Carson, who said, “In nature nothing exists alone.”This week's podcast guest is proof of that. She is Natalie Isaacs, the super-inspiring Australian movement builder behind 1 Million Women. Natalie is one-woman powerhouse who decided to harness that power of other women - heck, the whole of womankind! - to start a lifestyle revolution to fight climate change. We discuss connectivity, community and staying focused, plus the fact that the strangest routes can lead you to where you want to be. How did Natalie transition from cosmetics producer (and plastic polluter) to eco warrior? What kickstarted the process, and kept her going? How does she bring others along with her? And how can you?“We as individuals and as citizens of the world have a) and obligation and b) the power," she says. "We have glorious power to act in our lives and rise above politics, because we cannot just wait for politicians and for governments to put in policies to fight climate change. We can't wait! We have to get on with it!" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who's up for stopping our wasteful ways and reimagining trash as a resource? This week's guest is proving fashion can be made from entirely from recycled materials.He is Javier Goyeneche, president and founder of Ecoalf, the Spanish clothing company that pioneers high-tech new materials made from waste.If you're a sustainability nerd, you've no doubt heard of Ecoalf. It was Spain's first B-corp and Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan - a few years back she did a collab with them for Goop.They've developed fabrics from used coffee grounds, cotton waste from the cutting room floor, old fishing nets and car tyres and ocean plastic, and they've created a cult brand in the process, focused on timeless sporty pieces designed to last.We've all heard of recycled poly made from discarded PET bottles, some even collected from our shorelines and beaches. But Javier set his sights on cleaning up the open ocean. The Ecoalf Foundation has partnered with thousands of fishermen in Spain and Thailand to fish for the ocean plastic that's turned into Ecoalf's Upcyle the Oceans yarn. “We're not a story-telling company, we're a story-doing company,” says Javier.This inspiring episode is about what it takes to succeed, and how to harness big ideas. And it's a call to action: As the Ecoalf shirts say, “There is no Planet B."Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast in Apple, and join the conversation on social media. You can find Clare on Instagram and Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you heard that phrase: from seed to garment? Probably, right? Because most natural textiles are grown in the Earth. Around 24% of textiles are made from cotton, while hemp, linen and wool all depend on soil. But how often does fashion get its fingernails into the actual dirt?Perhaps it ought to start, because according to the UN, globally, one third soil is degraded. If we carry on like this, we could lose all of our precious topsoil in 60 years. Fashion isn't entirely to blame, but it certainly has it's part to play. Our guest this week is Swiss-born Londoner with a Masters degree in sustainable agriculture, who is now taking on the fashion world. Nina Marenzi runs The Sustainable Angle, which stages the Future Fabrics Expo. It's all about what she calls ‘diversifying the fibre basket' - or rethinking fashion materials.The Expo showcases 1000s of fabrics that can help lighten fashion's environmental footprint, from organic and eco-friendly versions of our staples, to recycled synthetics right through to 3D printed seaweed and sustainable sequins.Nina says we need to step up regenerative agriculture, organic and circular materials, and transition to textiles that have don't trash our soil, water and air, and don't pile up in landfills. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast in Apple, and join the conversation on social media. You can find Clare on Instagram and Twitter.Links, further reading and lots more info in the shownotes. Find them here.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is sustainable fashion elitist? Does fashion contribute to poor body image and eating disorders by perpetuating a single, unattainable beauty ideal? What can we do about fashion's diversity problem? How do we, as consumers of fashion, navigate all this? "You can't do it all at the moment,” says this week's guest. “You have to make choices based on your values and those are your personal ethics.”Sass Brown is an English designer, educator and the author of Eco Fashion. For many years, Sass taught at FIT in New York. She was the Founding Dean of the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI). She has purple hair, is a dedicated thrifter and has her shoes made by hand. But actually, this is not an interview about a life in fashion...In this conversation, we focus on how fashion shapes our collective image, and how and why we allow it to dictate culture, and often get it so wrong.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is about purpose, co-creation and building a social enterprise with a friend. It's about fashion with a heart, and following your dreams. Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah are Studio 189, a social enterprise fashion, lifestyle and media brand based between New York and Ghana, that won the CFDA Sustainable Fashion Initiative Award last year.They work in countries with valuable skills but little infrastructure and limited access to markets, to help build the creative economy of the African fashion industry.You no doubt know Rosario for her film work - she was discovered at 15 sitting on her New York stoop by Harmony Korine, who cast her in his cult hit, Kids. Since then she's been in major movies from Sin City to Men in Black to Rent. She's also an activist. In 2004 she co-founded Voto Latino, to encourage young Hispanic and Latino voters to become more politically involved. She sits on the board of Eve Ensler's V-Day's One Billion Rising, a global protest to end violence against women and promote gender equality.Abrima studied business and her career background is in luxury - she used work for Bottega Veneta. A trip with Rosario to Eve Ensler's City of Joy in the Congo cemented her decision to work in social enterprise. What does it take to build a business like this? How do you overcome the challenges of working in countries where the lights regularly go out, or a day off sick might mean malaria? Are we on the brink of a new era, one characterised by sharing, empathy, purpose? What sort of world do we want to shape for the next generation of women change-makers?Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast in Apple, and join the conversation on social media. You can find Clare on Instagram and Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know it: Stella McCartney does the eco things first. Whether it's making all things green super-cool, proving non-leather accessories can compete with traditional animal leather in the luxury market, or bringing the circular fashion conversation mainstream, this fashion brand leads the way.So who makes all this happen? There's McCartney herself, of course - the designer is a visionary greenie. But no woman is an island. Claire Bergkamp has her back.Meet Stella McCartney's Worldwide Sustainability & Innovation Director. A self-confessed fibre nut, Claire started out as a costume designer in LA before switching lanes to study sustainability in London. There, she found her calling.Six years ago Claire joined the Stella McCartney brand to head up sustainability; she was a team of one. Today she runs a team based in London and Italy. Her work is disruptive and tend-setting - from rethinking traditional supply chains to working with startups on new circular materials, Claire is changing the way fashion is produced. And she's lovely too.Notebooks at the ready, there's so much to learn in this Episode.Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast in Apple, and join the conversation on social media. You can find Clare on Instagram and Twitter.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

VOGUE once called him a “high-end scavenger”. Meet Dutch designer Ronald Van Der Kemp - the "sustainable couturier" behind RVDK. Fans include Lady Gaga and Kate Moss, Emma Watson and Lena Dunham.While he was still in college, Ronald wrote a thesis on fashion and nature, and designed a collection using vintage materials. He then spent two decades working in luxury fashion for the likes of Barney's, Bill Blass, Guy Laroche and Celine.Now he's come full circle. Today, brand RVDK - which shows at Paris couture week - focuses on sustainability, and uses reclaimed, vintage and archival fabric. Ronald describes his approach to couture as: “Dressing ageless strong personalities that expect exclusivity, originality and high quality.''In this interview, recorded in his Amsterdam atelier ahead of his Spring ‘19 couture show, Clare and Ronald discuss the balancing ethics and integrity with glamour and fun. Yes, that is possible.Check out our shownotes. Links, pics and further reading here.Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast in Apple, and join the conversation on social media. You can find Clare on Instagram and Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet London fashion star Amy Powney: an eco pioneer in polka dots and pearls, who grew up off-grid in a caravan and is simply not content to let fashion off the sustainability hook. Amy is the creative director of Mother of Pearl , a British sustainable luxury womenswear brand that celebrates individuality and authenticity.Known for its dark florals, satin bows, ruffles and outsized faux-pearl trims, you could never accuse Mother of Pearl of being homespun or beige. Amy's putting the glamour and fun into sustainable style. But she's also dead serious about making change and acting now to protect the planet.Most brands don't talk about sustainability at all. Those that do, tend to stick to a few obvious, safe things. But Amy's all like, let's take over London Fashion Week, and convince BBC Earth to make a film about the environmental impacts of fast fashion. Let's talk seriously about the future of this planet of ours, about climate change, about water use and about what needs to happen to turn this mess around.In this absorbing and inviting conversation, Amy and Clare discuss inclusivity, responsibility and traceability. They talk about 1970s sitcom The Good Life and how childhood shapes the adult you become. And they have a frank, honest discussion about how hard it can be to get the message across about the dire environmental situation we face, while also trying to do business and stay happy. Because happy matters.Further reading & links - the shownotes are on the way!Don't forget to subscribe! and join the conversation on social media. You can find Clare on Instagram and Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.