WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

Meet Indian designer Ruchika Sachdeva of Bodice Studio, the Delhi-based label that took out the 2017/18 International Woolmark Prize .Join us as we discuss how to make it in fashion, and build a successful small business, sustainability, our need for connection and the importance of provenance and craft. We explore the rise of emerging Indian fashion talent (and no, it's not all Bollywood) and look at how can design offer solutions to fashion's waste crisis. A recent British survey found that 25% of women have clothes lurking in their wardrobe that can't wear because they no longer fit. Extending the life of a garment by an extra nine months can reduce its environmental impact by 20 to 30%. Ruchika's collections often feature tie fastenings, and moveable pleats and buttons because she wants these clothes to last for years. She also sees designing classics as a way to mitigate against waste. “If they're too much, too loud or too trend-based, you're going to get bored of clothes more easily.”Our shownotes are packed with links and extra information. Head over to https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2018/12/2/podcast-ep-65-bodice-studios-ruckika-sachdevi-on-winning-the-woolmark-prize to read yours and #bethechangeTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING.We are always grateful for ratings and reviews. Don't forget to hit subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul van Zyl is a human rights lawyer and ethical fashion entrepreneur, who 2009 he founded Maiyet, a luxury fashion brand with a social impact purpose.The idea was to “incorporate ancient traditions in non-traditional ways by partnering with artisans in developing economies and by sourcing material in ethical ways.” It's about creating opportunity, local entrepreneurship, prosperity, and dignity in, as Paul puts it, the places that need it most.Maiyet partnered with Artisans in Colombia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, South Sudan. They showed on the Paris fashion week schedule and they really helped shift the conversation about ethical fashion in the luxury space.But Paul is not your obvious fashion man. His grew up in South Africa during the apartheid era, and served as the Executive Secretary of South Africa's post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 1995 to 1998.In this interview we talk about what that was like and how it shaped him. We discuss the opportinities provided by the fashion industry to make positive social change, look at the rise and rise of business with purpose. Why are customers demanding more from brands? How are community values shaping fashion;'s future? And why is The Conduit the hottest private members club in London?Our shownotes are packed with links and extra information. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.Love the podcast? We have a Patreon page - every little bit helps us keep telling these stories.We are always grateful for ratings and reviews on Apple. Don't forget to hit subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Single-use' was named the Word of the Year for 2018 by the Collins Dictionary. Now that we know the oceans are choking with plastics, disposable has become a dirty word. We also know, there is no away. Nothing that uses synthetic materials is ‘disposable' – it has to go somewhere. Out of site, out of mind is a total copout. But what about so-called "disposable fashion"?Single-use fashion is perhaps a stretch – but we're not a million miles away. Clothing usability is declining. Stats vary, but according the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the average number of times a garment is worn before it ceases to be used has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago. In the US clothes are worn for around a quarter of the global average. The same pattern is emerging in China, where clothing utilisation has decreased by 70% over the last 15 years ago.Do you know how much fashion we throw away?Clothing production about doubled during that time; we now produce around 100 billion garments a year. Of the total fibre input used, 87% ends up landfilled or incinerated.Why have we become so wasteful and how can we turn it around? This week's guest thinks we need to reconnect with fashion's soul. She is Christina Dean, fashionwaste warrior and the founder of Redress, a Hong Kong-based NGO that works to reduce fashion waste. A former journalist, Christina is also the co-author of Dress [with] Sense (a consumer guide for the conscious closet), and the hosts of documentary series, Frontline Fashion. Our shownotes are packed with links and extra information. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What was it like to pioneer ethical fashion before that was even a phrase? For 27 years, Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson ran the iconic Australian fashion label Easton Pearson, known for its exquisite artisanal fabrics and embellishments, colourful exuberance and sense of fun.They are the subjects of an exhibition at the Museum of Brisbane, The Designers' Guide: Easton Pearson Archive - an invaluable resource for fashion students and fashion fans. It's also an important contribution to Australia's cultural history, which fashion absolutely should be considered a part of.In this interview, we discuss why this Aussie icon, that sold at Browns in London and Bergdorf's in New York, was such a big deal. Pam and Lydia decode their design and making processes, and detail how they started out on the business of fashion, and kept at it for so long.We talk about how they pioneered and centred slow fashion and ethical production in the Australian context, and also in India, where their main workshop was located. We also have a frank discussion about the challenges of running an independent, slow fashion business in a fast fashion world.Our shownotes are packed with links and extra information. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.We are always grateful for ratings and reviews onApple. Don't forget to hit subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to break through as an emerging fashion designer today? Do sustainable designers have the edge? Who are the names to know, now? Sara Maino is the deputy editor-in-chief of VOGUE ITALIA, and the fashion force behind VOGUE TALENTS, Vogue Green Talents and Who Is On Next?As she told the New York Times: “You will rarely see me at the big shows, those blockbuster events with a starry front row. That is really not my scene.” Instead, Sara combs the globe meeting students, attending independent shows and scouting under-the-radar studios and showrooms.In this Episode, recorded during Milan fashion week for Spring '19, Sara shares her insights on nurturing creativity and finding the next big thing. We discuss slow fashion, the pressures on young designers and the ways in which the industry can support new talent. We also hear from 4 new gen talents, who are changing fashoin for good - whether by choosing recycled and eco-friendly fabrics, re-energising age-old crafts or embedding social justice and radical localism into their business models.Meet Tiziano Guardini (winner of last year's Green Carpet Award for Best Emerging Designer), Shyma Shetty of Indian brand Huemn, denim upcycler Nathalie Ballout and print queen Sindiso Khumalo.Check out our shownotes for masses of links and extra information - https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2018/11/8/podcast-ep-61-sara-maino-vogue-talentsChat with Clare on Instagram and Twitter @mrspressTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our 60th episode! Can you believe it? This week's guest also have an anniversary to celebrate as the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion turns 10. You're going to meet its founder, academic, designer, educator and all-round sustainable fashion legend Dilys Williams.This is a lively and thought-provoking discussion about how we might totally redesign the way the current fashion system works.We talk about the role of the designer, the role of fashion in all our lives and how commerce fits in. We discuss the importance of being critical thinkers, fashion rebels and outspoken advocates for justice. We touch on DIY, Margaret Thatcher, The Clash, and finding your fashion identity, but also big stuff continuing the conversation that's been running through this series of the podcast about how we stand with nature, and what our obligations are to it. How do we define our struggle for sustainability?Head over to https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2018/10/27/podcast-ep60-dilys-williams-education-amp-the-centre-for-sustainable-fashion to read yours and #bethechangeChat with Clare on Instagram and Twitter @mrspressTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING.Love the podcast? We have a Patreon page - every little bit helps us keep telling these stories.We are always grateful for ratings and reviews on Apple. Don't forget to hit subscribe. You can also find us on Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet legendary thinker, innovator, disruptor and Cradle to Cradle hero, William McDonough. Architect, designer, thought leader, and author – his vision for a future of abundance for all is helping companies and communities think differently. He was the inaugural chair of the World Economic Forum's Meta-Council on the Circular Economy and currently serves on the Forum's Global Future Council on the Future of Environment and Natural Resource Security. For more than 40 years, he has defined the principles of the sustainability movement.This interview is a must for anyone who is interested in the circular economy, or indeed just cares about the future of our planet. We discuss why we should we view waste as a resource, and how we can transition to doing that. We talk about sustainable development, about look at how we measure society's success now, and how we might change that in future.As Bill and his co-writer Michael Braungart write in Cradle to Cradle, “In the race for economic progress, social activity, ecological impact, cultural activity, and long-term effects can be overlooked.”We also dig into emptiness vs. abundance. Unpick the idea of fashion as a verb. Look at how weaving and mathematics are linked. And talk about clothes and Diana Vreeland, beauty and the impotrtance of language. Bill can talk about any subject in a completely delightful way. Buckle up for a wild conversational ride.Head over to https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2018/10/21/podcast-ep-59-william-mcdonough-fashion-is-a-verb to read yours and #bethechange Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katrin Ley is the CEO of FASHION FOR GOOD, an Amersterdam-based organisation that was co-founded by Cradle-to-Cradle's William McDonough. They aim to bring together the entire fashion ecosystem with incentives, resources and tools for sustainability.At Fashion For Good's core is McDonough's concept of the Five Goods, which, he says, “represent an aspirational framework we can all use to work towards a world in which we do not simply take, make, waste, but rather take, make, renew and restore.” In interview Katrin and Clare discuss what good looks like when it comes to clothing production and circularity. Case study: the first Gold Cradle to Cradle Certified jeans and T-shirts.There's a strong focus in this interview on innovation, new ideas and disruptors. We also explore this new age of sharing and helping each other, because, as Katrin says, if we want to change the fashion system, that's what it's going to take.Is the fashion industry really ready for serious collaboration? What about you? How can you find your purpose? How can you align your work with your values? Head over to https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2018/10/6/podcast-ep-58-katrin-ley to read yours and #bethechangeChat with Clare on Instagram and Twitter @mrspressTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING.We are always grateful for ratings and reviews! Don't forget to hit subscribe. You can also find us on Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To say that Ellen MacArthur is a phenomenal woman is an understatement. In 2005, aged 28, she became the fastest person to sail solo, non-stop around the world. It took her 71 days, 14 hours and 18 minutes.You're going to hear what that was like, how she stayed focused and what she learned from it. The importance of goal setting really comes through in this interview. Ellen is obviously an incredibly determined person but there's a take-away for us all here: it's about having a plan - by knowing which direction you want to go in, that's how you make stuff happen.What's all this got to do with fashion? This is the story of how a world-record-breaking British sailor became an international advocate for the circular economy. How she created a platform, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, to encourage the global economy to transition to a system that designs out waste & pollution, keeps materials in use and regenerates natural systems. It's also the story of what that might look like, and how we can action it.Ellen's lightbulb moment happened at sea. In parts of the Southern Ocean she was 3000 kilometres from land. If she ran out of teabags, there was no nipping to the shop to buy more. She wrote in her logs: "What I have on this boat is all I have.'” That's how it is with the Earth's finite resources too.Last year, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched its Make Fashion Circular initiative at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit with Stella McCartney and a bunch of other big brands on board. The aim is to tackling fashion's polluting and wasteful ways and create a new system.Head over to https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2018/9/28/podcast-ep-57-ellen-macarthur-making-fashion-circular to read yours and #bethechangeChat with Clare on Instagram and Twitter @mrspressTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING.We are always grateful for ratings and reviews on Apple. Don't forget to hit subscribe. You can also find us on Spotify, Stitcher and many more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes it can feel like sustainable fashion is a new thing, but pioneers laid the groundwork years ago. People like this week's guest, British fashion change-maker Tamsin Lejeune.Back in 2006, Tamsin founded the Ethical Fashion Forum, a London-based industry body for sustainable fashion. Her team also brought us Source, one of the first platforms to list sustainable resources & suppliers in one place.In the UK, it was Tamsin & her team who were running the sustainable fashion panel discussions and bringing the fledgling ethical fashion community together.How much has changed since then? How far off is sustainable fashion from being the norm? What tools do we need TO DO FASHION BETTER?Today, Tamsin leads a new project called Common Objective with that in mind. Think, a sustainable fashion matchmaking service, like a targeted Linkedin, or Tinder without the romance.In this absorbing interview we discuss what's going on with fast fashion and why the model is broken. We decode the discomfort we feel when fast fashion giants launch eco capsule collections while still making most of their stuff the same old way. And we delve into the magic powers of fashion access over ownership, and the opportunities for the next generation of designersHead over to https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2018/9/26/podcast-ep-56-common-objectives-tamsin-lejeune-slowing-fast-fashion-amp-access-over-ownership to read yours and #bethechange.Chat with Clare on Instagram and Twitter @mrspressTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING. We are always grateful for ratings and reviews! Don't forget to hit subscribe. You can find us on Spotify too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.