tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68426871130348993312024-03-26T17:23:14.684+00:00FashionistableStreet Style - Out and About with Dvora.Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.comBlogger1023125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-12417326573186306932024-03-26T12:31:00.003+00:002024-03-26T16:29:44.993+00:00Joanna Maiden - Founder & CEO - SOKO Kenya<p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7xfBrRtb9M7ZhUTrJyx3L3UsNTGGjjC_rBpAC3xXRbFlmmWPn2uzOK_tkaCpBjgvqZ7qJzDp3AXOuuh2PtHFdqd_gglqOE-CyUOqh05IsfxKPL1UDeIvvbCIt7Ec817GD3pbDDMm1G2AAzbV_Ki4mBignHOFxVCquJwRDCx9mJVGQQ4qDtpce8RsAwM/s1277/Jo%20Maiden000220%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7xfBrRtb9M7ZhUTrJyx3L3UsNTGGjjC_rBpAC3xXRbFlmmWPn2uzOK_tkaCpBjgvqZ7qJzDp3AXOuuh2PtHFdqd_gglqOE-CyUOqh05IsfxKPL1UDeIvvbCIt7Ec817GD3pbDDMm1G2AAzbV_Ki4mBignHOFxVCquJwRDCx9mJVGQQ4qDtpce8RsAwM/s16000/Jo%20Maiden000220%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>
</p><p class="Body">
</p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Joanna says that
she believes that the fashion industry can be a force for good and since
meeting her I believe it too, but only if it follows Joanna’s lead. What Joanna
has achieved with SOKO Kenya is truly awe inspiring. Some people really are
super humans and Joanna is one of them. At each step of her journey she has
thought what can I do better and then put that thought into action and at the
heart of it all is the empowerment of women. We all talk about it. Joanna is doing
it. Please read and learn how this naturally shy inspirational woman is making leaps and
bounds towards creating positive change in clothing manufacture.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XetsWiMCybQLlqAWcYK3qxP_WsMoW-PNTRpahSaVRtisdCdN1cCcDzRZvZwF4sXy6x0jsabpT3-pFccr3SX3sJUOVkxKsFHylvHwHrCwBk8dbHNOz0939tcc46LxqhPkDLcKh17a05yLTmJJuCRK83BP384YxADAXb7oRDUvyVWXeoZ49U3rrCMorlI/s1277/Jo%20Maiden000301%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XetsWiMCybQLlqAWcYK3qxP_WsMoW-PNTRpahSaVRtisdCdN1cCcDzRZvZwF4sXy6x0jsabpT3-pFccr3SX3sJUOVkxKsFHylvHwHrCwBk8dbHNOz0939tcc46LxqhPkDLcKh17a05yLTmJJuCRK83BP384YxADAXb7oRDUvyVWXeoZ49U3rrCMorlI/s16000/Jo%20Maiden000301%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Where did you
grow up, Jo? </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: I grew up in
South London and have thought quite a lot about how my life choices or my
beliefs have been influenced by my childhood. I grew up in a middle class
family. My dad was from a working class family without much money, so he has
always been very passionate about us not having the same experience as him.
From a young age, I was very aware of the financial security we had compared to
the vast majority of the world. I felt a sense of figuring out what I could do
to be a part of bridging that gap. I think that's where this sense of social
justice or inequality and equity came from, I was really aware that we always
had the money we needed and if we went on holiday to a developing country I
struggled with that. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Alongside this I
always loved everything about the fashion industry and was fascinated by period
dramas or any films that had a really strong wardrobe. Of course living in
London there was also the influence of London Fashion Week. My A level subjects
were fashion, textiles and economics. I had this really bonkers economics
teacher, (this was 25 years ago) who taught us outside in a hut. That's where
our classroom was, it was always freezing, and she would be banging on about
climate change and about the global north-south divide, and she drove, for that
time, the most economical car. The maximum speed she drove was 36 miles an hour
because that was the most efficient. Back then, these conversations weren't
really being had, and people pigeonholed her as wacky, but actually what she
instilled in me was so profound because it opened my eyes. Her teaching focused
mostly on International Development and the wealth and power of the Global
North in comparison to the Global South, and it totally changed my life.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Of those 3 A
level subjects I chose to do fashion and textiles at university but I took her
thinking with me. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You said your
fashion inspiration was TV and movies. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: Yes, that and
charity shops, all of it. I really respected the skill behind it. It wasn't
necessarily about clothes for the sake of clothes. It was everything that
clothes meant culturally and the craftsmanship behind them, plus how the
industry worked. It totally fascinated me. But I never really understood how
social justice and the fashion world could be combined, they felt like polar
opposites, especially at that time, around 2005 when there was very little
dialogue about social and environmental issues in the fashion supply chain. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">When I was
writing my dissertation at Winchester School of Art, it was around the time
Fair Trade tea, coffee and chocolate were being launched and there was
marketing around fair pay for these farmers. It sparked a question ‘we're
talking about tea workers, what does it look like for the fashion industry?’
Naively I presumed it was all sorted and that it will be interesting to look at
how they’ve done that. At the time the only space to get information was
through the Ethical Trade Initiative that was working directly with big fashion
businesses, but there was nothing accessible for consumers. It was all very
high level and unclear how, as a consumer, we could make better choices. I felt
lost and stuck, that's when I started on my journey to find people who were
asking the same questions.</span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCi6R1hON3c_YoE0QU7Nnl0Tobu8M0c7fPTFYDAT_vvdNdS-IjCfvZkfDwQ-pxU51QHIhfwJMzt80Gea5vWtn78yOIMQ7csTHLFxnP3GotyXfnE46Dt6Am0EsEaImbMNhQEwZtjoAL_9arIQUHDjZnsAGSewt3RV7LnnYIBZ1lNPCYi33vdYn7lwwO9o/s1277/Jo%20Maiden000415%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCi6R1hON3c_YoE0QU7Nnl0Tobu8M0c7fPTFYDAT_vvdNdS-IjCfvZkfDwQ-pxU51QHIhfwJMzt80Gea5vWtn78yOIMQ7csTHLFxnP3GotyXfnE46Dt6Am0EsEaImbMNhQEwZtjoAL_9arIQUHDjZnsAGSewt3RV7LnnYIBZ1lNPCYi33vdYn7lwwO9o/s16000/Jo%20Maiden000415%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Your
dissertation and your economics teacher obviously put a completely different
lens on everything. Did you study as a designer?</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: I studied
fashion and textiles because I was fascinated by the fashion industry as a
whole. I am a creative but more practical than design focused. When I see a
garment I appreciate its beauty but I also pull it apart in my mind, thinking ‘how
was it constructed?’ and ‘what were the different components used in it’s
creation?’ </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My final
collection at university, was part of Graduate Fashion Week in London, and was
inspired by the idea of clothes being worn in different ways – for example, that
buttons in strategic places could create completely different looks. I loved
the idea of clothing feeling inspiring and creative and therefore needing fewer
pieces in your wardrobe. An appreciation for garments for the skill, and
knowledge that</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s
gone into them, and the cleverness of clothing has always been part of what
I've loved and tvalue about them. I believe I've always had that, which is why
I loved period dramas. I remember going to the cinema and being drawn to those
amazing movies, especially Elizabethan era dramas, with all the layers in the
costumes and all the thought and all the detail that went into them. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I've always appreciated clothes for the vision and expertise that goes
into bringing an idea to life. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You then
worked in the industry for a few years before you before you set up</span><span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> SOKO</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Kenya. How was that for you? </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: When I
finished my degree, I surrounded myself with people who were a few years ahead
of me and were doing things that I felt really passionate about. Which is why
when we exhibit at the Future Fabrics Expo it so nice to be amongst these
wonderful women again, Cyndi (Rhodes) and Orsola (de Castro), Dylis Williams
and Tamsin Blanchard, all of them, we've been around waving our flag for quite
a long time now. I worked part time for a small couture brand in Baker Street
and volunteered part time with Ethical Fashion Forum who at the time did
collaborative projects with Cyndi and Worn Again. I was the graduate that was eager
to be around and was really passionate about what was going on. By doing that,
I worked on lots of great projects,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">like the time I supported the Ethical
Fashion Forum with its training initiatives, Christopher Raeburn was one of our
graduates from that.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> I
learnt so much from working on those really diverse projects. </span></p>
<p class="Body" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Then an opportunity came. We were working on a project that was
connecting buyers with artisanal groups in East Africa. I was helping organise
the logistics, and two of the more senior people were going. Two weeks before
the trip one of them fell ill and said, </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">look, I don't think I'm going to recover on time, what would you
think about going?</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>
Part of the trip meant I would have been on my own, so she said </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">we need a photographer to take
pictures. Could your husband do that?’<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span> </span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So we found
ourselves in Uganda and Kenya for 2 and a half weeks. At the time we had been
thinking let's have an adventure somewhere before we have kids and find
ourselves too settled to up sticks, so our eyes were open for something. During
the trip a conversation happened, and the idea for SOKO Kenya was born. Then I
came back and wrote a business plan for the idea and started talking to anyone
who would listen. I started talking about it when I was 26 and we moved when I
was 28, having never lived in Africa, or having any manufacturing experience. I
didn't have any financial backing and wrote an application to a philanthropist
called Lord Joffe. He invited me to his Manor to talk more. It was one of the
most intimidating experiences of my life. He sent me away with a lot of
homework. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A few weeks later
he sent me an email saying, ‘You have no idea what you’re doing but you’ve
worked really hard to pull this proposal together and I’m willing to take a
chance on you.’ In 2009 he gave me £10,000. We told ourselves, </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">right, seven months, let's see, let's
give it a go, if it doesn't work then we can come home.’ I spent that time
trying to learn as much as I could about the local economy, the logistics, the
skills and the gaps in the market. By the end of the second month I had put a
small capsule collection together that I felt represented the skill base and
fabrics available locally. Because of my time in London and my network, I
managed to get an appointment with a decision maker at ASOS. I was nervous but
I showed up and they loved it. They placed an order and that's how SOKO Kenya
went from being an idea to something real. ASOS gave us the opportunity to get
ourselves properly set up because when the order came through we had to hit the
ground running. They sent us this thick supplier manual with all their supply
requirements which was what we needed to take us on a really steep learning
curve and to be able to deliver, which we did. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmWt1BocFmise1U6FJR0O4uiAvhs5BKK8UfnQ-Xr7mvcTPBOHnmbXq35f5apT0qukMOR4m2Eh341h6le4HSLM7fQeb8IZMqpFrfQhuwXJjOiAkfbLtxJc7KFlYvM33G_JCskmkCSq9ZUsjmbs0S3WWC-kTehWocjkRGbqQGORpDUo71ISxc0xsgPk0po/s1277/Jo%20Maiden000263%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmWt1BocFmise1U6FJR0O4uiAvhs5BKK8UfnQ-Xr7mvcTPBOHnmbXq35f5apT0qukMOR4m2Eh341h6le4HSLM7fQeb8IZMqpFrfQhuwXJjOiAkfbLtxJc7KFlYvM33G_JCskmkCSq9ZUsjmbs0S3WWC-kTehWocjkRGbqQGORpDUo71ISxc0xsgPk0po/s16000/Jo%20Maiden000263%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You have been
in Kenya for 14 years. It's amazing what you're doing. Not only have you created
a business you have created, a whole community. This project Inspirational
Women is women centered because I realised that most of the people working in
fashion are women and what you do is absolutely brilliant because you're
empowering women. Giving them an amazing way of living their lives, for their
families and everybody around them. Can you tell us more about the social
empowerment that lies behind everything you do at </span><span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">SOKO</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Kenya</span><span lang="ZH-TW" style="mso-ansi-language: ZH-TW; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: ZH-TW; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">? </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: There are a
lot of things to say. We have evolved over time as we've learned, and as we
keep learning. It started with the thought, if we can pay a living wage, if we
can provide people with enough money to not only survive but be able to really
support their families, then that will make a difference. We did that, which is
great, but there's much more needed and we keep evolving as we learn. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We now offer a
hot meal daily, free childcare, a company doctor, private pension scheme,
training in financial literacy and sexual health and rights, flexible hours for
mothers with young babies.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">The essence lies in us supporting
women to take control of their lives by providing them with security
employment, knowledge, and to have financial independence.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As a result,
we've seen a lot of women leave abusive relationships, people come out of
crippling debt and providing for their families.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In August 2023 we
completed our first international SEDEX audit. An audit is a great baseline for
compliance but for me, what we do, has never been about that compliance. I
constantly ask myself what does it truly mean to be an ethical employer and to
have environmental sustainability at our core? We won’t ever have the answer to
that because as we grow there’ll be more to learn and do.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">One recent example of our
learning process and finding ways to support occurred when we considered our
older employees in the factory. It struck me; statics show that for every
employed person, they support seven dependents—whether they are children,
siblings facing unemployment, or parents in need of medical care.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Which means that if you're supporting seven people, even if you're
earning a living wage and getting additional life benefits such as medical
care, you're still never going to be able to really hold on to anything more
than the basics. </span><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #3f3f3f; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">If someone spends a significant
portion of their career with us and then retires with an unreliable state
pension, that most likely means they will fall back into poverty and become
someone else’s dependent. That started weighing on my conscience. I firmly
believe that our employees are not only performing a function for us; we are
intertwined with their entire lives, and it's our responsibility to ensure
their well-being even after they've left the company. At the beginning of last
year, we explored the idea of joining a private pension scheme. By the end of
the year, we had established it and backdated it to the start date of each
employee.</span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> <span lang="EN-US">This meant that 2% of their monthly
salary was backdated over the period of employment and was paid into a private
pension scheme alongside 4% of their monthly salary going forward. Implementing
that in our organization is one of the things that I am most proud of. This is
my current version of what being an ethical employer means.</span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Its holistic,
the whole person, the whole life.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: Exactly.
Someone once said to me, ever listening, ever learning, ever evolving. That’s
what I want us to be.</span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyHFZmG7Hp4kyhxJpHyjKJvF6autfqXTX-rM2QUCV5ktcejSnF0Mo_sH4GkUFZVRzBgKs82BkDXnyRnb74ufchs8_Nofacs5lrDcpalKkjDXCUAqovRiqko4RT3WUf-A5ZADYLgTzuoCHGIlg7VqtYt8McuLpTHaLjy0AI3b3kNX0jAxxwr8utPHdtCQ/s1277/Jo%20Triptich.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyHFZmG7Hp4kyhxJpHyjKJvF6autfqXTX-rM2QUCV5ktcejSnF0Mo_sH4GkUFZVRzBgKs82BkDXnyRnb74ufchs8_Nofacs5lrDcpalKkjDXCUAqovRiqko4RT3WUf-A5ZADYLgTzuoCHGIlg7VqtYt8McuLpTHaLjy0AI3b3kNX0jAxxwr8utPHdtCQ/s16000/Jo%20Triptich.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Since starting
</span><span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">SOKO</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
Kenya, you've moved twice. You started small and have been building and growing
as you go. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: Yes, we are in our third location now. The most recent move was
four years ago. It was a brave move for us. We had outgrown our space which was
in a very remote area and there was no way to expand there. My management team
and I spent about six months mulling over the idea of moving. We found a new
place 100 miles away and did a lot of research around what </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">the
living wage would be at this new location, what schools were available, what
the cost of housing was and whether there was any housing available.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> <span lang="EN-US">Then we started a consultation with the
team, because for me if we move and no one </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">comes, then
we are nothing. We told them that there was no question that was off the cards,
ask us anything. And everyone, except for one, moved with us, this was
incredible for us. We moved with 48 people and we're now 150. It's funny,
because we when we moved, we had no idea how we would fill this enormous space,
with high rent and all that comes with that and now it’s full, and it’s been
fantastic for us, it’s that brave next step, which was very considered but also
a risk. </span><span style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">It’s a nice bright modern facility. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">When we were looking we kept seeing places with no
green space and were very overly industrial. Our previous factory (which we
still have, more on that later) was built as an eco-building made of mud so we
wanted to bring the spirit of it with us. We finally found a space that has a
massive garden and wherever you are in the factory you still feel connected to
the outdoors and can</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> see trees and grass. It felt like home.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">The space needed significant
renovation. We installed additional windows, added water tanks to collect
rainwater, and integrated solar panels.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Tell us about
your clients, do you have any input on the fabrics they choose to use? </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J:</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3f3f3f; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">Some brands we work with have specific preferences for
their suppliers, and we support them with that. For others, we offer assistance
as required.</span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There are so many different views on the right thing to do. In
Kenya the government are trying to support the rebirth of the cotton industry
which is one area that we're supporting and creating local jobs. It's not
organic, which isn't ideal, but it is supporting Kenya and it's up the road so
the footprint stays small. We're encouraging brands to be conscious about
sourcing, whether that means local or sustainable fabric options from the international
mills we work with. We also offer hand embroidery and crochet from a group of
nun artisans.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="NL" style="mso-ansi-language: NL; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Crochet Nuns... </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: There are 150
of them, they started the group 30 years ago, it's amazing. We are also growing
our database and our fabric library to be in a position to offer brands
sustainable options. If they are looking for cotton, can it be an organic
cotton, for example? So it's a real mix.</span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7Ky3phMaW2z1A8N8iYlP2IJ5zfGzDNowtT6nc63G6ZszZA3npR5wRmE5vFqVHCDNiukP5aTp5TvTidxFgfwI8ouQEidEqrcL-PdbISWKnxB7DiygCdvTav8uEYoq2NcqmKp2p8MqzfP6T26RAsRaDD-XFThOwmrrW56R5w_m1AtViY-SF2bvTgEiJnI/s1277/Jo%20Maiden000090%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7Ky3phMaW2z1A8N8iYlP2IJ5zfGzDNowtT6nc63G6ZszZA3npR5wRmE5vFqVHCDNiukP5aTp5TvTidxFgfwI8ouQEidEqrcL-PdbISWKnxB7DiygCdvTav8uEYoq2NcqmKp2p8MqzfP6T26RAsRaDD-XFThOwmrrW56R5w_m1AtViY-SF2bvTgEiJnI/s16000/Jo%20Maiden000090%20rts.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="Body">
</p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Earlier you
spoke about the financial education you give your staff but also on that front
you have set up, an Academy and a Charity can you tell us about those?</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: We learnt that
we needed to do more than provide a living wage to those who had the skills to
get a job. This is why we created the Stitching Academy </span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">which is a four-month course providing young people
with the skills required to open up new employment opportunities and business
skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It operates out of our former
eco factory and is under the umbrella of our charity.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The students tend to be from very
poor families. Many have had very limited access to education, so the training
courses, are not only about how to use a machine, they are also about life
skills, about what having a job means, because for the majority of them, formal
employment has never been modelled. It's really about setting people up and
supporting them and hopefully changing the trajectory of their life by having
an employable skill. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">We've had approximately 500
people complete the programme, and now they are dispersed throughout the
country, working in factories or having started their own businesses. Not all
of these ventures involve clothing production or repair; some have started cyber
cafes, using the additional skills gained through the course, such as computer
literacy, money management, business acumen, and entrepreneurship.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The other project
under our charity is called Kujuwa Initiative, Kujuwa means knowledge in
Kiswahili. We take cotton offcut fabric from the factory and make reusable
sanitary pads, which have been approved by the quality standard in Kenya. We
design them in a way that if they are in your bag, you don't know what it is,
and it's a beautiful product. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Kujuwa
Initiative started because we were offering training to middle aged women in
the community and started to receive feedback that they wished they had gained
this knowledge before ‘life had carried them away’ and that they felt their
life of struggle and poverty could have been different if they had received
this support and knowledge when they were younger. As a team, we started researching
and learnt that at the age of puberty girls school attendance and grades drop
substantially and the transition from primary to secondary is very low. We
started to look at how we could support that to change, which was also part of
the bigger picture of everything we do, which is supporting women to have the
same opportunities as men and to have all the other support they need. </span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">We work in schools, offering an after-school club once
a week throughout the school year. Each girl receives a kit containing pads,
underwear, and soap. The club serves as a safe space where they can freely ask
questions. Our curriculum covers</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> everything from puberty to sex,
to decision making skills, relationships, confidence, all of those things.</span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> As part of the project, we also work with boys. They
also receive a kit containing underwear and soap, and we discuss puberty with
them, helping them understand both their own bodies and those of girls,
fostering respect.</span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">We also work with
teachers and parents because it's essential for the community around the girls
to be supportive.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <span lang="EN-US"></span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: It gives
everyone a greater understanding. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: Exactly, and
the parents will share feedback that they feel they have many more tools to
support them to parent a teenager and to support a girl through puberty. The
stats of girls exchanging sex for period products is horrendous. There's a lot
of sad stuff. Our aim is to create a safe space. As a team we’ve been so
encouraged to see improvements in school attendance and the gained confidence
of the girls. We also partner with other charities and organisations who had
previously been donating disposable pads and are now donating ours. A reusable
pad not only reduces waste but also reduces the need for monthly disposable pad
donations.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We also partner
with businesses to support women in the workplace and provide sensitisation for
mid management, and senior management on how to support women in the workplace
through menstruation. </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zPvs21vLjktHUxO4a2hjTZIWrR-e06dV1KgFQ0rXN5qtMkyYOw4soWJ09W6fIlL_v5HG-760BEKIUcZkue29S8UD138y8TFYAq621DFBTSOC6ly2yzYdarCP-syD4-HzgcGOcUrScoNbTXttYdR39B_e099A1QuKV4xn6jOn3bsozUIm6O7vzUJ397Q/s1277/Jo%20Maiden000336%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zPvs21vLjktHUxO4a2hjTZIWrR-e06dV1KgFQ0rXN5qtMkyYOw4soWJ09W6fIlL_v5HG-760BEKIUcZkue29S8UD138y8TFYAq621DFBTSOC6ly2yzYdarCP-syD4-HzgcGOcUrScoNbTXttYdR39B_e099A1QuKV4xn6jOn3bsozUIm6O7vzUJ397Q/s16000/Jo%20Maiden000336%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="Body"><style>@font-face
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</p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: I wanted to
ask what drives you, but I can see what drives you. You are an amazing woman.
Let</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s look to the future, how do you see
the future? </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: How do I see
the future? I have spent the vast majority of our time in Kenya busy doing our
thing, on the ground. My passion is really what we've been doing, and I've kept
myself hidden a bit. I'm naturally a bit shy and am also very aware that I am a
white woman from England a country that colonised Kenya, setting up a business
for Africans. I felt I couldn't celebrate what we do because of the
complications around that. I've done a lot of work around it and feel
passionate about getting out there and talking proudly about what we do and
what is possible. I started SOKO Kenya 14 years ago and still we’re fairly
unique in what we do. The sustainable fashion industry focus has been on
fabrics. There's a sense that it's come a long way, and it has in terms of fabrics,
but hasn't in terms of people.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3f3f3f; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">We’re seeking out opportunities to increase our
visibility, showcase our work and connect with more brands. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">B</span><span style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;">rands often take the spotlight, with manufacturers
simply facilitating their vision. We hope to reshape that, where the people who
make the product are also celebrated.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: If brands were
working with people like you and your team, the transparency index would look
very different than it does now. Also the work you are doing is so important to
change that and is very much part of the sustainability story and as you said it's
the people who aren't talked about as much as they should be. The vast majority
of manufacturers don</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">t
look after people and the vast majority of manufacturing is populated by women.
</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: I was part of
a conference in Kenya around gender manufacturing and yes the vast majority of
people in garment manufacturing are women and they are all at the bottom of the
pyramid. When you go to a factory, the women are on the machines. In the roles
senior to garment workers, there are very few women, the vast majority of the management
team are male. That's another big shift that needs to happen. We employ 80%
women across the organization with 80% of women in management roles.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: My mum,
grandmother and aunts worked in Linen Mills in Ireland and that power imbalance
was true back then. Obviously, very little has changed for women in all that
time.</span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6W4D_LKAFWOQhtsN1BSGlaTrCOPtLpA8VRUUskh6b5BZahPPz-SS1UaXDKDddTWsYek-WoA6Gp8L52LFdTe9BnXc6tvIUDe9k3JWbsfxC663B5RsAa1bC6wtDUDbmcLy0R2sMv5svCEYl2ypWCW0eiiB14irAS6JaYyhdiOxDgN3pumZTN5r1vdKU3I/s1277/Jo%20Maiden000183%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6W4D_LKAFWOQhtsN1BSGlaTrCOPtLpA8VRUUskh6b5BZahPPz-SS1UaXDKDddTWsYek-WoA6Gp8L52LFdTe9BnXc6tvIUDe9k3JWbsfxC663B5RsAa1bC6wtDUDbmcLy0R2sMv5svCEYl2ypWCW0eiiB14irAS6JaYyhdiOxDgN3pumZTN5r1vdKU3I/s16000/Jo%20Maiden000183%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: What's it like
for you shifting between Kenya and London? How do you manage the business from
London? Do you need to come regularly to see brands here or is it a more
diverse market?</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">J: I only come
over, generally once a year in the school holidays and then we spend the rest
of the year in Kenya. I always expect coming back to be easy because it's home.
Now I'm aware how hugely different it is, and how that's a bit of a shock to
the system. In Kenya we live quite rurally and it</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s quite sleepy where there's one shop with two options of washing
up liquid. When we come back there’s efficiency and things like home delivery
and convenience. When I first come back it feels exciting, but then I quickly
realise that it really is a massive shock to the system. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I am loving the
brands that we're working with at the moment, I feel they are so aligned in
values with us, and it really feels like we're building partnerships rather
than a supplier, client, brand relationship. I'm so excited about more of those
and do feel that there are many more brands out there aligned to our values.
It's always awesome for us as a team to see the clothes we have made, out in
the world and feeling that connection. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Early in our
journey Michelle Obama wore some pieces made by us. At the time we were tiny,
there were probably 20 of us and the team said </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">oh is a proper factory, making the same clothes as us?’ When I
said </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">no, they are our clothes’ it took a
while for that to really soak in, and I think for some of my team it is still
one of our proudest moments. That journey of the clothes, to end up in her
hands made us all feel very proud. A group of rural people on a mission being
connected to the White House. </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Your story
should be the story of all fashion.</span></p>
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</p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Links</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Web<span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span><a href="https://www.soko-kenya.com/" target="_blank">SOKO Kenya</a></span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><a href="https://www.soko-kenya.com/kujuwainitiative" target="_blank">Kujuwa Initative</a> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Instagram<span> <span> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sokokenya_jo/" target="_blank">Joanna Maiden</a></span></span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sokokenya/" target="_blank">SOKO Kenya</a></span></span></span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kujuwainitiative/" target="_blank">Kujuwa Initative</a></span> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">LinkedIn<span> <span> </span> </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-maiden-soko-kenya/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">Joanna Maiden</a></span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/soko-kenya/" target="_blank">SOKO Kenya</a></span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/kujuwa-initiative/" target="_blank">Kujuwa Kenya</a></span> <br /></span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> <br /></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-18538210276075153522024-03-12T09:42:00.004+00:002024-03-26T11:31:36.632+00:00Kalkidan Legesse - Founder & CEO - Owni<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4h-9LEpHgW7nHXiq1BckuFA0cMeZxVdXLO_zGTX2jgJEVlLFKdt6k8iIfuFuhbur4fPxlC0o4PMY-5fIIEb2v-s2Ps5QB7vdcI_gKlHydH70p16ufCm6hRWuiYLrNKdLrLwItlUfnBsDRJMfKsuobiVLyMM-Pk3DaKm1IUlEKw9oudduhl-UVEt_4p4/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000045%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4h-9LEpHgW7nHXiq1BckuFA0cMeZxVdXLO_zGTX2jgJEVlLFKdt6k8iIfuFuhbur4fPxlC0o4PMY-5fIIEb2v-s2Ps5QB7vdcI_gKlHydH70p16ufCm6hRWuiYLrNKdLrLwItlUfnBsDRJMfKsuobiVLyMM-Pk3DaKm1IUlEKw9oudduhl-UVEt_4p4/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000045%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">How to change the shape of business, in </span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> our headline today I say that Kalkidan is the Founder of
Owni, in fact to date she is the founder of 3 businesses that centre around ethics
and morals and are based around justice and fairness, which is a core part of her being.
During our interview Kalkidan gives us an insight into how NGO’s work which is eye
opening and how working for one shaped how she does business today. We learn
about her unique business model at Sanchos. Her thinking around pricing would
be a game changer if applied across a wider audience.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I read recently (in Clare Press’s new book Wear Next) that Ethiopia
is now the cheapest place on earth for labour for the fast fashion market and
wonder how this will change the shape of Kalidan’s ancestral home as it has
done in all the countries it has spread to in the global south. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Looking for new ways to do business? Read on.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeSjaKabMPiX_bdS4gftRD-_8DBhGynBLg96L_gNi6h7TNCZ57bODAmQt7Z6xVxdsi6azUqlxjTJA7FrDnGSUgMSiyg4_1ClmUykGoBMzTZMLKRGgKgcIdvQEqM7ayZq48FZsN5-UpBZXzwRvveRhFG6nFtb1lYLfhHoTFaBMnSfwh9b3th5fzEjWkW4/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000174%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeSjaKabMPiX_bdS4gftRD-_8DBhGynBLg96L_gNi6h7TNCZ57bODAmQt7Z6xVxdsi6azUqlxjTJA7FrDnGSUgMSiyg4_1ClmUykGoBMzTZMLKRGgKgcIdvQEqM7ayZq48FZsN5-UpBZXzwRvveRhFG6nFtb1lYLfhHoTFaBMnSfwh9b3th5fzEjWkW4/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000174%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: To start I like to ask the same question as I find it
fascinating to hear the influences in your life that have shaped the journey you
are on. Where did you grow up Kalkidan?</p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p class="MsoNormal">K: That’s a hard question to answer because I was born in
Ethiopia but my family migrated to the UK when I was five so I grew up in the
UK but whenever anyone asks that <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">question
</span>I wonder which part of your life is the most influential in determining
what your character is and what your experience is so I guess the simple answer
would be Reading in the UK but that’s not where I am from.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I guess that all of your life experiences influence you.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: When do you stop growing up?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Exactly. What would you say your early influences in life
were and what inspired the direction that life is taking you now? Also, where
there any early fashion influences?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: Recently I was part of a BBC documentary series called ‘We
Are England’ and the producer asked my parents how I ended up in fashion? Their
response ‘oh she used to do this when she was really young, she used to pretend
to be running fashion shows and liked doing sketches’. These were things I
hadn't logged in my conscious memory, but I guess had logged somewhere. My
parents are my earliest influence, they have really strong ethics and morals
based around justice and fairness. Which I think is a result of how they grew
up, which was during the Soviet reign of Ethiopia in what was a tumultuous
period, there was also a civil war which was resolved with a new government. When
they were young adults, similar to the age I am now, they migrated to the UK
with two children, myself and my older sister and lived the life of asylum
seekers which really highlights injustices in the world. I grew up with heavy
speeches at the dinner table and with a really strong sense of some things are
right and some things are wrong and that justice is important. It's the most
important thing really for the human experience and the human condition and I feel
that's my biggest influence. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">When I started my early career, I
applied that thinking to fashion because I was interested in development from a
justice perspective. When you look at international development and look at
poorer countries who need to develop their economies and build higher incomes and
more stability for their population, I was always interested in how that's
achieved. Then when I started working for NGOs it became clear to me that that
isn't achieved well through the non-governmental sector. At the same time I
learned about fashion, I learned how fabric is made, I had no idea about the
process before that, but saw people weave fabric from threads on wooden looms
and found it amazing, thinking, ‘wow that makes so much sense’, I had never
even considered that aspect before. What really stood out to me was that those
people were earning a lot of money, comparatively, earning almost ten times the
amount an average Ethiopian person would earn, and my thought was, why are so
many NGOs dedicated to raising income and why are they doing random projects in
random places, with zero accountability when there are clearly industries that
can generate really good value for people. That's when I became interested in
fashion as a product because, when it’s done well it is a way to really honour
skill and craftsmanship, labour, creative intelligence and knowledge, that's what
led me to fashion. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC2bEAbhYkDrNBhA9uUj0_l4-pAZM19AmT2RueVSWqNckfAMwBxgrI-Zq-_oUZXOv5UVvezFRbLKDm2wqrSCEn752ACRpo6dwYO65Rth9cZwFi3P4nGtRRxuKzfUpgNHXWidw0EUGywUSAo__ZZsJMnwPfGkko_CU0_FcUycbrJfe9Dy0XxVnaXRzeck/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000213%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC2bEAbhYkDrNBhA9uUj0_l4-pAZM19AmT2RueVSWqNckfAMwBxgrI-Zq-_oUZXOv5UVvezFRbLKDm2wqrSCEn752ACRpo6dwYO65Rth9cZwFi3P4nGtRRxuKzfUpgNHXWidw0EUGywUSAo__ZZsJMnwPfGkko_CU0_FcUycbrJfe9Dy0XxVnaXRzeck/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000213%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Was it while you were studying your first degree that you
went to Ethiopia and saw this side of things? It's really interesting what you
say said about NGOs. I can see that your experience with them has informed the
way you work. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: I think that's what social entrepreneurship does, it
tries to drive social value growths, environmental protection, environmental
value growth but through business, and because it's business it has built in
accountability and built in measures of success, whereas social work sometimes doesn’t
have that. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Because they do their project and leave, whereas you are continuing
the work. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: What tends to happen is that lots of organisations do the
same project and then they all take benefit for the changes without quite
accounting for the impact. Which means it's really inefficient and really
unjust because huge, huge, huge sums of money are being misspent.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: So what happens when they finish the project and move on?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: Oftentimes it means they are warping industries too. I'm
not a pure capitalist and obviously capitalism has problems but you tend to do
a good job of supply and demand. The problem lies when, for example; one of the
projects we worked on was a water resiliency programme in the southern nations
and we were doing a lot of research into how you build more resiliency and we
found out that although wells were being built the people were being charged
for it, something like a quarter of a cent, a ridiculously small amount of
money, but because most of the people who lived there weren’t earning any income
at all it was an absurd amount of money for them because it was out of their
reach. So, it was impractical, but that's what the Funder, EU Aid wanted to
build, so they end up building dozens more that no-one could use.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: That’s really sad but also really enlightening for me, I
didn't know any of this. So how do we change that going forward? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: Africa pays twice as much in debt repayments for every
payment it receives in aid, and a lot of aid is tied to military support.
Change needs more just relationships on the international level. Luckily Africa
is developing a pan Africanism on most things so the reliance on aid from the
West will lower over time and hopefully better relationships with trade will develop
over time.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHqk-yLQ7IkYo825t4brgctNAFmXBYIlzuA17IYuom7QvPhJ7Yp4dPp7XZcFpf2nvRL4gDCpjkvows9H8HdHWzZyfWYn4qAjiaA6ENaQ117Mab0pan3MwWpf1VJZl2crGHHPzaY_hyphenhyphenZZZw8jwsO8LfAUEPP4CB9s6Ez6wm-Yc_9_UXMBNaLGIpE1W2qE/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000086%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHqk-yLQ7IkYo825t4brgctNAFmXBYIlzuA17IYuom7QvPhJ7Yp4dPp7XZcFpf2nvRL4gDCpjkvows9H8HdHWzZyfWYn4qAjiaA6ENaQ117Mab0pan3MwWpf1VJZl2crGHHPzaY_hyphenhyphenZZZw8jwsO8LfAUEPP4CB9s6Ez6wm-Yc_9_UXMBNaLGIpE1W2qE/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000086%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Why did you choose politics and economics for your first
degree? I understand your MBA because it fits beautifully with all the work you
are doing, but politics, economics and philosophy as a starting point feels
very different. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: My degree title was politics, philosophy and economics
with industrial experience in Spanish, and to answer the question is it’s
because I can't choose (laughs). I want to know everything, try everything and
do everything. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a mixture of being
interested in politics and strategy in particular which I still am. I hope one
day my career will take me back to strategy. Also at the age of 18 it meant
that there was a freedom in not committing to something fully.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You owned a store called Sanchos where did that name come
from and what led you to set it up and move from doing pop up to bricks and
mortar?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: The name is like a nickname, a name my parents called me,
Sancho or Sanch at home, as most of my family do. It originates from home and
is descriptive of chubby girls who are strong and have a of bit fight in them,
which means they are the type of the people who tend to get that name. I
thought that as it's something that I think reflects me well, I thought it
would be fun to call a fashion brand the same without knowing what the brand would
become. The name was decided during a taxi journey in Addis Ababa in five
minutes, as we needed a name for the domain and URL. I like it and most people also
really like it plus our logo is a lioness, because I'm hugely motivated to
empower women. It made sense in 2014 but right now it seems a bit dated, of
course there is so much we still need to do, and of course there's so much
injustice and inequality because of gender, but it’s 2024 why are we still here?
Why is there still such a gender pay gap? Why is there still such a political decision-making
gap in every way? I feel right now, I wish it was a bit more radical, because
at the time it was #girlpower go for it and right now I'm fed up with the lack
of change.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I think it’s a great name, it sounds Spanish, does it
have a Spanish origin?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: A Mexican film my parents saw called Pancho El Sancho was
really popular in Addis in the 80s (1988) and the funny character Pancho was ridiculous,
he was a psychic and he ate a lot and that’s why it became a descriptive name
for people who eat a lot. It's an affectionate name not critical. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: As you said your logo was a lioness which depicts a strong
female force. What led you to set up Sancho's?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: In 2014/15 people were still using the excuse, that there's
nothing from sustainable brands or what can I do, there's no option offered, or
that option doesn’t exist or they had a real complete misunderstanding of the
impact of the fashion industry. What we wanted to do was to put everything
under one roof so that consumers could make informed decisions about how their
money was influencing climate change and product development and product use. We
wanted to have the conversation around, who makes your clothes, what impact
your shopping decisions is having in the world, whilst connecting with the
brands and putting them into one place so people could make a holistic
lifestyle choice, and holistic lifestyle shift. That was why we set up the
business the way we did and it's why we opened the store. From a personal point
of view we, (Vidmantas and I) had just left university which is a time when you
are trying to figure out so much about who you are and what you should do, and
I think it gave us a root to our identity and allowed us to creatively express
ourselves, inform ourselves and educate ourselves and discover who we are in a
way that was really aligned and sharp. Over time we took a much more a
strategic approach to the business and a more market led opportunity. We always
knew that people should think about the impact of their choices, who you vote
for, what you eat, and obviously you can't reorder everything, but those who
can should and it's important for us all to consider what options we have. That
has always been a core value mine and Vidmantas’s it was a fulfilling
experience for us, it was nourishing and rewarding. Having a physical space, a
place in the community and a role within the community helped us get to know
who we were as young adults.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQJXGIJnH2T1REXLHlkyaE2hpeyHlrQcDg-8EGKuPfGPZ7fyOOkZCJq47dLa6VRyEWJ-fapOlYPkQ5mYoB4YUfZcxOUGH8jlD432J1ET0Vdq4GK8KFd7in14eMQ9SxO6MycOT9htgAGLA3RCH5oPy46_G1fg6ci6EON9MTm1dXQXCkQF0przsP08_fdg/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000133%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQJXGIJnH2T1REXLHlkyaE2hpeyHlrQcDg-8EGKuPfGPZ7fyOOkZCJq47dLa6VRyEWJ-fapOlYPkQ5mYoB4YUfZcxOUGH8jlD432J1ET0Vdq4GK8KFd7in14eMQ9SxO6MycOT9htgAGLA3RCH5oPy46_G1fg6ci6EON9MTm1dXQXCkQF0przsP08_fdg/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000133%20rts.jpg" /></a></div> </div><p></p>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What problems did you face building that business? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: Inexperience was a challenge, a lot of people are afraid
of business because they think you need to have really specific characteristics
to succeed, that you need to be a certain type of way. That's true to some
extent, as you have to be comfortable with risk and uncertainty, but beyond
that I think it's a function of what you've experienced in the past, and most
people who are successful in business either come from the industry or they
have networks, where they belong to a family or community where that type of
business is communicated. But we are alone and away from our family and didn’t have
much work experience, marketing, sales or business experience, and I think that
that learning curve was huge and prolonged, so that was a big challenge. But I
think every person going into business will experience that to some extent. We were
definitely affected by having restricted budgets, when we set up Sanchos it was
with our student overdraft with something like £1,000. We tried to get a loan
but the bank refused. Running a business with no money is challenging. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did they give a reason why?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: They said the loan was too small and that we didn't have an
experienced enough team, but I know lots of people who have smaller and bigger teams
and less experience but that was their reason. I see it now with people who are
starting companies I see them trying to reckon with the reality of trying to create
a business with no money and it's impossible. It’s important for people to
learn that they can spend time getting money to do their business and that that's
an OK and possible way for them to do it, but we didn’t know that then. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You have ethical and sustainable pillars that you adhere to
with your work can you tell us what they are?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: Fair Trade as 2 words and the way we look for that is
through 3<sup>rd</sup> party accreditations like the Fair Trade Foundation the WFTA or Fair Wear. Not all companies can afford those accreditations and should
that be the case, we will look for evidence of the bargaining power of the
worker. Perhaps it’s an artisanal product and the craft person is the person
selling it, or it's a small collective but they have Fair Trade principles in
place, like prepayment so that's what we look for in those cases. Then we look
for natural materials that are organic, because the fashion industry uses around
10% of the worlds arable land and it's very water intensive. Organic materials on
the other hand use rain fed irrigation, they don't use pesticides and farmers
are not tied to the debt cycle of fertilisers and seeds of inorganic production.
Also when the garments are worn they are less likely to be toxic and when they are
discarded they are less likely to be toxic too. We also look for recycled
materials, if they are using a synthetic material like polyester we will look
for a recycled one. Then we try to choose pieces that we know people are going
to wear at least 30 times, which is essentially a rejection of trend, and an embracing
of capsuling. We really want to sell things that we love and feel really nice
to wear. A lot of what we sell we have sold for five years and we carry it
because we know that eventually people will need that exact thing again and
they'll need it over enough time for us to hold on to it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKXHjuCeh6zu_VfdRW72KVEWvivAvZjNoWXO0nRsTC_pFZovOllJRLjwgAhB41qo_4087ZUIhg_qTj4j978oRXEbCwCcBLDe89-e-Nearp_R_OdqKAzWzFnmILvZpF5-d92crEOMOCXnjkVDOh78bwc8kEABcNvnYxd-pZvWql2pr6IzR9_-GIT2ag4M/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000287%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKXHjuCeh6zu_VfdRW72KVEWvivAvZjNoWXO0nRsTC_pFZovOllJRLjwgAhB41qo_4087ZUIhg_qTj4j978oRXEbCwCcBLDe89-e-Nearp_R_OdqKAzWzFnmILvZpF5-d92crEOMOCXnjkVDOh78bwc8kEABcNvnYxd-pZvWql2pr6IzR9_-GIT2ag4M/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000287%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> </div><p></p>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You also had a unique way of pricing in store can you
tell us about the pricing points you had and why you did that? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sent a marketing
email out during the first Covid lockdown with some products that had arrived
and were absolutely beautiful and very ethical, the perfect type of product. I
got an email back from a customer saying, great product can't buy it it’s not
in my price range, I’m leaving your newsletter. That really hit me, because
yes, not everyone has the same budget. People shy away from this problem in the
sustainable business field, this idea that is unaffordable to most saying
instead, save enough money to buy it or they say don't buy it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there's still that fundamental problem,
that in order to live more sustainably, it’s the consumer that has to take on the
extra costs and the true reality is, that we all sit in different places, where
for some of us that’s doable and for some people it's not. So, should those
people not have better quality products are going to last too? Terry Pritchard wrote
about shoes and how expensive it is to be poor. He talked about the cycle of
buying and replacing things using the example of shoes. His character buys a
pair of shoes, they get damaged they have to buy another, they get damaged,
they need to buy another so that that first £10 pound purchase becomes £50
pounds over the course of the year, so there is a cost to poverty. Is it not
the responsibility of businesses too alleviate that in some way? I would say it
is. If you have more money you should pay more money, you should pay more money
for everything actually. That’s why instore we had tiered pricing on a range of
our products, not on everything because it's really dependent on what things
cost us and what we can afford to discount and we can't afford to do that for
everything but on the things we can, we give customers an option to pay either a
cost price, or a cost plus staffing and marketing price, or full price, which
covers the profit that we will make from the item too. The impact that has is
that it makes people think about the category that they actually fall in to and
a lot of people realise that they have more than they think they do. Of course
there are a lot of consumers who will say sustainable fashions really expensive,
but what they actually mean is, I don't want that item, which are two different
things. I had a customer who is a councillor, once choose the lower price. Now councillors
are not paid a huge amount of money, but usually to be a councillor you have to
have at least the luxury of time. She had chosen the lower price but came back
and said ‘actually I reflected on it and I think that I can pay the higher
price, can you choose the high price for me?’ We have also had some people over
pay, saying let me give you more money to offset the cost of the lower price. We
have also had lots of people who have selected the lower price and because of
that felt included in a company that they agree with ethically and now own
something that otherwise they might not be able to access.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: That’s amazing an amazing way to be inclusive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: You would think that's how more services should work,
right? Fashion is obviously not an essential service but it is a really great
tool to communicate ideas. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqK9tVQV6UhK4gr7cu2oCywuHww5id44NHrdCKhFyCEKPKkGptjxC0AiwDjZfG6CEKLpr4efczTomnB0z_L1ISiVTL4cbuUc1coRoQTZq4a9XnHxr1_A7f9rNZg_yEHaWdvBmyvGLB_n2srHBrM8eTyuOedHXA1m1DcrJSXDICnAhBzegXCgO7_nfspE/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000238%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqK9tVQV6UhK4gr7cu2oCywuHww5id44NHrdCKhFyCEKPKkGptjxC0AiwDjZfG6CEKLpr4efczTomnB0z_L1ISiVTL4cbuUc1coRoQTZq4a9XnHxr1_A7f9rNZg_yEHaWdvBmyvGLB_n2srHBrM8eTyuOedHXA1m1DcrJSXDICnAhBzegXCgO7_nfspE/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000238%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How have the last few years affected you? A lot has
happened, big world events and changes in how the UK does business.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: I think that’s such an important question to think about and
reflect on because while you experience it you don’t reflect on it. We now have
clear visibility of inequality and I think the good thing about that is that it's
created a new social discourse where people are way more critical of those who
have power, wealth and privilege. It is absolutely necessary for us to affect
the balance of power and privilege but experiencing it is challenging. I feel
the experience a lot of people have is that so much change has been outside of
their power. Lockdowns, Covid, Brexit, global war so much of it is out of our
power that it can feel disempowering, yet in smaller pockets I felt more
empowered. More empowered to trust what I feel and know is valid. A positive of
the lockdowns we lived through was that suddenly we had access in rooms at an international
level that were inaccessible in person. Making it easier to be interactive with
spots and spaces that had more power and influence in different areas than
before and I think that helped teach me the real scope of my work and thoughts
and beliefs. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Do you still hold your swapping events? Tell us what initiated
that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: It was the awareness that there's too much fashion out
there and such a mismatch between what people want, what they have, and where
things are. The swaps are a really great way to get people to share what they
have, bring them in, and keeping garments in use. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_5DDqDhXLUhQ2SRx1hRmyO9xr4KGa8fvt9udTRva0iIGVgChjpdS1JNBHK12KKZUHsfApnjKYlXyYR6Z8WYcLUGUXsxQ5-VNDHHEkACR6vFUa0Ahr4gyKQzCsdLmQFhMCE4cFgqzm2MvEFommxwwkprFCHZQ8-KZUtQMXKyqjHa1jUH4fesUwO_Y5TE/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000108%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_5DDqDhXLUhQ2SRx1hRmyO9xr4KGa8fvt9udTRva0iIGVgChjpdS1JNBHK12KKZUHsfApnjKYlXyYR6Z8WYcLUGUXsxQ5-VNDHHEkACR6vFUa0Ahr4gyKQzCsdLmQFhMCE4cFgqzm2MvEFommxwwkprFCHZQ8-KZUtQMXKyqjHa1jUH4fesUwO_Y5TE/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000108%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You have built this out further by creating an app called
Owni. What is your aim with the app? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: What I know very clearly is that we've sold products to
people that they are not wearing that are sitting in their wardrobes. We often
think about the problem of over consumption at the point of the consumer, that
the consumer has bought too much. But actually businesses have sold them more
than they needed. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">I wanted to create a way to
connect brands to the second life of their clothes, because brands have the
most influence of what's produced and created. They also have the most
information about their products which will help inform the end life of the
items and how they are recycled. I realised that we had all the core systems
there to build that and we only needed a platform to engage people and a way to
do it efficiently and at scale. We could have said we will buy back your items
and resell them. The problem with that is supply and demand again and the
efficiency of how much and at what volume we could do. Plus how do we find the
potential customer. Using peer to peer people can buy and sell between
themselves and potentially be more efficient and be of more value. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">I believe that businesses need to
produce less I believe that degrowth is absolutely necessary, but it will be
really hard to convince businesses to do that when that essentially challenges
the longevity of their models. What Owni does is that it gives them a way to
continue to service the things they have already sold through this peer to peer
platform and generate revenue after the fact be that two, three years after the
sale, over and over and over until that item can no longer be bought and sold
second hand. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">Then when the item reaches that end
point within a circular ecosystem we know where it started, we know who
purchased it, we know how it's changed and we can take all of that information
and connect it to recycling facilities so that they can recover items in bulk
and then produce new. That's the mission and it should be possible. The
challenge is getting enough coverage to be effective, but I think we're going
to get there and we've have some really exciting traction with independent brands
who are already engaged. Plus we have some really really huge companies who are
interested too like M&S. We built the app by fundraising.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: The app has been up and running for a while now. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: Yes, people can buy and sell on it like they can on eBay,
Vinted or Depop. We also have the recycling integration ready for use. I am so optimistic
of the potential of the circular eonomy to really create the world we want to
live in. There is so much potential in underused items. One of my favourite
things to do is to go to recycling centres. There is an amazing one here in
Exeter and I love seeing the potential of the garments there, thinking if only
the right person or the right company was looking at that waste, something
amazing would be created from it. It's a really exciting opportunity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HcE8bJ6rqzuBJ28RlgIjtd54MEH10z-tX-O1PKMTrbIMV8qZXZGwEKcXRzfV4xNKSpCMQLfBH-8G8OLRNhVMzJ3v2-aUSLmVZojO5-XHz3ThRev-oJflrRTuHHt28qfrWTAywj93Q3TfpfRephnvDVoUbIYXDIj4p2qqZ2ThoRSStPJBfC98ItqE74U/s1277/Kalkidan%20Legesse000273%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HcE8bJ6rqzuBJ28RlgIjtd54MEH10z-tX-O1PKMTrbIMV8qZXZGwEKcXRzfV4xNKSpCMQLfBH-8G8OLRNhVMzJ3v2-aUSLmVZojO5-XHz3ThRev-oJflrRTuHHt28qfrWTAywj93Q3TfpfRephnvDVoUbIYXDIj4p2qqZ2ThoRSStPJBfC98ItqE74U/s16000/Kalkidan%20Legesse000273%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What drives you Kalkidan, what is your mission?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: I think the world could be better and I think it can. It
can be scary and sometimes it's difficult to see what you <i><u>can</u></i> do.
But fundamentally I think things can get better so it's better to do something about
it than not to, and I guess that's what drives me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I hate seeing injustice and I hate experiencing it, and I
hate when I'm exposed to it through the people that I care about and know. It
clicks something in my mind and soul and makes me want fight.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How do you see the future?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: With OWNI I think we can encourage the worlds biggest
brands to take responsibility for over production in an effective way and in a
way that transforms how people interact with what they own. I think that people,
powered with the in depth details of what they've purchased, where it's from, its
carbon footprint, who made it, it’s material composition and the ability to
style it will allow them to be huge curators of what they own and take real
passion in that. I'm really excited to create that way of interacting with our
things, that will be amazing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I spend so much time focusing on all kind of arbitrary
metrics, like percentage growth rate, or social media engagement. I'd love to
do all of that whilst also having time to read a book a week (laughs). </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Links</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Web<span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><a href="https://owni.app/" target="_blank">Owni</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><a href="https://sanchosshop.com/" target="_blank">Sancho's</a> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Instagram<span> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kalkidan.legesse.mekuria/?hl=en" target="_blank">Kalkidan.Legesse.Mekuria</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/owni.app/?hl=en" target="_blank">Owni.App</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/wowsancho/?hl=en" target="_blank">Sancho's</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">LinkedIn<span> </span><span> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAABScQNwBwBYqLw-1j_ZdC_lmGVAB9Cunjig&keywords=Kalkidan%20Legesse&origin=ENTITY_SEARCH_HOME_HISTORY&sid=hxt" target="_blank">Kalkidan Legesse</a></span> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><br />Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-53600253801915975312023-12-15T08:32:00.002+00:002023-12-15T16:50:58.281+00:00Lucy Siegle - Journalist, Author, Broadcaster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsURqIXNDuuRgobZ6P8qq3dGXe26hn-TRfMfV0RJs8STzOZaAE5iRMdihg6K5rIxdtZlr68WDt527pSKk3w-LJlxFJXyH-sFj9g4__eqSkP0boqUptOrjrjrgjh9CVdoUMbA7HOJLX26evdOTjUYZtcuwm8zmmrr5E6dA02m9TvKZJ85FtuBAt8Zogmmg/s1276/Lucy%20Siegel000400%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsURqIXNDuuRgobZ6P8qq3dGXe26hn-TRfMfV0RJs8STzOZaAE5iRMdihg6K5rIxdtZlr68WDt527pSKk3w-LJlxFJXyH-sFj9g4__eqSkP0boqUptOrjrjrgjh9CVdoUMbA7HOJLX26evdOTjUYZtcuwm8zmmrr5E6dA02m9TvKZJ85FtuBAt8Zogmmg/s16000/Lucy%20Siegel000400%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <p class="MsoNormal">Lucy is brilliant she is a very accomplished journalist, author
and broadcaster, and has always used her writing and her voice to point towards
the need for change across all supply chains. The stories she tells are
evidence driven. Evidence is a guiding light for her and she has a brilliant
journalistic instinct for finding the truth. A truth she has been perusing
since she was 15. Her drive: ‘always, to offer people something better.’ </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Since Lucy and I spoke she has returned from COP 28 where
yet again the fate of the world’s population lies solely in the hands of men.
Lucy posted an image from the talks that highlights that again 50% of humanity
is missing from the decision making, are voiceless and only allowed to make
sure things run smoothly in the background. Lucy asked a pertinent question in her
post “Do we need a women only climate process?” I for one would be all the way
in for this. When I started this project it was obvious to me that women
already lead the way, so why do we not see ourselves represented front and
centre at these global gatherings?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It reminds me of a quote another of my Inspirational Women
Anyango Mpinga mentioned ‘The world of humanity has two wings – one is women,
the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly.
Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible.’ Abdu l- Bahá </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is a great read, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have bringing
Lucy’s story to you.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWF59D406cDIXDp2rmiNT9VWxQ7gHVKl-J2FA2qF2NMcR_xlf2Poq9mtnm72UHJKrNcyrjWge6T2KgfjfFq673rhmQj2tToiN5Qw9TqBBVhgi-3Jb3ySwNNOjfem7WUzorLHxXATar332b8muYhVrAZmgLMftWMG1nWv-HCTKyZjVl-lX2TlsJk7x92I/s1277/Lucy%20Siegel000016%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFWF59D406cDIXDp2rmiNT9VWxQ7gHVKl-J2FA2qF2NMcR_xlf2Poq9mtnm72UHJKrNcyrjWge6T2KgfjfFq673rhmQj2tToiN5Qw9TqBBVhgi-3Jb3ySwNNOjfem7WUzorLHxXATar332b8muYhVrAZmgLMftWMG1nWv-HCTKyZjVl-lX2TlsJk7x92I/s16000/Lucy%20Siegel000016%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Where did you grow up Lucy? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I grew up in lots of places. I was born in the northwest
of England. Dad's from Ireland and mum is from Liverpool, but my grandparents
retired to Chester and were in New Zealand for a year, so I happened to be born
in their house. So it was by fluke really, that I happened to be born in
Chester. Then we moved around a lot, we lived in Ireland, and England, I feel
like my roots are from the north, that northwest Irish thing which is very
common. In the 80s we lived in Mullingar in County Westmeath, and lived in Bray
on the coast and went to school in in Dublin so as you can see lots of
different places. Then I moved to London when I was 17 to go to university, and
I've pretty much been in the southeast ever since. In a sense, I've been in
London much longer than I've been in any of the other places, but I think you
always feel attached to your roots and your family context and mine is, Irish
Northern and Liverpool. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Multicultural. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Yes, in a very narrow sense. From a mixed religious marriage,
Protestant and Catholic which used to be quite a big deal back in the day. But I
hope we’re all OK with it now. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It creates an understanding that creates peace. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: There are lots of divisions that exist, cultural and
historical divisions but you're not really alive to that context, because it's
your reality. One thing I have been conscious of is that I was brought up not to
discuss politics in the main. So I was brought up to be quite<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>apolitical apart from bursts, like when mum
got quite keen on Greenham Common but part from that very, very non-political.
My husband on the other hand is from quite a political family, so I really
notice the difference. I have always been interested in politics but I always
felt like it would be too upsetting to talk about at the dinner table, so I
probably focused on more on history and literature. I think this absence is
probably why I have taken the approach to journalism that I have. I never
formally studied anything apart from English and Drama which I did at college,
I prefer to feed of what's around me, then do deep research, that’s how I like
to work. I do have quite a political sense, I've developed this sense though. I
feel like now I’ve got quite good at reading political currents.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Growing up I also got to experience two political systems. The
one in the UK, I find to be particularly bat shit, and proportional
representation, which I grew up with, which I find to be, much more democratic.
So I've grown up in a democracy part time, that is how I would phrase it.</p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I saw that you'd been to school in Ireland and had studied
music and we're an academic exhibitioner, what is an academic exhibitioner?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was part of
my secondary education. Because we moved around so much, we were always being
parachuted into different places. I went to 15 schools, which is a lot of
schools, mainly primary schools, where sometimes we would start halfway through
the term. I don't think you would be allowed to do that now, because there's a
lot more cohesion around the understanding that, that's not actually very good
for kids. Also, with the pressures on places in state schools now, it would be
almost impossible to turn up halfway through term and get a place. Sometimes, even
then I couldn't get a place, so my parents used the private system, but it was
a bit out of our price range, which meant I always had to have a scholarship or
an exhibition and became quite good at taking those exams. That was kind of fun
at the start because, in those days you wanted to be more individual whereas today
kids want to assimilate, that's the big thing. My nephew won’t wear anything
unless it's black Adidas, they all even wear the same socks they don’t have any
deviation whatsoever. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at school I
always felt like I wanted to like stand out for some reason, also because I was
only ever there for quite small amounts of time, I wanted to make an impression
quickly whether that was having the craziest fashion sense, or being the most
musical, or being academic. Whatever I could do, I would try and find that
little niche, which often led to scholarships. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrn-L1d_ZdbPTipf52deH0ROFkF31OQl5ltI5EsEt5icK8QVY0IK8LaWlBxt2P7kBN9D3pJtiOtQ3osvmJg8DEdQNZMpUbwaA8DIB0GvmITUsDbnnd4QoJRY5u3S9YsBcZMwRxVkKICMdTPDQ7ApYGLVfYdQ4j5MjrLGdbhozyt5f3MFbGEVzfXBGtY1I/s1277/Lucy%20Siegel000284%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrn-L1d_ZdbPTipf52deH0ROFkF31OQl5ltI5EsEt5icK8QVY0IK8LaWlBxt2P7kBN9D3pJtiOtQ3osvmJg8DEdQNZMpUbwaA8DIB0GvmITUsDbnnd4QoJRY5u3S9YsBcZMwRxVkKICMdTPDQ7ApYGLVfYdQ4j5MjrLGdbhozyt5f3MFbGEVzfXBGtY1I/s16000/Lucy%20Siegel000284%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Maybe the moving around allowed you that individualism, a
lot of people get to that teenage point where they want to assimilate, and only
after their brain is rewired when they are about 18 that they say ‘It's OK for
me to be different again’. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I think it's healthy to want to assimilate. I'm not sure
it's massively healthy to want to stand out the entire time, it certainly was a
little bit exhausting. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Recently I went back to Dublin, one of my best friends from
school: his daughter was 10 and they are non-religious and although he was
brought up in a very Catholic household, it was not for him, he discovered
atheism early on. But because their little girl missed out on First Communion,
all her friends had the dress and also get loads of money, and course she wanted
the money and the dress. So they had a humanist celebrant, and had an age of
reason ceremony instead, which was really nice and she was happy because she
got the dress, the money and the gifts. My husband's her non God Godfather and we
went over to celebrate that with them. He is typical of the people that I went
to school with as a teenager and are still very much in each other’s lives. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I feel very bonded with my Irish friends. I think it was
probably because we grew up in quite a humanist, value laden schooling system,
which was also quite free, and you had to find your own set of values quite
quickly. It wasn't perfect, and I know a lot of people probably didn't enjoy it
as much as I did. But for some reason we're still quite close in each other’s
lives. Whereas some of the other schools I went to, I wouldn't know the people if
I passed them in the street. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's a strange thing when you decide to stay in touch and
how that experience shapes you or whether it even shapes you. I do understand
when people don’t have anything good to say about their school years. I suppose
with teenage development that you were referencing before, or young adults, there
are certain periods in your life when you're probably more able to make deep
bonds with people and it just so happened that because of the way my childhood
progressed, I think of it in two year blocks almost, that was a snapshot which
I ended up taking with me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course Dublin was very cool, it was in a transition, it
was in an emergent phase. It was turning from a sort of backwater, with a
massive heroin problem and crime problem into something else, almost a Centre
for the Arts. Adam Clayton from U2 went to my school, obviously he is much
older than me, but we had someone we could say, this represents us. There was a
big music scene. The Commitments, the film came out, and everybody knew someone
who was in the Commitments, it was like a cultural force. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I didn't really have a strong identity because I'm not
really from anywhere, but I also could latch onto identity. Mum was luckily
from Liverpool, at the time of The Beatles, dad from Northern Ireland in the
era of George Best, so I've always had different cultural bits that I'm sort of
allied to. I think that's helps you orientate yourself. As part of a choir trip
we went to Boston and just having Irish Travellers cheques was enough to stop the
whole Shopping Arcade, they were giving us free stuff, once we realised that…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Being Irish is an amazing thing when travelling.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: In Boston it is.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I've been to so
many places, where being Irish has stood me in great stead.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: So, there's a cool group of people who I went to school
with from mostly from South County Dublin. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJ6qtUiGEu8ja7jEIS_IUnCN5_r6rKgMxMBjTX3YN_Y2jsiLZPAdFlu_UKo-Obz_ieS1LtbqAlP7wwEqgBiMAYAIYpd1qVS4cVNByuqkgLWoB7B7m4Xo_ME8WYQwd9G4zgUYrWV0JWY-l0uqbSEWsgNhfzmxJfbdw0B8XY1vjP8OQnq5LJRQ2Lsk48zkM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJ6qtUiGEu8ja7jEIS_IUnCN5_r6rKgMxMBjTX3YN_Y2jsiLZPAdFlu_UKo-Obz_ieS1LtbqAlP7wwEqgBiMAYAIYpd1qVS4cVNByuqkgLWoB7B7m4Xo_ME8WYQwd9G4zgUYrWV0JWY-l0uqbSEWsgNhfzmxJfbdw0B8XY1vjP8OQnq5LJRQ2Lsk48zkM=s16000" /></a></div><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You said you went to university when you were 17. That's
young, and writing and drama, do feel that's helped you as far as your career
is concerned?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: The the drama, definitely. I did a BA in English and Drama
between Queen Mary and Westfield and Central School of Speech and Drama in
Swiss Cottage which doesn’t exist anymore, but we had a good run and it allowed
me to do drama school without having to pay full fees because drama education
was not covered and in those days your tuition fees are paid. I also got a full
grant, which was the last year to get that. I also worked at the Royal Court theatre.
The course was not a good enough grounding to be an actor, which I now realise
because I have friends who are actors who went to Drama Centre or Rada and when
they graduated they were doing Hamlet. When I left Uni I had no focus, no
direction. But it did teach me a few skills, like memorising scripts. Afterwards
I went to City Lit on Saturdays and kept up my drama, learning with people who
had actually been actors. That was really good because when I came to do TV
quite a few years later, I could work, to a camera, I could do live, and I can
memorise chunks of text which you need to do. When I started doing TV about
fifteen years ago you didn't have an autocue for your phone. You would be given
a script on set and the crew would all stand there until you knew it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: No pressure then…</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: That was a random skill that was helpful for me as there was
a big gap between college and doing TV. I have always known that I could, write
and was taught to write essays at school I had a great teacher, a history
teacher who had been a barrister and was very, very good at constructing
arguments. I think, like many of these things, it's a knack, which enabled me
to turn that into my job eventually. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did you have any fashion influences growing up? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I used to watch the Clothes Show and mum was always very
stylish. I had a lot of interest in how people wore stuff and from a very young
age, was very interested in Vivienne Westwood, which was strange because nobody
around me was into fashion, except maybe one of my friends at school, who came
to London on a trip and ran off with a photographer, she got into fashion that
way. But we would have been the ones that were trying to do the Vivienne look
at parties. I would have a choker and I was trying to get a bustier from
somewhere, there was no fast fashion then. Mum used dress agencies which were secondhand
where you could also sell and mum was very into those and we would spend hours
in this dress agency. Dublin was quite a fashionable place but it was very craft
driven, it was all about the making of, and where the wool was from and it was
very cliquey. There seemed to be a great interplay between the tourist board
and the clothing, which I kind of got but I also didn't get, because I could
see that it wasn’t done on design merit but on marketing. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From a young age I was very anxious to get to London. A
friends grandmother had a little flat in London and one summer we must have
been about 15, we came over and stayed there and remember going to Hyper Hyper
in Kensington Market three times a day which probably sparked my interest more
and I would walk round Harrods literally making notes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It’s such a shame that Hyper Hyper's not there anymore. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: It was brilliant. That same year our family moved to
Manchester and Afflecks Palace was there, which was my church really. I was at
school in Manchester from 15 to 17 and probably didn't go to school as much so
should have. But I certainly went to Afflecks Palace and of course I got into
the rave scene, at the of tail end of the Hacienda and also went to a little
club called The Limit. An enterprising girl in my year who used to dress like
Betty Boo, with big headbands, very short tartan skirts and over the knee socks,
I really liked that style, was also one of the first people to start producing flyers
for different club nights and giving them out around Manchester. Style was connected
to rave culture and my fashion awareness was very much around clubbing, and
again Vivienne Westwood. But I could only afford the very small pieces like the
underwear, like a body with Baroque Rococo and devore embossing. I really was
attracted to that, Dangerous Liaisons, hyper historical influence. Also, weird
fabrics, PVC that kind of club thing with lots of plasticky fabrics and that
hyper global stuff that turned different colours. My style was a mix of rave
but not hippy rave, I never did hippy raves in those days, and that is where my
fashion sense came from, very influenced by i-D and the Face and very much
heading towards fast fashion. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbLtyx8-8l9T9SDLADGjly4pcV27dBx-L-AQM2LwKg0nBZ_AG90naMWUxWVHhOjq7D8lWNCFC9_f-4ZfbUePRHqwnbaAkrPUB079cBxZOXmB0p90lYfzBSv2PV5P4CtuDoAxVQGfWli3SLdionbKf_4EV06kOQmcU8N8pDc3AA9YXiFgvLylNRmuMs6WM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbLtyx8-8l9T9SDLADGjly4pcV27dBx-L-AQM2LwKg0nBZ_AG90naMWUxWVHhOjq7D8lWNCFC9_f-4ZfbUePRHqwnbaAkrPUB079cBxZOXmB0p90lYfzBSv2PV5P4CtuDoAxVQGfWli3SLdionbKf_4EV06kOQmcU8N8pDc3AA9YXiFgvLylNRmuMs6WM=s16000" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How did you end up working for a factory? Did you go
there after school?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: After school I went to university. After university there
was a little bit of a recession in 95/96 that’s a bit lost in the annals of
history. I did a bit of acting, a little bit of music. I used to do some
session work musically on club house tracks. My best friend and I did various theatre
projects together and also had a club theatre event were we would create performances
in clubs. I was an aerobics instructor for a long time, which I loved but I
needed more stable work and ended up temping and living in South London. I temped
in a wallpaper and textiles factory which I enjoyed and still have friends from
there. A lot of them came out of design schools and were textile designers. I
used to work in the contracts department and provided fabric and wallpaper for
the big hotels like Hilton. Eventually I moved into their press office, because
I felt I should do something a little more creative and worked in that
department for a year. During that year I was meeting lots of interiors
journalists for the likes of House and Garden Magazine, who were all lovely and
I thought, ‘oh, I'd much rather do that than what I'm doing, why don't I try
and work in journalism’, at the time there were so many interiors magazines and
I was more interested in textiles than fashion, so it made sense. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I was working in the factory, someone phoned from a changing
rooms type programme it was another BBC show, this incredibly sweet guy and who
was a researcher/presenter and the house they were going to film at had fallen
through and he was like ‘Oh my God, do you know anyone who's got a house that
we could film in last minute?’ I said ‘no’. But he called back, so desperate asking
‘can we film in your flat, please?’ I said, ‘OK’, laughs. Then he said ‘but you
need to be in it, you and your husband’ – I can’t even remember if I was
married then. But Ben and I had to get a day off work. They came round and filmed
this thing, and what a rigmarole. The whole crew had a sort of bust up halfway
through and it took about 14 hours to shoot. I remember thinking, this is
madness, they didn't seem to have any interpersonal skills and it was all a bit
weird. No one was taking charge, and I thought, I can do this better. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I suppose that was my first airing on TV because those
shows, were huge then. I remember everyone coming round to watch the show go
out live from our the flat, where the makeover had been done. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Was the makeover good? I have always wondered.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: It was appallingly bad. They put a massive stripe around
the room to make it look bigger, which made it look ridiculous, and they put a
big tree branch in the room. It was really bad. I don't think the landlord
liked it at all. Two things happened as a result of that, my sister-in-law, we
were looking after her sofa, because she’d moved to Brazil and they dyed it for
the show, so we had to buy the sofa and I think we had to buy the flat,
(laughs). So the whole thing was quite strange. But there was a window of
opportunity because there was this burgeoning of makeover/DIY shows going on in
the UK then and brands like Homebase and Kingfisher were obviously trying to
flog products. I had worked for Laura Ashley as a Saturday girl when I was at school
so I sort of knew the industry, but I wanted to do something that was a little
bit more interesting and I was drawn more to the architectural side. I had also
come across writers of the day like Min Hogg of World of Interiors, people who
had a much more elevated understanding of decorating and how to use textiles. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the thing that no one ever talked about anywhere was
where everything came from and who made them. I really couldn't believe that
that wasn't of interest to anybody, ever. In the textiles industry I always
wondered about the big bolts of silk that would arrive, beautiful silk and I
remember questioning their origin. Who wove them? Where was the silk picked and
processed? I was told they were from India and then I wondered if they were
from Varanassi as I had been there when I was 15. When I visited India a friend
and I looked around the back of a building and we and had seen a little boy
working in a sweatshop working a loom. He was blind and was about six or seven
and was so small that his feet kept missing the pedals. This experience had
quite a profound effect on me and my friend and we got into a lot of trouble
because she was trying to demand what this kid was doing and we were asked to
leave, and not for the last time. That experience had an awakening in me. These
two influences came together and I knew if I wanted to write and work in this
area, interiors, fashion, textiles being the driving force, I knew I wanted to
work somewhere where they were interested in finding out where things are from,
that side of the story. I probably wasn't even familiar with Fair Trade or any
other initiatives at that point. Initially I got a temp job on the Guardian, as
an editorial assistant. The only place I was placed was with the Observer
magazine and quite quickly met Tamsin Blanchard who was the interiors editor
and I realised that some of the things that I was thinking about were exactly
what she was thinking and wrote about. She wrote about textiles and design, in
exactly the way I thought about it. That was a pivotal meeting for me, because
she had quite a lot of different little bits throughout the magazine. The
magazine was a big format paper, called Life. And it felt like all of life was
in it, it felt really vital. Quite soon she was encouraging me to write
different pieces for the magazine, and really bringing me through. Which was
amazing as initially I wasn't there to be a writer. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiN5REQIEhUpAkIDJNEioCzC9z1H-nxN-3HOUrBsvLcdIStrw7V1Dt9NtoPYL3SMQEQkch9fV02QqGrjHNriQKECKOB1JXZ2tCZfpRPbq1nSsuwFPDJ88fvllIMRPrEwuUaQzX6IntDOKfDPkESSAjnG10OD-Yt0kX7T_VBRFDEXvt7NwWA3IMZLDqzo/s1277/Lucy%20Siegel000394%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiN5REQIEhUpAkIDJNEioCzC9z1H-nxN-3HOUrBsvLcdIStrw7V1Dt9NtoPYL3SMQEQkch9fV02QqGrjHNriQKECKOB1JXZ2tCZfpRPbq1nSsuwFPDJ88fvllIMRPrEwuUaQzX6IntDOKfDPkESSAjnG10OD-Yt0kX7T_VBRFDEXvt7NwWA3IMZLDqzo/s16000/Lucy%20Siegel000394%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: So it was serendipity really that brought you to Tamsin.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Totally, and she picked up on the fact I'd had quite a
lot of experience with interiors magazines. I understood how they were laid
out. I suppose in a way I had media trained without being in the media, and I
sort of knew how to interview people and everything came together. Before I
knew it, I was interviewing Terence Conran and I used to do this hilarious
column called Me in my Chair, which was a bit like me and my spoon that Private
Eye used to run. I interviewed someone each week about their favourite chair
and learned a lot about chairs as a result. Then not very consciously, as we
never had a dedicated column, but Tamsin and I were both on that sustainability
wavelength and were asking from an ethical viewpoint, where is this from? How
is this produced? Is it made of plastic? Tamsin was very, very into animal
rights, for example, and would constantly avoid hideous fashion labels who
would smuggle in fur. That was a big ethical frontline for her. So I was around
people who had ethical front lines, in the media, and saw how they were constantly
bombarded by all sorts of bullshit. I remember for example with the big brands,
that when our fashion team went to interview their head designer, would insist
they were wearing the brand. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this
wasn't their vibe. They were very democratic. They were inclusive, they were probably
wearing men's suits before that was a thing, they were on the cutting edge of
style, they had been at Saint Martins. So I had this creative hotbed, of
resistance, it was a war of values and ethics. And that really set the tone for
everything I did. So when fast fashion came along, it was unlikely that were
all gonna go ‘Yeah, fine come in’. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What an amazing foundation for your career. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: What I will say is that I was very lucky to find: I can't
remember who said this but it's sort of referenced quite a lot, that if you
want to have an authentic voice, you have to use what's in you, otherwise
what's in you will probably destroy you. We have to let it out and I think that
that was what I was able to do. Whether I was scanning to find a place and then
found a place, or whether it was all only good luck, I don't know but, there's
a variety of things that I had and that they wanted at that time, and it was
the right place for me. Because of that bedrock, I always, always felt very
confident talking about the ethics. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Of course this intersected with the fact that
globalisation was mushrooming at that time too. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You've written five books, and the one that probably
stands out as being most famous because of the link with the True Cost movie is
your book To Die For: Is Fashion Wearing Out the World? which amazingly, was
published 2 years before the Rana Plaza disaster happened. Can you tell us a
bit more about that? Why did, write that book in the first place? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: That’s a good question. So much was starting to happen
around textiles and sustainability, and there were various different influences.
I remember going to a conference in Leeds University, where there were a number
of chemists like Richard Blackburn, who was looking at the chemical
formulations that were being used as finishing chemicals on fabrics. I can't
remember exactly why I was so obsessed with uncovering bad labour practices,
because it really seems to me, looking back, that this was before a lot of the
big <span class="hgkelc"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">exposé</span></span>s.
I can only think that it was from my earlier experiences when I was a teenager
and then from working in the business. These questions kept surfacing, where's
this from? Where's all this fabric coming from? Who makes it? Who’s on the looms?
Are they machine made? Then looking at sequins, how a sequin is applied?
Everyone's assuming that they're done by machine, but I found out it was done
by hand, and by talking to loads and loads of different people I was uncovering
the truth. I was really conscious that everything was starting to change. You
referenced globalisation earlier and by the time I was writing the book we were
already quite far into that journey in terms of fashions outsourcing and
offshoring. I was very much a child of the Thatcher effect and I suppose I
wanted to understand what the conclusion was from all of that. She left office
was in 1990 and by the year 2000 coming up to the Millennium, I thought that that
was a good time to look at what was going on in our industries. We still had
the end of people who had worked in textiles factories people who could make
whole pieces, people who'd run textiles factories and some of the brands that I’d
even watched on the Clothes Show back in the day. What had happened to them? At
the same time we were starting to have these symposiums, meetings, conferences
where you were getting some of these people coming back into the picture and
saying, ‘do you know what happened to us? We lost everything. All our knitting
machines were sold to China’ and I knew this was a story. Here's a story I have
to tell. I left the Observer in 2004 there were various issues there which have
become rather well known. So I left and went to work in magazines. First, I
worked for Marie Claire as a section editor, which I absolutely loved and loved
working for Marie O’Riordan, who's a spectacularly brilliant editor and lovely
human. I was looking up close at how fashion worked, Heat magazine launched,
Grazia launched too and I did quite a few shifts on Grazia. One of the things
that we used to get very upset about at Marie Claire was cover mounts. These
were free gifts strapped to the front of the magazines and it was killing the
industry. I don't know why I cared about these things, but I know I used to
think what an absolute waste, all this plastic crap, my environmental radar was
still, very, very strong, and always there in the background. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then having these people around who were suddenly doing
PHD's on the chemical formulations of finishing chemicals in garments and were
looking at factories overseas and saying, what are these people breathing in
when they are sandblasting jeans, what are they breathing in, they are getting
silicosis of the lung? I was tripping over these stories all the time. I
couldn't believe it, every day I was deluged in more stories and thinking ‘what
do you do when you’ve got so many stories?’ As a freelancer you can only type
so fast. Also I didn't have that many outlets to tell all the stories. I was
still talking to people, especially in the magazine world who were saying ‘what
are you talking about? That sounds a bit odd’. And their reply to the fact that
there were lots of chemicals on these fabrics was ‘well you’re not eating them,
are you? What's the problem?’ The whole reality of what was happening was not
really getting through. Then another of my really good friends, also from
Dublin was working for a literary agent at the time and said ‘do a book’. I
said ‘what, how?’ She introduced me to her boss, he took me on and got me a deal
with Louise Haines at Harper Collins, who had work on all those brilliant food
books, and is Nigel Slaters editor. Louise is very brilliant, and she also has
this way of unpicking a supply chain, and asking how can you remake this in a
really wholesome way that has loads of energy. Energy for people, as we don't
want to only eke out a living and do the less bad thing for various abstract
reasons. How do we make something real, whole and authentic, which sustains
people? When you look at the way Nigel Slater's done that with food and Monty
Don did with gardening I thought, well, maybe there's an opportunity to do it
with fashion. So although To Die For is often seen as an <span class="hgkelc"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">exposé</span></span> because of what came
later, it was actually not. It was a manifesto of what fashion could be. Say we
are driving a car, the fashion car and it’s about to go really badly wrong and
veer off in the wrong direction. It was a call to say ‘hey, let's bring it back’
and ‘this is what we could have’. I think the last chapter is called the
Perfect Wardrobe and it really is a love letter to an authentic, planet
sustaining, livelihood sustaining industry, which is important to us
historically and could be important to us again because it is in us. That was
really marrying together everything that I thought of in terms of design. What
I want design to be and how I thought about textiles and design and even
architecture to an extent. Years and years ago I did quite a lot of work around
Kelmscott Manor and William Morris and deep learning about those ideals about
what design could be, should be, and those values were never far from my
thoughts. Whilst I was looking into it, I realised that I was quite a good
investigative reporter and that I had some of the sharp skills and the hustle
you need to be able to get strong stories. It’s become sort of a thing that
people laugh about who work with me, even in TV, that if we're filming in a
particular location, I would always somehow arrive before everyone else without
any pass and get in on site. I will always be in waiting. And they ask, how do
you do that? And I don't really know. I just do. So next thing I knew, I was in
Bangladesh with secret cameras hunting down the story, which I really enjoyed
doing and there was a lot of story to hunt down. I don't know where that comes
from, it's an instinctive reporting instinct, which I happened to have, and didn't
know I had. I'm always on the lookout. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinr8JbO1-4jxUs1WPT1-9O2lutfuScMBpHCdAaGLcAVK1dE71o9N2w32C-PD6iv5741Fl2k8uzacAxvbFXKZ9a8htNHng9QdUmp7KJsXCNqDY124v9rq2PnooDWgAIq_Mur8AIo-Y_p-bdL9LTIu84eaei0NRCYAUWLwsXe2CuT09TKj_HKHxWt1KMNBs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinr8JbO1-4jxUs1WPT1-9O2lutfuScMBpHCdAaGLcAVK1dE71o9N2w32C-PD6iv5741Fl2k8uzacAxvbFXKZ9a8htNHng9QdUmp7KJsXCNqDY124v9rq2PnooDWgAIq_Mur8AIo-Y_p-bdL9LTIu84eaei0NRCYAUWLwsXe2CuT09TKj_HKHxWt1KMNBs=s16000" /></a></div><br /><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Of course, the heritage that we had in this country, meant
people were able to make a whole garment whereas in fast fashion machinists
don't know how to do that, as they sit and sew in a straight line all day. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: To be completely honest, the other reason stories take
off and why you can do a solid piece work at a specific time is because of
course a lot of people have already done a lot of work in that direction. Unfortunately,
I didn't meet him, but there was someone called Neil Carney, who was a very
active trade unionist and was very experienced in cataloguing how sweatshops
work and the mismatch between buyers placing orders and how the factories were
operating. We call them factories but they weren't really factories, they were
makeshift, some were offices and didn't have the right struts in the floor to
put heavy machinery on, as we discovered a few years later. Neil Kearney had
really done a lot of that work. When Professor Doug Miller had the chair of
sustainable fashion at Northumbria University he introduced me to a lot of that
work. My work is evidence based and because I also worked in factories and
because dad worked in factories, I understand the processes. So I was able to
look at some of that evidence, bring more evidence from visiting places and
actually demonstrate what was going wrong. Because the brands were saying one
thing and the factories another, and terrible disasters were happening. One of
the very unfortunate qualities that it gives To Die For is this prescience,
because there's one chapter which I can't bear to read because I think it
predicts Rana Plaza. When the disaster happened in 2013 happened that hit me so
hard. I mean obviously the people in it. But that was absolutely terrible
because it’s not a nice feeling to have predicted something like that and
living with the thoughts of ‘if only I campaigned harder’. You're a journalist
or you're an activist. But there weren’t so many activists around then. I used
to work with people like Labour Behind The Label and War On Want, and there was
always a clear division between what they did and what I did and that worked
really well. Whereas there's much more blurring these days. There are also lots
of influencers today, particularly in sustainable fashion who are campaigners
and then they broaden their campaign to lots of other things. For me, without
that evidence and without that eye witnessed account and collecting those
testimonies and those stories I wouldn't go there. I only go there when I have something
to add.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Then you know that what you're saying is true, which is
back to being evidence based. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: You have to have the evidence you really do. Also to
gather the evidence, you have to be very informed about what it is that you're
looking for. It's a cat and mouse game, and there are lots of brands that
really enjoy that element of it. Philip Green and people like him really
enjoyed that element of cat and mouse, and it's exhausting. The sad truth about
a lot of that work which persists today is that you can only really call to
account brands when you find their labels in the rubble like in Rana Plaza, which
then of course is too late. During COVID there was an element of this where you
are able to find their labels on the dockside, because they had cancelled all
the orders. But we do have really good evidence on wage theft, which is
endemic, like you say and the lack of career opportunities, which probably
resonated with me to an extent, but also doing the same seam over and over and
over and if you do something else, you don't get paid for it. That's not being
a tailor, and it was being sold as empowerment by the brand. So there's a
mismatch between what's happening in factories but also what the brands were
selling and the more noise that was made about sustainability, the more brands upped
their ante and that's when we get into this whole horrendous tsunami of
greenwash that we've seen from them on social, environmental and ethics for
many, many years to such an extent that now it's almost farcical. I have a real
benefit, because when I started looking at this I had time to look intently. I
put in the shoe leather and wrote it all down and put it out there, so you
can't deny that I did it. And I saw it very clearly, because it was before all
the layers of complexity, before the brands got really, really good at hiding. That's
why I think today, even though Rana Plaza is not in the book because it was
published before that happened, I think that today To Die For is still valuable
to people, because it's got that privileged lens of right place, right time,
but also right place, wrong time, because it wasn't able to call out
sufficiently what happened next. </p>
<p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Also it’s at the beginning of calling people
out as far as this is concerned.</span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">L: I think calling out is interesting because ultimately,
it's not always the most effective thing to do. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Do you think that makes people hide more? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Some of these brands are so well resourced that if they anticipate
how you're going to react, it’s a war. They can bring in the right PR, pull the
right PR lever or distract and say ‘look over here’ which they can do
incredibly well. Today it’s not only that they have loads of money and they can
get good PR people but it’s the fact that they have everyone's data now too. It’s
really, really incredible how much power they have in this space. What you need
to do is really work through legislative change and advocacy. That's really
pulling different levers because if you're trying to meet them head on two things
are going to happen, you're going to be frustrated because you can only get small
wounds in now and again, if everything is aligned. Or you're going to be co-opted,
which a lot of people have. One of the things they did early on was go, ‘hey
here's a check for some sustainability money. Everyone fight for that over
there’ which is peanuts to them, and a lot of people did that. Or you can work
behind the scenes with experts like lawyers who know about living wage, which
is what I've chosen to do quite often, which doesn't get me likes because it's
really boring (laughs) for people but it’s the evidence, look at the evidence.
It's not the only way of doing it because you have to try and hold the line as
well but it's real work and there are some exciting bits of legislation which
will ladder up to change. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUjJWmERHqvLTIAGr6pmIbzKdL5wqiINmjUSgr7ttD3_12qtZtbnjIP5cW-tl2JNpnwc120cfvZpBeUxYneqAqgiFqq9OwipwurtbRfrEwRL5v3UJc01bN7TLqKhobxODXoyCKM4VXTptXMhMHyW8PGnYiWqLyuRPRWZahDzhGZkgYb0lXmRZqvE2Xo2U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUjJWmERHqvLTIAGr6pmIbzKdL5wqiINmjUSgr7ttD3_12qtZtbnjIP5cW-tl2JNpnwc120cfvZpBeUxYneqAqgiFqq9OwipwurtbRfrEwRL5v3UJc01bN7TLqKhobxODXoyCKM4VXTptXMhMHyW8PGnYiWqLyuRPRWZahDzhGZkgYb0lXmRZqvE2Xo2U=s16000" /></a></div><br /><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What’s in the pipeline at the moment?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: There are lots of EU laws coming in. There’s lots of
lobbying that goes on especially from people who just want to sell us those
plastic clothes. But we're now seeing a broadening of understanding. Now people
understand fashion and that today's fashion as fossil fashion, made from fossil
fuels. That then leads you into a whole area of pressure, legislation,
activism, campaigning, whatever action is based on a non-proliferation strategy
which is costed, worked out by people far more intelligent than me. Suddenly you
have focus for action and amazing potential to leap forward. There’s the decommissioning
of the very toxic idea that fashion is a special case. It's not. It's only
something that requires some materials, that sells at a price and robs people
of their wages and puts them in deathly hellholes and everything else we know
about the industry. There's no get out of jail free card because when you start
applying the right lenses and the right laws, those things are illegal. And its
starting to happen, The Circle (for whom I am an ambassador) did three living
wage reports. Jessica <span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">Simor, KC </span>leads
on those. They are really good, really sharp and those are coming to fruition
because they are more legislative. The EU Green Deal has been very instructive
in this because it's really changed the outlook, if you look at the timber supply
chain for example, that is going to be completely revolutionised next year. Which
also has to do with other things like satellites and Copernicus, the European
satellite data is available to everybody. So it means that scope one, scope
two, scope three, come into play and everyone is able to knuckle down. Whatever
route you take to it the outcome is the same. Impact is lessened on the
environment because illegal monstering of resources has got to stop. So if you
can start to do that with fashion then hopefully that will turn the tide there
too. Fashion is a little bit different because it has made this sort of
cultural name for itself. Also, we don't have any outliers in terms of brands
that are sufficiently revolutionary in their outlook. There's no, I know people
are critical of him, but there's no Paul Polman like there was for Unilever.
There's no Paul Polman for fashion. There are only people who are slightly
pretending to be Polmanesque, and maybe go to a few of his workshops, but they
don't actually do anything. But it only takes one and I feel like we are going
to get one of those. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: We do have people who are trying to work in better ways
of course, like Amy Powney with Mother of Pearl. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: She is phenomenal. Incredible. Fashion Reimagined that
movie about her, has one scene where I can hear my voice on the radio (laughs).
I love that film. But I think, it puts the fear of God into people, because you
see how hard it is to do things properly. About a quarter at least is about the
supply chain. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: And people want to know that supply chain.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Which proves another point, that people are interested in
this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And disproves something which was
always said to me which was ‘people are not interested in this move on’. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6wp-S5T_Rh8iGxPCL3Ds_l5BG_rxl8ecR8QOWWL0HsSS0vIgmh_9tURf-__gWbyQDWs-BRkSH13U5tq3bnmzsqPr_tFiQuHLSmCu-bqulb6yKIJXmo8dzY0yVTDRk4mddMPfcFiY8wCJJjP43VW_56KhM6MGp_BLspFS2h70mOGoHLudk-FIiAhEu9So" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6wp-S5T_Rh8iGxPCL3Ds_l5BG_rxl8ecR8QOWWL0HsSS0vIgmh_9tURf-__gWbyQDWs-BRkSH13U5tq3bnmzsqPr_tFiQuHLSmCu-bqulb6yKIJXmo8dzY0yVTDRk4mddMPfcFiY8wCJJjP43VW_56KhM6MGp_BLspFS2h70mOGoHLudk-FIiAhEu9So=s16000" /></a></div><br /><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You mentioned earlier the fact that the fast fashion
clothes are mostly made from plastic a fossil fuel derivative yet we have the
6th climate budget, which was mentioned in The Great Climate Fight on Channel
4. They talked about that, and say it sets out very clearly that, Britain was a
leader in this and this is now nowhere to be seen because this government are totally
disregarding everything from the report, a report they commissioned. On the
first programme they said that the proof exists that windfarms are the answer. Also
recently Portugal powered their whole country on renewables for a week, which
is fantastic. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: The UK has done really well on renewables and one of the
biggest offshore turbines went on stream less than a month ago, it's absolutely
huge. Now every turbine can power something like 160,000 homes. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: So why are we looking for oil? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Well, we're not really it's basically just political, posturing.
We have run into strong political headwinds and Sunak did that odd thing by
denouncing net zero, which is really strange because it didn't show for him in
the polls because every other metric shows that people want action on climate
change. There's also some seriously good news coming in from renewables
because, as a friend of mine puts it, who works in that business ‘we've got
terrible weather and chemical parks, which means we're in pole position to
capitalize on the green economy and businesses know that’. I curate and present
the Times Earth Summit and businesses are falling over themselves to be part of
the green economy. I also presented, the Net Zero Energy Awards and lots of
other events recently, and businesses are furious about what he's done. So he
must be trying to send messages to other people with this stance, because I
think with all of this you have to learn who is the audience, and the audience
is not us, so I don't know if he's trying to send a message to funders or the
right wing of the Tory party, yet that doesn't seem to be working either. So, I
think, it’s really important not to get too caught up in that. I know it's a
good hook for a programme and everyone likes a rant at it, I've done that
myself. But it’s the forward-looking nature of business that really counts.
Could they be doing more? Oh my God, yeah. We haven't had a proper
manufacturing strategy for 13 years. We haven't had a proper climate strategy
for 13 years. Mmmm, what is the common denominator? What we have to do is think
what's coming, say we had a shift in Government and we've got these things, imagine
what could happen and it's pretty tantalising. But then at the same time what
if Trump gets back into power and blocks the inflation reduction act and comes
out of Paris again…. So constantly the political headwinds are appalling there's
no getting around it. But in real terms, it's a dent in confidence and it looks
terrible internationally, but I do feel like there's some good progress being
made in business in the UK with the exception being fashion. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Of course we heard about Boohoo again recently. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I personally think Boohoo was lucky to survive some of
the reputational ‘challenges’ it has encountered. The whole Boohoo COVID
regulation sweatshop thing, which blew up quite a while ago now, The Sunday
Times did a big investigation. I looked into it afterwards and I see they used
a topflight barrister and ex judge to write an ethical manifesto that to me
read like a word salad. When I looked to see who had been prosecuted after the
expose, it was one poor guy who worked in one of the factories who's an asylum
seeker, whose papers weren’t in order, he was prosecuted. Nobody else. I think
they were lucky to survive that in tact and only because of a disinterested
political class. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-hcGTEemdBgmgL6aOPIEkxlli4yxLnCkTzHlWV-gdct5TK9NTn0mz2Nc3z2ORlHQYYzRMmb6Sgx1BmeDXJapkU2khjKJZDt98uVM6rsnIpx8o8QoNcHD5GZGVGatr2A2zvG3JXmwxo1r8WkWl2zVu_eE_wQIqLZdJ8op_f_9-OoVIeL7Vj2W0EeXcmQ/s1277/Lucy%20Siegel000337%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-hcGTEemdBgmgL6aOPIEkxlli4yxLnCkTzHlWV-gdct5TK9NTn0mz2Nc3z2ORlHQYYzRMmb6Sgx1BmeDXJapkU2khjKJZDt98uVM6rsnIpx8o8QoNcHD5GZGVGatr2A2zvG3JXmwxo1r8WkWl2zVu_eE_wQIqLZdJ8op_f_9-OoVIeL7Vj2W0EeXcmQ/s16000/Lucy%20Siegel000337%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><br />
</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I heard this story too. It's terrible. Every time, they
step they into factories it's the people who are working there that are
demonised not the unethical factory owner doing the bad things, stealing the
wages and all the rest. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: It’s very difficult isn’t it, because you have people who
can't afford to feed and clothe their families, who were promised so much.
Jacob Rees-Mogg specifically and repeatedly said that Brexit would bring
cheaper clothes and shoes, and they are not accountable. Accountability is a
massive thing for me. I find it very difficult to know what to do when people
refuse to be accountable. Same thing with the fashion industry, that has been
one of the great problems, lack of accountability. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Two final questions. What drives you Lucy and how do you
see the future? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I'm driven by a need to, as I always was, to offer people
something better. I can see the potential, I can really, really see the
potential in if we get this right or elements of it right for liveable
conditions, which I think is the big fight in a meta sense. People don't
realise how much they relied on a stable climate and it's a very hard lesson to
learn. It's almost unimaginable that we are actually having to go through this
right now. When people say ‘it doesn't bother me’, it will bother you, and when
you're hit by it, you will only know when it's too late to do anything about
it. Obviously that’s the bigger framework, as what I do has bled into the wider
climate and nature conversation. But also on an industry level the opportunity
for a life with dignity. There are amazing stories about people being designers
and tailors. Years ago I interviewed a woman who used to run a workshop in
Leicester making garments for some of the big brands, because they wanted to
bring more production back, because they needed a quicker turn around, to be
faster. She told me that the girls that used to work for her, would come to her
straight from school. They were really good machinists. They made their own
wedding dress because they had those skills. They could buy their first car
from their wages, then could buy their first house, and it’s that dignified journey
through life that we are losing completely. In whatever job you do, wherever
you are, even in journalism there are 0 hours, contracts and in TV and it's not
dignified. You can't predict your income, you can't predict when you'll be
working it’s a head wreck and that lack of stability is really, really
appalling. When you think about that for garment workers in the global south and
I mean not only garment workers, textile sorters, all sorts of people in
fashions supply chain. It is a shameful existence and shameful on our part that
we're allowing it to happen. The fact that we're not interested in talking
about it is really, really problematic. Now, on one hand, it's getting very
difficult to have these conversations because we have such epic levels of diaspora,
we have a refugee crisis which is way beyond anything, and that was before Gaza
and Israel. You have women and children on the frontline of that all the time, and
their prospects are extremely bleak. I went to the Zaatari refugee camp a
couple of months ago, then they were already telling us that their budgets were
being cut per person by X dollars a day until November, they were going to have
to stand on their own two feet. But they can't because they're not allowed to
leave, they don’t have any papers, they don't exist. Then when we're adding
another 2 million people to that, that then makes people who have a job in a
hellhole garment factory look like they've won the lottery of life,
comparatively. So we get into this healthscape and it's really, really hard to
keep having these conversations and keep the profile of what’s happening up, because
there's so much need and there's such a slim window of attention. This is where
I think terms like ‘global feminism’ are really, really important. They capture
the fact that we're not here to triage. We are here to apply the principles for
our sisters. In terms of how we talk about this going forward, this is a
really, really important way to view it. Maybe in the past it’s been a bit
segregated. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s the sort of brain I have and the way that way that I
operate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In terms of my own work, maybe I need to make some sort of
broader arguments or really explain out how all this is all tied together a bit
more. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJSm5QB1Zsy9i8GHWlENb2sg2XCBHJ7UtMq3m0jVqoUub4Gh8SSKzdJQJZzT9Eqbf0QfE9p85LElGIuuIDCxlEDZISj-hlyNagGBHXf0k5J_LCq6O3E9axl5OZkWAhlfqXe0hA3wJ3rDKuCKVm_mD4yDo20hY6Xpz5dLjgoBgQFIhiM-vHrNkN9HGgFQA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJSm5QB1Zsy9i8GHWlENb2sg2XCBHJ7UtMq3m0jVqoUub4Gh8SSKzdJQJZzT9Eqbf0QfE9p85LElGIuuIDCxlEDZISj-hlyNagGBHXf0k5J_LCq6O3E9axl5OZkWAhlfqXe0hA3wJ3rDKuCKVm_mD4yDo20hY6Xpz5dLjgoBgQFIhiM-vHrNkN9HGgFQA=s16000" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">What's happening in the future: I do think there's a lot of
legislative points which are quite exciting. I've talked about fossil fuel a
little bit. There's greenwashing legislation that's coming in. All of this can
be used if we really do use it to hold brands to account and brands have been a
part the problem for a really long time. So I think that's really interesting
and I do believe that we have a very, very engaged younger audience, younger
than me anyway, coming through who understand a really important thing, and that
is, that fashion isn't a special case. But they do like it, and it is really
important but that it doesn't have to look like it looks now. In fact, they are
rejecting that in many, many different ways and forms. That collective
approach, collective rejection, is really super interesting and could actually
go our way and we have had wins already. I'm very struck and impressed by Brett
and Scott Staniland the twin brothers who are fashion sustainability influencers.
To go on Love Island and reject the whole notion of fast fashion was quite a
bold move and then, to be part of that movement, which got ITV to change its
sponsorship to eBay. OK, so these seem like, little things, but it's big
because you’re talking to a huge audience. It also shows you that sometimes
these things can be done, and ITV didn't feel that that branding was in keeping
with their CSR programme. I think that sort of pressure and that sort of
activism is super, super interesting and can orbit us into different territory that
we didn't even know could happen in 2011. </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXRrkGNqsHGcN4jQcEBiFuq-o1IzZJOjBobQhMhskw7KyS07Tst-07YBc5kmwZk34041_oOzJ_GPsDWhEz7hDhK0unOxAnGtECmckcg0vIpMkwSpwYNTtkyuuA4txaXn4cMY7k8rXEGJ5cXN6_nDFZOqTM1wqWkFHyAUuVoZ_ij5b6VKH7RgrvzuE9YY/s1277/Lucy%20Siegel000259%20Daphne,%20Arthur%20&%20QE1%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXRrkGNqsHGcN4jQcEBiFuq-o1IzZJOjBobQhMhskw7KyS07Tst-07YBc5kmwZk34041_oOzJ_GPsDWhEz7hDhK0unOxAnGtECmckcg0vIpMkwSpwYNTtkyuuA4txaXn4cMY7k8rXEGJ5cXN6_nDFZOqTM1wqWkFHyAUuVoZ_ij5b6VKH7RgrvzuE9YY/s16000/Lucy%20Siegel000259%20Daphne,%20Arthur%20&%20QE1%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Links</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/lucysiegle" target="_blank">Lucy Siegle</a><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theseagull/?hl=en" target="_blank">The Seagull</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/daphneduterrier/?hl=en" target="_blank">Daphne Du Terrier</a> </span> <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-siegle-a8774b8/" target="_blank">Lucy Siegle</a><br /></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-15187740855688989142023-10-26T10:55:00.000+01:002023-10-26T10:55:00.401+01:00Janelle Hanna - Founder White Weft<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EuwD2OefKOXTX7QoxZoj1_NA0362wyus4qaEtOabBkunkVzn_BE3viWTXQQqU-rwXVcX69PBGPIE83RulqqOglY88Q2UMePjLI1gHDifqWnJezqpnBI2m2PyQCk2GgpSM267rIEAHdcGeObLDZEQfIBNwN9aqI4r2JqQEojXtz41AaZ9JTR5ggtPTtk/s1279/Janelle%20Hanna000025%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EuwD2OefKOXTX7QoxZoj1_NA0362wyus4qaEtOabBkunkVzn_BE3viWTXQQqU-rwXVcX69PBGPIE83RulqqOglY88Q2UMePjLI1gHDifqWnJezqpnBI2m2PyQCk2GgpSM267rIEAHdcGeObLDZEQfIBNwN9aqI4r2JqQEojXtz41AaZ9JTR5ggtPTtk/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000025%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Denim, and its use in jeans, makes it one of the
most popular clothing items around the world. And according to statista.com,
the global jeans fabric market is estimated to produce more than 4.5 billion
meters this year (2023) which is a mind-blowing amount of fabric. Especially
when you learn from our Inspirational Woman Janelle Hanna the Founder of White
Weft, all the processes the material goes through from farm to factory before
it reaches your skin. You will see from Janelle’s story how important her work
is, to slow down this over production and to make the most of what already
exists for as long as possible and the importance of ‘upcycling before
recycling.’ You will also learn how she is using her extensive knowledge of the
industry to bring about change. </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC7qUZwNFathBSH7jXcFas4uKF_taCm4isIn43OMVpTP64kh5dK8bz7Wu5_lTzhVH0ksaHphVtUg0ayBpEylf8mgexKb7eiP3aqGr5kFnrlyhbfNfTJWMxgL0yXVyEuCfwS3lb8gwRG5sycsVUU8KguANhGqOIwgRnsM3f8G7p7ktpW9Ch9817ks2ZdM/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000152%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC7qUZwNFathBSH7jXcFas4uKF_taCm4isIn43OMVpTP64kh5dK8bz7Wu5_lTzhVH0ksaHphVtUg0ayBpEylf8mgexKb7eiP3aqGr5kFnrlyhbfNfTJWMxgL0yXVyEuCfwS3lb8gwRG5sycsVUU8KguANhGqOIwgRnsM3f8G7p7ktpW9Ch9817ks2ZdM/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000152%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: With all my interviews, Janelle, I like to look
the paths people have taken to get to where they are now. I am really
interested in the things that have influenced you in your journey, making you
the person that you are today. With that in mind, I like to start with. Where
were you born, Janelle? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: I was born in
Derry, Northern Ireland and lived there until I left for university at 18. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Did you have
any early influences as far as fashion was concerned? Was there anyone in your
family that influenced the path you have chosen to take? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: There wasn’t
much of a fashion scene in Derry in the 90's. It’s a city but a very small one
with not many shops. We had a small Topshop, River Island and Primark
(pronounced </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">Pre-mark over
there) and it was even struggle to get your hands on a copy of Vogue.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">In my late teens
one of my friends gave me a case of clothes from the 1970's that belonged to
her uncle’s girlfriend who neither of us had met, but she had the most
incredible style, I completely lucked out. So, I was wearing all these original
70’s flares and Chinese dresses in retro fabrics (my friends aunt was Chinese).
Maybe that's where my love of vintage clothing comes from, that ability to have
something unique. I was always a bit alternative.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: People used to
say that we were 10 years behind everybody else. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: I’m sure it was
at the time. Now with online shopping and Instagram it’s completely different.
Derry girls are famous for loving to get dressed up to the nines.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">When I decided I
was interested in fashion it was probably more from a craft point of view
rather than a trend or hype point of view, I was never motivated by that and I
and that’s still the case.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">I don’t remember
any designers in the town. In school the only place they could think of to send
me for fashion related work experience was the local denim factory, which
thankfully still existed at the time. I am really grateful for that journey
now. But when I was at university, it felt like I had missed something by not
coming from somewhere with more of a fashion scene and not having more
reference points for what was going on. But what I gained by coming from a time
when there was still manufacturing has been really valuable for me in my whole
professional journey. </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OXZI4hYn6BX3C2-T_nIchbA2fBOMhmmNQipX0l8xD4eexW_oaNzMHDhiR6KnagVR4M944F8smD9gGC-Igbztltr8kVToQHLLhjctVne-Cu6Okow_pM3n-BV6Evsr2gnSFfHsllb-u_LxyAoBCAgiyDmGur8dmy7gWXoLyABeopofQyRBtyBZaYZT_lM/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000309%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OXZI4hYn6BX3C2-T_nIchbA2fBOMhmmNQipX0l8xD4eexW_oaNzMHDhiR6KnagVR4M944F8smD9gGC-Igbztltr8kVToQHLLhjctVne-Cu6Okow_pM3n-BV6Evsr2gnSFfHsllb-u_LxyAoBCAgiyDmGur8dmy7gWXoLyABeopofQyRBtyBZaYZT_lM/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000309%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Is there any
manufacturing left in Derry? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: A couple of
factories, but sadly less every year. Fruit Of The Loom was the major one
in the town and I did my work experience in Desmond's, which was a
denim factory making exclusively for M&S, they closed around 2003.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D:<b> </b>Northern
Ireland had a huge textile industry to the point that Belfast was called
Linenopolis.<b> </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: That’s
right and there’s loads of exciting things happening with Linen again I’m
keenly following Mallon linen and Mourne textiles for example who are growing
and weaving flax again.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">Derry was a shirt
making town, that's what we're famous for, at the beginning of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century there were over 30 factories and lots of my family will have worked in
them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D:<b> </b>So right
back to your school days and work experience you were influenced by denim. How
did you end up going to Desmonds for your work experience?<b> </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: I've always
designed stuff. At the age of seven or eight, I would draw line ups of
dresses or redesign buildings like my school into a massive house for me
and my friends. So, it was clear quite early on where my interest lay. For
a while I thought of being a graphic designer, but when I was looking for a Uni,
the fashion course looked much more interesting. I had a sewing machine and
enjoyed making things and was always quite resourceful in that sense, trying to
make something out of nothing and with time I realised that this was my path.
After I chose the course, the school were looking for somewhere to send me for
work experience and the only place in town was Desmonds denim factory.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> <b></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Did you realise
that denim was something you really wanted to work with as a result of that
work experience? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: Yes, apart from
my childhood red carpet dress design phase, casual wear was always my thing.
Perhaps it might be more to do with my background and the fact that jeans are
more democratic than high fashion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">The experience in
the factory that was a huge spark for me, because I discovered the alchemy
of denim, what goes on behind the scenes in the laundry - which I had no idea
about before and most people still don't. I would later discover it’s a very
murky and polluting side of the industry and we'll talk about that, but as an
outsider and a young designer, it was fascinating. You start with a fabric
that’s almost black and as it goes through all these industrial processes. The
look of it changes completely into the faded blue jeans that have become an
icon of our times. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">I loved
the creative potential and the sheer geekiness. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif62uDy40CikzWuoRbHYeMRUiCENvOGPUT6U995vBEK9hrqhjoJy5Sc1EbkzgMpboHTBloptGS4GHju7cFvdPUMcbqq2FGbAciIWklRgs8OMc7DhSYOpI_T6zHtiNmoEJ7kxFrTKps5SkM4hWyYFd7lON3eLrD7Vyakpasg-gSQgVrJns5nWPxwE-ArgM/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000244%20sc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif62uDy40CikzWuoRbHYeMRUiCENvOGPUT6U995vBEK9hrqhjoJy5Sc1EbkzgMpboHTBloptGS4GHju7cFvdPUMcbqq2FGbAciIWklRgs8OMc7DhSYOpI_T6zHtiNmoEJ7kxFrTKps5SkM4hWyYFd7lON3eLrD7Vyakpasg-gSQgVrJns5nWPxwE-ArgM/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000244%20sc.jpg" /></a></div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Then you went
off to university to study fashion design. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: I went to
university in Nottingham.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Did you work
with denim there too? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: After a while,
yes. Initially though I thought I had made a great big mistake when I started
studying fashion, because I really wasn’t aware of all the other arts subjects
that I could have taken instead. I thought the only options open to me were
graphic design or fashion design. Then when I got to Uni there were decorative
arts, textiles, ceramics, media, photography, all of these things I'd never
even imagined were jobs. Derry is very different now - I think the world is
very different. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">For a while I
wanted to change courses but stuck with it. Then for my final year collection I
decided I wanted to make a denim collection, but the tutors tried to put me
off. They told me denim can’t be made in a studio environment, because
denim is really dark unless you wash it. But I said, ‘Ah-ha, but I
have contacts for this’. So, I called my friends at the factory, and they
agreed to wash my final collection. Without them it wouldn’t have happened. However
the tutors weren't completely off the mark. When denim goes through the laundry
the process is quite aggressive, and one of the pieces came back with all the
seams frayed and were falling apart, a complete nightmare - the final year of a
fashion degree is famously intense, but we managed to salvage it. It was so
nice to make that connection with the factory again. Then they closed a few
years later unfortunately. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: So, you couldn’t
take them with you into your professional career. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: No, I couldn’t.
They made exclusively for Marks and Spencer’s. But I have no doubt that that
very small work experience with them, and my final collection at Uni got me my
first job as a denim designer at Marks and Spencer’s.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: It's amazing
how it all links together, isn't it? After Marks & Spencer you worked for
Fat Face and Wrangler. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">J: I went to Fat
Face because I wanted to live near the sea. But I think every denim designer
really wants to work for one of the big heritage brands so Wrangler was a dream
come true. At Wrangler I was surrounded by people who are experts in denim, so
you can really deepen your knowledge. Whereas if you're working in within a
multi-product brand then you might be the only denim specialist on a very, very
big team. In Wrangler everyone was a denim expert, some of them had been
working for 40 years in the business, possibly under managers that had put
in 40 years before them, so there was all that inherited know how, it
was a really steep learning curve. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Did you do a
lot of travelling with your job? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Yes I did, I was clearing out some expense
receipts recently, from pre pandemic times thinking, gosh, that was a different
life. We travelled a lot for research, mainly hunting for inspiring vintage
jeans and trend spotting in places like Tokyo, LA, Berlin. I feel so lucky
to have been so many wonderful places for work, but it’s right that we
readdress the amount of travel that we do as an industry. We also visited
our factories often and still think that’s very necessary. I've worked with
many factories in places like Turkey, Tunisia, Pakistan and Mauritius. Denim is
a very hands-on product and we tend to work very closely with our manufacturers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Since I moved back to the UK, I’ve been designing
for much smaller brands who produce closer to home in Portugal, Italy and even
in London.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Nice that is growing in London again. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Yes, slowly it is.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k-tDseb380qMyHlAF7MJUnXGEfV1Xogo3pv2gpR9kojqyrFJlDPsKJPNWT7KuItxVjlUULgU8-FneOw4_GA6v8BI11gleqvfg2WntzmsJ7-IBbKACbt6WD_rGJE33dqF-hKnb9cwxHKJttw-a_w8HnZlZFFbAQnKfa7-7eOiVDJFvNQcoPtQ5XKjyts/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000160%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_k-tDseb380qMyHlAF7MJUnXGEfV1Xogo3pv2gpR9kojqyrFJlDPsKJPNWT7KuItxVjlUULgU8-FneOw4_GA6v8BI11gleqvfg2WntzmsJ7-IBbKACbt6WD_rGJE33dqF-hKnb9cwxHKJttw-a_w8HnZlZFFbAQnKfa7-7eOiVDJFvNQcoPtQ5XKjyts/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000160%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: I guess the travel allowed you to see the
working conditions of the garment workers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">How did that affect your outlook on the industry? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: I think conditions in the laundry were always
the most concerning. We'd see people spraying chemicals or covered in dust from
grinding rips into jeans, which is dangerous and can cause lung disease. I've
mainly worked for companies that had a strong code of conduct and strict
auditing processes. On a surface level it seemed like I was making good
choices. Yet the deeper I got into the industry, the more I understood how
superficial those certificates can be. Often not extending to the laundry,
the mills and certainly not the cotton farms and processing plants where much
of the labour involved in the making of a jean happens. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The factory's I visited where jeans were sewn and
washed usually looked good. They were bright and well ventilated, organised,
with on-site doctors, structured breaktimes etc. The longer I spent in the
industry the more I realised that this is just the tip of the iceberg, </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">(tier 1) and what happens before that (tiers 2,3and
4) were much less regulated. Some of the brands I worked for audited deeper
into the value chain than others.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">One thing that was great at Wrangler was that
they had their own factory. This is really, really rare and I loved
working with our Turkish factory, but unfortunately fashion companies don’t find
in house facilities profitable. Our Wrangler factory closed a few years ago. It’s
sad that brands rarely own their manufacturing now because it shows what they are
not prepared to co-invest in them. When a brand owns their own factory they
have to share the weight of cancelled orders, of production mishaps, natural disasters,
pandemics and investing in more sustainable ways of working. Sadly most are not
willing to do this.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: That really happened with the globalisation of
the fashion industry's when everybody started offshoring to the Far East which
changed the face of the industry even more. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">You stopped working with Wrangler in 2002, you said
were already looking at other ways of creating, how did that influence your
decision to create differently when you set up White Weft? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: As I was leaving Wrangler, we were starting to
get a bit of a grip on some of the deeper problems within industry. Also there
was a growing collective conversation in the denim community around change. This
may have been prompted by a film released in 2016 called River Blue about
pollution from denim factories and a successful campaign by Greenpeace tackling
textile water pollution, called detox to zero. Finally, the conversation was
gaining pace. I left Wrangler that year and decided to remain freelance to have
more time to research and learn how to make jeans in a better way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> So when I moved to London I worked for
smaller brands which meant I could continue that research. I also knew that at
that point I didn't want to go back into UK retail, because I knew what it was
like to be a designer in those places, and with all the best intentions you
just don't get head space to explore anything, because it’s a constant and
relentless demand to create new things. I actively decided to take on more
purposeful work. I helped found a beautiful slow fashion brand called King and
Tuckfield where we manufactured in UK and Europe and built relationships
with mills who were more transparent with, for example, their fibre origins. </span></p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And I've been honoured to work with Blackhorse Lane
Atelier who make the most beautiful jeans in their Walthamstow factory, where
they pay London living wage and use fabrics from mills carefully selected for
their world class quality and strong.</span></div><div><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></div><div><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4egGr1YwVrz0gr0UmMPID6l_gzJOakbcKpOdo_utbXBE2sKOEi3ZXGKEM9lApcupNkO7AZw17_dLSGQDRWknqfCI7C8a8kqn0t7RS8eQKIV6Cyt7RaL75CaDPZNyU3an6KjodlKmktHOtWw-wf6zmBTVmCnwN5RmM-UO1nOSaJk44aHp59IGz-0rLdGU/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000065%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4egGr1YwVrz0gr0UmMPID6l_gzJOakbcKpOdo_utbXBE2sKOEi3ZXGKEM9lApcupNkO7AZw17_dLSGQDRWknqfCI7C8a8kqn0t7RS8eQKIV6Cyt7RaL75CaDPZNyU3an6KjodlKmktHOtWw-wf6zmBTVmCnwN5RmM-UO1nOSaJk44aHp59IGz-0rLdGU/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000065%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: As far as White Weft is concerned, you do not
make jeans. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: No, I don’t make jeans.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: What made you decide not to? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: OK, that's a really interesting question that
I'm asked often. I'd love to make jeans, I'd love to create a net positive
denim brand, but denim is a really expensive product to develop. After all the
research I did on fibre and sustainability, my challenge to myself was to make
a net positive, regenerative jean without greenwashing. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I didn't have the resources to do that. It takes a
huge amount of capital to launch a denim brand, to launch all the fits, all the
washes, and all the marketing that goes along with selling jeans and the
testing which is more than your average clothing product because of the washing
aspect.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I still hope to make jeans one day I wanted this
project (White Weft) to be something, and I call it a project because it still
feels at the experimental stage, that grows authentically and organically so I
started with accessories, and I started with waste.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My interest
in waste came from a circularity aspect but also from localism and the fibre
shed movement. It's a million miles away from the commodity aspect of denim. We
don't grow any cotton in the UK, we don't even have spinning and we don't have
the infrastructure to convert it to yarn even if we did grow a crop like hemp or
flax.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: That was a question I was going to ask, because
we talked earlier about linen. Could you turn linen into denim? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Yes you can. With Community Clothing, Patrick
Grant did a piece on this recently as an experiment. Mourne Textiles crowd funded
to do this but in terms of making a denim brand today, we’re a long way off.
But what we do have here is a lot of waste and I’m talking about garments that
are no longer desirable for wearing, they might be ripped on the crotch but
still have lots of useable fabric or just the wrong styles or sizes for market
demand so I decided to start with upcycling. I still fully intend to make
jeans, it’s coming but it's not coming this year as it will cost a lot to
develop. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FDJnVHJwV4fBOdzpmoVGwKYakscuuPslth0oFRjsg1edeuE3u_-v0MopQ6JgfcQJjtg4avhVomP00HYjDNKibGHq4_x1NGrh4qtVqJ3uh_8ItKXYiQzBWj9e_MbAi7BtKg3y4UneEkkfLWAnOT7jGRLJlNCbtZMQnXs0tEMQ6YMoDAuOPke5rmJQRv8/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000331%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FDJnVHJwV4fBOdzpmoVGwKYakscuuPslth0oFRjsg1edeuE3u_-v0MopQ6JgfcQJjtg4avhVomP00HYjDNKibGHq4_x1NGrh4qtVqJ3uh_8ItKXYiQzBWj9e_MbAi7BtKg3y4UneEkkfLWAnOT7jGRLJlNCbtZMQnXs0tEMQ6YMoDAuOPke5rmJQRv8/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000331%20rts.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: What you're saying kind of breaks my heart, that
wonderful people like yourself, who want to work in really good ways but don't
have that access to be able to do the things that would make the industry
better. For now as you said, you're upcycling and you're using textile waste,
which is fantastic and as you said, there is so much of it. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Going back on what you said about people not
being able to be able to realise these ideas. I'm realising how huge the
problem is for my project, and why it's still a project, and it’s because of
what people are prepared to invest in, even the government. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">There are two ways the impact of the fashion
industry can be changed, one is industrial and one is cultural. In terms of
impact the second is arguably much easier but the first more lucrative. What we’re
doing at White Weft with the upcycling and also the repair aspect, because I
also run a denim repair business, is creating mindset change. It's stimulating cultural
shifts in relationships with clothes. I believe that a growing number of people
realise that this is what it's going to take for us to really dramatically
change the paradigm that we work within. But Investment is all towards green
tech, incremental change and a continuation of some version of business as we
know it. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">So we need more funds that fit with a more holistic
perspective yet fund after fund after fund is looking for something that's “outside
existing practise.” Everyone is looking for a game changing tech innovation. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">But what if the innovation is patience?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">What if the innovation is a change in the speed of
consumption and new cycles of clothing use?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I think that's a huge problem because I see lots of
businesses like mine and can see that they've been forced to jump from stage
one to stage 10 and maybe even to a stage they never even ever wanted to go to
because that's the only way they can get an investor, who then forces them to
grow into something that wasn't necessarily in their plan. I do think that's
really frustrating and we need more collaboration to attract more social
investment and support to show the game changing value of craft and reuse from
different angles.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: How do we shift that perspective in business?
You are right it is a crucial mind shift that is needed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Its tricky but not impossible. I think
collaboration is key, outside of fashions usual boxes of PRs, Fashion Councils,
Universities and VC’s.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Where do you source your fabric from? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: A lot of it comes from other denim designers and
mills. We use a lot of samples in denim and because of the processes I
mentioned earlier, as it has to be experimented with before we get to our final
result. I receive samples from everyone in my denim network, freelance
designers to High Street and luxury brands.</span></p> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvosew7LCzasRuxlKAI_HTE7vXgZjd1SkqryytAagbekhMS9sz6DuJsOpaOaobHWdoQMTVl9zAYTxHeGdy-e5RAYhosKOIUGLjSImeOWycnzMBBCxV1aT89NjwoA3KMs3UfiNzUFPayDy2WnLQJSuB2Z_2pVfDwVqleOVJYw7GNfBCw0rbrHAK9L1GOUk/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000225%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvosew7LCzasRuxlKAI_HTE7vXgZjd1SkqryytAagbekhMS9sz6DuJsOpaOaobHWdoQMTVl9zAYTxHeGdy-e5RAYhosKOIUGLjSImeOWycnzMBBCxV1aT89NjwoA3KMs3UfiNzUFPayDy2WnLQJSuB2Z_2pVfDwVqleOVJYw7GNfBCw0rbrHAK9L1GOUk/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000225%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div></div><div></div><div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: What does the name White Weft mean? Is it a
denim term? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: It is a textile term with denim significance. Every
woven fabric has a horizontal and vertical yarn, or “thread”. The vertical
thread is the warp and the horizontal thread is the weft. And what makes denim
denim, is that the warp is always indigo and the weft is always white and
undyed. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Fantastic. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: It started out as quite a geeky denim project.
In fact, it was my consultancy name. My business consultancy was called White
Weft before it had a product. Now it's gone the other way and I think I will
have to separate my consultancy and call it something else. White Weft is now
very different and is a project that has its own life now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: You mentioned the right thread when weaving
denim is indigo, the warp thread, can we or could grow indigo here in this
country? If yes would it be viable to grow it organically and use it locally?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: We can't grow indigo very easily in this country
it needs warmth to grow so that wouldn’t be very sustainable industrially. We
do have indigenous versions of indigo, woad for example is a blue plant that
gives a similar colour, which we can grow here. The indigo used in most jeans,
is a synthetic replica of the indigo plant. Very, very, very little natural
indigo exists in the denim industry. So, it's misleading, isn't it? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: So, you're saying very little natural indigo and
very little organic cotton, because organic cotton is still not grown to scale
either. It's still only around 1% of the whole cotton industry. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: That’s because it takes so long to become
organic and certified there is a real shortage of organic cotton compared to
the demand. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">For indigo at the moment there are small scale
projects and explorations using more natural dyes for denim. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Is that mostly in America though? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Not today. It's more in the mills in the
manufacturing countries. The mills that use a bit of natural indigo, but not
enough to make any sort of impact are in China, Japan and Mexico. The amounts
are so small that to talk about them is almost a sort of greenwash. But there
are lovely things happening in some corners like colour grown cotton and
natural coloured hemp. Which is where the indigenous cotton plant has a
coloured fibre and then we just use it in its natural state rather than
bleaching it, or rejecting and not using that variety of cotton plant. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Cotton whenever it's grown its usually white, am
I right? Then when it’s milled, does it become a different colour? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: No, no. What I'm talking about is plants with a
cotton ball that grow with a different colour. It's not common but there are a
few products around using it at the moment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: That's interesting. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Other interesting experimentation is happening
with dyes for the future. Natural dyes, dyeing methods that come from bio
cultures or that come from waste by products. There's also a quite well scaled
development by the denim technology company Tonello, where you can industrially
dye garments with natural dyes. It’s a system called wake and it creates dye from
food waste which is made into a kind of tea. It’s an exciting time.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3Z7r40_jPNHVTjCBXeCYljJLflKbQZ3H8hP3sX6d5jtPZqFSjJPXc87ZqbhiftXHesXj6Cgi2BxWpFCzST4Vm3Y-TjpvzRbq8XHgBysPvRg2c6olysQ6A7ZGBGSiA0oQO0qB70oF1fdXmnSxHbdVL2iPkl9JRGa8df4tlOKfpWJ4zd-IB83HZxwU2HQ/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000347%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3Z7r40_jPNHVTjCBXeCYljJLflKbQZ3H8hP3sX6d5jtPZqFSjJPXc87ZqbhiftXHesXj6Cgi2BxWpFCzST4Vm3Y-TjpvzRbq8XHgBysPvRg2c6olysQ6A7ZGBGSiA0oQO0qB70oF1fdXmnSxHbdVL2iPkl9JRGa8df4tlOKfpWJ4zd-IB83HZxwU2HQ/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000347%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Tell us about White Weft, tell us about your
brand. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: At White Weft we do everything we can to extend
the useable life of denim. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It’s all about the pipeline and there are 2 aspects
to our practise, repair and upcycling. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">First we’ll try to repair garments using our
darning machine and the idea is that when they’re finally deemed unworthy of
repair they can be upcycled.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: How important is it for you to offer repair? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: It's really important because I think the hope
and the purpose is to keep denim in use for as long as possible especially
because I know all of the resources that have gone into making it. I know how
much is being compromised in terms of its environmental footprint, and how much
exploitative labour there is in the supply chain. There is no undoing that
garments footprint, and we need to give respect to that, the very least which,
is that it should be used for as long as possible.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">So, the process is Wear, Repair, Upcycle. Then at
the end of use the ideal chain would be to send it for recycling because it
doesn't matter how worn it is, it can still be mulched down into cellulose and
made into fibre again or shredded for insulation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to get the most value out of it, we should
go through all the other processes first.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">That’s why we upcycle before recycle.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">We make a collection of accessories, bags, caps,
hats and even slippers. We want our remade products to feel good as new. Everything
is beautifully sewn and finished and bursts peoples’ preconceptions about what
upcycled products should look like. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Each piece is individual and unique that’s both our
strength and our curse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">What you hear when you start working with waste
from everyone in the industry is that it's not scalable and it's not
commercial.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLM3sGaq_05dinMv7McgdzMVagza9cECX8uhIL1Dh7QHj3giyQSUdzY6-ZaQC5u7mMaMs1H4DY92NfqgzRbLJkpXmRkFURbHwxv8XbC9pc65XvfDzKElKmp6Dqypgd_Yt0vUuoyWfmSIn3PNH00lPFdllw6B6gfzGuWOVvy_XfpOIBpFHuJnvSrAGPbI/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000014%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLM3sGaq_05dinMv7McgdzMVagza9cECX8uhIL1Dh7QHj3giyQSUdzY6-ZaQC5u7mMaMs1H4DY92NfqgzRbLJkpXmRkFURbHwxv8XbC9pc65XvfDzKElKmp6Dqypgd_Yt0vUuoyWfmSIn3PNH00lPFdllw6B6gfzGuWOVvy_XfpOIBpFHuJnvSrAGPbI/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000014%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /> </span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Why is it not scalable or commercial? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: I'm not saying that it's not, but the reason
that's given is that it's not cost effective because the materials are not
uniform. Lots of factories don’t want to know because traditionally in
production everything is timed and it's all about efficiency. Normally in a
factory, materials are rolls of fabric, which are rolled out on the table 50
lengths at a time and then cut. When you have non-uniform inputs to begin with,
somebody has to sort them, then they are all different, so they have to be cut
individually and the cost of that is phenomenally higher than making one by
one. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">That doesn't mean that there aren't ways to solve
that problem and that really motivates me. My thinking was ‘if anybody can
tackle this I can’, because I’m coming at it with experience of both sides. All
my mass market production experience is going to be useful for something.’ So I
have stepped in using that all that knowledge and knowing the problem I want to
solve. I also really wanted to explore what we could do with stretch denim.
100%. cotton denim is gaining popularity again, but 90% of the denim on
the market is stretch denim. It has elastane in it, at least 2% is elastane. A
lot of denim stock now has 6 to 8% polyester woven in. Which means they are
blended fibres and very difficult to recycle. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Are they harder to work with too?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: They are harder to work with. They move when you
sew them and don’t press as nicely. There are a lot of people working on the
chemical recycling of those fabrics now like Renewcell and it is gaining in
scale. Hopefully in the midterm future we will be will able to recycle a lot
more. But in the meantime I thought, ‘what is it that can we be doing with
stretch denim right now. It was a real challenge and one that I have really
grabbed by the horns. We’ve now got 2 great products using stretch denim, the
offcut slippers and the Judo strap tote bag.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Are you making all the product yourself?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: I used to do everything but now I have seamstresses
and seamsters working in the studio with me, I still do a lot of the repairs
and particularly the visible mending commissions which are a new aspect of the
denim design job in my opinion.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOw5O-7LDXX9MYlza_lQXlnnBOSD7MbBEse627vOWSBQTpu7CqlBsbXrA3BYp1J0Racbfei6-o_KY2fFCaHD3lOQmXLX98b5q5T13CzhEJ9EhofVOloqGsqzSQFwWO0OcAOqVpR1ATXXGFmJrKQE3VMrwoIW6ESGgTjSMIdSUBIdn5D1lbGIMSkJPgqk/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000112%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOw5O-7LDXX9MYlza_lQXlnnBOSD7MbBEse627vOWSBQTpu7CqlBsbXrA3BYp1J0Racbfei6-o_KY2fFCaHD3lOQmXLX98b5q5T13CzhEJ9EhofVOloqGsqzSQFwWO0OcAOqVpR1ATXXGFmJrKQE3VMrwoIW6ESGgTjSMIdSUBIdn5D1lbGIMSkJPgqk/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000112%20rts.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /> </span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: I wonder what the figures are for people using
denim the fast fashion way, where they wear it once and throw it away. It seems
less likely that you would do that with a pair of jeans. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Well, I do think it is less likely that people
intend to do that, but actually the way that jeans are designed, I think that
that does happen a lot more than we would like as designers to admit. But the
main problem there is, when people buy stretch jeans that give too much on the
knees, or on the waist, then they end up not being able to wear them because
they're uncomfortable. This even happened to me an in the earlier days, so I
can relate to it. The other issue is buying jeans that are pre ripped, I really
wish that everyone would stop doing this. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: I have been guilty of this. And now, I want to
mend all the rips. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: With pre-ripped jeans, putting your foot through
them is another classic reason why it's just going to landfill. We also don't
mend things enough, as either we can’t do it ourselves or are not prepared to
pay the cost of mending. When I visit the waste centres, a lot of the jeans I
see there would only have a crotch rip, and I now repair crotch rips for that
reason. So there are lots of reasons why they are often not kept as long as you
would like to think. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: You mentioned earlier that you consult with
other brands to share your extensive knowledge. What made you decide to do
that? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: Being freelance was a lifestyle choice at first.
Now I really enjoy going in, seeing lots of different businesses, seeing a lot
of different problems, and being able to bring the solutions because of the
depth of my denim knowledge. Often something that is second nature to me can
really improve ways of working for a team or reduce their overall impact.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">One of the more recent developments is that I’ve
been able to use my experience of repairing and upcycling jeans combined with
my denim product development knowledge, to train teams in how to design for
circularity and I’m absolutely loving that.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WVRzvoMn06Tj0Cy3eurhDs_OMemnOSCTxqJrBo1AyXVLDUv7i3uFAbZ-l4M3GDa2MqTuxLPhEYzTOk0vcfvaAXKt73ghLwks4LrjIjSukAW6B5ChkYea99CkYOYTjFvr5lIWwmp4Crz17MWP8YKHeT6v8brITU_g6tUzSpC2-F5FSBZC9bFOPSeoi7s/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000338%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1WVRzvoMn06Tj0Cy3eurhDs_OMemnOSCTxqJrBo1AyXVLDUv7i3uFAbZ-l4M3GDa2MqTuxLPhEYzTOk0vcfvaAXKt73ghLwks4LrjIjSukAW6B5ChkYea99CkYOYTjFvr5lIWwmp4Crz17MWP8YKHeT6v8brITU_g6tUzSpC2-F5FSBZC9bFOPSeoi7s/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000338%20rts.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /> </span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: What drives you, Janelle? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: I want to see transformation. On one hand I can
see another way the industry could look. I believe it will still be fun, still
joyful. People are going to have better lives and earn living wages and it
drives me to be part of that. On the other hand, when we talk about
transformation, I love transforming material. I really love getting the stuff
that looks like trash, useless nothing but a burden, and making it into
something that can be used and appreciated again. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0cDOoMc-UX984TAAwKouI9Qvt5TActNijup6m4vO0tDq0nzvHvg0PFcz79GBK-Fb3EfTbjZGmbagaX8eMM15jn8pydviX_zUIm40cSQAnzeXLKCoZG35ZCbxVFLIwe-jfx_5foVe58zFM2PFm3sydcTEq3PwMXfWlxIQhHDctCFbxTLMYpKEa80kR9I/s1277/Janelle%20Hanna000075%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0cDOoMc-UX984TAAwKouI9Qvt5TActNijup6m4vO0tDq0nzvHvg0PFcz79GBK-Fb3EfTbjZGmbagaX8eMM15jn8pydviX_zUIm40cSQAnzeXLKCoZG35ZCbxVFLIwe-jfx_5foVe58zFM2PFm3sydcTEq3PwMXfWlxIQhHDctCFbxTLMYpKEa80kR9I/s16000/Janelle%20Hanna000075%20rts.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /> </span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: What's next? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">J: As I mentioned earlier I’m looking at how we
could develop the studio practice within a social enterprise framework, which
is quite a biggie and all feedback on that is welcome.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">As well as that we’d like to do more wholesale and
are on the lookout for the right partners. We’re also growing the repair
business and currently work with two brands doing premium repairs and
reinventions for their customers, so I’m really excited to see how that
develops this year. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Then in terms of the consultancy, more projects on
circularity where I can utilise the full breadth of my expertise is what I am aiming
for. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Links </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Website: <a href="https://www.whiteweft.com/" target="_blank">White Weft</a><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/white_weft/" target="_blank">White Weft</a><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAARDdM0BSyi-doRd7kXyNUUtFmPT_i1jM4c&keywords=janelle%20hanna&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=0&searchId=88f063e6-ee6d-42bb-a2ba-000c5de5fc0d&sid=u40&spellCorrectionEnabled=false" target="_blank">Janelle Hanna</a><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/white-weft-limited/" target="_blank">White Weft</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> <br /></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-15688565060832024332023-10-03T15:00:00.002+01:002023-10-04T12:02:42.302+01:00Sarah (Ciel) Ratty FRSA - Founder Conscious Earthwear<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25cTVPFlUdVwCk8InEVDfU4c3Avvy-MV5yhnAE52_y1Tn68FunmfDgrKkxOWcOZgQVHU1loxrKo5Uc8dnQu-IMZiD7IPMWwTnyk5Y4TEsxKEwnfS8_8gb1t9v8QPGnQNms5fiSk7w3VkYDpp4lDDDADJEsQZKpIZud_NypZBy7iBHwfoRjm0diA4D61g/s1277/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000047%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25cTVPFlUdVwCk8InEVDfU4c3Avvy-MV5yhnAE52_y1Tn68FunmfDgrKkxOWcOZgQVHU1loxrKo5Uc8dnQu-IMZiD7IPMWwTnyk5Y4TEsxKEwnfS8_8gb1t9v8QPGnQNms5fiSk7w3VkYDpp4lDDDADJEsQZKpIZud_NypZBy7iBHwfoRjm0diA4D61g/s16000/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000047%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">It was wonderful to
head to the sea to photograph Sarah, to a place she has spent most of her life.
Sarah is one of our original voices on Sustainable, Circular, Conscious
fashion, a pioneer. Still working as a designer she also uses her extensive knowledge
as a sustainable design expert, consultant, teacher, speaker and coach, seeing herself as a fashion
futurist, she tells us that sustainability is the first step towards success,
circularity the next. Here is her story.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKi0GQToWd1k_Gs3csSMJ-pG895Ea9JsPtxmpWkit70qygOBDeL_-dVp8pfGxS5p507rc74B5C-vvu34Qb6-ATQoHsU98Zv5xZ_VSEidu1OcaMSkV-TWnSvs__h34VPD9vWW86KrFKf7d1rCFNHIVjRAr8BJv0FBjBvvvHa7JS-2Mdgrt5Z7SW8DBeYU/s1277/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000226%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieKi0GQToWd1k_Gs3csSMJ-pG895Ea9JsPtxmpWkit70qygOBDeL_-dVp8pfGxS5p507rc74B5C-vvu34Qb6-ATQoHsU98Zv5xZ_VSEidu1OcaMSkV-TWnSvs__h34VPD9vWW86KrFKf7d1rCFNHIVjRAr8BJv0FBjBvvvHa7JS-2Mdgrt5Z7SW8DBeYU/s16000/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000226%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">D: Sarah where did you grow up and what were your early influences?<br />
<br />
S: I grew up in Brighton. Mum was a fashion historian, and taught me from a
young age to look at the history of fashion and look at circularity in fashion.
She used to say that everything comes around again every seven years. I would
say ‘but look mum I've got these amazing shoes’ and she would say ‘yes, I used
to wear that style in the 40s’. I thought they were so radical, but no. She
would say ‘There’s nothing new, but its a different interpretation, everything
has its cycle roughly 7-10 years, it’s the nature of fashion to be circular ’
So, I was taught that everything is circular because of my mother’s knowledge
of how fashion worked. She was a lecturer at Brighton College of Art, now
Brighton University, and she taught the history of fashion and costume. Barbara
(Hulanicki aka Biba) was one of her students. Mum and Dad became her friends
and “Pauline and Peter” are mentioned in her book from A to Biba.<br />
<br />
My best friend Tatiana’s mum Antonia and her brother Ru ran a boutique in the
lanes called Topaz on Park Walk in Brighton in the late 60’s early 70’s, after
school, when I was 4, we used to sit underneath the clothes and play and look
at the people coming in and out. I remember in the 70’s the boutique sold bum
bags made from ex-convict’s jeans, it’s my first memory of recycling. They were
embroidered with stars, flowers and patches with messages of peace and love for
the flower power generation. It was already happening then recycling clothes,
it’s not a new concept. But every generation seems to think it's new because
it's new to them! Myself included!! In the 70’s in Brighton, with Infinity
Foods, Whole Earth Catalogue, Sussex University sit-ins, protest counterculture
from the Beatniks to the Hippies all were a huge influence as I was growing up
in Brighton.<br />
<br />
Anita Roddick (The Body Shop Founder) was a massive inspiration to me, she
started her first shop in Brighton. I remember walking past the shop when I was
little, it smelt lovely from the street, she used recycled bottles and had
re-fill stations in store for her products, which were all against animal
testing and used natural plant-based ingredients without harmful chemicals.
Reading her autobiography really inspired me, as a woman she was my major
influence. Her and Barbara of course, whose first shop was also in Brighton. Reading
Richard Branson's book was also inspiring, because he was very progressive and
modern in his approach. They showed me how to be Go Ahead and Dynamic, let’s
get on with it, be part of the solution, make it happen, like the slogan from
Greenpeace, “think globally act locally”, that was my inspiration. It inspired
me to think Yes!! Come on, Let’s do this, make a difference, be the change! <br />
<br />
D: Was this during your teenage years?<br />
<br />
S: Yes, I was a teenager growing up in Brighton the home of counterculture. I
thought everyone was going to be like this I didn’t know we were in our own Right
On Bubble! </span></p><p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I
moved to Bristol to study fashion and although it was a green cultural community,
I missed Brighton so I only stayed for a year. During that year though I was
nominated as student designer of the year for Fashion Weekly magazine. <br />
<br />
I moved back home to Brighton in the late 80’s and had a gap year. I
volunteered part time at Oxfam, and worked in one of the shops, and found out
what happened to the donations.<br />
<br />
When they come in things that are of merchantable quality go out onto the shop
floor, if after six weeks they haven't sold they go back to the warehouse, and
then they will be sent to a big plant in Huddersfield called Oxfam Wastesavers,
the clothes are then categorised.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of vintage seekers, people looking for certain types of
product. Vintage was and still is massive, so people are sorting and searching
for certain things and the clothing is put into packs for different groups.
Whatever is not good enough is made into something called ‘shoddy’. Shoddy is
used as carpet underlay, or insulation and most people don't even know, that
happens. I was passionate about all of this and wanted to do everything I could
to change the world.<br />
<br />
Daryl, a woman who lived on my street, ran a model agency called Circuit Models
and through her I started modelling for local photographer Glen Luchford, and
in London with Donna Trope, I seemed to be in the right place at the right
time. Glenn (Luchford) said to me, ‘Sarah, show me your book’ as we chatted he asked
‘what do you really want to do?’ my reply was ‘I want to be a fashion
designer.’ He encouraged me go for it ‘you’ve got to try you never know it
might just work out’. Shortly after I finished college and stopped modelling, I
got a job in fashion and I went to live in London. </span></p><p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEZDMwno_uPJGitpXQF2HgmBm5CsTqZqZqz-OMgfuPyKzNv9e6hYQvWf1e2m1r5nJb2ZOiuKZmnB39o7dk7ygNyyET0yFn_ZTPQDa0_F0NgnU6jDw-BWXUfy3YseenC4dtTquovLINyeuB4NSsFmWwaBdcdcydKQVnWTZhgLdxCmLPk1EiS40KDuncOU/s1277/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000359%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="852" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEZDMwno_uPJGitpXQF2HgmBm5CsTqZqZqz-OMgfuPyKzNv9e6hYQvWf1e2m1r5nJb2ZOiuKZmnB39o7dk7ygNyyET0yFn_ZTPQDa0_F0NgnU6jDw-BWXUfy3YseenC4dtTquovLINyeuB4NSsFmWwaBdcdcydKQVnWTZhgLdxCmLPk1EiS40KDuncOU/s16000/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000359%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">D: What year was this?<br />
<br />
S: Around 88-89 during that whole rave summer of love thing. After moving to
London I interned with Lisa Nelson PR agency in South Kensington we looked
after a lot of fabulous fashion brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Adolfo
Dominguez, Charles Jourdan and Reebok trainers. I had to call round to all the
fashion magazines and find out what they were working on and send things they
may like to shoot for the magazines, booking appointments with stylists and
handling the call ins and returns. Lisa gave me tickets to go to a Vivienne
Westwood show which I loved. I sat next to a lady in a navy blue suit, she
looked so smart, I said ‘Wow look at you in your blue suit. Are you from
America?” Because I thought only Americans would do that, turn up to a Vivienne
Westwood show wearing a suit! She replied, ‘no, I work at Options Magazine’, so
I asked if she needed an intern and by luck she did. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">They
were based in Newman Passage at the time, near Soho. I loved working there, I
got to meet and work behind the scenes as a stylist, to some incredible
photographers like John Swannell, it was an absolute education in how the
fashion industry worked, I loved it, creating these incredible beautiful
images. I loved fashion photography and found it fascinating working in the
magazine world creating looks to inspire people to have fun with how they
dressed. It was a great time, Models One was just down the road and Storm
Models Agency was in Covent Garden it was a great experience. While I was
there, during one of my lunch breaks I saw a job advertised for a designer, for
Sun & Sand.<br />
<br />
That became my first job as a designer, with Sun & Sand, they had made
their name in the 70’s it was a great job and meant I got to work in the South
of France. They had their own small factory. During a trip to visit the factory
I remember driving over a river which had a big sign that said ‘Polluted River’
so I asked, ‘what’s that all about’ they said ‘oh that's because of the fashion
and textile industry, the dye mills up the road.’ Until that point, I had no
idea the impact the business of fashion had on the environment. I was a member
of Greenpeace and I had read about industrial pollution, but I didn’t realise
that fashion was involved. I thought that there must be legislation to prevent
that kind of thing. But there wasn’t until the mid 90’s, when they banned Azo
dyes in Europe. <br />
<br />
When legislation started kicking in around this sort of thing companies moved
the production to the Far East where there was no legislation to prevent
chemical run off… Sadly we are still fighting to change this still, 30 years
later! <br />
<br />
My epiphany or pivotal moment was on that bridge in the South of France.<br />
<br />
From that moment on I realised we all need to become more conscious. I was the
first to put the word Conscious with Fashion an idea I developed with my first
brand Conscious Earthwear. I purposely chose that name in that way.<br />
<br />
D: When did you set up on your own?<br />
<br />
S: I wanted to do something more, so I set up the brand with my boyfriend at
the time and called it Conscious Earthwear and printed T shirts. We created
loads of them, this was around the time of the rave scene; we created all the
rave T shirts it was a really successful business. Honestly it was like
printing money selling those T shirts. We were free you know, we thought we
were gonna change the world. And we did in a way, we made it so people could
dance all night. Before that they kicked you out of clubs at 2 o'clock in the
morning. We fought the criminal justice bill. Saying you can't penalise us for
wanting to dance, it’s a human right.<br />
<br />
D: What were you making your T shirts from?<br />
<br />
S: We were making them in a studio in Saint Albans called 21st State. We
created T shirts for bands like The Grid, for Jazzy B from Soul II Soul and his
Camden shop Soul II Soul, we were in on the dance scene in London at the time
we were known as “The S/Chakras” because we were always talking about
Consciousness and the Indian Chakra System. It was then that I started saying
we should be making more really conscious clothing we should be making these
out of organic cotton.<br />
<br />
My partner at the time moved to California, I didn't want to go, I was from
Brighton, what do I need to go to California for? I already know that kind of
life. I have lived by the sea in a progressive city. I also felt that London,
as one of the top capital cities of the world, is an important place to be,
it’s a window on the world. That what you do here and what you create can make
a big difference. If I went to California I would become just some groupie
hippy, so I stayed. As a feminist I felt I should follow my own path and do
what I was gifted to do, which was to make Conscious Fashion, fashionable. <br />
<br />
I started searching for organic cotton and eco-friendly fabrics to make clothes
from. I researched at The British Cotton Council and at the London College of
Fashion Library. I discovered some organic cotton from India and I made my
first collection “One World Tribe Vibe”, it was heavily inspired by the work of
Keith Haring, environmental Artist Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy. Then for
the subsequent collection “Touch the Earth” I used organic cotton cheesecloth
and literally hand printed the cloth with my handprint, I had just completed a
course in Yoruba Tribe natural dyeing and used my new found skill set in the
collection. The collection was featured in The Face magazine and I did my first
runway show at a warehouse in Camden Lock. The next collection was based on
Celtic culture and was a winter collection featuring knitwear made from
recycled post-consumer waste which I picked from Oxfam Wastesavers.<br />
<br />It was there that I discovered that because this is the British Isles tonnes of
knitwear is sent to Oxfam, a lot of cable knit sweaters. There had been a big
trend for cable knit sweaters in the 80’s because bands like Haircut 100 had
been wearing big Arran sweaters. With time of course they all were chucked out.</span></p><p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhHntv8QMlT6GoMeA09HCDeqbCeBhFqt8977b6qx6HLabisNcwb6zDI8JvBVXOnh6V2RayWJQDFljAHexw8qesONdOJU6vlrUR5ha9XGwdAjz7PJs43xR22A1PM1sA_AXxKlTLDPLru8etr7RTKyybTYuhAqAbHqQPweE44NEdjjeC7goLOhMlulijbc/s1277/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000517%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBhHntv8QMlT6GoMeA09HCDeqbCeBhFqt8977b6qx6HLabisNcwb6zDI8JvBVXOnh6V2RayWJQDFljAHexw8qesONdOJU6vlrUR5ha9XGwdAjz7PJs43xR22A1PM1sA_AXxKlTLDPLru8etr7RTKyybTYuhAqAbHqQPweE44NEdjjeC7goLOhMlulijbc/s16000/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000517%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: Did you unpick the wool and remake?<br />
<br />
S: I undid the side seams and turned it into a fabric, then I draped it on the
stand to see what we could do with it. Because of my fashion background I was
thinking what can I do? I made coats and dresses out of them, that was my first
winter collection.<br />
<br />
Luck was on my side when I went to see the woman who ran a trade show called
Inter-Season, at Olympia in Kensington. I asked if I could have a stand and she
sponsored me which gave me a window on the world. I got £26,000 of orders from
this first show, back in the 90s that was a lot of money. I recycled the
packing paper from the fixtures and fittings and put it on the walls I showed a
recycled Denim knit and organic cotton collection and collaborated with a
friend to make jewellery. <br />
<br />
It was an interesting time because there was a movement in this direction,
Margiela in Paris was creating garments out of old stuff, Yamamoto also was
working that way, it was a big movement that isn’t really talked about that
much.<br />
<br />
To build the brand we had pop-up shops before pop-up was a thing. I worked with
Alternative Arts and we had an incredible shop behind Carnaby St, it was
amazing. There were a few of us working this way at the time Kate Hills and Joe
from Vexed Generation, Grahame from Kilogramme Patchworks and Sister T. Bjork
came to the store and fashion stylists Andy Blake bought the pieces for music
artists, it was great being there right bang in the middle of London with a
statement. We sold the collection to Brown’s as a result of that.<br />
<br />
D: The brand became known as Ciel from 2004. Ciel is a beautiful name, what
does it mean?<br />
<br />
S: It means Heaven. Sky or the Heavens in French. Ciel was a different brand,
more feminine in feel less urban. I was trying to find a name that would be
like Conscious because conscious was always keeping me on track, it a reminded
not to deviate, even if you find yourself attracted to shiny things, but if
it’s not Green you can't use it. Which makes necessity the mother of invention.<br />
<br />
I worked with the Soil Association so that I could change the story there and
helped work on the GOTS Global Organic Textile Standard, where I brought the
designers view, because at the time they only had food labelling and together
we changed some of the wording to create the more coherent inclusive standard
that we have today. I also worked with PAN Pesticide Action Network, we created
a campaign about Bee’s, before the importance of their welfare was known about.
I worked with EJF (Environmental Justice Foundation) designing T-Shirts for
fundraising for Staro, the Save The Amazon Rainforest Organisation and with the
proceeds bought land to save which was later given over to Prince Charles and
the Green Frog Save the Rainforest Campaign. I worked as Co-founder and Chair
of the Ethical Fashion Forum, (now known as the Common Objective or CO), with
Judith Condor-Vidal, Carrie Sommers, Tamsin Lejeune and Allana MacAspurn
amongst others. <br />
<br />
Ciel - Conscious International Earthwear Limited. It’s a name that was
meaningful, it was blue sky thinking, optimistic it was short and was near the
top of the alphabet.<br />
<br />
I made some samples, I got an agent and she got us into Vogue, and it sort of
happened from there.<br />
<br />The problem we have in this country is that we take people who are very small
niche brands, we put them under hot house lights, make them grow and blossom
and then they crash and burn, this is the trouble with UK independent designer
fashion. We are always looking at the new, new, new, new, new and that causes
its own problems.</span><p></p><p><span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLxih2LYFkGIpCRVpfmLvhO9cJ1vG5DwzQHl-rnNqOz7szk8fX3KBy6-aurRj_WLlwEJ6v93-FpUhIpQ4j0B58eCmF2AXFiYCCPdWKBpH4lpkyhQliTvOw_yLUEFKtQFK8GLWOKYgnPgl3_rA8UJjFmXISlQfNJ1A7qrBJ97etPDEWD4tN69pqQq9Hfw/s1277/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000238%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwLxih2LYFkGIpCRVpfmLvhO9cJ1vG5DwzQHl-rnNqOz7szk8fX3KBy6-aurRj_WLlwEJ6v93-FpUhIpQ4j0B58eCmF2AXFiYCCPdWKBpH4lpkyhQliTvOw_yLUEFKtQFK8GLWOKYgnPgl3_rA8UJjFmXISlQfNJ1A7qrBJ97etPDEWD4tN69pqQq9Hfw/s16000/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000238%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">D: What was your favourite collection?<br />
<br />
S: I loved working with alpaca, the knitwear, that was such a joy. I worked
with lovely people in Peru. They were so nice they had 52 colours, all natural
that was exciting. I loved going to Peru and sourcing and learning the story of
textiles there. At one point in Peru, textiles were worth more than gold.
Historically the Spanish invader Cortez devastated the people, when he said
‘take me to your most precious thing’ they took him to their temple and the
most precious thing they had, in their eyes was a textile. It was a beautiful
wall hanging. He was furious because he wanted gold, he burnt the whole place
to the ground and killed them all.<br />
<br />
I have a lot of respect for Peruvians, because when I went to their factories
they had rights to association everywhere, fair labour everywhere. The right to
association means the people were able to form trade unions, they had a voice,
they don’t have that in some countries even in America some rights to unions
were suppressed in some states.<br />
<br />
D: That's what Fashion Revolution are did with their ‘Who Made My Clothes’
campaign isn't it.<br />
<br />
S: Yes!! Thank goodness there are fashion people like Carrie Somers and Orsola
de Castro who are awake to try to change the story and make a difference.
Carrie created one of the first Fair Trade fashion standards with her work with
</span>Pachacuti <span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">the Panama hats such an inspiration to us all.<br />
<br />
I loved working in Peru. I loved working with the knitwear, it was a joy to
work with the knitters. It was very soulful, you went to their house you saw
them knitting it was lovely. It was really wonderful because it was making a
difference and in a very cool way and making great product design. When Jane
Shepherdson was at Whistles I created a really nice knitwear collection with
them, where we collaborated together with the Peruvian knitters. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Then
there was a collaboration with Liberties using their deadstock, that was a
lovely, lovely collaboration because I got to look at all the archive and see
the most fantastic fabrics. This was before using up deadstock became a thing.<br />
<br />
Fashion is always going to exist. My whole ethos when I first started in the
90’s was to make it fashionable to be green. That was my one of my core
philosophies.<br />
<br />
D: That still holds true now, you can have beautiful clothing which is made
well ethically and environmentally.<br />
<br />
S: What I'm wearing right now is a John Smedley collaboration, made from
organic cotton, made in Portugal and it’s beautiful. I also found a brand on Instagram,
which is a very popular called, Never Fully Dressed they make mostly in the UK
and that's great. At least they are doing their bit, ‘not everyone can do
everything, but everyone can do something’. I created T shirts that says that, for
a pop-up shop I did with Eco-Age. It was a quote from the lovely gardener Monty
Don. I took it to our pop-up launch at Ecoage and Livia (Firth) bought all of
them, and her team wore them at the launch of her film In Prison My Whole Life.
That was a great moment. They were all organic cotton, long sleeves with this
quote; ‘No one can do everything, but everyone can do something’ and that's so
true.<br />
<br />
D: Are you still creating your T shirts through Conscious Earthwear?<br />
<br />
S: Yes, I've just become an ambassador for tree planting which has led to me to
creating a Re-Wild Me new collection of sweatshirts and tees with pressed
wildflowers they are beautiful I’ve called them Save Me! I print with Rapanui
who are completely circular, printing is on demand and they work in a solar
powered factory with organic cotton and print on the Isle of Wight, even their
packaging is from recycled materials. Then at the end of the life of the T
shirt they will take it back and will recycle it and make it into new yarn and
new product. So truly completely circular which I am so happy about. We, get a
royalty for the charity to plant trees and I don't have to worry about any of
the production as I know it’s origin and ethics. This is what I call smart
collaboration.<br />
<br />
Ciel is an interiors brand now and I am making inroads into that industry,
because they don't talk about being sustainable at all, and they need to. I
went on a course on hotel interior design, and they brought out all these
swatch’s and they were made out of vinyl. I was like PVC? Really? Wow are we in
the dark ages, then they tried to side line me and push me away, because they
didn't know my background. I'm not in their industry and what I’ve done means
nothing to them. During a course I was on, I was the one at the back asking
awkward questions, interestingly now though they're talking about it, and Heals
are now doing sustainable furniture, but where is the certification for
furniture and interiors? It’s been interesting infiltrating that world for the
last 10 years and changing that conversation too.<br />
<br />
The great thing about interiors is that it’s slower and I can sell the same
things all the time, because if you choose something that's really beautiful
and stylish then it's not going to go out of style. When you buy a new sofa,
you're going to have it for 10, 20, 50 years and more.<br />
<br />
D: Yes, our dining table and chairs are from the 1950’s which we inherited when
we moved into our last house.<br />
<br />
S: Interiors are a lot slower, you can change things by having different
cushion covers. Say I got pink velvet cushion covers but in the summer I might
want to change them and I could easily put green on there and it still looks
good or I could put yellow, and make it feel warm. Textiles in the home can give
you a new look and feel and they last.<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Y8ah3YtUz3E7oTmpJq_xWfWEzTQ7CoI1StzJjkxn9wEk97Zem43jLACVrytad4YsD5tYdE5AhaIvGYCNaotUtbCEIfo6ee_oWL49gnR09VFqQYKfJJsw5CrKssC7Yv8Emvv_JtiLA5KDy7lxj4XvfTcZGZ4v6FRxDGA44XYEjEF4MO0bj7Nzvg1Rmuo/s1277/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000148%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Y8ah3YtUz3E7oTmpJq_xWfWEzTQ7CoI1StzJjkxn9wEk97Zem43jLACVrytad4YsD5tYdE5AhaIvGYCNaotUtbCEIfo6ee_oWL49gnR09VFqQYKfJJsw5CrKssC7Yv8Emvv_JtiLA5KDy7lxj4XvfTcZGZ4v6FRxDGA44XYEjEF4MO0bj7Nzvg1Rmuo/s16000/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000148%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: How do you see the future?<br />
<br />
S: I think we have to be hopeful. That's one of the most important messages to
get out there.<br />
<br />
Change is coming, and circularity is coming, and the main thing is that production
has to slow down. We must slow down the cycle then people can have the time to
switch their factories and update them. It takes time, it takes money, and it
takes investment. Most fashion brands don't own their own factories, that's a
problem, they used to, but not anymore. Also, this constant quest for new new
new and everything to be cheap has to stop.<br />
<br />
Recently I did a teaching course, lots of people write to me and ask if I can
come and talk at their college. This made me want to know more about teaching.
So, I've been updating my skill base and learning how to present.<br />
<br />
I have also started thinking, how can I be a voice for positivity, looking at
solutions, looking at how we can change this story. What we focus on is what
becomes bigger, when we collectively focus on s**t then guess what……. that’s
what we get, that's what consciousness means, the broadening of humanity in the
mind, and it's really important that we plant seeds of hope and find solutions.<br />
<br />
Cindi Rhoades set up a company called Worn Again Technologies, looking at the
bigger picture, where they can split recycled fabrication into different
modules. That's the future, that is what we are going towards this is real
circularity, then people won't burn collections.<br />
<br />
I have seen so many children with climate depression, it’s a thing. It's unfair
that they should be feeling this way when they should be enjoying their
childhood and not worrying about this. So, I felt that I needed to be positive
and didn’t know how to do it, so started by going back to college.<br />
<br />
What I've discovered about teaching is that young people already know a lot,
it's not like you're turning up and telling them some brand new story, they are
part of the fabric of society just like anyone else.<br />
My starting point is OK we already know about these things, so where are the
gaps? One interesting thing is that using organic cotton, reduces the water
needed for its production, the why of this is not talked about enough. They
don't tell you why.<br />
People can be self-sacrificing, I'm such a good person, I'm eating organic but
again, same thing they don’t tell you why. Why are you doing that? There are
lots of missing links that would make all this communication so simple for
children because it is simple.<br />
<br />
As far as fashion is concerned people are like peacocks it is in our DNA, you
can't take that away from us, people are always gonna want to shine.<br />
<br />
The whole point of circular design is that it starts at the design stage
because it needs to be built in at that point. Educating designers with this in
mind is really important.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFUHNb01qZMmGzEtFMpri0JyxRkbkOiVLaO9BZ9tAX16O5V2U549QoL5RttHlyGiNnzVMDfDnqQ1iG3Q2fn8_RVX38f0gul_AqPTCrMYB6yd7-4eWkCXxq5cEbQKRXesO16WPP5dnUAwf7Gc3498f3FUirmNc4jknal0PaIsdice_cjzJ2D091Cw20bw/s1277/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000094%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFUHNb01qZMmGzEtFMpri0JyxRkbkOiVLaO9BZ9tAX16O5V2U549QoL5RttHlyGiNnzVMDfDnqQ1iG3Q2fn8_RVX38f0gul_AqPTCrMYB6yd7-4eWkCXxq5cEbQKRXesO16WPP5dnUAwf7Gc3498f3FUirmNc4jknal0PaIsdice_cjzJ2D091Cw20bw/s16000/Sarah%20Ciel%20Ratty000094%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">D: In the past products were created to be repaired, then they started
creating things to fail and a lot of products in our homes are built that way
at the moment, but I am pleased to say that is beginning to change again.<br />
<br />
S: I remember learning about that when I was a child, built in obsolescence and
that’s a problem because things are built to only last for a short time. Orsola
says “loved things last” and I think that’s true if you invest in something
then you want to keep it, repair it fix it, share it. In the fashion world we must
work with what already exists, but people are voraciously eating clothing like
it’s going out of fashion, we need systems in place to make garments circular.<br />
<br />
D: Some people say that the fashion industry can pivot quickly. Designers can
but the industry around them is much slower. It’s time to build the economy
differently now.<br />
<br />
S: Investment is the key thing. Who's investing in the Plant (machinery)? For
me the biggest change that has to happen is investment in Plant. Make filters
for the factories, its simple make filters and filter the effluent. There was a
Danish company who did this, they put filtration systems in their factories,
and used the effluent to heat the factory. They were so clever; they were ahead
of the curve as this was happening in the 90s. This should be happening
everywhere by now.<br />
<br />
If we could get investment in Plant to create change in factories where it's
needed and make sure that factories comply, and that the big companies who are
placing orders with them also give grants to the companies to enable the
update. They need to tie a proportion of their profits to these companies.
There should be modern philanthropy.<br />
<br />
Cheap clothing means somebody somewhere is not being paid and that usually
means it’s the workers. There are slave labour camps in China which is also
linked to ethnic cleansing all for production for the West. The UK has one of
the biggest fashion footprints and we are tiny. Why do we need all this stuff?<br />
<br />
It's time to fix, the big problem, and the big problem is, that people don't
feel validated. This whole cult of new, the cult of trend, it’s time to switch
the language we use. We need to think about our style. What style are we? Not
what trend. A daffodil is always going to be a daffodil.<br />
<br />
The right words create change, how we talk about this is one of the biggest
changes we can make. It’s simple and effective, if we help people with positive
language then they can change the story themselves. It can be self-directed,
when they have the right information.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Links</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/consciousearthwear/?hl=en" target="_blank">Conscious Earthwear</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-ratty-frsa-09658313/" target="_blank">Sarah Ratty FRSA</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;">Consultancy: <a href="https://www.sarahciel.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Ciel</a>
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-56839185054957807252023-08-31T11:51:00.003+01:002023-08-31T12:00:37.567+01:00Orsola de Castro - Fashion Pioneer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJGPNfXji0YGqLD2jsYYYaj3aWVvxrp7BJ0lT61Et4KbsUGyNCj7qZ3Xef5b0GlpffyCwcXnMDuzZeqDTcuVyVUOmRdXgjUbRdW0TNKAXS0RrO72gV5iolCAU2Jzu0d2UxgEg-JoAmXe41xHBsCrCJXLvQzhDr0QP3pGTdCqeec-ylHO_0v_8N6bHNbs/s1277/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000516%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJGPNfXji0YGqLD2jsYYYaj3aWVvxrp7BJ0lT61Et4KbsUGyNCj7qZ3Xef5b0GlpffyCwcXnMDuzZeqDTcuVyVUOmRdXgjUbRdW0TNKAXS0RrO72gV5iolCAU2Jzu0d2UxgEg-JoAmXe41xHBsCrCJXLvQzhDr0QP3pGTdCqeec-ylHO_0v_8N6bHNbs/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000516%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Really happy to bring you Orsola’s story today. It took a lot of no’s and
an eventual meeting to get here. To change her reply to yes to being one of my Inspirational Women,
you will find out later in our conversation why. But persistence paid off on
this occasion and her voice as part of this series is an important one for me.
Orsola’s work brings people along with her, she is a maker, coupled with
a desire to show others how to elevate their own creativity keeping people, circularity
and working within planetary boundaries in mind while doing so. She is the Co-Founder
and Creative Director of Estethica, Co-Founder of Fashion Revolution and Author
of Loved Clothes Last. As with all my interviews we will take a journey through her
life.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfap0dzPxdMipe1B9rPtE-4LE6Xlo3uDdZNHP8b5VagtUDCKCfqFyTSKJFucYQhXj4388ViaX6mJYywZc8Tyc4bheIugL1uW5s9RrDLTyrSVkJDqiyJkVSZg4YP2FOEnFYPCKTlqdiO6JzSKBtfirMNu2iRD8lvW6gOoQ-fGc6n7OflOSMP-zPmpLOdIc/s1277/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000258%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfap0dzPxdMipe1B9rPtE-4LE6Xlo3uDdZNHP8b5VagtUDCKCfqFyTSKJFucYQhXj4388ViaX6mJYywZc8Tyc4bheIugL1uW5s9RrDLTyrSVkJDqiyJkVSZg4YP2FOEnFYPCKTlqdiO6JzSKBtfirMNu2iRD8lvW6gOoQ-fGc6n7OflOSMP-zPmpLOdIc/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000258%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: You're from a very artistic family were both your mum and dad involved
in the arts?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: No, my dad was a businessman, and died when I was 2½, and my mother
is an artist.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: So, your mum was your influence as far as art was concerned?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: She allowed me the freedom to be creative, because that's what she
was also doing for herself. In terms of style we are very different. She would
unravel clothes and make changes to her own clothing and that's where she's
influenced me the most. In terms of art, again, it's more to do with having had
the agency, the freedom.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: What pulled you towards fashion?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: Accidentally, I had no interest in fashion whatsoever when I grew up.
I had an interest in clothing and clothes and spent an enormous amount of time
thinking about clothing, but I never really contemplated a fashion career. My
relationship with fashion was to interact with the clothes that you wear in a
very deeply and profound way, and I was hugely interested in what other people
wore. Fashion for me was always a social experiment rather than a career
choice.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: When did you move to London?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: I moved to London to finish school and took my A levels here. In
Italy the schooling system is more like a baccalaureate, where you have to
study several different options, including things like, Greek, Latin, maths,
chemistry, science and physics. So, I came to the UK to do my A levels and
choose my own subjects and to learn in English.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgVwH9qy0uFTf8ESJaB9ghCImd3MWIRPqCR76qwIF1pGhwRvFeT7q6oG_cczDPK8thhz1jn0EdfvSq3CoxFNEJc3AsiH_7gaZhbFLA2235Lue1BU_h4S7svA0Kf_8uBzhUXz-U5P2F5E4zqcspXCSiW9HwAmrKl8zIfc7D2cRKYRnQirLU8i3KoYxO5s/s1277/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000141%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAgVwH9qy0uFTf8ESJaB9ghCImd3MWIRPqCR76qwIF1pGhwRvFeT7q6oG_cczDPK8thhz1jn0EdfvSq3CoxFNEJc3AsiH_7gaZhbFLA2235Lue1BU_h4S7svA0Kf_8uBzhUXz-U5P2F5E4zqcspXCSiW9HwAmrKl8zIfc7D2cRKYRnQirLU8i3KoYxO5s/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000141%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: At heart you are a creator. You started your label From Somewhere in
1997. Tell us about that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: From Somewhere was the culmination of a journey. I started by making
hats, buying old vintage hats and very theatrically transform them. Those were
sold in a couple of stores in London. My second thing was a collection of
crocheted hats, for the same store where From Somewhere started. At that time,
I was printing and wood blocking on silk too. All of this precedes the actual
brand which started in 1997. There is a long story of how this brand came
about, how I started reusing and why.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: You mentioned crocheting, I know it's very much part of you, who
taught you to crochet? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: My Grandma when I was 6. She was probably a worse teacher than I was
at teaching crochet because she had completely no patience and nor have I, I
can't teach people to crochet to save my skin. She was the same. So, I learned
really fast because it was terrifying.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: With From Somewhere, you won the Observer Ethical award in 2010. What
drew you to upcycling? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: It’s difficult to explain. When I started, From Somewhere as a label,
I was already doing this. I was, already a maker. I have been transforming
clothes since I was 12 years old. It was one of my school tricks. I would
literally take my crocheting along with me. The thing about doing crochet
around holes or crochet around jumpers or altering the shape of something with
a crochet needle, again, that was my game. Teachers would comment that I wasn’t
paying attention in school, but I would be still making. My mother influenced
me with this, she is very brilliant. She believes that there is a brain
intelligence and a heart to hand intelligence. She believes that the hand
intelligence, the making, probably came before the brain intelligence when it
comes to our evolution, and I profoundly identified with that. Again, I am not
an artist. I am an applied artist, practicing applied arts, proudly, I am a
maker. So, From Somewhere was the culmination and it started only because a
very good friend of mine said ‘OK right, now I wanna sell you. I'm going to
take all of these things you are making and we're going make it into a brand
and I am going to take you out into shops. If they hadn’t, I would otherwise
have remained in the equivalent of what this room is I am talking to you now
from but in another house, without ever selling anything. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I'm not outgoing with what I make, but I am compelled to make. I can't
externalise it in any way unless I work with others. When From Somewhere
started it wasn't a burning desire to do something commercial with upcycling,
it was somebody else’s burning desire to show what I was doing and partner with
me on that journey. But it wasn't an attempt at anything, apart from my own
story, my own story around recuperating clothing, I loved old things, I liked
that look. This was 1997, and the beginning was definitely an artistic
decision, a creative need.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: A desire to create.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: Yeah, and then I realised in which industry I had somehow ended up in
and what was happening, and then the awareness came. It's interesting because
I've been asked the question millions of times, ‘when was that turning point’
and I never felt there was one. But retrospectively I know now when that moment
was, at the time I didn't realise.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uRmoK_J5SXoLiabXwfwGVovrnfQx-CVomWOK4z0zexsIm8iXLSibFwWID3yWD5K0h0TfxpePa7Dg_KW3NeK9O44R3iZJs7hyrEald3ZTzyU8Fu5KwMrRJ0n7FIbooOOsp8cH6iD1IDib2YrpUMEwhIvIqiOyW2uuMMjZSNiNWgAfuhm5JIvZVYd-zB4/s1277/Orsola%203%20up.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uRmoK_J5SXoLiabXwfwGVovrnfQx-CVomWOK4z0zexsIm8iXLSibFwWID3yWD5K0h0TfxpePa7Dg_KW3NeK9O44R3iZJs7hyrEald3ZTzyU8Fu5KwMrRJ0n7FIbooOOsp8cH6iD1IDib2YrpUMEwhIvIqiOyW2uuMMjZSNiNWgAfuhm5JIvZVYd-zB4/s16000/Orsola%203%20up.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: Because people are asking you these questions all the time, it makes
you think about where that point would have been. Would it be the same with the
ethical side, that you realised you were in there rather than actively doing
something about it?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: The ethical side and the sustainable side which was around
recuperating clothing that I'd always done. I've been shopping vintage and
transforming my own vintage clothing since I was a kid. The ethical and the
understanding about the industry and the understanding that I had very solid
principles came one day when, I never remember whether it was Bergdorf Goodman,
or someone else of that size, a big apartment store from the United States, saw
our crocheted jumpers. At the time we were selling them in NYC, London, Tokyo,
Milan. That dept store wanted to make a big order, but we couldn't fulfil it,
we’re talking 10s of thousands of crocheted cardigans to sell throughout their
stores in the United States. We had a meeting and they said ‘that’s not a
problem we already produce in China. We can choose the ones we like, and we can
take it to China and have it manufactured there.’ To be honest with you, I was
so naive I couldn't understand, I said ‘what do you mean? How are you going
find them second hand in China are they going have good second-hand cashmere in
China?’ Then they explained ‘we're just going to copy them and make them new.’
Had we gone ahead we would have made a fortune, but it was not something I had
to think about. ‘No’ came out before I could even think about it. Then even
when I thought about it ‘No’ came out again and again and again. That day I
came back home and I told the story, right then I knew my principles were
solid, and it didn't cost me anything apart from the money I could have made.
There was no question. And it's only been literally in the last couple of
weeks, going through my sketchbooks and diaries that I remembered this incident
and thought, ah ha that's interesting. This was 1998 and I said no to a massive
deal because my gut said no and my loyalty to the people that were making my
jumpers and the loyalty to the story of that product made me say no.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">From Somewhere was the first incarnation, then we expanded onto free
consumer waste and working with luxury industry leftovers, we had set up our
own fashion department within a social cooperative in Italy at that point,
between I'd say 2005 until 2014, all of my collections were made in a social
cooperative by people with either emotional or physical difficulties or
disabilities.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Iy9RFUiQxFPeOBjCvYJbfoA5YAUgT4oDALrrW5xYKHv7dOHKPgNA--CM-0R_uWPHkPITDbzcq5RwiUpVdos4NOHKdwME-3uP2l375QrU80BSBrCZp2nJJLTGZUo45ELp26UMf9ySAtD5INe3C6s_TvCOP-V1cfug0NJdBDRyIWBYpbYGLFgN5DcarIQ/s1276/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000267%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Iy9RFUiQxFPeOBjCvYJbfoA5YAUgT4oDALrrW5xYKHv7dOHKPgNA--CM-0R_uWPHkPITDbzcq5RwiUpVdos4NOHKdwME-3uP2l375QrU80BSBrCZp2nJJLTGZUo45ELp26UMf9ySAtD5INe3C6s_TvCOP-V1cfug0NJdBDRyIWBYpbYGLFgN5DcarIQ/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000267%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: You are a forerunner in so many ways Orsola. Inspiring future
generations to work in that same way. So many more people benefit from that way
of working and the power of that way of working. From 2005 to 2014, that was
with Estethica and Reclaim to Wear?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: It's a little bit complicated with such a long period of time. The
brand was called From Somewhere, and what we did, was that we commodified the
message so that other people could use it. We called our method for upcycling
Reclaim to Wear. Reclaim to Wear was a form of self-certification. It was
difficult to export, or to sell, upcycling at the time. At least people know
what it means now, but then they didn't even know what the word was. We didn't
even use the word recycling then either. Reclaiming was the one I used the
most. So we had to create something to explain how we were doing it and Reclaim
To Wear was an easy way for us to talk about the method but not about the
style.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">When we created the Topshop collection for instance, it was a Reclaim To
Wear venture rather than a From Somewhere collection. Although I worked with
their design team, I was not the designer of that particular collection. We
worked as a team, and I was the provider of the method. That's why it was
called Topshop Reclaim To Wear. With Speedo I was the designer of the
collection which made it a From Somewhere collection.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">We had to create a story around the fact that what we were doing was
replicable using resources viable for others. I was already teaching it as a
technique and because we were upcycling at scale, and were probably one of the
very, very very few brands that managed to upcycle, upscale and reproduce
because obviously we had so much material and notoriety, I guess. So, we had to
have Reclaimed To Wear as a definition of the system that we had invented.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Estethica started a few years after, in 2006, I co-founded it with my
husband/partner Filippo Ricci.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">When we were showcasing at White in Milan, the then head of the BFC was
Hilary Riva and they came over to visit and were really intrigued by our
collection. At that time we were selling to maybe 70 to 75 stockists, all of
the top stockists globally. Really, really good stores, really important
stores. My product was always made from rubbish but I always made it look high
end and good quality. Fillipo told Hillary, this is such a wasted opportunity
for the BFC because sustainability is happening in the UK. It's forming in the
UK. The UK, and particularly London, is coming out as one of the major centres
for sustainability in fashion. It's a nascent movement and unless you embrace
it, you'll be missing out on something. Three months later they contacted us and
said, OK, we want to do a sustainable area at London Fashion Week, but we want
it to be like you are, with the scope of being high fashion rather than ethical
fashion and that's when we started Estethica in 2006.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcvw1zq3xAVcuc6pXvnDNl7vy6m42XB6HDbZ1Gp9hZ48snBubFr0Hs6O09bQyXYjD5aMmlRcnOxYWjhLPjWNv7Jhk6HYLoAOVZrSR4tf4CscB1lbzbq4pvfba-aDeHS5ZPocDO1MqkzA3jfuDBfJ9kREskWc5c2glXf9Oh1v7XT_lZBqL7ykH_XRDGhI/s1277/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000237%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcvw1zq3xAVcuc6pXvnDNl7vy6m42XB6HDbZ1Gp9hZ48snBubFr0Hs6O09bQyXYjD5aMmlRcnOxYWjhLPjWNv7Jhk6HYLoAOVZrSR4tf4CscB1lbzbq4pvfba-aDeHS5ZPocDO1MqkzA3jfuDBfJ9kREskWc5c2glXf9Oh1v7XT_lZBqL7ykH_XRDGhI/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000237%20rts.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: At that time that upcycling, recycling, sustainable fashion, was not
seen as upmarket.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: But when I started From Somewhere in 1997, many designers that were
referencing vintage. We called it that, reference vintage and people such as
Preen, Crysta Davies, Russell Sage, Jessica Odgen, were all using vintage. So,
it was super bloody trendy then. When mainstream fashion started realising
about sustainability in fashion, they started getting scared, that's when the
stigma first came. It's not a coincidence, because I never saw this stigma
around it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: I never saw a stigma around it either, when I was at university, we
always shopped at vintage stores too. That was the way it was. I guess this
happened around the same time that fast fashion, really took off, this
negativity around it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: A lot of the clothes that was sustainable at the start was crunchy,
but that was because they weren't designed, they were not supposed to be. They
were products that were supposed to be made by communities. So, they were kind
of designed by missionaries in some ways. But if you think about it, things
like Birkenstock have always been cool and sustainable and sustainable fashion
at the time looked like Birkenstock and yet we were gunned down. We were gunned
down for a reason, and it's precisely what you're saying, fast fashion was
speeding up and luxury fashion was becoming consistently more glossy and more
machine made, and what the mainstream did, </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt;">deliberately, deliberately,
deliberately and deliberately.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">They made anything that was artisanal or handmade made look shit. It was
partly a reaction from the 70s and the hippie look, but it was partly a
deliberate and extremely successful attempt to remove us from the origins of
luxury which is hand made. Which is about what the material is made from, which
is about craft and which is about different cultures and those ethnicities. And
they made it all about a shocking pink bag, made god knows where, and by god
knows whom, from god knows what, and that was deliberate. Anything that didn't
look like that, that wasn't fluro in those years was stigmatised, they called
it granola, porridge, itchy socks, camel hoarders, all of these names were used
to describe the many different styles of sustainable fashion that there are in
this world. How pathetic is it to put everything under these labels? It was an
open declaration of war and hostility, this is 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
10,11,12,13,14 in which every single media, publication would say ‘finally, a
sustainable brand you can wear’. Crap. That was a deliberate ploy to destroy a
vast improvement because they knew they couldn't emulate it. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPuwORqaUPBUpOowr-VcrHYNlL_Tb9VQEt00v1ewix_t0s35fh0oXCgWzK8mFEBTc87he-lC8iO7Gy5Kl0FlhQI36_mkboYns9_g-O3n7-NMNsfrJmvc0BhJQ5rCVm2fHhe5FYU1Vm0yGK_ipp18splRCgnIhy4Cde3xFMLMNBYDZKQYnRjOgiaRFfOc/s1277/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000029%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPuwORqaUPBUpOowr-VcrHYNlL_Tb9VQEt00v1ewix_t0s35fh0oXCgWzK8mFEBTc87he-lC8iO7Gy5Kl0FlhQI36_mkboYns9_g-O3n7-NMNsfrJmvc0BhJQ5rCVm2fHhe5FYU1Vm0yGK_ipp18splRCgnIhy4Cde3xFMLMNBYDZKQYnRjOgiaRFfOc/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000029%20rts.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: So, I guess this was happening also around the same time that big
industry was closing factories in the UK and offshoring everything. And of course,
that globalisation and offshoring put the burden of production squarely on the
shoulders of people in the global south. That coupled with the aggressive drive
to push down costs resulted in the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, which spurred
you and Carry Somers to set up Fashion Revolution to highlight the bad
practices in the fast fashion supply chain and fashion industry globally. The
work of which has helped reshape the conversation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: This is something I feel very strongly about, we do not only condemn
fast fashion. That's a very easy mistake to make. Of course, fast fashion has
an incredible negative impact, but so does luxury. We (Fashion Revolution)
would never only talk about fast fashion. We said very clearly from our second
meeting that we weren't only there to break fast fashion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: Because luxury is guilty of similar practises.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: They are extremely similar. There's a difference in terms of quantity
and quality produced but luxury certainly has their own billions of products.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: You've achieved so much with Fashion Revolution and it’s good to see
that it is global now and with over 80 hubs. What would you say were your
proudest achievements with Fashion Revolution.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: It’s the move to restructure Fashion Revolution so that it is more in
the hands of the country coordinators and that is my opinion and my vision. It
was always meant to be for the people that took part in it, I never wanted it
to be anything else but as an open source, as reachable and as participatory as
possible. That is what Fashion Revolution was supposed to be and I'm glad that
this is what it became. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: About a decade ago you were asked what your opinion of the fashion
industry today was. Your answer at the time was ‘It needs to change. The
industry needs to evolve. Quite simply environmentally, socially, the system
isn't working, it's damaging, and I think that all this is finally being
recognised and taken into consideration more and more and there's a definite
shift towards sustainable practises throughout the fashion and textile
industry. The word transparency has never been sexier and some companies are
really beginning to include, or at least explore, sustainable solutions. But
the shift is towards change and changing takes time and is challenging. It
won't happen overnight, and we are dealing with resistance, scepticism and
misinformation along the way.’</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: I feel I could have said that yesterday.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: And that’s my next question, what is your feeling on it today? Do you
think there's been much of a shift? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: There has been a shift, that has to be said, but the mainstream
fashion industry still reigns supreme. At the end of the day, when you go
buying online, people still go to the usual suspects. But there has not been
that shift in visibility for younger designers that I was hoping to see. There
has not been that one big brand putting their hand up to say look I’m going to
slow down my production and produce better, none of this happened. The
mainstream is still marching on. This is a patriarchal industry which is still
guided by middle-aged white men. Now middle-aged white men of that ilk, because
I know plenty of wonderful middle-aged white men, but the middle aged white men
with ambition, with greed have ended up at the helm of our culture and our
society and unfortunately that hasn't changed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">What </span><i><span face="Helvetica-Oblique" style="color: #212121; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">is</span></i><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> happening though is that more and more people are saying ‘Woo,
Shame on you’, that has solidified. Also, what has solidified is that younger
white men don't want to become those type of middle-aged white men and young
women of every colour, shape and size are saying, ‘fuck you, you made my life
really, really hard for god knows how many millennia’. That, I feel is what is
changing, so it is inevitably a generational shift.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I don’t understand those people that say, ‘I put all my trust in the new
generations’. I don't put all my trust in the new generations, I put all of
my <u>work</u> for the new generations, because I owe them, I took
away from them, unknowingly, but I did. This is what happened. This is the
change I notice it with my children, I notice it with the young designers that
I mentor and their customers. Change is happening. I am very privileged,
because I work with some of the top universities in the world and I can already
tell you when I see talent it’s very easy for me to predict who's going to be
the next, Gucci or Saint Laurent designer in 10 years, because I'm teaching
them now. These are the people I speak to now, and these are the people I spoke
to. The last generation are now hovering pretty high up, and when they do take
over all sorts of change will happen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">But right now, we still have Arnualt at the top who is in competition
with Elon Musk to see who has the most money.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4VRDkTp3uZ7vRn-xCNbqRtloosEd8OGUKEpEFcuuUDGDfs-en3uZgYGCSVGhVWIKJUrUcMp5gE9b-06FkCN96SksWKBM5WtwnEuECPnw4KFpehv82dXAwwpg_ruk0SglSSt5WgRERJC_HYt_ukRnL2tUMaEhMnHav9iKzGghgeHU8foiF9PJK4DvzD8/s1277/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000129%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="852" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ4VRDkTp3uZ7vRn-xCNbqRtloosEd8OGUKEpEFcuuUDGDfs-en3uZgYGCSVGhVWIKJUrUcMp5gE9b-06FkCN96SksWKBM5WtwnEuECPnw4KFpehv82dXAwwpg_ruk0SglSSt5WgRERJC_HYt_ukRnL2tUMaEhMnHav9iKzGghgeHU8foiF9PJK4DvzD8/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000129%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: You stepped away from Fashion Revolution recently. Was that so that
you could put more attention on the people who are coming through and the
people that you're mentoring?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: For me Fashion Revolution was always to a certain extent, temporary.
At the very beginning I remember saying it's going to be too big for me!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Of course I am a little bit OMG, but this change is very definitely for
me, 100% the right direction. I had to relinquish my role, which I didn't want
to, this is a little bit more recent, and we'll have to see, but the reason I
wanted to leave was because I wanted this organisation 100% in the hands of the
country coordinators.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: It has been a period of great change for you. You published your
first book. And you have been described as your own ‘care revolution’ which is
very much part of you. We can see from your story that it's in your makeup from
childhood until now. Building on those original foundations, you are reforming
Estethica? What are your aims today and going forward? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: It's difficult for me to know my aims because I am actually very slow
at making my own changes. I'm on the lookout for who I am and what I'm doing,
and since leaving Fashion Revolution…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The years in my role as the co-founder and spokesperson for Fashion
Revolution have been really exciting but also limiting, because I felt a huge
sense of responsibility towards my other directors, towards the country
coordinators and towards the organisation I co-founded. I also felt that I
needed to keep myself in check in order to be the co-founder and creative
director of this organisation and everything I said and did came from that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Ever since leaving Fashion Revolution, it's been fun, I can be
different. “Brand me” is a little different, I can say what I want. I can talk
about clothes all day long, my own and other peoples. I can think of projects I
can do, that are big but where I am paid little, but I still have a huge sense
of achievement in doing them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">With Estethica (now reformed) I am concentrating on mentoring and nurturing
which is a new addition and comes from the experience of the last few years,
but we don’t call ourselves a creative agency, we define ourselves as creating
agency. If you think of the work I did for Fashion Revolution and the work that
I do with many young designers, mine is a lot about the communication, the
branding, the storytelling, the who you are, and this is something that we will
also be providing. Who are the people, where are the tools, how can you
manifest what you're doing in a creative spontaneous way, and that's the
direction of Estethica.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It's been quite stressful because a lot of people are asking, ‘what are
you doing?’ I'm telling everybody give me my bloody time. You may think that
Fashion Revolution was something that happened overnight, but it was not, and
nor will Estethica be, I've never been overnight. If I was an overnight
sensation I wouldn't be in sustainability.* </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: Change takes time, figuring out your next direction of travel and of
course it will take a while to decide what you want to do next, and what's
right for you.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmIfi4auXS_kGLx5Zn5-yGgrh8Qe5HmYkzfvPVEeemb1d8D_rhbPO-H1wDukKpouzqpjmmUYN7q_wsFAeoZAuFrfP3VJPn-w9DFIFee8MZasVekQ6L7XzccOqnrOIY6KdnQNgCZhItq_d7iTjl8HvMcMl7jegxi8MNLITKwPWLIBi82-YB3lnHuUKn_Q/s1277/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000471%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmIfi4auXS_kGLx5Zn5-yGgrh8Qe5HmYkzfvPVEeemb1d8D_rhbPO-H1wDukKpouzqpjmmUYN7q_wsFAeoZAuFrfP3VJPn-w9DFIFee8MZasVekQ6L7XzccOqnrOIY6KdnQNgCZhItq_d7iTjl8HvMcMl7jegxi8MNLITKwPWLIBi82-YB3lnHuUKn_Q/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000471%20rts.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: What do you think is next for fashion?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: I was talking to Rachel Cernansky from Vogue Business and I feel that
the next few years will not be that good. I think it's going to be pretty flat.
Everybody really knows that change is urgent but they don't quite know where to
start. In my opinion, it's really, really simple and I did it by leaving
Fashion Revolution. When you remove yourself from something because you say
it's got to be somebody else's turn now, that is ultimately the way forward,
you must lead by example. I left the organisation that I co-founded because it
felt absolutely right, that there was someone else that needed to take that
place, that space, that role and it wouldn't be one person, it would be more
people, and that's what I need to see in fashion. We need to see those big
penises get off their pedestals and actually start paying their supply chain
workers. I am a firm believer in the quota and I think you need to create the
quotas, somebody said ‘in order to normalise you need to tokenise’. I couldn't
agree more. Give us a few more tokens but get rid of the bosses at the top. The
only way that fashion can function is if it has a supply chain like food does
locally. Not that the food chain is any better for it, but at least we as
consumers, citizens, we have access to much wider decision making. The one
thing that needs to happen 100% is regulation and the EU is moving ahead with
some pretty interesting new laws.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: We have a lot of laws in this country which are not put into practice.
When I interviewed Baroness Lola Young, she said there are lots of laws already
but they're not acted on and that if they were all used properly, things would
be better. But, when those with the power do occasionally action them, workers
end up, being deported, instead of the people who are running the businesses
being punished and that is a problem.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: That’s the problem, no law right now is robust enough when it comes
to the workers. There will be laws in terms of the EU that will be robust
enough when it comes to the materials.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: Precisely. They're not even on a minimum wage. Can we get them up to
minimum wages? It would be a start and make huge changes in their lives,
wouldn't it?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfnsS9CVgPzFDv4KsVZF5PJkRh2uAvvzlFW-lmF_GR7tAp9ObwjjEiCQ83IVNKf--4nuyi-Yd6MfI1LYmGRXDRJaFfz3cyjXlcvk4iatlD_E1kfmpXCj8vJbrUljQtamCmt8zeWxQmSGTTYScOKDCi6dsjQ4JLJ0qy5jmwgfMrIH6Z4nYmnJn8vhUoxo/s1277/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000524%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvfnsS9CVgPzFDv4KsVZF5PJkRh2uAvvzlFW-lmF_GR7tAp9ObwjjEiCQ83IVNKf--4nuyi-Yd6MfI1LYmGRXDRJaFfz3cyjXlcvk4iatlD_E1kfmpXCj8vJbrUljQtamCmt8zeWxQmSGTTYScOKDCi6dsjQ4JLJ0qy5jmwgfMrIH6Z4nYmnJn8vhUoxo/s16000/Orsola%20De%20Castro%20March%202023000524%20rts.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: I have to say since I started this project, I've really fallen out of
love with fashion. And I've been feeling a little bit lost of late as far as
it's concerned. But researching and interviewing you has made me feel uplifted
again. So, I want to say thank you for that.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: Never give up on your clothes, they are your skin. You have to make
them work for you. Everything’s shit right now. At least let's enjoy our
clothes, as safely as we possibly can, because it's everything else that's
crap. I spent all day yesterday researching, because the fun of being me again
means that I can talk all about clothes again and have been looking for an app
that allows me to make cut outs of my clothes by removing the background and
had fun all day basically playing Barbie with my own wardrobe. Completely
indulgent I know taking pictures of my clothes, then creating lots of mini
outfits on my iPad then putting them on. Fantastic. Like when as children we
had paper cut out dolls with cut out clothes with little tabs that you folded
over to change the outfits. Yesterday was the modern version of that. So not
Barbie, yesterday I was the cut out doll and the wardrobe was my book and it
was the best. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Another of the funny things, I know I have told you I hate being
photographed and I still do, but a little bit less now because, I am back to
who I am. I no longer have this weight of being a founder, I can’t wear this
because it was fast fashion, even though its second hand. Halleluiah, now what
you see is what you get.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: Also, your message about fast fashion is very apt, to try and change
the mindset of the people that are throwing things away, to keep, to mend…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: There's nothing easier to mend than a post 90s Zara skirt.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">D: It's such an important message and means that people can start from
where they are today. That they don't feel guilt with the wardrobe that they
already have.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">O: Absolutely. Yes, I think it’s a good one, HOPE.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Links:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.estethica.com/" target="_blank">Estethica</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/orsoladecastro/?hl=en" target="_blank">Orsola on Instagram</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Buy Orsola's Book Here:</span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt;"> <a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/145089/orsola-de-castro" target="_blank">Loved Clothes Last</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.5pt;"><a href="https://www.fashionrevolution.org/" target="_blank">Fashion Revolution</a></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><br />Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-81551661854240238342023-07-11T15:30:00.000+01:002023-07-11T15:30:01.719+01:00Jessie Baker - Founder & CEO of Provenance.org<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZRoT3iGLzo62DPed9_beauKnRYUzn4HOWKzFNAcmEXQK8VFBo6barT1NPGlT0O3g-EjvnizpK3iLgv06GRvrogMJ9RkZsLQXHm7B1afG4_dIZ8wFpca7C5ROlrMp3zrcYRRgSP9i94ZEJmZUZOv0q_Hzg7JYFW8SgZo3sRZZyHuNjcSOqGb-uUAqLJY/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000177%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZRoT3iGLzo62DPed9_beauKnRYUzn4HOWKzFNAcmEXQK8VFBo6barT1NPGlT0O3g-EjvnizpK3iLgv06GRvrogMJ9RkZsLQXHm7B1afG4_dIZ8wFpca7C5ROlrMp3zrcYRRgSP9i94ZEJmZUZOv0q_Hzg7JYFW8SgZo3sRZZyHuNjcSOqGb-uUAqLJY/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000177%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">I think that by now we all believe that for the world to be
a better place, to thrive and survive that we should have transparency in our supply
chains, am I right? But right now it still seems like a mammoth task to bring
everyone together and to track every element so that we can stop companies from
greenwashing. This is where Jessi steps in with <a href="https://www.provenance.org/" target="_blank">Provenance</a>. Provenance enable
trusted product sustainability claims and by using Tech they help brands
communicate their social and environmental impact. The result for us is the ability to shop our values. Jessi is a visionary and pioneering woman in so
many ways and in the field of Tech where there are still so very few women. It’s
amazing what she is doing, I am sure you will enjoy this.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAMAptPHjnif9FlsNHNrRrYCxIOGzeTMN623b4EXsjYshO2Jz0NJimJwVtazcHDBh4x87nGtkBVF2odImJCDPf1fbYuAXTnvGc0wLD77SzQMy7hykV9gPY49QMI2xjMaU9WQ4wX2016kNCs77RLlfDUrcnGSe12WgOtduM6kiyp3LFOZY-lGEzmCfXI8/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000043%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXAMAptPHjnif9FlsNHNrRrYCxIOGzeTMN623b4EXsjYshO2Jz0NJimJwVtazcHDBh4x87nGtkBVF2odImJCDPf1fbYuAXTnvGc0wLD77SzQMy7hykV9gPY49QMI2xjMaU9WQ4wX2016kNCs77RLlfDUrcnGSe12WgOtduM6kiyp3LFOZY-lGEzmCfXI8/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000043%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I found you when I was researching one of my other
women and I absolutely loved what you are doing. It’s fantastic that you are
using technology to create transparency.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: We still have a long way to go, but we're very much of
the philosophy that you can't change what you can't see. So, our job at
Provenance is to bring all of that information into the light. We are finally
getting to an era where brands want to be more transparent.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Jessi what were your influences growing up that shaped the
person you are today?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: My childhood years were spent in North London, in Kentish
Town. Then when I was a teenager, we moved to the countryside not far from Bath.
We grew up on a building site as my parents converted a cottage into a home. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My parents are both entrepreneurial they have always worked
for themselves and had different businesses from restaurants to manufacturing
companies. They also like to buy products with good Provenance – know the
origin and how they were created. Mum and Dad are very focused on who they are
investing in when they buy products and are big supporters of buying local and a
lot of the of the movements which I guess inspired me with Provenance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have always been fascinated with the way things are made
and I spent a lot of time whilst growing up building and taking them apart,
which has been very much part of my foundation. As a natural progression of
that curiosity, I went on to study engineering at university. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I guess by watching your parents renovate the property it
become part of your DNA.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: Yes, there was a lot of building both in business and the
house. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKMH74uWBM_9NlraITSy7rlQgWwz2Cjl51V0mRPlW0B7HOvSmIGrRoM_yjcTt4KH9ef6_Ys4rBUUSrQQQ7khQsYueiwvQ6cUisADMR5XxdL1g4a-EN6oV21lnKCOVmTuEsXGN9XVjuFOzdZkaGcdM7Rw_ASR8NEbTk6n04o31wDMZBq0SWziUbeXfv9E/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000265%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKMH74uWBM_9NlraITSy7rlQgWwz2Cjl51V0mRPlW0B7HOvSmIGrRoM_yjcTt4KH9ef6_Ys4rBUUSrQQQ7khQsYueiwvQ6cUisADMR5XxdL1g4a-EN6oV21lnKCOVmTuEsXGN9XVjuFOzdZkaGcdM7Rw_ASR8NEbTk6n04o31wDMZBq0SWziUbeXfv9E/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000265%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Tell us about your university years as you did quite a
lot of learning.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: I did, and still am, that is my top interest, to always be
learning. I studied engineering as an undergrad which was very focused on
manufacturing engineering. That's where I learned about supply chains and got to
see how things were made. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We saw how the supply chains worked behind food products, automotive
supply chains and I also went to factories that made beauty products. The
course was hands on, in that we got to experience a lot of the reality behind
our products. Then with a grant from the University I got to travel a fashion
supply chain which was really interesting, going to India and around the US.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What sparked your interest
in that supply chain? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: It was seeing lots of different manufacturing sites, I
was interested in fashion in general and I really wanted to see the reality
behind the clothes I was buying. Perhaps some of what we had seen through our
course made me start to question ‘well what about the jumper I'm wearing?’ Fashion
is also a very manual supply chain – lots of people are behind everything we
buy and wear. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The specialty for my Masters was garment production, looking
at how garments were made, and included an internship at Mulberry. Having watched
how they were making the bags influenced my decision to go see more, which led me
to American Apparel in LA. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was an interesting time to be there because they had a
really crazy man running the company who was awful in so many ways, but he also
did a lot of really positive things in the supply chain. He fought for the
rights of many of his workers, and the supply chain was vertically integrated
in the business. He was sourcing cotton from Texas, they were creating
everything in LA, all the dyeing machines were there, a lot of the ecological footprints
weren’t too bad for the fashion industry <i>at the time</i> (2007). They used
to say that the only thing that they outsourced was FedEx, they were a real
pioneer in that way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Tech is a very male dominated world at the moment. How do
you feel navigating within it? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: It's interesting because I have been part of it for a
long time and yes it is super male dominated, but it does feel like there are
more women joining the industry, and I think that as it becomes a larger
industry it becomes more attractive to women. As much as I am passionate about
having more women engineers, and I think there should be, I think that that problem
starts way before the tech industry, it’s a problem that starts when girls are
told to play with dolls and not cars - the problem starts with play, rather
than the job market.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It’s good to see you leading the way for women.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: Trying to, because you can't be what you can't see, right?</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Exactly. Was it when you were doing a PhD that you
pivoted your direction as far as your career was concerned?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: I had started out in manufacturing engineering, then I
took up software design and development and was doing that for a long time which
led to a PhD in Computer Science and from that I really got into the software
side. For the PhD I was researching technologies to enable transparency in
supply chains, as I already knew I wanted to do something in that area. Provenance
was a side project I set up alongside my PhD to see whether I could create
something applicable to the to the real world that would actually help
companies, people and the planet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Do you feel having that side hustle helped you with your PhD?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: Running a company and doing a PhD at the same time was a horrible
idea and would never do that again. It was like you're failing at two things at
once because there’s no way you could do both at the same time. Eventually Provenance
won and I stopped doing my PhD even though I had almost finished it. This was a
tough choice after all the work I’d put in, but the right one.</p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8xKiNyI5_8QZKDZ4UqUXDva5z-bBpWSzWdYADWJV_u0mDbGk7ArqFC8czh4SmFKVBftbIZe2t3x8L3lk17yjzo9GbdqzMyiqrh3ieaQCt8621EH_DeM47ndhPgSPmmxlEMWK7O957-bzjcLcEVapwijXVwdkmAApnv8qLCQcur4Gl2S4r9Kw61BOoko/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000435%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8xKiNyI5_8QZKDZ4UqUXDva5z-bBpWSzWdYADWJV_u0mDbGk7ArqFC8czh4SmFKVBftbIZe2t3x8L3lk17yjzo9GbdqzMyiqrh3ieaQCt8621EH_DeM47ndhPgSPmmxlEMWK7O957-bzjcLcEVapwijXVwdkmAApnv8qLCQcur4Gl2S4r9Kw61BOoko/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000435%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What are your aims for Provenance?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: The key thing we're trying to do is have every product in
the world show its impact on people and the planet. That’s what we are working
to enable. We really want a world where; in the same way when you pick up food
at supermarkets, where there is a content label with, salt, fat, red, amber, green,
it’s very clear and you can easily tell if that's bad or good for you; what we
want is the same for impact Carbon, Waste and People.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You might ask ‘why don't you build that straight away?’ I
have tried, but it turns out that none of the data to enable a labelling system
like that is available. Also brands are very far away from publishing the level
of information needed to enable us to put the impact on every single product.
Provenance is a catalyst to get to that future, by making it as easy as
possible for brands to be transparent on this information, making it attractive,
making it something that builds brand value. Ideally, we will to get to a future
where so many brands are transparent that creating those labels is easy.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUI3i7xpuwFwuHTtC4kKr79iAAmNtoCx_hCw1hcxBdeghKtfmNRbi1M_ghdRY_VsWv8OKetft7zbEhOIA0V5g617OgpkGZjODWfZBP89mp_d-JXVHdGSAyS4ny3p8l90XOUAPSQ9kUdVw1HSDzsT3zIajYH6zi3oyNPnIF8ampjJY7q2WBKBBsYYTJ7A/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000124%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUI3i7xpuwFwuHTtC4kKr79iAAmNtoCx_hCw1hcxBdeghKtfmNRbi1M_ghdRY_VsWv8OKetft7zbEhOIA0V5g617OgpkGZjODWfZBP89mp_d-JXVHdGSAyS4ny3p8l90XOUAPSQ9kUdVw1HSDzsT3zIajYH6zi3oyNPnIF8ampjJY7q2WBKBBsYYTJ7A/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000124%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How does Provenance work? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: To give you a bit of context, as a company we've done a
bit a pivot. When I first started the business, I was naive and thought that we
could really track every single product end to end through the supply chain. That
you'd be able to have a product in your hand and track it all the way back to
the fishermen who caught it. We did manage to do that several times, we really
did manage to link together all of that data. It was incredibly difficult,
incredibly incredibly difficult and the level of cooperation needed to enable
that was absolutely insane. But we managed it for various products.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then we decided, we've got to be clear what our role in this
is, because we can't do end to end for every single product in the world that’s
impossible, and there are loads of other companies that do the internal
transparency piece. They help with traceability, or they help measure impact in
supply chains. So, what we've really specialised in is being the consistent, comprehensive,
credible method for publishing the information on the web. We sit at the end of
the supply chain and we help you to publish that data and make it available to
the world. We connect with lots of different systems, like traceability systems
to get that information and make it public, providing this consistent layer
across all that information. We work with the brands to help them to gather up
all the data they need, and we connect it all into our system, and help them
publish it across multiple products, markets and channels. We also provide
insights into drive investments in ESG from market intelligence – an important
part of our impact.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: So for example if you were working with a fashion brand,
you would find out where the cotton was grown, who was who was picking it?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: Sort of! We gather all of that information then help make
it all public in a trustworthy format. As a citizen, you interact with Provenance
through the brands own ecosystem, we are powering the data within their e-commerce
which allows you to see information related to origin, the different suppliers
involved and the most important thing we try to do is show the impact each
product has through sustainability claims. To do that we have a feature called Proof
Points, which point to things like carbon neutral and all the different reasons
to believe in a product, which includes lots of the leading certifications. That's
our way of helping you understand which product to buy. It’s the beginning, but
works well for where the market is in terms of being transparent.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: In a way you're creating a revolution, a tech revolution.
How will this link with a sustainable future?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: Our core belief is, that all the solutions to
sustainability already exist. We know that as a company <i>you</i> could make <i>your
</i>products sustainable if you wanted to. If money was no object, then
absolutely you could install renewable energy throughout your supply chain, you
could pay your workers fairly, you could clean the water. All of the solutions
to sustainable products exist. The problem is that they haven't been adopted
quickly enough, and the market is not driving adoption fast enough. We
certainly can't wait for regulation, because that is moving like a glacier. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are creating impact by making social and environmental
impacts equate to brand value. We believe that's going to be a catalyst for businesses
to invest in sustainable solutions quicker. At the moment sustainability is seen
as a cost, it’s seen as a risk to a business, on a cost basis. What we want to
do is turn it into a profit, turn it into something that can grow a business,
grow a brand. Our job is to turn social environmental impact, into brand value,
that's the main way we believe we can have impact and catalyse the adoption of
systems that make products more sustainable.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOFKDcCATrdNmkcenovduQTxRFG5Kdm9xkYwn79DsjwERY66mAqc1Q2b2m551MV-rbGv2vlwPoL3m_afVvk3BnNWfxNZOmbyFYfczexZYB8QLYRF441gJdziHRWmdq8nDtl6CRdQ5GZ6JlBLGIgVxoIvgwsfp115SMMs1AJKCrLPLB1BIiA4Qcwo3mEI/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000202%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOFKDcCATrdNmkcenovduQTxRFG5Kdm9xkYwn79DsjwERY66mAqc1Q2b2m551MV-rbGv2vlwPoL3m_afVvk3BnNWfxNZOmbyFYfczexZYB8QLYRF441gJdziHRWmdq8nDtl6CRdQ5GZ6JlBLGIgVxoIvgwsfp115SMMs1AJKCrLPLB1BIiA4Qcwo3mEI/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000202%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Has Blockchain and Bitcoin helped with what you're doing?
Can you explain how that works?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: I got into blockchain tech when I was doing my PhD for a
few reasons, I'm quite passionate about decentralisation, I think the Internet
is absolutely amazing technology, it's incredible how much it has connected the
world. But I think it's become very centralised and controlled by very few
people. So, I feel we need solutions that help re-decentralise the web so that
the people who create valuable networks like Facebook or Uber actually benefit
properly financially, whereas at the moment <i>we</i> are the product and <i>we
</i>don't benefit hugely from it. The key thing I find interesting about
blockchain tech is that it's a solution to that. It helps people create
networks where there's no controller of the network and everyone can benefit from
contributing to it. Like a big co-operative.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were very early to the party (2013), the blockchain space
is still super nascent, it's still very experimental, like the Internet in 1995
and that's cool, I think what we're trying to do is show that and it's been
difficult. We don't want to develop too quickly because it's still so nascent,
but at the same time the last thing I want Provenance to be is a Facebook of products,
that's not helpful. That would mean we could be corrupted, and we could create
lies, and we don't want that. We exist to enable transparency and stamp out
greenwash. To do that we must design our tech to enable that on a fundamental
level.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The whole idea of building on a blockchain is to try and
make sure that the trust in the information is transparent and decentralised. The
idea is that each company can participate in it fully and independently,
without Provenance controlling everything. We still have a ways to go, but the
philosophy holds true.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It allows for more trust doesn't it, because you can't
really tamper with it once it's there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: The great thing about it is that it's like a record book where
everybody can see what's written and no one can screw around with it, it's all
auditable by everyone, which almost negates the need to trust because you can
see everything, versus today where everything is behind closed doors.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCc9Hh9PgCTN-D-2DEuSG66_DHoXYMzFiv1uuhpnoaB1zFrxJtMls0522Jbe6TICLw01-M1isLO_eeK4EOYsChhxTRyq440HTDOtZNcRGCfAzKieaCA2JbfJWZIhrAhJLoGWsHoqJz9zhDwqXurLqoIIZs9PLgGLYRZhO-0yE9RUSuU3JAEb5WuDEySfQ/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000287%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="852" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCc9Hh9PgCTN-D-2DEuSG66_DHoXYMzFiv1uuhpnoaB1zFrxJtMls0522Jbe6TICLw01-M1isLO_eeK4EOYsChhxTRyq440HTDOtZNcRGCfAzKieaCA2JbfJWZIhrAhJLoGWsHoqJz9zhDwqXurLqoIIZs9PLgGLYRZhO-0yE9RUSuU3JAEb5WuDEySfQ/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000287%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How did you go about building the business? and how did
you manage to get to where you are now?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: It’s been an interesting journey. When I first started
the company I thought we would start in the fashion industry because that's
what I knew the most about, and actually that was one of the hardest because
it's amazing how little the fashion industry knows about its supply chain. So
little! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Also, when I first started Provenance there was very little
consumer interest in ethical fashion, it was really niche, luckily that changed
over time. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To start we pivoted and focused on food and that went really
well because food is already an established market for this kind of information,
so we proved ourselves with food. Now we have some projects in fashion over the
past few years we started working with the beauty industry too, which has been
good and is growing really quickly with consumer demand for sustainability
information.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our customers are brands who work with our SaaS and data
platform. Our partnerships are with those that help us to verify the
information and we work with certifiers, for example The Soil Association
Organic or Natrue who are a part of our system helping to bring credibility to
the information. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also work with verifiers who are like auditors that sit
in supply chains that can also help validate information and software solutions
can act as verifiers also – machine rather than human. These are our key
partners in the network.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You have 5 rules for communicating your impact could you
tell us what those are? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: We have many rules. The seven signs of greenwash, are a really
good base for making sure you're communicating well and sticking to the rules. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What are the seven signs of greenwashing?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: The seven signs of greenwash are:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Not proving it - a key part of our thesis at Provenance,
is that we really believe that any claim by a brand should have some evidence or
verification before that claim. If a brand hasn’t any kind of evidence or
supporting information against the claim it could be untrustworthy.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Vague language - things like green, clean, eco-friendly,
quite fluffy terms like this that don't really mean anything, we find they can
be a sign that perhaps something not so genuine is happening.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suggestive
design – using nature to imply you are doing more than you are.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Speaking in jargon – making it difficult for
people to understand what you are doing.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Only spotlighting the good – showing one good
thing when everything else is negative.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Making your own secret standard – not using
benchmarks and familiar language.</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"> </p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Not being held to account – independent parties
should always be able to audit the data.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These are our seven signs of greenwash that we publish so
citizens can ask more questions, but it's also quite a good guide for brands
too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our five rules of communication are there to make sure that
you really justify everything that you are sharing, that it has evidence, that
you speak in plain language, those kinds of things, and we are constantly
evolving them. The key things we try to promote at Providence are consistent,
comprehensive, credible those three things are important. If you are not
consistent in how you talk about sustainability you're going to confuse people.
If you are not comprehensive you're going to mislead them, and if you're not credible
then you're probably greenwashing.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcIUDCCh0a5wxBcuWDXSvUuZemgnKTM4j-blNcFMHF8DVTFnAETS3sYPMf0bT3hpG3WWLFPS3mW61fYXfytdlTmjJhNQES3AB9YyhaFXykjhr7K1o-yvjkcvufSOvtagfPXab_cygLrUrhmWyA6yVY5nkY4NbVjLOLtJksdouhVDuq1AYyzx8EEzOXbI/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000473%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcIUDCCh0a5wxBcuWDXSvUuZemgnKTM4j-blNcFMHF8DVTFnAETS3sYPMf0bT3hpG3WWLFPS3mW61fYXfytdlTmjJhNQES3AB9YyhaFXykjhr7K1o-yvjkcvufSOvtagfPXab_cygLrUrhmWyA6yVY5nkY4NbVjLOLtJksdouhVDuq1AYyzx8EEzOXbI/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000473%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How open are people to working in these new ways? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: We have only really scratched the surface of what blockchains
are going to be able to do as a technology. I believe it's as big a step change
as say mobile, if you think of all the applications that you can now have
because of the iPhone, I think this is on a similar level to that. There are applications
that don't even exist, yet they will happen because of blockchains, but it's so
nascent and companies want to rush in and play with it because they can tell it’s
the future, it's pretty clear. But it's weird because you want to play with it,
but you can’t actually create until you really understand it, and it’s embedded
in society. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Think of it this way if there were only 10 iPhones you would
never build Uber, because there's only 10 people with an iPhone. It would be
hard for you to even think of Uber because there’s only 10 of them. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think blockchains in a similar space. Even the way we are using
it is quite behind the scenes, we don't talk about it that much because we find
it confuses people. We know what we're trying to do and as we get scalable it
makes more and more sense but we try not to talk about it too much, because it
is a bit confusing for people right now. It's still too early too nascent a
technology.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQlDyACaLiq3vgeoVsBh5iL4FxqRn-ODdQAZeHuiFy5fsyV0fm0u8UtktfMsW--iQbZux37sUuNTCzQmtZxoCI-7Ecq8JPmR1dqzdFC29ovJR5HX1JQ2PXB2uFzgFpZ7BxkhBHSIEAYr6kDF4H9oJ_e1mFSubTB-WS1K4RkIFXf82pD_RByoqaH72Fn4/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000113%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVQlDyACaLiq3vgeoVsBh5iL4FxqRn-ODdQAZeHuiFy5fsyV0fm0u8UtktfMsW--iQbZux37sUuNTCzQmtZxoCI-7Ecq8JPmR1dqzdFC29ovJR5HX1JQ2PXB2uFzgFpZ7BxkhBHSIEAYr6kDF4H9oJ_e1mFSubTB-WS1K4RkIFXf82pD_RByoqaH72Fn4/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000113%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What do you see for the future?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: I'm quite excited for the next decade. People are waking
up to the climate crisis a bit more than they were, which is great, because
that is the priority, my point of view for the future is equality and climate
crisis they are the only things I really care about. We have more woken minds,
to that as the priority now which is good. As I said, earlier I think all the
solutions to those things are already here, so now it's, how can we create
incentive systems that get them adopted much quicker. I personally think
technology is the solution to that. I think we have to create knew systems,
that get those things adopted really really quickly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: As a pathway to side step legislation which as you said
isn't moving as fast as it should be.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: It really isn't, we need legislation, but if we wait on
that we're all gonna be boiling in the ocean before we know it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It’s less than 7 years until 2030.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">J: Exactly, we’ve got to create big systemic change quickly,
and I think to do that it's got to be markets, and it's got to be tech, tech
networks, those things together it’s how all the big things that have happened
in the past ten years have happened. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHWqYh-qrH6zVBFWiKOMsN5Jz_rVvj9J6b8ac5jh3dUMnO89WdXPKVzdM65ZS3CY2WG8mfB29W-Rl-mrLxhrOczJHHrk30a4BTcCUPf5Xj_90zjcn_hzLrC9cv6w32UMtQ-mGOX6vQgO5rT5djK8rRJk-zsKCSsx2eyGJyAv_qir2hoPAkMUS3sSOVXI/s1277/Jessi%20Baker000212%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAHWqYh-qrH6zVBFWiKOMsN5Jz_rVvj9J6b8ac5jh3dUMnO89WdXPKVzdM65ZS3CY2WG8mfB29W-Rl-mrLxhrOczJHHrk30a4BTcCUPf5Xj_90zjcn_hzLrC9cv6w32UMtQ-mGOX6vQgO5rT5djK8rRJk-zsKCSsx2eyGJyAv_qir2hoPAkMUS3sSOVXI/s16000/Jessi%20Baker000212%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Links:</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.provenance.org/" target="_blank">Provenance </a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/provenanceHQ/" target="_blank">Provenance on Insta</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessibaker/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank">Jessi Baker </a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-90295454649226496492023-06-08T07:06:00.000+01:002023-06-08T07:06:53.051+01:00Focus on Amy Anderson - Kindred of Ireland Founder. A Contemporary Irish Linen Heritage Brand.<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnVgkDOZ_YiZmNLpW1VjivSeG21PhjNVseHkqiEfHrll3_TZBBk9ML6Zvzyy1SzJCw6PCY2WveENnt6ySbqG08GYD9GvDX-A1DpecewS8UAK7JC64m8buNWoYcUjWKgJBAGlhi93fx2U4un5uSLL-VtFFePrZvmzOj7yBPorvyxykZtViRPX5lbYl/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000533%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnVgkDOZ_YiZmNLpW1VjivSeG21PhjNVseHkqiEfHrll3_TZBBk9ML6Zvzyy1SzJCw6PCY2WveENnt6ySbqG08GYD9GvDX-A1DpecewS8UAK7JC64m8buNWoYcUjWKgJBAGlhi93fx2U4un5uSLL-VtFFePrZvmzOj7yBPorvyxykZtViRPX5lbYl/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000533%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">The best way to build a sustainable, ethical and environmentally
friendly brand is to it <i><u>right</u></i> from the outset. This is exactly
what Amy Anderson has done with <a href="https://www.kindredofireland.com/" target="_blank">Kindred of Ireland</a> and also</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">only uses one fabric in her designs, Irish Linen. Even
though Kindred is a young brand it has very deep roots. At the height of linen
production in Ireland, Belfast was known as Linenopolis because it was the
biggest producer of linen in the world. There will be very few families who
were not involved in its production at one point of other, from farm to
factory and this holds true for Amy. After WWII there was a huge decline in the
industry in Ireland to the point where flax is only beginning to be grown again
today. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I am also from Ireland, Amy’s story really resonates with
me and my own family history and stories. It is wonderful to see and hear about
the work she is doing to raise the heritage of Irish linen and to have her at
the forefront of the contemporary Irish Linen story making Irish Linen cool, in
a very good way. It brings me joy to share her story with you here – and I mean
gold linen, who would have thought.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrtpduvVt039rqhgPhBAPjKpnojsi8w9BonmoFVRAixSR0wdkZxayWTSahD99MY_2iUP-6FhWXq3yRH9LHebu6RjJgWYg2nXUnma4xm7Xv8IzNnUHPugHik6m4PekrynRTtrCgdDUSEs_1EoEHumKdAkSXn-rfTWBczcm9dwyz8ADxM-zIXDM-jLt/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000315%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrtpduvVt039rqhgPhBAPjKpnojsi8w9BonmoFVRAixSR0wdkZxayWTSahD99MY_2iUP-6FhWXq3yRH9LHebu6RjJgWYg2nXUnma4xm7Xv8IzNnUHPugHik6m4PekrynRTtrCgdDUSEs_1EoEHumKdAkSXn-rfTWBczcm9dwyz8ADxM-zIXDM-jLt/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000315%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Where did you grow up Amy? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: I grew up in County Tyrone in a place called Dungannon
which is about 30 minutes from where I live now. It’s where I spent most of my
life. Mum, dad, granny, grandad, all grew up there too. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: When you were growing up, what would you say your
formative influences around fashion were? I have heard you say it’s in your
DNA, but can you tell us more?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Probably first and foremost, my mum was super into
fashion, that was always her thing, putting outfits together. I also have two
older sisters who were the same and we all loved getting dressed up. I probably
dressed a little older than my years because of my sisters, but I learned a lot
from them, which was probably passed down from mum, she has a really good eye
for nice things and has a wardrobe full of garments she's had for years and
years. Then when I was a teenager, I was able to go up into the attic and raid the
clothing from when she was young. So, I have her to thank for that real initial
interest in fashion. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On a deeper level when it comes to Kindred and the heart behind
my brand, that comes from granny, grandad, my great uncle and great aunt and
even my dad, who all worked in the linen mill in Dungannon most of their lives.
Dad went on to have his own business, but I grew up around the stories of what
it was like for them all working with linen. My great aunt, worked for the
likes of Paul Costello, those where the kind of influences I had. My great aunt
taught me a few skills with the sewing machine and more. It was a real part of
my DNA and that influence, was everywhere I turned. Dad has two gears, he wears
tracksuits all week, then on Sunday, he will wear a really well tailored suit
from Savile Row he bought 20 years ago as he really appreciates good quality
clothing. So, clothing, good fabrics and style are very much a real part of my
DNA. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ015mW5rzTFH8J7FPz3IPYRMtbKuxbVQajB93YJWwTRomEV39ksjz9d9P8lh1ZV_VSVwHgPNHtQCIJVVuvmpWfMmcqySgRCGK7L22yFnbnsHL6TGiFdh2H1dRfxZ_Oxbm6eKTVMYtH8iAtr8RoHxq4kZ25A4yteqdQZouinppf_eZaskzZBy9obWZ/s1284/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000115%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="856" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ015mW5rzTFH8J7FPz3IPYRMtbKuxbVQajB93YJWwTRomEV39ksjz9d9P8lh1ZV_VSVwHgPNHtQCIJVVuvmpWfMmcqySgRCGK7L22yFnbnsHL6TGiFdh2H1dRfxZ_Oxbm6eKTVMYtH8iAtr8RoHxq4kZ25A4yteqdQZouinppf_eZaskzZBy9obWZ/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000115%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Was fashion something you always wanted to study? Educationally
were you always interested art? You say your aunt taught you how to make clothes,
where you young when you started to make clothes?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Yes, I was really young, and I would help her make things
like my costumes for nativity plays in primary school. Art was always my thing;
in school I didn't really apply myself to the more academic subjects. I was a
total daydreamer, I loved English and Art and they were the two subjects where
I excelled. In primary school, art class was where I came alive. I would stay
behind to do things like paint sets for the nativity. So yes, from a very early
age that was my passion. Later I did art for GCSE and A’ level and was always
drawn to fashion. But growing up in Northern Ireland it felt like a very far
out dream to think that maybe I could do something in the industry. When I was
in Uni it felt a bit more achievable because you're older and are inspired by
people who started their own labels, but it still felt like a really far out
dream and something I probably wouldn’t be able to achieve. My parents never
pressured me to pursue something academic or ‘get a real job’ which a lot of my
friends have ended up doing and really regret it. After school I took a gap year
and worked in an art gallery in Belfast, I then went to California and China
with an organisation called Y.W.A.M that allowed me time out to really consider
what to do next. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the time I felt I couldn’t pursue fashion as I couldn’t
see how I could make a living from it. I was open to going to London but didn't
really want to because I love home and I love Northern Ireland. But it felt
like something I had to consider. Taking time out saw me come full circle and allowed
me the time to decide to go study and see what opens up, as creative degrees
can open a lot of opportunities. During the gap year I applied for the design and
fashion course in the University of Ulster, on a whim really, not thinking that
I would get in because I wasn't able to get back for the interview, but my portfolio
was enough to get me a place. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I really enjoyed the course, it was broken up into different
mediums, fashion, weave, knit, print and embroidery. Then in the final year you
specialise, fashion with knit was what I focused on, but I'm really thankful
now for the really broad knowledge the overall course gave me into how things
work, as I have used that broader knowledge, with my brand Kindred. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeH0BJneyjuslNuayR3auLcwmFMb_CJBc0wQ09Mul9KjnQeFQ5wIEptMeoYRZSM0Czyt78v12ZGku4zxy4ROBql44qjjRYtyWkPjMPP9T5-tDK-5QHMJH-d0g0j_I0QdlAkbQg7TQnu3_2WjWF3lqb0AJtejo5ZOOwFP_KgOmOhHD-Ijdc30RxTSU/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000577%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeH0BJneyjuslNuayR3auLcwmFMb_CJBc0wQ09Mul9KjnQeFQ5wIEptMeoYRZSM0Czyt78v12ZGku4zxy4ROBql44qjjRYtyWkPjMPP9T5-tDK-5QHMJH-d0g0j_I0QdlAkbQg7TQnu3_2WjWF3lqb0AJtejo5ZOOwFP_KgOmOhHD-Ijdc30RxTSU/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000577%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: So it was that final year of Uni, brought all the threads
of your trip to California and China and your story of Kindred together, did it?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: It did yes. As I approached my final year, I had to think
of a theme or story that my final collection would take. I had researched Irish
linen heritage and history but didn't really know exactly what route I was
going to take. Also, in final year on fashion courses there is the temptation
to create something that's way out there. But my own style and design style has
always been wearable everyday pieces and I wanted to continue to create that
way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During my time in China, I had worked with an organisation that
worked with women who had escaped from human trafficking and taught them to
make jewellery. That also really informed the collection and it’s also informed
every part of Kindred as it had a deep impact on me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At the start of that final year my desire was to create
something that could evolve into a brand and my final collection was the
gateway to that. I took time at the start of the year to figure out what
direction I really wanted to take. It was during that time that I came across a
photo that set me on this journey. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I said earlier my great uncle, worked in the linen
industry his whole life and while chatting to him about it, looking for
inspiration, he brought out some old photographs and newspaper cuttings, one of
them was of my grandmother, who died whenever dad was 5, it was a newspaper
cutting of her spinning linen at the Linen Green Mill. Seeing that image had a huge
impact on me, because she would have been the same age I was at that point. You
know when you see something that does something inside you. That was a real
catalyst for me, it felt very personal and it also really honours the Irish
heritage history, the textile history and that is what I focused on. That
collection was very focused on the story and to highlight it I kept everything
really pared down in terms of colour, everything was tones of white. Making the
story was as important as the garments themselves. For me this story telling with
Kindred is really important, it's also connected to sustainability and people feeling
connected to the garments they wear which I think is really important for the
future of fashion. Going against the whole fast fashion thing and feeling part
of the story, you know where it's coming from, you know, the heart behind it. I
believe all of these things are important.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzcONm5frhuOMtVSncHC8fqYmOGP_8X3RdcG_Lr27U4MGko5-3Ty75Jk3EIx3WP7I6VNR-PIQ2aU8it8EApfyO4cRnoWjB4RS8z4cmH_9a_dFELSmtonFcYq6RgQ0UY76sDpJa7DoYEdrFKDKLh1NXUxw14rl1O-3hGwkHFFgamnN_sWTLmFga8Oz/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000285%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzcONm5frhuOMtVSncHC8fqYmOGP_8X3RdcG_Lr27U4MGko5-3Ty75Jk3EIx3WP7I6VNR-PIQ2aU8it8EApfyO4cRnoWjB4RS8z4cmH_9a_dFELSmtonFcYq6RgQ0UY76sDpJa7DoYEdrFKDKLh1NXUxw14rl1O-3hGwkHFFgamnN_sWTLmFga8Oz/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000285%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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<p class="MsoNormal">D: Also linen, the fabric you've chosen to work in is one of
the most sustainable and environmentally worthwhile fabrics because it grows on
poor soil. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: It grows in poor soil, requires little water and in terms
of a sustainable fabric, I think hemp is probably slightly more sustainable, but
linen is amazing and it's the oldest fabric historically. Also the thing about linen
is the more you wash it, almost the stronger it gets. If you take care of it,
there are pieces that will literally last you a lifetime. We French seam
everything, we finish everything well, to eliminate any kind of unravelling and
all the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>garments are made with that
desire in mind, to be an heirloom that you can keep and pass on. Linen is the
best fabric you could use for that, and it is so beautiful on your skin, it's a
pleasure to wear. It's also really absorbent and I feel that people don't
really realise that. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don't totally understand the science behind it, but in
terms of heat regulation, it actually is a useful fabric to wear in the winter too,
because it regulates your body temperature, but most people associate linen
with being a summer fabric, and that it has to be really warm outside to wear
it. But in reality, I wear it all through the year and if you layer it up it does
keep you warm. The beetled linen I use is so warm, it's almost like a bit of a wind
trap. So I hope to change that perception. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Can you explain the beetling process?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: I think it goes back to the 1700s, but it's unique to
Ireland. It was created here, I've done a little bit of research but can't
figure out what the practical purpose of it was. Traditionally the fabric is
painted with potato starch, it’s then dampened down, then it’s literally beaten
with wooden blocks over days and to create a sheen. The process also totally
changes the texture, the weight and how the fabric falls whenever you make
clothing from it. It allows me to create pieces that are a little more
sculptural and because I only use linen, it's nice to have that variation in texture
and shaping. It is created in a mill in the Upperlands in Magherafelt called
William Clark, they use a machine that’s been there for hundreds of years, to
produce the beetled linen and it's really cool. Also this process is only carried
out in that factory, there are no other commercial beetlers worldwide. So, it's
really unique to Ireland. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s almost like leather. One of my designs is a quilted coat
using beetled linen and it's super warm, because there are three layers to it and
it almost looks like leather. Vegan leather, you could call it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Truly, that is brilliant. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8QSAvm9_QlWgHkJWtsqb6UsFhe99nzGqhDZQj44fNdyxhMP-2NPURPFASIoaxDXdCQJhew_XVknchoCHUjVzkTbqpua6-ehG-iK6ovrW16WXGYUHxkafcHRtFEgxO441cnTNUZJZzQYsQbUJmIBDLGa0J101WiFfT40hb3vWPkaOyTe3m9BGCyop/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000122%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8QSAvm9_QlWgHkJWtsqb6UsFhe99nzGqhDZQj44fNdyxhMP-2NPURPFASIoaxDXdCQJhew_XVknchoCHUjVzkTbqpua6-ehG-iK6ovrW16WXGYUHxkafcHRtFEgxO441cnTNUZJZzQYsQbUJmIBDLGa0J101WiFfT40hb3vWPkaOyTe3m9BGCyop/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000122%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Amy who makes your clothes and where? Do you have a studio? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: I have a lovely polish woman who is so skilled, and she
works from home for me which she loves because she can be flexible with her
kids. I think the working from home thing is really interesting because I feel
that could really be the future.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: This is something that did happen in the past too. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Totally and it’s been lost in the last couple of
generations. My Mum can’t sew anything, but her Mum would have been able to. I've
done a little research into things like Irish lace and crochet which I can incorporate
into my work. Back in the day that was the original working from home, where
women would have done that while taking care of their kids and their husbands
would have been out working. This brings it almost full circle and I quite like
that correlation, with what I'm doing because of the heritage. I like being
able to give seamstresses the opportunity to work from home and be flexible
with their kids. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH73qm55cFys2S8QUlfkSpvejaIG1VuuBCzeeW40PXxGs-UoHWn2moqyASGK52V8Ln8ZArgB8EJIa6VmEDkQQuanImSwkILuvwHfZ4TXm4J87HZcObOk503u79IDw2UAtqke8nnuUMzZwryLatOb4R6uf_krVMw7Keri3cJuEX_eZVnRbWSklG4R-8/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000383%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH73qm55cFys2S8QUlfkSpvejaIG1VuuBCzeeW40PXxGs-UoHWn2moqyASGK52V8Ln8ZArgB8EJIa6VmEDkQQuanImSwkILuvwHfZ4TXm4J87HZcObOk503u79IDw2UAtqke8nnuUMzZwryLatOb4R6uf_krVMw7Keri3cJuEX_eZVnRbWSklG4R-8/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000383%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">A: One of the biggest problems for me is production, because
there is only one factory in Ireland, in Dublin, so the majority of making is
freelance. That also becomes a real headache when you're trying to scale up as
it's unmanageable. I’m running around chasing garments which takes my attention
away, from things like marketing and selling. So, I am working to bring
production more in house and creating my own little factory to keep everything more
local, which is also better in terms of carbon footprint. I've taken on another
seamstress and have one who works in-house in my space in Belfast so there's
almost a little factory situation happening, and I am hoping to expand the
whole production process, so it will look more like a traditional factory. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You will also know first-hand that the people working for
you are being treated well, because in a lot of factories people just aren't
treated well at all. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: The more I've immersed myself in the whole process I have
realised exactly what it takes to create a garment. So whenever I go into
H&M or Zara, it makes me question, how can they sell this really well made
blazer or jacket for £50. It's beyond what I can conquer, when you see what
goes into making the garments, and they are not awfully made, they're put
together quite well, I can see that somebody is literally being paid nothing to
create this for fast fashion.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>True. That's why
there is slavery in the supply chain. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: They're just not paid. Then I read about how little
children are missing out on their education because they come to work with
their parents. It’s unthinkable.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Or they live in the factory. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Rana Plaza did shed a bit of light on that, but I feel
much more light should be shed on it because if you're aware and are faced with
that imagery; this is where what you do as a consumer becomes so important. The
feeling when you walk into Zara, even for myself, because the temptation is
always there to go get your basics from H&M or wherever. But you walk in,
and the feeling is overwhelming, the feeling of the conditions of the people
working with their hands for this cheap clothing, there's no way that this sits
right with me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: When you're aware of it precisely, you feel the anguish
of the people making the clothes. If a t-shirt costs less that 20 quid, you
know for sure there is pain in that that piece.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: 100% and you're happy enough to turn a blind eye to it
because it's not affecting your everyday. It's awareness isn't it. I feel that
if you can put a face to the person who made what you're wearing it changes your
outlook. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Fashion Revolution ‘who made your clothes’ campaign has
been such a good campaign I feel that worked so well and the showing the label
in your clothes was really good too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Also Orsloa de Castro saying that ‘loved clothes last’ so
that people feel good about their clothing and encourages love and care for
them. It's all part of the slowing down. As your as your brand name Kindred,
implies it’s so much more. It's a more rounded long life, you speak about the longevity
of the garments that you buy, you wear, you mend and you cherish. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: It's actually not a new idea to treasure your garments, I
feel that even my mum would say that when she grew up, she would have bought
her one summer coat or one winter coat and you mended those and they were
passed down. It's only really in my lifetime that this fast fashion thing has
accelerated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: And its forecast to speed up even more…. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: It’s unthinkable and the people at the top, are earning
so much money, it's so selfish, isn't it? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then of course you have the whole greenwashing side of
things, where the likes of H&M claim to have recycled polyester garments
but it’s only a marketing ploy, and that's infuriating for me. I feel that
there should be new standards around people being allowed to use
environmentally friendly marketing terms. I feel they should have to back up what
they are saying before they can actually use them. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Also a level playing field for people like you, plus tax
breaks in place to make sure that you are surviving and thriving as a brand. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Absolutely for smaller brands who are actually trying to
do it right. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E59n7fPss3oHa9DJ6G-9FDOWHC3Htb5CfxYGtjifFY-Mj6pWHdv8S2rkgYf09cs46ai0uPBC51rEXKxJQ_Ho_euwALrB0H_m1GNi_n7bnzsaz-Vk-44AFkIK0lPL9zoQcxH9aRVsXr4DFHn2K-AXheFu6_S99t4SsFH0ZXz0UwgQiCNfX9uzUCgK/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000171%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5E59n7fPss3oHa9DJ6G-9FDOWHC3Htb5CfxYGtjifFY-Mj6pWHdv8S2rkgYf09cs46ai0uPBC51rEXKxJQ_Ho_euwALrB0H_m1GNi_n7bnzsaz-Vk-44AFkIK0lPL9zoQcxH9aRVsXr4DFHn2K-AXheFu6_S99t4SsFH0ZXz0UwgQiCNfX9uzUCgK/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000171%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What is your mission and your values? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: The heart behind Kindred: there are quite a few layers to
it and as you have noticed even the name Kindred of Ireland encapsulates so
many of those aspects. But one of the main hearts behind it is to revive the Irish
linen heritage and to breathe new life into traditional skills like beetling,
things that have been neglected over the years and also not thought of in a
contemporary way. That's the main mission of Kindred, to revive that Irish
heritage. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Sustainability is really important, even though it feels
like a much harder road. Sometimes I feel that if I just went and got things made
in Portugal, for example, it would be much easier. Production wise it's been
quite a journey and quite hard to keep everything within Ireland. Of course, in
terms of sustainability the best option is to source all of our fabrics here,
everything is made here, all our trims and threads all of that, we try to
strictly buy all of that in Belfast from smaller businesses. We try to source
everything in a really tight radius keeping our carbon emissions low. Sustainability
is a really important, part of our story putting to the forefront why we do it
and hope that people really engage with it, which they do. Our customers love
that that aspect of Kindred especially our North American customers who love and
are really engaged with the revival of this Irish heritage.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The whole social justice side of the business was greatly
informed by my own experiences in China and California. Whenever I was working
with the company in China, the realisation, that creativity can be a real
healer for people who have gone through trauma. This is where the brand name Kindred
comes in too. I partner with a charity called Flourish and alongside them I've
set up Sew & Skill programmes, with the idea of people coming together who
have been through really similar circumstances, the whole kindred spirit thing.
There is healing in that, sharing stories, being together and doing something
creative. In terms of sewing, apparently from a psychological point of view,
it's one of the most healing things for the brain, because you're using both
hands and using your feet, you're engaging both sides of your brain. There is also
the job satisfaction of starting a project and finishing it, and the
partnership with Flourish, allows all of those things to come together and has
been really incredible. Some of their clients have ended up in Northern Ireland
because of awful circumstances, a lot were seamstresses in places like
Bulgaria, and elsewhere. However asylum seekers are not allowed to work or be employed
so a lot of them are sitting with these incredible skills that legally can’t be
used. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: This is where abuse happens, in that void, because they do
have all these skills, coupled with the need to feed their families properly
and to thrive, that unscrupulous people take advantage of their situation. Who
then get away with paying the people less than the cost of a cup of coffee in
Costa or Starbucks per hour because of their fear. Inherently people want to
make a good living and to work to make a better life for themselves and their families
and if allowed to would be able to contribute properly to society instead of
living in this poverty and fear. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: And that's the thing, one of my big dreams for Kindred
would be to work with Flourish and be able to provide employment for people who
have come through that. But the problem is, and I have explored all the avenues
of how I could pay them in a around about way, but that would actually hinder
their application for refugee status if they were caught being paid for anything.
So, there's no way around it and it's really unfair. What they get in a week
doesn't even cover their bus fares, into the city. It's so unjust. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That side of the business is the longer bigger vision of Kindred,
to provide employment. We already hold classes in my studio in Belfast where we
bring in Flourish clients, a drop-in service for people who want to come and
hang out and have a wee cup of tea. We have held creative workshops with no
real end to them but are there for the sake of sitting painting and being
creative. It's been really nice to use the space for that. It’s all a huge part
of the social justice side of Kindred. We also give 10% of our profits to support
Flourish. They are incredible and use their money so well. It really impacts
lives directly and again that's all within Northern Ireland so it's all very
close. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmChKai3Yp_W3PGAk2kV_sED1gI_y98RLjNnNQb0oPb6RxG4BUK77lR4xKOtazUtoYvAzwxYvFuGxaCmNGayXQ1Krk41kZJ24xoJQo8B8CWpMQzaHxVFWld811KXOsf8CF7EfUTGJ5SXISn6kfPfYChVH7qdyzS-TWX3KqzkkHwWZWEVplhsARPX_W/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000304%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmChKai3Yp_W3PGAk2kV_sED1gI_y98RLjNnNQb0oPb6RxG4BUK77lR4xKOtazUtoYvAzwxYvFuGxaCmNGayXQ1Krk41kZJ24xoJQo8B8CWpMQzaHxVFWld811KXOsf8CF7EfUTGJ5SXISn6kfPfYChVH7qdyzS-TWX3KqzkkHwWZWEVplhsARPX_W/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000304%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You make your garments to order which I think is
brilliant, what was your decision to do that? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Initially, it was more because I had limited money to put
into the business. It was more manageable in terms of cash flow to get the
money for the order then go make the garment. I also didn’t have the resources
to buy hundreds of metres of fabric. So, initially it was for practical reasons,
but the decision not to change this business model is because it allows us to
be really controlled in terms of what we buy and means we're not sitting with
loads of stock, which from a sustainability point of view is brilliant because
there's no real waste at all, and any fabric we have left over can be made into
other things like scrunchies or tote bags. For that reason we try to be smart
with how we cut things. Keeping the made to order model allows us to be really sustainable
and means we're not sitting with loads of stock to shift. It also feeds into the
customer experience of people feeling connected to what they wear, knowing that
when they receive something they know it's been made especially for them, which
for me is really important and fits in with the whole brand ethos. It also
allows for bespoke measurements and adjustments too, should someone like a
dress but they want it made longer for example they can request that too. Moving
forward we might think about the items that sell consistently like our white
shirts and our basics, the core collection, our best sellers and maybe holding
a bit of stock, as made to order can hinder sometimes: say for example we get a
week of really good weather and we could be capitalising on those sales if we had
the basics ready for next day delivery. Usually our orders take 3 to 4 weeks and
people don't really respond to the fast turnaround thing so it's getting that
balance too. Once we get production sorted, we might look into creating stock
of the things that we know will sell well. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Yes, that makes sense for hero pieces that are
seasonless. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: There's a shirt that was our very first product, the Cadhla
shirt, it’s a simple white shirt with big bloom sleeves, it's one size and really
oversized. Which means you're not sitting with loads of different sizes. When
we have space in the schedule we will create a batch of those because they sell
consistently. The brand is still quite young we are only two and a half years into
properly selling clothes and are still learning what sells well and what we can
stock up on. But there will always be a made to order element to the brand because
I like that.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBA81DEBEIMF3SK8BTJkIaFiIlxxSPsd7mfDms080h1eXbMJSh3KvZmknIhNqfTG9SZY6EXcz5QxDgCnuZdq5hVrEsmlc5uTe1NVeBRcTKqirA9dtyc1bLpkOOR8wRvRHsOI3bKi6N-Aon0eYbqQjtbp3yFgvC1F9PoFgSo9fESUaNuxRu9HJdtRtg/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000151%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBA81DEBEIMF3SK8BTJkIaFiIlxxSPsd7mfDms080h1eXbMJSh3KvZmknIhNqfTG9SZY6EXcz5QxDgCnuZdq5hVrEsmlc5uTe1NVeBRcTKqirA9dtyc1bLpkOOR8wRvRHsOI3bKi6N-Aon0eYbqQjtbp3yFgvC1F9PoFgSo9fESUaNuxRu9HJdtRtg/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000151%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You mentioned the
fabric, where do you source your fabric? Is there enough flax grown in Ireland
for it to be woven here or is it coming from elsewhere? At the height of production
Belfast was known as Linenopolis, I know we grew a lot of flax in Ireland at that
time, they say that's why our fields are still so green. But what is the
situation now? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: In terms of flax being grown here, true Irish, linen
doesn't really exist anymore. It's technically Irish Linen because the last processes
are done here, the weaving, the sewing. I think today its mostly grown in
France and the linen that I use, the flax is grown there. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Is that in Nates? History says that the Huguenots that came
from there to Ireland brought the linen with them. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: I think it might be, the fabric comes from France and all
the finishing processes are done in Ireland. It's not ideal, the dream is to
have linen that’s grown here but that hasn't happened in many years. Interestingly
there is hope, Charlie and Helen from Mallon Linen have started growing flax
again. What they are doing is so cool. They embarked on this journey, some time
ago, and they're amazing people. They have a farm in Cookstown and their dream
is to go from flax to fabric to create linen again. They're also really into
sustainable farming, listening to the cycles of the soil and responding to that.
They grow potatoes before they plant the flax and that prepares the soil, it’s all
really interesting. Charlie has only recently after, working on it for about two
years, rebuilt a scutching machine he salvaged. Skutching is one of the main
processes for turning the flax into fibre and recently he got it going for the
first time, it’s a massive machine that he has pieced back together. It's a
miracle and it's on the farm where they grow the flax. They have even built a
shed especially for it, but it's finally going, its functioning and they are
able to get the flax through it. The only problem they are facing now is the spinning,
which is the next process, and there are no spinners in Ireland. There are hand
spinners but in terms of consistent good quality fabric and for scaling up, you
can’t hand spin it. So for now, they will send it to France to be spun and then
it will come back here to be woven and for all the other all the other finishing
processes. But it's really cool what they've done because it's the closest
thing to true Irish linen that we've had for years. I'm eagerly waiting for
them to get a few metres of fabric so I can make something out of it, hopefully
that will be really soon. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmIgJuLD_VFq88DLjC_qd9apollPGpwwOULDETVmcTu7xeEzgq79prK4lNyODURZH41RdttZJahCo94GZo2g-yapkPjk8_Abchw2zH4l4WVN-KIy-5FORMckCdC_K8P608zrledT3DAzhmxBxcjHrNeyPwfm4mrF-xwdptp0Uvxv8DH6x0gI8IoT_/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000522%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmIgJuLD_VFq88DLjC_qd9apollPGpwwOULDETVmcTu7xeEzgq79prK4lNyODURZH41RdttZJahCo94GZo2g-yapkPjk8_Abchw2zH4l4WVN-KIy-5FORMckCdC_K8P608zrledT3DAzhmxBxcjHrNeyPwfm4mrF-xwdptp0Uvxv8DH6x0gI8IoT_/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000522%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Your new collection went live at the beginning of March.
What was your inspiration for this collection? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: It's a wee bit more colourful and fun than anything I've
done before; the inspiration came from childhood photos and my own childhood
memories of summer. Growing up we had a touring caravan and would park it up in
Portstewart for the whole summer. The collection is called Nostalgia and there
are colourful stripes and pastel colours that make you think of summer. There's
a stripe whose inspiration was taken from sweetie bags, another happy childhood
memory. So, the collection is fun and a bit of a nod to those times. On the
shoot for the collection one of the locations we used was a laundrette because it
reminded me of doing the washing with mum in the public laundrette at the caravan
park. Although it’s fun putting it all together, it’s also nerve wracking
launching something that feels a wee bit different, but people have responded, well
to it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: When did you open your shop? And has having a physical
space made a difference? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Up until last summer I was working from home in the main
bedroom, Kindred had the biggest bedroom in our house and was beginning to take
over the whole house. Then the opportunity came up to take this space in
Belfast. Initially having a shop front was never in my short term plan, but it
just so happened that the showroom, which is made up of two rooms, meant we were
able to have a shop front with a studio out the back. Having that studio space
where things can happen, where I can go to work and leave the house has been
amazing. The shop front has also been great because we have people who travel
up from Dublin and local people coming in. We don't have a huge local customer
base, but it’s great for raising brand awareness within Belfast and having a
place for people to come in and try things on, getting that customer feedback,
when people actually try things on has been really beneficial. Because the
brand grew on Instagram initially it was a real moment for me the realisation,
these are real people. People were coming in saying “I have followed you for
the past couple of years,” it's so nice to have that connection with people in
person. Because so much is online now, I think having the physical store is
something that people crave. A place where you can come and talk to people has
been brilliant and quite inspiring for me in terms of design, hearing what
customers like and seeing how things fit on them. All of that has been great. I
absolutely love having the space.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRL0JeqUKmXMK_13XMzqhVd9Png1SjiW9s9hk2IrKuK60cJqYgpMkyqRxuZcia82bLTNAAB3BHmL1lu1uzrNxU9x60B4YQhUjJYFS7WS5fKetaMb0Q-XaLc2OAwTEdELbKr44yoaji2ZpcHHX-C1HFBkD4iPixS3eAYV1vBASsU_l2GvW7ppib5g-/s1277/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000412%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRL0JeqUKmXMK_13XMzqhVd9Png1SjiW9s9hk2IrKuK60cJqYgpMkyqRxuZcia82bLTNAAB3BHmL1lu1uzrNxU9x60B4YQhUjJYFS7WS5fKetaMb0Q-XaLc2OAwTEdELbKr44yoaji2ZpcHHX-C1HFBkD4iPixS3eAYV1vBASsU_l2GvW7ppib5g-/s16000/Amy%20Anderson%2014th%20March%202023000412%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Finally Amy, what drives you? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: I am a real values-based person I need to feel that what
I am doing is feeding into a bigger purpose. One of my biggest drives is the
connexion with Flourish. What I'm aiming towards, what I dream about is the day
where I could provide employment, and a really nice working environment for
people, that's something that is really important to me, that social justice
aspect of it. Recently I have re-connected with the university, because as a
student I was once in the position, in Belfast, where I felt I had no
opportunities, and a real drive for me, is to one day be able to create jobs
and opportunities for the students who are coming out of the fashion degree
course. It can be a bit disheartening feeling that you have to leave Northern
Ireland to work, when actually it's not the case that all, there is such a
creative scene here, so that's a real drive for me too. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I absolutely love making clothes, having people put things
on and feel really good about themselves. What I've tried to do from a design
point, is create things that are really wearable but feel really special when
you put them on. You can wear them literally everyday if you want to with
sneakers or equally on special occasions. It makes you feel a certain way, and
I think that is so important. That was really highlighted in the pandemic when
people were wearing their pyjamas or loungewear all day and how that can affect
your mood and your self-esteem. Then how that changes, how you feel really good
about yourself when you put something nice on. All of those thing’s drive me, there
are so many elements to that, but I would say that the bigger purpose and the bigger
picture is what’s most important to me. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Links</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.kindredofireland.com/" target="_blank">Kindred of Ireland</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kindredofireland/?hl=en" target="_blank">Kindred on Insta</a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-57840594146906746402022-10-18T06:00:00.001+01:002022-10-18T06:00:00.203+01:00Focus on Emma Hakansson - Founder of Collective Fashion Justice<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKaG7bBMI26YbxuHc6Avm5ygZh21IaZBYAOMeUYX_OfH6nfeTKb-tPd8yjHhJcPmEgILD6FNBdpLinTvsxMd6zvLFWzHXMcTw4lUo-Rzvdc0vFfnG9o98WL4GEH1ltfEdjdR24mN1VhYmAyWg1JdNGPs0BEjlL7pQOHyn9XWOpS4D20guBmFEUrfS/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000262%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKaG7bBMI26YbxuHc6Avm5ygZh21IaZBYAOMeUYX_OfH6nfeTKb-tPd8yjHhJcPmEgILD6FNBdpLinTvsxMd6zvLFWzHXMcTw4lUo-Rzvdc0vFfnG9o98WL4GEH1ltfEdjdR24mN1VhYmAyWg1JdNGPs0BEjlL7pQOHyn9XWOpS4D20guBmFEUrfS/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000262%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Some people achieve much in a relatively short span of time.
Emma is one of those people. She is already the founder of several initiatives the
biggest being Collective Fashion Justice. Her mission is the collective liberation
of all animals; human and non-human. Emma has a wonderful way of bringing us along
with her, giving us a deeper understanding of supply chains within the fashion
system. She is now also a published author, ‘How Veganism Can Save Us’ is her
first book. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1bZ5PI9ciMg_-fhOeGW7Z13-ojpFVWM8TDpXkiqcWrI32xX1CMAqjf-XGW-CjRMMRLOq0s7cTT0nW1GjdxIBnj6efq9nvYg__EUkvv-zgb_N4I7PBBZSIOHjs2xXW1pUY3GLUmETBPnWi8MCsh1we4JpqiV2HofmCVAvMxKcQznApukam40pBzB6/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000071%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1bZ5PI9ciMg_-fhOeGW7Z13-ojpFVWM8TDpXkiqcWrI32xX1CMAqjf-XGW-CjRMMRLOq0s7cTT0nW1GjdxIBnj6efq9nvYg__EUkvv-zgb_N4I7PBBZSIOHjs2xXW1pUY3GLUmETBPnWi8MCsh1we4JpqiV2HofmCVAvMxKcQznApukam40pBzB6/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000071%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Emma, where did you grow up? Your family name suggests a
Skandi connection. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I was born in London and I grew up in Melbourne, but my
dad is Swedish, so I've spent quite a bit of time in Sweden and I have roots in
a few different spots. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Are there family still there? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Yes, dad's entire side of the family lives there. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Is your mum English then? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: No, she's Australian. The London connection is that mum
was working there, then they decided to move back to Australia to have nice
open spaces for children. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did anyone in your family spark your interest in fashion
and animals? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I don't think anyone sparked my interest in fashion,
that's something I developed myself. Mum was always a real animal lover, though
she didn't raise me vegetarian, that was something that came from my own
experiences. It was her respect for animals though that paved the way for me.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did you have lots of animals in the house because of your
mother's interest? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Nothing out of the norm, we had dogs my whole life. Bill
was 19 when he died this year and I'm 23, so. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yXCa6qiHfFdVKHEmX_KQ47pCtJG6F-3FReziPmylPK_54VXHrOKo26UTSVfhrQyGV5yHDFUy9w_oIIVUKlT5W_GT0hdZU9SDjJvLoFiU4vdbQn3Jy2h6X8StVJ20t5YjQ7e5n8h99YGk4ojIrNv3JAHCXuHPgih8c2UbyTHJVSB8B8F-Ew1Qi0BG/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000127%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-yXCa6qiHfFdVKHEmX_KQ47pCtJG6F-3FReziPmylPK_54VXHrOKo26UTSVfhrQyGV5yHDFUy9w_oIIVUKlT5W_GT0hdZU9SDjJvLoFiU4vdbQn3Jy2h6X8StVJ20t5YjQ7e5n8h99YGk4ojIrNv3JAHCXuHPgih8c2UbyTHJVSB8B8F-Ew1Qi0BG/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000127%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Do you think the experiences you had as a child have
heightened your desire to protect? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Yes, being sexually abused as a child, if that hadn't
happened to me, I probably wouldn't have as much empathy as I have now. I
wouldn't have been able to understand suffering so much. Once you understand
suffering in one form, it doesn't really matter if you're talking about it in
different forms. The consistent thread across my work, whether I'm talking
about protecting animals in general or in fashion, weather I'm talking about safe
working rights for people in fashion, whether I'm talking about child
protection, (as I also do that work,) the one thing across all of them is the
desire to eliminate suffering. It doesn't really matter who it’s for because
that feeling is the same in all of them. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: A lot of children have gone through what you've gone
through, and you have done something very positive about it with the work you are
doing with Emma's Project. Can you tell us a bit about that? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Emma's project is something I'm working on with the
Australian Childhood Foundation. Essentially, it’s a project that exists to collect
the lived experience of other people who have survived child sexual abuse and
then to use that lived experience to inform better campaigning, better
legislation, better everything we do in relation to trying to prevent child
sexual abuse. So much of the way we try to do that now, is very theoretical,
rather than based on what people know would have actually helped them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have collected hundreds of survey responses from
survivors who are sharing their thoughts and experiences. The reason that I'm
able to do this and a lot of survivors haven't necessarily done something like it,
isn't because I'm special. I think it's because I had the privilege that, even
though something awful happened to me, my family really supported me with it, even
if others didn't. I had huge amounts of psychiatric support, huge amounts of
therapy, medication for a decade, all of that type of support. Which means that
I've probably been able to process it more, for my age than a lot of other
people have been able to. Because I've been given all this support, I'd like to
use it to help other people who haven't necessarily had the same support. The ultimate
aim is that other people never have to deal with any of it. Ever. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I like how you talk about using the wisdom of children that
have been through this. For me that's an absolutely inspired way of thinking. Its
brilliant what you are doing.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc46GXTmFaLScIUeMHseO8AqEgO4zrPmhyGUyVQ-rCI5ek0LD8Ot1NAYUM7btf9oDx6hMDhdz5RcXs-x9GiWlDjQFLYyLC5eU6uQpuEJdyWdwIhp4OAwVkhgmURX7h4qcluLh8JoVdYruwuUwFGEF8ZZjZsnNZQ9lJZr6J1bbFwL6VJG658DKjs4nZ/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000054%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc46GXTmFaLScIUeMHseO8AqEgO4zrPmhyGUyVQ-rCI5ek0LD8Ot1NAYUM7btf9oDx6hMDhdz5RcXs-x9GiWlDjQFLYyLC5eU6uQpuEJdyWdwIhp4OAwVkhgmURX7h4qcluLh8JoVdYruwuUwFGEF8ZZjZsnNZQ9lJZr6J1bbFwL6VJG658DKjs4nZ/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000054%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><style>@font-face
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You said the fashion side of things was something you
developed yourself. You started modelling when you were quite young? Is that
where your interest in fashion started?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: It was, I was around 15 when I was signed to an agency. I
joined the fashion world in that way because I was really interested in fashion
and if you're 15, that's probably the only way you can do it. Also creatively,
a local store sold a few singlet's that I had altered, so I was quite thrilled
with myself for that. But I saw modelling as a kind of entryway into a creative
industry that I could be more involved with later.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: When did you become vegan? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I became vegan when I was 16 and had stopped eating land
dwelling animals a year before that. The first step happened because I was
living in Sweden with my dad's family and was eating quite a lot of moose and
deer, which is usual there. I felt a little bit uncomfortable with that and it
made me think, maybe my thinking was inconsistent if I was happy to go home and
eat a cow, a pig or a sheep, so I stopped eating all of those animals. A year
later I learnt more about ‘other ‘ industries like dairy, eggs and wool that
was when I became vegan. That then impacted my work in fashion quite
significantly. I had done some jobs where I was wearing fur, but even if I
wasn't ever doing that again, almost every single shoot has leather shoes or
something like that. Animal materials are everywhere, so I had to completely
change what I was doing. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How did you do that? Did you stop modelling or did you
find a different way to continue?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>E: Around the same
time, I went to Cambodia, and I met with a woman who had co-founded a brand
called Dorsu. She had previously worked in a sweatshop in Cambodia and told me
about her experience, seeing women who had babies at their feet at work because
they couldn't afford anything else and couldn't have bathroom breaks. This was
another factor that completely changed how I saw fashion.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Which all meant that within a fairly short time frame, I
only wanted to work with brands who were treating their workers fairly and
weren't using animal materials, or even if they worked with some, I didn't want
to wear those specific things. Obviously that’s very challenging because most brands
don't fall into that category and halted a lot of my modelling. I was still modelling
at that point because I didn't fully understand living wages and the complexity
of that. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I was 18 one of my agencies dropped me, possibly
because I was a little bit difficult (laughs). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That made me evaluate what was next, and decided to start a creative
agency, Willow Creative Co with the photographers, stylists and everyone I knew
who cared about having a better fashion industry. We started producing photo
shoots for brands that were interested in doing the right thing and I would
model for those. Getting work was more complicated, but it was also something I
was much more in control of, in general and creatively too, which I really
enjoyed.</p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3ktFDTI5OQChN6zvB7pmdFJx8_N_eAkSVIak4vKGCvS4r76sbxOm0ZlQlaq0wpab8EPEdTZNd15ZuaRYszoGVn8qk_XNxUTVsXtlHEK3i142klATkGASXX8dYQ0dU4hkdIqGucujLODT2VAQdB7J3gyELpSdN1-js7dNKjmPklHRpFWPDwmCPpeR/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000182%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3ktFDTI5OQChN6zvB7pmdFJx8_N_eAkSVIak4vKGCvS4r76sbxOm0ZlQlaq0wpab8EPEdTZNd15ZuaRYszoGVn8qk_XNxUTVsXtlHEK3i142klATkGASXX8dYQ0dU4hkdIqGucujLODT2VAQdB7J3gyELpSdN1-js7dNKjmPklHRpFWPDwmCPpeR/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000182%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Is the agency still active?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Not really. The reason I started it was that I felt that
brands that were doing good things didn't have the same capacity to have really
amazing marketing that brands that are doing terrible things have. I still
think that that's important, but I now believe that helping to sell more things
is not the solution. That's why I now work on the campaigning, legislative,
consultation side of things. It’s great if other creatives do that kind of
thing, but it's not where I see my role anymore.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Even if other creative’s work on that side of things,
they still have to put the message out that over production and overconsumption
should stop. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2sAlK7eAgQOc5sggv6cIBnvEVxCakkFv7equY-P4T7_4A4POE8sCMTs4928sm0TWxRegLJYvMPaDXwHCGmIh989HLf1QMfefgFoNxnophBY95vh65pogs0_Vvu820rS7Hwh3pfHZ98b7ciPyXBR_iQoNkU1rybo74H4Zy2iro590mVsGdMvrXJ28/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000167%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2sAlK7eAgQOc5sggv6cIBnvEVxCakkFv7equY-P4T7_4A4POE8sCMTs4928sm0TWxRegLJYvMPaDXwHCGmIh989HLf1QMfefgFoNxnophBY95vh65pogs0_Vvu820rS7Hwh3pfHZ98b7ciPyXBR_iQoNkU1rybo74H4Zy2iro590mVsGdMvrXJ28/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000167%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You are a multi-faceted person, an abundant creator with
overlapping goals all centred on justice. You are a newly published author,
speaker and creative winning awards for the Willow and Claude film you
produced. Mostly recently you have collaborated with Waterbear on the
documentary SLAY. You are also the founder and director of Collective Fashion Justice;
can you tell us about the work you are doing now? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Collective Fashion Justice is a not-for-profit organisation,
and it exists to create what I call a total ethics fashion system, which is one
that respects the life of all animals, whether human or non-human, that
prioritises living individuals, but also the planet and the living planet that
we share. All of those things have to be prioritised before profit, and that is
not case at the moment. We work at citizen consumer education level, but also
consulting with brands, pushing them to do better, and at a legislative level because
that impacts everyone else. The short film Willow and Claude was a project with
Collective Fashion Justice. We have written reports, and engaged with fashion weeks
and brands to help them implement new policies to ban certain materials and to
be more innovative. We have helped to pass legislation in New York. We do a lot
of different things, but they are all centred on that goal. A lot of our work
is focused on fashion supply chains that have animal derived materials in them.
That's because it is there that people, animals and the planet are all harmed. If
we talk about leather, we can talk about tannery workers, slaughterhouse
workers, farm workers, indigenous land rights issues, deforestation, carbon
emissions, and then cows themselves, everything. The most effective way to
create change is if nothing is left out when you're addressing the issues.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2dAVNYOsvBCZqlHjBWXP-LPGSqqjyAcltNm7k2dt-LrlA1qvd6BBI3cP7lXs4OnhycivfOnsd_4bM_1VvLjN6hrxVP0ZsoePQjK5u0Jo9f7ks4iai0g0d9HWM8CEWx8VujPOJmKOcDt5o_Jvp6tQvE1g4OrdtLsayAkrKMzthwA-9qz1nNzxHPxw/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000289%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2dAVNYOsvBCZqlHjBWXP-LPGSqqjyAcltNm7k2dt-LrlA1qvd6BBI3cP7lXs4OnhycivfOnsd_4bM_1VvLjN6hrxVP0ZsoePQjK5u0Jo9f7ks4iai0g0d9HWM8CEWx8VujPOJmKOcDt5o_Jvp6tQvE1g4OrdtLsayAkrKMzthwA-9qz1nNzxHPxw/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000289%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Do you think that calling your new mission Collective Fashion
Justice has opened more doors for you than coming to the table purely as an
animal rights activist?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Yes, and I felt limited when I worked at an animal
protection organisation because I really wanted to talk about the environment
and I wanted to talk about people. With Collective Fashion Justice I am able to
take a holistic approach. You can't solve a problem unless you look at it
holistically and see that that harm is interconnected, so yes that's been
really helpful and a lot of doors have been opened because people have
appreciated that way of looking at things. That’s the real cultural shift that
I want to create in the fashion industry. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">More people are starting to acknowledge that you have to
care about people if you want to talk about sustainability. But generally,
animals are left out of that conversation but so are people most of the time.
So, there's a lot of broadening that we need to do. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: We have to be responsible.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: We need to be responsible as we can't sustain what we're
doing now because it's a mess. But I do think we can work towards having a
fashion industry that can be sustained on this planet, while the well-being of
the planet is secured. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: We thought that fast fashion was bad enough, but it's
kicked up a gear into ultra-fast fashion, which makes no sense when you know that
the other half of tis conversation is the need to reduce and degrowth. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What is your mission for Collective Fashion Justice? What
would you like to see? What would that result be? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Before I die, I would like the fashion industry to have
genuinely adopted the concept of total ethics, where they see that that is the
ultimate goal. That they are prioritising the planet, and everyone on it before
profit. As part of that I'd like to see that degrowth is happening, that
everyone is paid living wages and that we're not using animal skins as
materials and commodifying animals for fashion anymore.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What is your biggest focus to get you there? Do you have
a step by step goal? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: We have strategic plans that come in 2 year slots, and we
are coming to the end of the first one now, because Collective Fashion Justice
will turn 2 in December. The goals we have on that are quite broad, and a lot of
them are about getting recognition of this concept, and starting conversations.
For the rest of the year, for example, we have a series of leather reports
coming out. There is one for each issue; one is leathers impact on people, one is
on the planet, one is on animals, and then is one on a Just Transition. Those
reports are a really important tool for us to have when we talk to brands and
talk to legislators to show why it's so important that we have a transition
beyond leather. The immediate goal is to have those ready and have those
conversations. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are also working on a course that young people in fashion
can work on, because I believe it's a lot easier to speak to the next
generation of designers and for them to start designing with these ideas in
mind than it is to ask someone who's been in fashion for decades to undo
everything they've learnt. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: The whole fashion business is the same as that really, its
like trying to turn a huge ship. It was in the 90s when things started getting
faster and faster. When I was growing up this over consumption was not there. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: That actually gives me hope. The fact that this industry
hasn't been the way it is for that long. Even if you look further back to the
industrial revolution, in the scheme of human history that was not so long ago.
I believe we can sort something out.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL_ITOj8E29gRJHEY-3nSJSxz6K5UUjkwaXK_KVX8_j7D0oTNy_7wnha7S3C63CUdHVOhj98TsB5oUwzq4dBWI07Fvhp_fVyWGm5RPDDnCgA2bfyz835sQoRdkX_i5Zme1gZ5EGfn-uWLJlQLcjEZFPhX2d7pHVENVYDl9RbR1vLwpQo7aIXoDln9/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000142%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUL_ITOj8E29gRJHEY-3nSJSxz6K5UUjkwaXK_KVX8_j7D0oTNy_7wnha7S3C63CUdHVOhj98TsB5oUwzq4dBWI07Fvhp_fVyWGm5RPDDnCgA2bfyz835sQoRdkX_i5Zme1gZ5EGfn-uWLJlQLcjEZFPhX2d7pHVENVYDl9RbR1vLwpQo7aIXoDln9/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000142%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What's your favourite material? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I don't have any clothes made from it. I've only touched
it. But I think the existence of Mirum is really exciting. It is a leather
alternative that's completely free from animals. It's also completely plastic
free, and can be completely circular, because all the plant materials it's made
from can be made into something else. I think that those three things, animal
free, plastic free and circular is where we have to be. The fact that there is
material like that now, that is also aesthetically everything you want it to be,
is really promising. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Tell us about the work you've done around wool, you have
a 3 tier approach, phasing out fur which is almost gone now, leather next, then
wool.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Wool is the furthest away from going anywhere because
people are so wrapped up in the mythology of the industry. There's a lot of
work to do here, if people can understand the real harms caused by wool, they
will inevitably understand the same for leather and every other animal material.
People don’t realise the wool industry is in slaughter industry. Even if people
didn't routinely mutilate the animals, the whole industry is based on killing
animals when it's most profitable. When they are no longer profitable alive,
then they can be profitable dead. So, I don't think there is any way you can
put the term ethical around something like that. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's also hugely land inefficient; it causes harm to
biodiversity and produces huge amounts of methane emissions. Also in Australia,
shearers face a lot of working rights issues. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Recently we tabled a petition in Parliament in NSW in
Australia to ban mulesing. That's not an end goal, but it's a huge amount of
harm that could be reduced. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wool is also something that is of particular interest to me,
I have fostered lambs and have really seen on an individual level, the reason why
it’s important we do not participate in that system anymore. The lambs I
fostered would have died in winter lambing, (which is a whole other topic,) had
they not been rescued. We have created a report with the Centre of Biological Diversity
called ‘Shear Destruction’, which is all about the environmental impact of
wool. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The short film we talked about earlier Willow and Claude, is
named after two lambs, and explores why wool is not the solution as part of the
future of fashion. It then explores why plastic fibres aren’t either. Then it
follows a proof of concept supply chain for something that's actually better,
that's plant based and completely traceable and highlights the farmers involved.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Wool is the part of the SLAY film, and I was line producer
for that portion of the film.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So it’s something we have spent quite a bit of time on. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTrYRH_qPLhnqpj_Lfq2CDX_ZsjjzY00a07W9DxrU0fb_6OO-QBndV1_rP7G013z95DY--eJfYKI-hONzv891aCRFc38e8HWENr6WCmc2ohv-EtbEdttoDNkRuedFA7LYRPYvBzNQMqfnfzV1p0RmJ-aobmyldltVYjHgI5HidB1ld8ZIvHcLIqyB/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000221%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTrYRH_qPLhnqpj_Lfq2CDX_ZsjjzY00a07W9DxrU0fb_6OO-QBndV1_rP7G013z95DY--eJfYKI-hONzv891aCRFc38e8HWENr6WCmc2ohv-EtbEdttoDNkRuedFA7LYRPYvBzNQMqfnfzV1p0RmJ-aobmyldltVYjHgI5HidB1ld8ZIvHcLIqyB/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000221%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Tell us about your book ‘How Veganism Can Save Us’. How
did that come about? Has writing always been part of your creativity? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I've always really liked writing and mum is a writer,
among other things, that she does really well. Watching her showed me that that
was something I could also do if I wanted to. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I saw a book as an important mode of transportation for an
idea. ‘How Veganism Can Save Us’ is supposed to be an entry level look at
veganism. The title is probably quite provocative to a lot of people, but the
idea is that veganism can save us if we acknowledge it as part of a broader
movement for social justice and total liberation, it's not something that
exists on its own. We can't work for the goal of a collectively liberated world
if we're not also acknowledging that veganism is a part of that, because of the
ways that the animal industrial complex that commodifies animals harms them,
but in turn harms us and harms the planet. It's at the core of so many things, and
the book aims to unwrap that issue because there are a lot of interconnected
issues that people don't necessarily think about.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a portion of the book that talks about the link
between feminism, patriarchy and eating meat. It also looks at how we have dehumanised
some people in order to justify oppressing them and to dehumanise is to animalise
someone, to see them as an animal. When you see anyone as an animal, that's
when they can be exploited. So if we keep seeing animals as worth nothing and able
to be exploited then we will continue to see issues everywhere. The book tries
to make those connections, it’s split into a section on the planet, a section on
people, and then on animals, and then at the end on collective liberation, and
how all of those issues are our issues collectively. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: When you show how everything intersects like this it
really helps towards a deeper understanding. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What sort of shift in thinking would you like to see? I know
you're working on a lot of legislative change. We talk about the fact that the
fashion movement and fashion industry move slowly as far as change is concerned,
governments can be the same, or worse. Then when legislation is put in place,
it's not necessarily always adhered to.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: To create change you must create it across the board. There
has to be cultural change, legislative change and industry change all at once so
they all bounce off of each other. I don't think there is 1 silver bullet
solution. I do think that if we took anti speciesism to its core and saw it in
the same way as any other form of oppression, I think that that would result in
a lot of legislative change, and a lot of industry change, also a lot of change
in how we engage with each other too. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For the book at least, the goal there is to have that
cultural shift.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How long did it take you to write the book? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Actually, I wrote a different book first, which is coming
out later. They swapped places because this one is the more entry level one.
The first one I wrote took longer to write because of the research, which then helped
to inform this one. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I wrote them both in that 2 year period of lockdown where I
had plenty of time because I couldn't do many other things.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2me9POrmfw8uySN--sbVtsvFptWCp8ovOST5JCZxFA2QFNcYjtMtRE2xcebsDyUiDGIWxvD_3gAbLOZmQlsxjFZwnZlUNOd3I1sh2BRoLM4EtmxBKZvOTbMvZDYGoIBuVkZ0ApJ1ubDkeytc_9kpASTzd1Hyq6VV7VyfefgAG0aw4bgPcLqRbYe32/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000163%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2me9POrmfw8uySN--sbVtsvFptWCp8ovOST5JCZxFA2QFNcYjtMtRE2xcebsDyUiDGIWxvD_3gAbLOZmQlsxjFZwnZlUNOd3I1sh2BRoLM4EtmxBKZvOTbMvZDYGoIBuVkZ0ApJ1ubDkeytc_9kpASTzd1Hyq6VV7VyfefgAG0aw4bgPcLqRbYe32/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000163%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: As we speak you're in Europe, you are here to promote SLAY
with Waterbear. Are you also getting time to promote your book ‘How Veganism Can
Save Us? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I mention the book when I can, but it's not why I'm here,
I'm here to promote SLAY. At the same time, I am using that and using the
engagement I'm having with friends at screenings to build connections within
the fashion industry, with designers and corporate social responsibility
managers who I can get to think differently about animal materials in ways they
might not have thought about before and help them set targets for moving beyond
them. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How has the trip been, has it been productive? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: It's been very productive. I've had really good meetings
with large fashion organisations that represent lots of different brands in
different countries. I've had meetings with luxury brands, with retailers, with
people all across the board in different parts of the fashion industry, also
with other organisations working to do good things. Because I believe collaboration
is such a critical part of trying to create change. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The screenings have of all being really good. I have been
surprised by how open brands have been to SLAY. Even with people from the brands
I've been sitting next to while the logo of the company that they work for has
popped up on the screen. A lot of people would be uncomfortable about that and would
make them want to run away and not particularly want to talk to me again. But
lots of brands where that has happened have come up to me after and said ‘when
can we have coffee?’ I really respect that. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is one brand who came out of the film and said I can't
believe we're part of the problem. I really respect people who can take in new
information and go okay, we need to do something about that. I think it's also
testament to Rebecca, the director and to what the film has become. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaH8zrCuJ2vrtVUlKti69fnGMCOVZBxrw5mHgngHN5t3NuCUfOaNk0Az7FkW-oH3WjoooQTxOZEP2EWBtqOt_pq5iszWdMteKzUOfFucSIpiRZTLZ6j84FM7oHceVKFuPIL0GZFF3fmDhsE77Qpr92bx5f39OTXkQsSAC9v7j4J7BhETZCLkaSsCe/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000265%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnaH8zrCuJ2vrtVUlKti69fnGMCOVZBxrw5mHgngHN5t3NuCUfOaNk0Az7FkW-oH3WjoooQTxOZEP2EWBtqOt_pq5iszWdMteKzUOfFucSIpiRZTLZ6j84FM7oHceVKFuPIL0GZFF3fmDhsE77Qpr92bx5f39OTXkQsSAC9v7j4J7BhETZCLkaSsCe/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000265%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It's great that you're getting that sort of response and
that the conversation is happening. What a powerful way to show some people for
the first time the supply chain that they are sitting in the middle of. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">E: Sometimes I'm kind of amazed by how unaware they are. The
number of brands I've spoken to about wool, for example, and when I've said ‘the
wool industry’s a slaughter industry’ the fact they have no idea what I mean by
that is phenomenal. Really that should be something that you should know about in
order to source wool and profit from it. But it's not, and it’s not only the
case in animal materials, it’s across everything in the world, bad things
continue to happen because people are either oblivious to them, or choose to
remain oblivious to them. Having something that forces people to think ‘OK,
we're not going to do that anymore, and we're actually going to address this’,
is important. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I think that the way that you phrase it when you said, that
the wool industry is a slaughter industry, for people to actually think of it
in that way will help shift perceptions and allow for change. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Then you can't see it anymore as just a happy little
haircut. Even if the shearing wasn't bad, which it so often is. Do you want to
be a part of a system that sees animals as so worthless, that when their wool
is not profitable anymore, they would prefer to kill them to get profit from
the skin. It’s all about money. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: The wool becomes unprofitable as the sheep gets older? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Wool degrades and brittles the same way our hair does,
then has no value. Even if a lamb is 6 to 9 months old, and maybe even a Marino
lamb, if they are really fattened up for the spring season, farmers might still
decide ‘actually, I think it’s going to be more profitable to send them straight
to the slaughterhouse now, and I'll get a really good skin that has new wool on
it, that's really valuable, and the meat will also be sold to the prime lamb
market’. So it's always about which step is going to make the most money. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc3VFF3JPfEnEjGpWq5JPSfpWWLxl7I2v1_puZQAlaYltJJcLRfKQwNbhbfj99tldLTqWhvmpMOyTWah2BpPf3IQNtmovG6Pac0xqNoQuaKMR4hfprUuBqQsOUJHHpbeFMSlc1Uf8tp6_7wB0AirgSpWk5wvfO6Ztt7jc8DIU_C1VhjFvPjNRIaHJ/s1277/Emma%20Hakansson000081%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="852" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc3VFF3JPfEnEjGpWq5JPSfpWWLxl7I2v1_puZQAlaYltJJcLRfKQwNbhbfj99tldLTqWhvmpMOyTWah2BpPf3IQNtmovG6Pac0xqNoQuaKMR4hfprUuBqQsOUJHHpbeFMSlc1Uf8tp6_7wB0AirgSpWk5wvfO6Ztt7jc8DIU_C1VhjFvPjNRIaHJ/s16000/Emma%20Hakansson000081%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What drives you, Emma? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I feel the only way I should really spend my time here,
is to make it a place that is better. I don't necessarily see it as a choice that
I've made, it’s what I'm doing, and I don't see that there's any another way.
Of course, I've chosen the way that I'm working to eliminate suffering, but,
within that, that's what I'm doing and I don't see that there is another
option. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What’s next? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: I am at the very, very beginnings of working
on another book which is about total ethics fashion, which I think is important
to have. Emma’s project is going to reach its next phase when I get back to
Australia. Collective Fashion Justice has many, many things coming, so there's
lots to continue working on. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Links</span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://emmahakansson.com.au/" target="_blank">Emma Hakansson </a><br /></span></p><p><a href="https://www.collectivefashionjustice.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Collective Fashion Justice </span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.childhood.org.au/emmas-project/" target="_blank">Emma's Project </a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/how-veganism-can-save-us-emma-hakansson/book/9781743797730.html?irclickid=xo5UHgw5oxyNTsT3QgygGSSLUkDVSE35NRThTg0&utm_campaign=Emma%20Hakansson&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=Impact&bk_source=3307156&bk_source_id=3307156&irgwc=1" target="_blank">How Veganism Can Save Us </a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/hakamme/" target="_blank">Emma on Instagram</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.slay.film/" target="_blank">Waterbear x SLAY</a> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><br /><br /><br />Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-85477504022496668762022-09-22T08:30:00.001+01:002022-09-22T08:30:00.187+01:00Focus on Kellie Dalton - Sustainable Strategist and Responsible Fashion Advisor<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5zuW_2AsPxR5K1laU5Nmpoghl8tLjhTzU8q7H5ipF5p-5VVpWXFxuN_LprsOm1kVVafa2npuHEwJ_BIhR8nxuxac6lqY3Ujtrlu8QFocLCia2dH48mdoJXNI_X_O-F8TijYKrg6vQlBx_j-o_10haxpz7ojfsnooTjjOB7WHPBuxKXIiqGQkzMvO/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000150%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5zuW_2AsPxR5K1laU5Nmpoghl8tLjhTzU8q7H5ipF5p-5VVpWXFxuN_LprsOm1kVVafa2npuHEwJ_BIhR8nxuxac6lqY3Ujtrlu8QFocLCia2dH48mdoJXNI_X_O-F8TijYKrg6vQlBx_j-o_10haxpz7ojfsnooTjjOB7WHPBuxKXIiqGQkzMvO/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000150%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Where do you turn to for advice on how to bring about
change? Kellie Dalton is a sustainability strategist and responsible fashion
advisor helping brands redefine well made clothing. Fashion is under pressure
to reduce its social and environmental impact and it can be overwhelming, this
is where the wealth of knowledge Kellie has acquired throughout her career comes
in, helping brands navigate better ways of doing things. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAc54MEhohzWjqAp0IGVAwSxFBNTdW23on1b5kRSTm30Gkid4VVcbpjcAoXV7m3eultGLeLOnf6vM-FwNZxPwn5O3NZSWoU8R-NzBDRPj9YgW3n6f5PPTxJLMSb0Y95jQ-VzHObWkuqZYJEMTjGDeyhrLPZaWusR4yab6MOrM_9oW-ORuF50Ezi4V/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000208%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAc54MEhohzWjqAp0IGVAwSxFBNTdW23on1b5kRSTm30Gkid4VVcbpjcAoXV7m3eultGLeLOnf6vM-FwNZxPwn5O3NZSWoU8R-NzBDRPj9YgW3n6f5PPTxJLMSb0Y95jQ-VzHObWkuqZYJEMTjGDeyhrLPZaWusR4yab6MOrM_9oW-ORuF50Ezi4V/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000208%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Where in
Ireland did you grow up Kellie? Also did you have any childhood fashion
influences? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: I grew up in Dublin. A grey estate on the northside of
the city. There was a lot of creative inspiration around though which I wasn’t overly
aware of at the time. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My Mam was an incredible dressmaker, knitter and crocheter. What
we call craft was just how things were done at home. Clothes were made for us.
Vogue patterns came through the door, ideas were shared, wool was everywhere,
jumpers were pulled over our heads for fittings. My Mam always tried to go for quality
over quantity when things were bought. Hand-me-downs were a staple in 80’s
Ireland. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Industry-wise, I have standout memories of her knitting for
Irish designers. Beautiful, intricate pieces. At the time it suited her
lifestyle, she had small kids at home and was using her talent.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It quickly became clear that it wasn’t worth it. Literally.
Pieces were selling for hundreds of pounds and she’d see a fraction of it, being
paid a lot less than minimum wage an hour. I remember thinking, how messed up
that was. It was my first introduction to ‘home-working’ and the disconnect
between how much we revere designers and brands yet undervalue people who make
products. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">She eventually went on to start a knitting café with her equally
as talented twin sister, where they taught locals how to knit and crochet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: What a
great idea.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: It was a burst of colour in the middle of our estate - pink,
purple, gingham tablecloths, kitsch China tea sets. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Older women from our neighbourhood would drop in to swap
stories and skills. I loved hearing about ‘back in the day’, making lace by
penny candlelight and beading their own wedding dresses. All those wonderful skills
have mostly gone from Ireland now. It’s a real shame. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: It was
lost when making moved to the global South, the skills went there too.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: I’m always thinking about how our textile skills and
manufacturing heritage can live on. I have a bit of a pipe dream to re-shore
manufacturing back to Ireland. I know there is still a bit in Northern Ireland
but I wonder how will we ever have ‘sustainability’ if we’re not self-sufficient
as a country. Right now, we cannot provide the basic necessity of clothing for
ourselves. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5RRS1v2-XFpRTRYivpWUO38Ow81T4NTwEK5mJ18s9OdOOa-z5AE9i0peD8OKjTrDfRooi9SWQHh50ig50C6RwmyyfPZxGyDs9Ef5EH3Eiw0l7dGZ4o4NS8L5eBmpfoIuQihhcN1ttK-6-oMUlBqqu31UsqQxtn5ViJ94Rf_AkmLhQVM3ePzw0of4/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000064%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw5RRS1v2-XFpRTRYivpWUO38Ow81T4NTwEK5mJ18s9OdOOa-z5AE9i0peD8OKjTrDfRooi9SWQHh50ig50C6RwmyyfPZxGyDs9Ef5EH3Eiw0l7dGZ4o4NS8L5eBmpfoIuQihhcN1ttK-6-oMUlBqqu31UsqQxtn5ViJ94Rf_AkmLhQVM3ePzw0of4/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000064%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Did you go
to university?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: I had that fashion influence growing up, I didn't make
the connection that there was an industry I could go and work in until much later.
I started a business degree with no real direction then had a bit of an
awakening in my final year when I was introduced to Naomi Klein's ‘No Logo’.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I started to connect the dots between how my Mam had been
working, the wider industry, hype culture and the politics that kept it all
churning. The system started to make sense. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was shifting to a PhD track when I noticed small,
sustainable fashion brands pop-up. Ali Hewson and Bono’s Edun, Katharine E
Hamnett, People Tree, The Hemp Trading Company, Veja. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I wrote letters to them all hoping to get in the door
somehow and Katharine got back to me. A combination of luck and timing. I
happened to catch her when she was restarting her brand with Roxanne
Houshmand-Howell to do everything as ethically and environmentally as possible,
around 2006.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I knew the opportunity I’d been given. Katharine was a
fashion legend and had been a lone voice for environmental and social justice
in the industry for years. I had a sofa to stay on and not much money, but it
was a no-brainer to go and get stuck in. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: You must
have learned a lot.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: An unbelievable amount. Hands down my favourite job to
this day. In small brands you get to do everything. I was helping pick colourways
for collections, writing reports on renewable energy, meeting scientists, academics
and activists, sweeping the floor, making tea, dealing with customers, researching
sustainable development, going to parties, travelling to industry conferences
with Katharine… I worked hard and took it all in. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was under pressure to get back to Ireland to finish my
PhD, I made the choice to ditch it instead. A turning point that raised a few eyebrows
but looking back, the experience I got with Katharine shaped my career. I
wouldn’t change any of it. I loved being hands on. I felt useful in the face of
mounting social and environmental exploitation caused by the industry. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Plus, the energy in London was something else so I was happy
to stay. I did work in Ireland after that, but all roads led back to London. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I spent time at Business in the Community to understand how
corporates work. I spent time at New Look to understand how fast fashion works.
I spent time at Burberry to understand how sustainability in luxury fashion
works. Then I went to Futerra to bring it all together and guide big brands
through their sustainability journeys. In my first week, I was thrown in on the
sustainability strategy for The North Face and never looked back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have always taken the same approach: work hard, be nice, go
after what you want and see what happens. I’ve kept my head down and been
incredibly lucky. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was a white privilege that needs to be acknowledged in
sustainability professions though. Doors were opened by people who looked like
me, to work with more people who looked like me. Yet I was in one of the most
multi-cultural cities in the world, in an industry that wouldn’t exist without
the skills and creativity of black and brown people globally. <span style="color: #382cfc;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #382cfc;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I understand now what I need to do to support real,
equitable change. I didn’t really at the time.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzFDGq8_NPP5ortV3ZZC8guvpzq-D-nuJ5RKqlTTJ5u4HX2n-YQWXtBpFR7mGhw2NheECi9tm8Ju2KBZMRvtJQEAFM6YE_bGAHiF9GKgott58rm5AYbJ8pLHR_HlI63t_NjZr-rOMRlhKDziSify_FIplafQte2xFqUG_6HF6ve9Tl9zzxPj_cQ30/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000186%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzFDGq8_NPP5ortV3ZZC8guvpzq-D-nuJ5RKqlTTJ5u4HX2n-YQWXtBpFR7mGhw2NheECi9tm8Ju2KBZMRvtJQEAFM6YE_bGAHiF9GKgott58rm5AYbJ8pLHR_HlI63t_NjZr-rOMRlhKDziSify_FIplafQte2xFqUG_6HF6ve9Tl9zzxPj_cQ30/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000186%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: Tell us about
the work your consultancy does.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I help brands to understand their responsibility beyond
making a profit and create strategic plans to take action on their social,
environmental, economic and cultural impacts. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We work through a process of understanding the big picture
and the brand’s place in it. Then we map out the step-by-step of how they can
shift from having a negative impact to working <i>with</i> nature and improving
the prosperity of people connected to their brand, in the fullest sense. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From there, it depends. Sometimes I stick around and help to
implement plans with an amazing network of technical experts I’ve been lucky to
meet along the way. Sometimes I leave brands to it and check-in down the line. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then a bit of everything in-between: advisory for senior
teams, policy recommendations, an ear for designers, introductions to partners,
campaigning for legislative change. I’m open to whatever pushes the industry
forward. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I’m most interested in though is honesty and action. At
this stage, we need everyone to <a href="https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet/awhxwvb/dr-ayana-elizabeth-johnson-helps-you">‘find
their place’</a> and do something. The time for making the ‘business case’ has
passed. I’m not interested in convincing industry people anymore. Everyday news
is the business case. I only want to work with those who are open and willing
to give it a good go. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Brands that want to find a way through are energising. Vivienne
Westwood is a big favourite of mine. The team are super engaged, they really
care. House of Hackney is another. Their deep connection to ecology and
wellbeing is inspiring. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc8malLCAUkqrLIH0ZoByOk07_sdtSHQP7SwSMgMznkWT4Hve5p11-raqto1_E8SUT0SZNn1Y8WLtmzQ4PfGkz9T_byjidyg0cR5Zkr4VO7v4a_hOEIvXkwQ8tpaF0VHX_rYNtv7XjtqnlVFglAp--ubpNVEb1ilxT48-ILeAGeMZFGV8k_Kyhx1v/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000145%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqc8malLCAUkqrLIH0ZoByOk07_sdtSHQP7SwSMgMznkWT4Hve5p11-raqto1_E8SUT0SZNn1Y8WLtmzQ4PfGkz9T_byjidyg0cR5Zkr4VO7v4a_hOEIvXkwQ8tpaF0VHX_rYNtv7XjtqnlVFglAp--ubpNVEb1ilxT48-ILeAGeMZFGV8k_Kyhx1v/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000145%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: When you
initially go into businesses how are you met? Is it with open arms or is it
with a bit of trepidation?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: It’s a mixed bag. I’m there because someone gets it
enough to want me there or at least know they need my expertise. People are
always welcoming. Many are concerned and confused. They want to make sense of sustainability.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s overwhelming for anyone to take a step back and
acknowledge all of your social and environmental impacts in one go. Especially
if your brand was set up as a more traditional business, valuing profit above
all else. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Slowly we work through it together and you can see people’s
mindset shift. That nervousness about the enormity of the challenge, visibly
changes to clarity and confidence. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In general, I think people get swept away in the never-ending
flow of information about carbon this, sustainable materials and greenwashing
that. We’re not really taught about the economic and political workings of the
big fashion system. At a basic level, my aim is to steady people and help them
focus. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0cne-1C_nd4_al0e3TyN1Th_gNQ_SsPphYbbJm0g_kr_qhzKX_vJJgFoHt-hb68QN1PpOUl5lyq5XVIQKICA5rn_qmg4j2Aeq7HL1EPIZ1DobzPDfb_myI_ikf_ylBtwU_f-peBoq7oksOpGlbfc7RVoYa0yVbzBuHTbF46g9WNWck0EJHlgly5i/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000052%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0cne-1C_nd4_al0e3TyN1Th_gNQ_SsPphYbbJm0g_kr_qhzKX_vJJgFoHt-hb68QN1PpOUl5lyq5XVIQKICA5rn_qmg4j2Aeq7HL1EPIZ1DobzPDfb_myI_ikf_ylBtwU_f-peBoq7oksOpGlbfc7RVoYa0yVbzBuHTbF46g9WNWck0EJHlgly5i/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000052%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: How has
that move to freelance been? <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: I’ve grown so much professionally and personally being
freelance. There’s more time for creativity and figuring out what impact you
can have with your career. For me, it's always about being useful. What’s the
most useful thing I can do with my experience<b>, </b>given the size and scale
of the industry problems we face.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s hard to feel like you’re ever doing enough. I’m not
talking about relentless productivity. What I mean is good quality work that
will add to the momentum for change. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lately I’ve been campaigning with <a href="https://www.goodclothesfairpay.eu/">Good Clothes Fair Pay</a> to bring
about a new piece of EU legislation that could require fashion brands to ensure
garment workers are paid properly. When <a href="https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2022/0718/1310895-good-clothes-fair-pay-campaign-garment-workers/">just
2% of garment workers earn a living wage globally</a>, that feels like a good
use of my time. It’s something I’m very proud to support. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS27JehY2tHCQNjh9j3JMQ3IGNSK4n3-fy9FtSwPeWTuouMU-pjxtlI_-i2chIr9D4Uvl5OZmJWerQWn22brIHSIKIxeXmN0buhSGYbtRUJEuw3LzsKCCyDsA8757Heguz5AtHS8hD0QGRirLPlfEow2OtdWRhrXQbB8LLXiojCMYFUvjta_MeMM9g/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000168%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS27JehY2tHCQNjh9j3JMQ3IGNSK4n3-fy9FtSwPeWTuouMU-pjxtlI_-i2chIr9D4Uvl5OZmJWerQWn22brIHSIKIxeXmN0buhSGYbtRUJEuw3LzsKCCyDsA8757Heguz5AtHS8hD0QGRirLPlfEow2OtdWRhrXQbB8LLXiojCMYFUvjta_MeMM9g/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000168%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: What
inspires what you do? What keeps you going?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: The people I meet through work inspire me every day. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_nasreensheikh/?hl=en">Nasreen Sheikh</a> and
the <a href="https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast/2021/9/29/ep-150-liz-ricketts-waste-colonialism-dead-white-mans-clothes">OR
Foundation</a> team have had the biggest impact on me in the last few years. Their
accounts of what’s happening on the ground in supply chain communities are
something you can never unknow. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And others: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/awaj.foundation/?hl=en">Nazma Akter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajabarber/?hl=en">Aja Barber</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/celinecelines/?hl=en">Céline Semaan</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/white_weft/?hl=en">Janelle Hanna</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/birdsonglondon/?hl=en">Sophie Slater</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bridence/?hl=en">Brigitta Danka</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diokurazawa/?hl=en-gb">Dio Kurazawa</a>, <a href="https://shows.acast.com/unspun/episodes/the-legacy-of-colonialism-and-a-living-wage">Christian
Smith</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/remakeourworld/?hl=en">Ayshea
Barenblat</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/valeria_meliado/?hl=en-gb">Valeria
Meliado</a>, the Vivienne Westwood team, the House of Hackney team, the Right
Project. The list goes on and on. There are so many people working for a
thriving, just fashion industry we can all be proud of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What keeps me going is what other choice do we have? You
need a lot of resilience to work in sustainability. Every year you see fashion consumption
go up, while faced with the stark reality that it brings: modern slavery,
biodiversity loss, water shortages, poverty wages, textile landfills in the
global south, child labour. As hard as it is to absorb that information
day-to-day, I know enough now to point people in the direction of solutions. So,
I do that. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegduMi9C3pHUmGcJtbmOBBbZIqrr5FFboG02XjQg9mc9J8zZOYHRei7VAFhJU8bjtl2YMkJ477B6CDMU-RUoidvi-xsYtFLz8z4ygaVsjpuzsdaR2js6TYQrFKf1_L-jj9ZrB3wchY7FNdGAMjiT7HLa9jHSOTcjLIClz4DgBIkk7KH6oFlwueczM/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000267%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegduMi9C3pHUmGcJtbmOBBbZIqrr5FFboG02XjQg9mc9J8zZOYHRei7VAFhJU8bjtl2YMkJ477B6CDMU-RUoidvi-xsYtFLz8z4ygaVsjpuzsdaR2js6TYQrFKf1_L-jj9ZrB3wchY7FNdGAMjiT7HLa9jHSOTcjLIClz4DgBIkk7KH6oFlwueczM/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000267%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: What do
you think will bring real systemic change? What needs to be done?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: You mean aside from radically overhauling our economic
and fashion system? What we need is legislation and to seriously address unit
volume production. The industry cannot continue to grow and grow. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Apparel consumption is set to hit 102 million tonnes
annually by 2030. That’s the equivalent of 500 billion t-shirts being put onto
the earth every year with no large-scale solution in place to deal with when
they end up as waste. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production is one of two
SDG’s that we are going backwards on since 2015. Better made product won’t
solve that anytime soon. Overproduction has got to be addressed and legislated
for. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The industry talks endlessly about sustainability on one
hand and on the other, we cling to ways of working that are at odds with the survival
of humankind. We’re living a contradiction every day. It’s a lot to get your
head around. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGUKc5Eduxei4K17DqwJktEN_5WK7Zc9irqDXMxqDZdmC5nCCBti-AAFpaWgo_YtzYa414FxbsocUtfoaelQ6_JupNxOdUIHUmo-DRGpe8o7SvRGhy21hHgsOUtctr4-XGKFIbZUMoC1oG54ytJAfX0yK_kQoNjkqyMO-SVgsdixDRdOH8sjTsgRw/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000133%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGUKc5Eduxei4K17DqwJktEN_5WK7Zc9irqDXMxqDZdmC5nCCBti-AAFpaWgo_YtzYa414FxbsocUtfoaelQ6_JupNxOdUIHUmo-DRGpe8o7SvRGhy21hHgsOUtctr4-XGKFIbZUMoC1oG54ytJAfX0yK_kQoNjkqyMO-SVgsdixDRdOH8sjTsgRw/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000133%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;">D: We need a
different marketing strategy for reaching people, we can’t buy our way out of
this.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">K: More time needs to be given to understanding why people
shop the way they do. It's not as simple as, we overconsume fast fashion so
stop. How we shop is informed by our identity, cultural signifiers of wealth, economic
circumstances, lifestyle, education, geography and so many more factors linked
together. It’s complicated. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Consumers get hammered with messages to buy, less and buy
better. A sentiment I fully support but we haven’t managed to slow mainstream
consumption yet. Even with the rise of resale, rental and repair. I don’t
really have an answer for it, consumer culture is a big stumbling block. I’m
seeing more fashion psychologists coming into the sustainability space now
which gives some hope. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One thing I do know is that fast fashion has put us in
opposition to each other. We are being forced to choose between the value of
one person’s life over another. Those people are usually women. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The affordability debate really drives this home. How are
any of us empowered by a business model that relies on exploiting women making
clothes in one country to supply women in another with an endless amount of cheap
trend-driven fashion? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How do we benefit from a business model that takes little to
no responsibility for millions of its products being dumped in Chile, Ghana,
Uganda, Pakistan after being used, donated and or just discarded? Given all we
know now, I cannot comprehend how people profit from that with a clear
conscience. I struggle with it a lot.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnRFrwnwd56SBJbgwSJglxGgqW4aGU5RxjugBcJiYAZg2JnshAES6q30Zkp3JntO0S07Bbbbea9ZFA9ltQ0JWDFseGSGXC8NWH3xZuwqb3MvwkSyab0qc076OEAWxOugjlXcpFdVkxFeieYGRooofe_8fGlvFqJse2gEHKQotbwb3z7jYGHBiubXE/s1277/Kellie%20Dalton000086%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnRFrwnwd56SBJbgwSJglxGgqW4aGU5RxjugBcJiYAZg2JnshAES6q30Zkp3JntO0S07Bbbbea9ZFA9ltQ0JWDFseGSGXC8NWH3xZuwqb3MvwkSyab0qc076OEAWxOugjlXcpFdVkxFeieYGRooofe_8fGlvFqJse2gEHKQotbwb3z7jYGHBiubXE/s16000/Kellie%20Dalton000086%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I would love for everyone working in fashion to know they
have the power to bring about change. The smallest actions matter. The momentum
of working together from farms to shop floors, second-hand clothing landfills
and everywhere in between can carry us to a new, more equitable, more creative,
just and thriving industry. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I would like women working in fashion all over the UK to know
they can be part of it. That we need them to be. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Links:</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Website: <a href="https://kelliedalton.com/" target="_blank">Kellie Dalton</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kelliedalston/?hl=en" target="_blank">Kellie Dalton</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellie-dalton-2238ba32/" target="_blank">Kellie Dalton</a><br /></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-2808925606884903552022-08-02T13:34:00.000+01:002022-08-02T13:34:04.896+01:00Focus on Amy Nguyen - Founder of Sustainable and Social<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqEsAgFXb0_3xmv-secU-HJDIEg5qkIL6F3LY0tVubXo2llS_bwwAhSAHTSzJ83XzKW7FvFu_bNbqUDsRtVLCmGi2a-OMzb6C_sT0z0aQkZ4Q5WIf26BKD9nvlWL1srU3l4kgrimF5u0gqDNqfe36j04ChHLjtAdPWokMb82eYg7gi8mbwQskSB5E/s1277/Amy%20Nguyen000219%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqEsAgFXb0_3xmv-secU-HJDIEg5qkIL6F3LY0tVubXo2llS_bwwAhSAHTSzJ83XzKW7FvFu_bNbqUDsRtVLCmGi2a-OMzb6C_sT0z0aQkZ4Q5WIf26BKD9nvlWL1srU3l4kgrimF5u0gqDNqfe36j04ChHLjtAdPWokMb82eYg7gi8mbwQskSB5E/s16000/Amy%20Nguyen000219%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Where do you
turn to for reliable </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="border: none; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">and up
to date </span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style>data, facts and figures on the climate decade? One of my
favourite places is Amy Nguyen founder of Sustainable and Social. We are
bombarded every day with information, but how do we know it is correct, how do
we know that the person who has given you the information has checked their
facts. This is where the work that Amy does comes in. She thinks and researches
before she writes. Then presents it to us in a way that makes it easy to
understand. Her aim is ‘to </span><span style="border: none; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="border: none;">democratise
the conversation about sustainability and raise collective consciousness to
educate and empower citizens in the pursuit of climate action</span></span>.'</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm;"> </p><p class="Body"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsNmqqUF_gbJ5RkAIaePaTCEHhog2KBwWDPdD2KcgwnrQ7gzzPwyTi1YczUepxtv-HTsm6CEgq_U18VD6d7WP-jjf-veLK7W_t9LW37GE1M5jGLBLJJeavKS45_rQXlWzm9eP5JcbSkcTfMz-7ZKCShm9TLXT3uM1XvHVHuqIlZXwmqiYkytJrRJK/s1277/Amy%20Nguyen000173%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsNmqqUF_gbJ5RkAIaePaTCEHhog2KBwWDPdD2KcgwnrQ7gzzPwyTi1YczUepxtv-HTsm6CEgq_U18VD6d7WP-jjf-veLK7W_t9LW37GE1M5jGLBLJJeavKS45_rQXlWzm9eP5JcbSkcTfMz-7ZKCShm9TLXT3uM1XvHVHuqIlZXwmqiYkytJrRJK/s16000/Amy%20Nguyen000173%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Amy where did you grow up? </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: I have been really lucky to have grown up in a number of different
places. I was born in East London and have lived for the majority of my life in
Hampshire. When I was younger I had the chance to live in the Philippines as we
travelled with Dad’s job. For my studies, I’ve lived in Nottingham, Manchester
and Milan. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What made you choose History
and then go into Business?</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: I did History as my under grad because I always loved it at school, I
was very interested in colonialism, environmental history specifically, and
looking at the Vietnam war, because of my heritage. After I graduated I worked
in luxury retail in marketing and comms and I really wanted to challenge myself
further as I didn’t feel like I was fulfilling my potential. I wanted to learn
more and have always loved business, and was really interested in economics,
from a policy perspective. So decided to do a degree in International Business
and Management, which sparked my interest in sustainability because as part of
that course, I studied sustainability management, looking at global supply
chains, CSR, fashion and luxury management. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Do you think there was a defining moment that made you choose the
sustainable economic side of business?</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: I think this was influenced by the time I spent in the Philippines. Travelling
as a child really opened my eyes to the realities of what vulnerable countries
and communities face every single day</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Spending extensive time in South East Asia has meant
it’s always been on my mind. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">From a sustainability angle, there were two influential moments. One was
a lecture given by a climate scientist who worked with the European Commission.
When he delivered a presentation on the future trajectory of planetary warming
and what this means for countries in the Global South - I was in shock. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Another moment was when I was conducting a research project for my
Masters on fashion value chains. This was when I first learned about the provenance
of our clothes, how far they really travel across the world, the negative
externalities involved in production and how it can impact communities. That
was in 2017 and my work was influenced by the works of the Changing Markets
Foundation and journalists like Lucy Siegel. </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uc-DhQMw2SD6XaLVQdEpQB9ddMOcxZXI0lcB-qGJ3IHnstqw255g5IBgE3UFvafHS6ojGxfng4NKEXtP3iYr3iWUn-jXWcUPtN4ZrVNPuIFP9o0l-xhpKqflr5nylIbOmBNwTQD-5dQtaYIIV8b0QY5SFa74Qug0AAM0b0Ra9dfNml64t5ZMp_55/s1277/Amy%20Nguyen000342%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uc-DhQMw2SD6XaLVQdEpQB9ddMOcxZXI0lcB-qGJ3IHnstqw255g5IBgE3UFvafHS6ojGxfng4NKEXtP3iYr3iWUn-jXWcUPtN4ZrVNPuIFP9o0l-xhpKqflr5nylIbOmBNwTQD-5dQtaYIIV8b0QY5SFa74Qug0AAM0b0Ra9dfNml64t5ZMp_55/s16000/Amy%20Nguyen000342%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: When did you set up Sustainable and Social? </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: I founded Sustainable and Social in 2018 after completing my Masters’
degree. At the time, I felt there wasn</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">t </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">a platform to dissect complex sustainability concepts
and issues to a millennial audience in a way that still provided data,
information and a nuance in a way that was easy to digest. There are 5 areas in
my mission, the main one is to democratise the conversation about climate so
that anyone can understand what we are trying to accomplish. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I believe that the narrative should always have an element of hope too,
which is why I like to keep it realistic but light hearted for the most part.
Although now, given the urgency, I don’t think we should sugar coat everything.
</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Have you always loved facts and figures? Both on Instagram and your
website you have the headings business, climate, fashion innovation and
lifestyle why did you choose those areas to work across?</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: I have always loved stats and data and getting to the nitty gritty of
a subject in a deep and meaningful way. Things have changed since I started,
now there are lots of articles on sustainability or fashion but they will use
outdated data, or reference studies that aren’t scientifically peer reviewed. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I have always tried to write pieces that are substantiated and
trustworthy. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the categories I work within, I have chosen topics that I have really
enjoyed writing about with broad overarching themes. The business element is
tied to one of the pillars of my mission with Sustainable and Social which is
about sharing the values of sustainable business strategies. For instance,
being a sustainable or environmentally and socially responsible business is not
a zero end game, you will can still make a profit. I really wanted to include
the finance element because sound economic systems where stakeholders allocate
capital to where it’s needed most will really move the needle on climate
adaptation. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I love to include stories of innovation and technology because, whilst
it won</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">t solve the
climate crisis</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> it’s a
fantastic way to spark imagination and inspiration and proves that people are
doing amazing things. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The fashion and lifestyle sections speak for themselves. We all wear
clothes and we all have lifestyle habits that could be tweaked somehow.</span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WcJA-gs6S0B72WtgHNGcWk9y2BPLDwW7zu59hZbp_fuBeQOG07tbSOcH9AuPCi3L-24zc158PHjaZdAHn-h2iVXNocvUrq877bBSuZShkrqDpCN6jdVROkp4cQOOpt6kICyGd4TYYsym4T8VJbxdkkT--KOeFkem6-RNba3z_csgrZkyfiF4a56r/s1277/Amy%20Nguyen000475%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WcJA-gs6S0B72WtgHNGcWk9y2BPLDwW7zu59hZbp_fuBeQOG07tbSOcH9AuPCi3L-24zc158PHjaZdAHn-h2iVXNocvUrq877bBSuZShkrqDpCN6jdVROkp4cQOOpt6kICyGd4TYYsym4T8VJbxdkkT--KOeFkem6-RNba3z_csgrZkyfiF4a56r/s16000/Amy%20Nguyen000475%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: I enjoy reading your facts and figures and the way you break it all
down to get to the core of what's happening. What is interesting you at the
moment? </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A: So many things - to start with
is the pace at which things are progressing. We are in a divisive climate
decade, we don</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">t have any more time to waste. When we are looking at
policy and legislation that</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s coming into play now, things are coming to fruition,
we are looking at a Green New Deal, a European textile strategy and we are
seeing supply chain acts coming to the forefront. Whilst critics will say it</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s not enough,
it is still one step in the right direction.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It’s great to see that legislation and policy makers are slowly catching
up.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Technology and innovation always sparks my interest - whether that’s
fibre-to-fibre recycling, designing textiles void of synthetics, or
incorporating virtual reality into the fashion industry to minimise waste and
create a different brand experience. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">On the tech side - I also greatly enjoy working with a company called
Ripple Research, a non-profit using big data to solve big problems. They use
natural language processing algorithms and machine learning to detect the
emotions and dominant narratives behind what people are speaking about online.
Their work with the WHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been
important for unpicking key public health issues like, what are the drivers of
vaccine hesitancy and adoption. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We’ve also done a lot of work on climate anxiety and understanding
climate polarisation too. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: I'm finding the whole Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency thing interesting, in
that it</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s allowing
labelling to be more transparent. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: The prioritisation of transparency and traceability is very exciting,
from February this year I have been working with a company called EON. They create
QR codes and D</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">igital ID<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s that trace garments across their entire
life cycle. They work with the world’s leading luxury players including Net-A
Porter and are currently also working with Prince Charles at The Sustainable
Markets Task Force initiative. </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWiUEGZgdVsFeHnYWi2bFj-yJsa53h4Mf78A4Xheututxz3OMpZh_uJQLIkkJ-85dloXO8B8-5sEtfILtEOFfN_igDyPtanlyJDlXfd-l8gOur_9jMyFzJ0KWzgxQR2NUTDv2pncsAVasA8e5DLejgmh62NkIsXUPPeb9prBeKIJb_oEAJD6JGk2S/s1277/Amy%20Nguyen000239%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWiUEGZgdVsFeHnYWi2bFj-yJsa53h4Mf78A4Xheututxz3OMpZh_uJQLIkkJ-85dloXO8B8-5sEtfILtEOFfN_igDyPtanlyJDlXfd-l8gOur_9jMyFzJ0KWzgxQR2NUTDv2pncsAVasA8e5DLejgmh62NkIsXUPPeb9prBeKIJb_oEAJD6JGk2S/s16000/Amy%20Nguyen000239%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><p></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: What do you think drives you Amy? </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: From a personal perspective, what drives me: my dad was a refugee, he
came to England with nothing, and we know that climate crisis is going to cause
mass displacement of billions of people. Whether that</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="PT" style="mso-ansi-language: PT; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s internal</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, or to
another country, all these people are going to be made to feel like refugees in
some capacity. They are going to have to rebuild their homes, leave their land
and maybe their countries. This is so destructive and traumatic, that's
something that really motivates me. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Because of my own person struggles, comes the realisation that life is
so short, and too short not do something that you really want to do, to create
change in the world. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ve always enjoyed doing a lot of different
things, working hard, connecting with people that really inspire me from so
many different areas, whether it's a creative or someone that works in finance.
I love interacting with people and working on really important global
challenges.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Everything we do is either creative or political whether you realise
it or not. Every choice made is political and every time you solve a problem
it's creative. If we are not creating a better planet now for humanity, what
will life be like in the next 50 years? </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: There is really no time to waste and that is what drives me. I read a
hilarious book called Bullsh*t Jobs, it</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s a book written by the academic David
Graeber. There are so many jobs in the economy that are bullsh*t, when you
think about how much time we have left to save the planet: that is my new
mantra, no bullsh*t jobs we have no time to waste in this climate decade. </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4lV6wbaYjE8-tMGe0e2k_-mBOkpvlzv8VQuiFRQaO4f0v997P4HUZ34mQKOwXJ-UF8v5YYbVouvkkETKf6XHZs7jkAM5vf0FXbWGi32eGelYqIA8dsFFDzfMDvd5e4JY2qiRFPcMvj1rGxoQncVGBIROLXjH50jQtuABXqteGapjF0NzL1Fs-kl5/s1277/Amy%20Nguyen000014%201%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4lV6wbaYjE8-tMGe0e2k_-mBOkpvlzv8VQuiFRQaO4f0v997P4HUZ34mQKOwXJ-UF8v5YYbVouvkkETKf6XHZs7jkAM5vf0FXbWGi32eGelYqIA8dsFFDzfMDvd5e4JY2qiRFPcMvj1rGxoQncVGBIROLXjH50jQtuABXqteGapjF0NzL1Fs-kl5/s16000/Amy%20Nguyen000014%201%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you like to plan two or
five years ahead? Or do you like to evolve as you go along?</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: Because I'm still in my 20</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s I feel there</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s much more I want to learn, to progress
career wise and to further develop my skills. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In terms of three to five years I don't plan that far ahead, after
reading Sheryl Sandberg</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s <span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lean In</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’ </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">when she said:
</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">when I was
thinking about future careers, Mark Zukerberg hadn</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">t even created Facebook, but here I am now</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’ </span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>(at the time
of writing Sheryl was COO of Meta), and I think that's a powerful premise. For
me, I always look roughly one year ahead, and at the moment plan my life in
quarterly chunks, I like that, it makes it less daunting. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: An inspiring article read by another of the women in this series when
she was in her early 30s was written by a woman who was in her 60s, who was
looking back at her career, she said: ‘At 30 people think that you have to have
everything figured out. But in reality, you have another 30 years or 40 years
of your career to create change’.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: I couldn't agree more and I'm such a big endorser of the career
pivot. At school, you're only shown this linear idea of following one career
path from say junior to partner in the same company and for me personally, that
</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">is so boring.</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Do people still do that?</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: Yeah.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Really. I didn</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">t think that existed anymore.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really does, and I think
you can switch it up, you can go from finance to starting your own company,
that is my general approach. I always think it is easy for me to say that,
because I currently work for myself but there is always that element of </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">it would be
nice to be in full-time employment</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>, however I get paid to do what I love, which is absolutely
amazing. I wake up in the morning and look forward to it. I consider myself
very fortunate. </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluxWtAjp40vrkk5dWxL2yDThe1bcDxb1wcZ_3hIqTGI52_4J6vvMOmNxQRmbRnLOVzBlgpwvvlnOfRj9vinVjwuOo3oLL-9yagrELjrSP25xpjTWl88UGWhBCrY3qlgxUfq5VJhwjSUBketFxew9WpRmBuxoioT4c212IYjxEmzv7tdHU6faMm75r/s1277/Amy%20Nguyen000344%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluxWtAjp40vrkk5dWxL2yDThe1bcDxb1wcZ_3hIqTGI52_4J6vvMOmNxQRmbRnLOVzBlgpwvvlnOfRj9vinVjwuOo3oLL-9yagrELjrSP25xpjTWl88UGWhBCrY3qlgxUfq5VJhwjSUBketFxew9WpRmBuxoioT4c212IYjxEmzv7tdHU6faMm75r/s16000/Amy%20Nguyen000344%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><p></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Looking back a little bit to what you said about climate refugees.
With the tsunami and earthquake and volcano that happened in Tonga earlier in
the year it shows how volatile all those Polynesian islands are and that they
may not be here in 100 years’ time. They see themselves as one continent and
the water is part of their continent, they believe that it's not the land that
joins the water but the water that joins the land</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
</span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: They won</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">t be here in 50 years, all the science points to that.
Something that I have written about is that by 2050 Vietnam will be submerged
in water. The whole problem is the fact that it's all these countries in the
Global South, when you look at the Philippines, when you look at Bangladesh,
the lack of action and ignorance is awful. It’s a social injustice that
polluting countries in the Global North fail to provide climate finance for those
in the Global South. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Part of your degree and your interest then was around colonialism and
this is still very much that. We have to create a world going forward that that
doesn't work that way. That takes slavery out of supply chains and that kicks
colonialism into the long grass. It should not be part of society.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: The Green Colonial element is already coming to fruition; in the
green energy sector you see kids in the Congo mining for lithium for electric
car batteries and it's hideous. Yet everyone in the west gives themselves a pat
on the back for driving electric cars and doing something </span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">good</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span dir="LTR"></span>.
But </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">reality is, that it</span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="AR-SA" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL"></span>’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">s a rebranding.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You contribute to different publications, that must be really
interesting.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: Yes, it is nice to have a platform to be able to write about things
that interest you.</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Do you get to choose the subjects, or do you have an editor briefing
you?</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: For example, with Forbes, they ask for specific things like a piece
on Sustainable Business and within reason you have free reign on what you write
about. For Raconteur, who publish reports in the Times and Sunday Times, there
is also flexibility whether that be on Brexit, business or finance but I like
to focus on the sustainability angle. It is a privilege to write about things
that are important, to cover and share the good work that is being done by so
many great companies that otherwise, may not be profiled. </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzY0tabtqDLRQ09pZqfTbTaAgniOWFqMFV_su0_cHmskrLW5Oy9S6AmUHSZzdHzg2PsBdaaG5UKu0dnUEFjoe0kLTsYgBe-TptKlpj2IjNNeip38fXOt2t5ENKmEG3O5Nhogk9LsDYAIkCACuFKTYmTo_73beMbCb2j9OtRo2p-h1eyOJRksqayiCj/s1277/Amy%20Nguyen000221%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzY0tabtqDLRQ09pZqfTbTaAgniOWFqMFV_su0_cHmskrLW5Oy9S6AmUHSZzdHzg2PsBdaaG5UKu0dnUEFjoe0kLTsYgBe-TptKlpj2IjNNeip38fXOt2t5ENKmEG3O5Nhogk9LsDYAIkCACuFKTYmTo_73beMbCb2j9OtRo2p-h1eyOJRksqayiCj/s16000/Amy%20Nguyen000221%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><p></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: How would you describe yourself and the work that you do?</span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I would
describe myself as an active citizen and this translates to the work that I do.
I’m hungry to help make a difference and never like to take no for an answer. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My work focuses on research and writing, shining a light on
controversial issues that can inform key decision makers be that in business,
policy making or society more broadly. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For example, I’ve had the privilege of working with the Changing Markets
Foundation on their Fossil Fashion campaign to highlight how the industry can
improve and reduce its reliance on oil and gas. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I am probably in a flow state and most happy when I’m analysing things,
conducting research and writing. Alongside this, I treasure my time making an
impact in my community, whether that’s being invited to present to companies,
meeting with businesses or sponsoring my old school’s sustainability prize. </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Links</span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Website: <a href="https://sustainableandsocial.com/" target="_blank">Sustainable & Social </a></span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="Body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainableandsocial/" target="_blank">Sustainable & Social </a></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p>
<p class="Body"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-82736656239403497272022-07-05T06:00:00.001+01:002022-07-05T06:00:00.205+01:00Focus on Suzanne Delaney - Founder of Rplanet<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym0vbHBKCiPNuFzvMtfgYXM-fXvl85kcMr7B_8aniqQYpFW4-0DY-A-mJUmrvIl2ldAhu6S_thyacNL9SoINT09pV2Z3xTilp6heU__x-9XD5CzLy-Akwcbsfbf-CyRWIVS-uEZRddnYOGhiIl_dJFoliR9zpXdEB8H4NJujfBkC9al41js-V3ivD/s1277/Suzi%20Delaney000078%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym0vbHBKCiPNuFzvMtfgYXM-fXvl85kcMr7B_8aniqQYpFW4-0DY-A-mJUmrvIl2ldAhu6S_thyacNL9SoINT09pV2Z3xTilp6heU__x-9XD5CzLy-Akwcbsfbf-CyRWIVS-uEZRddnYOGhiIl_dJFoliR9zpXdEB8H4NJujfBkC9al41js-V3ivD/s16000/Suzi%20Delaney000078%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">After successful careers in both fashion and interiors Suzi
decided to create her own brand. Because of her experiences of working in
fashion she knew from the start that she wanted to build her brand on a
foundation that put people and planet at the heart of anything she created. As
with other brands before her who have decided to take this path the journey is
very different than if you are creating a product without any thought to the
world you live in. In fact Suzi is still in the process of developing her product.
Here Suzi gives us a fascinating insight into the twists and turns of getting that right.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Yvft8DERUGUD6CiLLwqNp-dicQKJASP12VPk5albZkROWLPVyHJz9Dxq7ZnJD9q5is0LosrefPgrIBNuNDcZ2henD3y_a3Vm6oGLoBFkRQVBLX0uJ6cgrhP0l1CAA4R8lJnVpAaQg5sr-cbtCx0gKPZNOao3sDSi85PcZ_2W5oOEi05t7wnc7U6a/s1277/Suzi%20Delaney000379%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Yvft8DERUGUD6CiLLwqNp-dicQKJASP12VPk5albZkROWLPVyHJz9Dxq7ZnJD9q5is0LosrefPgrIBNuNDcZ2henD3y_a3Vm6oGLoBFkRQVBLX0uJ6cgrhP0l1CAA4R8lJnVpAaQg5sr-cbtCx0gKPZNOao3sDSi85PcZ_2W5oOEi05t7wnc7U6a/s16000/Suzi%20Delaney000379%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
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{page:WordSection1</style> D: Where did you grow up Suzi?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I grew up in North Yorkshire in Pickering, on the edge of
the North York Moors and I absolutely loved it there. It was a real anchor
point for me and my sisters growing up. Obviously, it is very rural and quite a
bleak place in the winter and we had a lot of snow back then, lots of snow, cold
and beautiful. I had great friendships, we went horse riding, we were outside most
of the time, it was in the days where children were sent outside in the morning
to play, and you didn't go back until you needed something to eat. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We go back once or twice a year to walk and check in with friends
and family, and it's always a special place to return to.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What was your career path?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I moved South when I was 20. My career choices were inspired
by a talk our needlework teachers daughter gave, who was a buyer for C&A. I
was about 15 at the time and I thought that sounds amazing that's what I'd like
to do. After my A ‘levels I applied to study textiles with a marketing
subsidiary at Leeds Uni but didn't get in. So I went travelling instead, and as
I am French Canadian I decided to go meet my family there. I had a ball travelling
around and working in a record store, I loved it and found it really difficult
to come back home. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After writing many letters to head offices of big fashion
groups I got a couple of interviews and one job offer for Horne Brothers which
was a small menswear firm that was part of the Sears group in Birmingham. I
started there as a buyer’s assistant, but six months later they imploded and I
was made redundant. However it had given me the experience to be able to apply
for jobs in London and gained me an assistant buyer’s position at BHS, in
children's wear for 4 years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When you have your sights set on womenswear but find
yourself working in kidswear you can think, well this is not really what I
wanted, but actually it was a great place to learn. At the time we had a more
local framework of supply, although we were buying cotton and denim from India we
had a lot of suppliers in the Midlands. After progressing to junior buyer I decided
I wanted something new and exciting so I applied for Topshop. For a while it
was my dream job, a very exciting place to be. There were 40 of us in head
office. I started working with the swimwear and underwear team. It was very
different to my other experiences, very long hours and very quickly, I realised
that the supply base was managed in a very different way.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I guess when you first started you were going to
factories and seeing the garments being made.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I was at BHS, for example, the dresses for girls - apart
from the denim, was coming from Nottingham and that local supply base worked really
well, it was very much a partnership in design, sourcing and fabric development.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With Topshop the volumes were greater, I had moved from BHS who
had about 100 stores to Topshop who had about 350 at the time and the volumes
were immense. At BHS you would be learning for the next season, at Topshop
everything was done in real time. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you had styles that were selling out very quickly, the
buying model was all about repeats, and how quickly you could get commitment in.
Is that cut yet? if not can we change it because this shape is selling better. Is
that dyed? No, okay good, can we dye it in this colour instead. It was all
about getting your head around managing the critical path. It was all very
exciting because you were reacting to trends from top down, for example Prada,
and Tom Ford at Gucci, his sexy satin shirts and his hipsters which was a
massive look - we were taking our design cues from there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Equally at the same time everything was being offshored - this
was around the mid to late 90s, and we were having to say goodbye to many UK
suppliers. It was all about margins. You were told ‘OK this is your margin for
the season, we don’t care what you do but that's what you hit.’ This meant you
would be arguing over 5p for some garments, which makes all the difference to a
manufacturer in the Global South. Then of course you had garments that were not
selling well and didn't want any more of that stock in the business. Nothing
was paid for until it arrived, so all the risk until then was with the supplier.
We didn’t have any stakeholding in factories at that time. We had to make some
very difficult phone calls to say we didn’t want the stock, which meant it
ended up in markets or was incinerated and it was up to the supplier to get rid
of it. Those sorts of decisions could bankrupt suppliers overnight. Of course
they wanted to supply retailers like Topshop, however, the commitment they had
with us was so great that if it was taken away it could destroy them. This
didn't sit well with me. You can probably imagine the dynamics within the team,
the long hours, the pressure, and always the focus was, how can you get more in
faster and cheaper. All the things that we associate now with fast fashion were
happening then.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I look back now I think, ‘gosh why didn't I ask more
questions?’ ‘why didn't we understand?’ why weren’t we educated on what
happened further down the supply chains?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It wouldn't have suited the business for you to
understand.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Everything was so intense, it had to happen so quickly,
you did not have time to think, it was all about market share, profit and getting
as much control as they could over the market. They were very successful for
that period, that’s what people wanted or felt they wanted.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Well, it was and still is being marketed to people that
way isn’t it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes. It ended up
being a really intense three or four years and in the end I really wasn't
enjoying it at all.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJd-6UiXv5IlgViJz-GniBBxrO0i4xlMd1hSBuTkEv7Kot2Q3Opoh8abqztJtIHHuT_SEYW5bswnoiavAVDFR94RPcVjUDFC3YnyrUKh-oZPiEnAZIR8i_Xx51ijCTZcvUY9PQonkThI8MaTDflHWuucjzxgZUZkn4dBsS05lEa83z9ZQzfNG17yd9/s1277/Suzi%20Delaney000399%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJd-6UiXv5IlgViJz-GniBBxrO0i4xlMd1hSBuTkEv7Kot2Q3Opoh8abqztJtIHHuT_SEYW5bswnoiavAVDFR94RPcVjUDFC3YnyrUKh-oZPiEnAZIR8i_Xx51ijCTZcvUY9PQonkThI8MaTDflHWuucjzxgZUZkn4dBsS05lEa83z9ZQzfNG17yd9/s16000/Suzi%20Delaney000399%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What was your next move?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I thought the grass would be greener somewhere else and
was questioning ‘what should I do?’ Everyone in Topshop was super young and there
were very few buyers beyond their early 30s.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Of course that strategy of working you so hard you would
burn out and leave would keep the reality of the supply chain at bay because
before you started questioning things you would be moving on and the next batch
of youngsters would come in.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You would also be constantly
looking over your shoulder in that sense because there are plenty of people
that wanted to work there, for all the reasons I did, I guess. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I left I went for interviews at Karen Miller, Miss
Selfridge and House of Fraser. I was offered a position at House of Fraser and
remember thinking, is this going to be more of the same? or do I need to move
on? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Design, colour and everything you can pull in from a
creative point of view was always something that excited and stimulated me, so
I enrolled on a fashion drawing course at LCF, I also worked on Saving Private
Ryan on the film set for in their wardrobe department as a runner, things like
that. I was really experimenting with what direction to take. The wardrobe side
inspired me, so I interned at the BBC for six months, but it gave me that
experience and insight which was great as I worked on a few TV programmes, I
worked with period costume, contemporary costume and met some really great
characters but generally the work was sporadic and you couldn’t rely on it for having,
or for being in work.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had always had an interest in interiors and with a bit of
a drawing background I thought right let's do a degree, which I did by
correspondence, on interior design and architecture. That kept me occupied for four
years. Then I started my own business, I set up my own studio and within the first
year I had a really lovely client in London, I never advertised after that, I
was always recommended on and worked on about 3 or 4 projects at a time. It was
a really lovely 10 years of being very creative, working with a realistic budget,
having the time to be meticulous and source things properly and put it all
together and work with the client and with the supplier. I did a lot of bespoke
furniture design, spatial planning and lighting schemes, not only the fluffy
bits as I used to call them. I liked getting into the 3D space getting maximum
return with what each client had. I loved it. Then I had my daughter quite late
it wasn't planned that way, it just took a long time to get pregnant. I felt after
20 years I would have a break from work and give my time, at the age of 40, to my
daughter Florence. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had been renovating a house in Italy and decided to move
there for couple of years. It was a way of cutting out all the noise and bringing
this lovely little girl into the world and living the dream for a while and it was
a very special time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we moved back to England I picked up the interiors
again, I didn't do as many projects because I realised that when you're up in
the early hours with a toddler, you can't really be onsite at 7:30am. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWRE-uqFlW_eELRqbx0jbxjXI7meghAkXajMhmkqTE2wvcu3kOFaEnnz2OgrWE5QdurF6pKNnzwHGlfNUqkZio_mgHUZazzFQDDmnVzjMaa7A27P3OxOaFtc3-C5FXkH7pQYjMrqEXa1GckOv-4xh8tEXxoUcEPKNQT_dTPCsa5WnxHThOOP-qiNM/s1277/Suzi%20Delaney000271%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="852" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWRE-uqFlW_eELRqbx0jbxjXI7meghAkXajMhmkqTE2wvcu3kOFaEnnz2OgrWE5QdurF6pKNnzwHGlfNUqkZio_mgHUZazzFQDDmnVzjMaa7A27P3OxOaFtc3-C5FXkH7pQYjMrqEXa1GckOv-4xh8tEXxoUcEPKNQT_dTPCsa5WnxHThOOP-qiNM/s16000/Suzi%20Delaney000271%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: When did you decide to create your own brand? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: My thoughts started turning back to fashion. There are two
reasons why, one was because I'd been working on a new build project for a
client who lived in France who had become quite demanding of my time. He wanted
meetings at night, and it didn't really gel. I had created drawings and spent
time that hadn't been paid for, and I started to think, ‘is this it? do I need
to rethink? Is interiors really what I want to continue doing? Very soon after
that I read an ECO Age article in the Guardian, about tanneries and the supply
chain, further reading led me to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Make Fashion
Circular and I was absolutely intrigued, but also horrified that the industry
was so much worse since I'd left it 20 years earlier. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On a holiday I had found myself working on daily sketches of
an interchangeable clutch and thinking could this work? Then started wondering how
I would produce it, I had lots of thoughts going around in my head. I knew I
didn’t want to make it from leather, so what else could it be made from? My
research then led me to plant based textiles, biochemistry and recycled fibres
– all of which I found fascinating and the realisation that more research was
needed to understand where the industry was going, because there's no way I could
put my name to something that's attached to the dreadful human and
environmental stories I'm reading.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An intense period of research and learning followed, which
included enrolling on the Future Learn course at LCF written by Dilys Williams,
and Kering which was brilliant because it was so well structured. Wherever you
were in the fashion ecosystem, it was appropriate for all. The course has lot
of extra reading and research opportunity you can do, which I did, because I really
wanted a broader understanding.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I then acquainted myself with the team at the Sustainable Angle
and thought, right let me learn more about the sustainable fabric offering, and
they were brilliant, helpful but I realised I still had a more lot to learn. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I knew if I was going to create my own brand I had to learn
more about the responsible production side of it. Then I discovered Cradle to Cradle
which was my turning point. It was a cohesion of things coming together. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I contacted the Cradle to Cradle Institute in
California, they told me about their assessors in Europe and if I was
interested, that it's quite an undertaking and to speak to one of the assessors
first, which I did. I selected EPEA in Hamburg which is founded by Michael Braungart
who founded Cradle to Cradle with William McDonough. His science lab in Hamburg
has some 30 creative scientists and was founded in the 90s when he was working
for Greenpeace. He had done his PhD with Carmen Hijosa founder of Pinatex, and
is an amazingly interesting person, thinking 30 years ahead of everyone else. I
decided that this was a really good Institute to work with. Cradle to Cradle
principles focus on five categories; material health, product circularity, water
and soil stewardship, clean air and climate protection and social fairness. Acquainting
yourself with these areas became a very intense journey, however it provided me
with my framework for business, and for my manifesto. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From the five categories I decided that I would focus on
material health and product <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>circularity,
with emphasis on recycled materials, and optimising materials for the circular
economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s important to point out, that when you work on a
consultation basis it's really expensive, these institutes aren't cheap, and it
was a big decision because I wasn’t drawing a salary, and it is not easy to
quantify this phase of development. But I felt it formed the basis of moving
forward.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DMvXKUU4z5LmIlCAW9P-BtGfbs4BYff0LSAgivQe2sFT85i__S34NqbK1V9KIWlm5colt0JgE6EHgF23KZdP-Qm4F8anQ28CMsk_RuhiAh5tBHwdHYmX0KKpzHjEBHyoI5SFwESJDlpfSFswtWlZLugUYqtsTzPD-qYKkqU76SbQUMoEuQBhvVrC/s1277/Suzi%20Delaney000371%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DMvXKUU4z5LmIlCAW9P-BtGfbs4BYff0LSAgivQe2sFT85i__S34NqbK1V9KIWlm5colt0JgE6EHgF23KZdP-Qm4F8anQ28CMsk_RuhiAh5tBHwdHYmX0KKpzHjEBHyoI5SFwESJDlpfSFswtWlZLugUYqtsTzPD-qYKkqU76SbQUMoEuQBhvVrC/s16000/Suzi%20Delaney000371%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Have EPEA supported your product circularity vision?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: They have, and they are brilliant. I've been working with
them for over 3 years now on a consultancy basis, progressing to Cradle to
Cradle certification. They have a super-supportive team, and I now have a depth
of knowledge, together with an innovative supply base due in-part to EPEA. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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<p class="MsoNormal">Because I use high value recycled waste materials, with the
tech to enable product disassembly and end-of-life solutions, I wanted to have the
whole collection certified. There was no point in looking at materials only,
but a rubber stamp for the collection. My pledge was to develop a responsible
end to end model where you are also taking responsibility for your waste. You
have parameters you must work within, with scope for improvement.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is always a challenge in achieving a balance of
aesthetics and functionality, with circularity. Coatings have been quite a
headache; the bags have to be fit for purpose but some coatings can be more
toxic and impede recycling. Material health is about material optimisation and
the phasing out of hazardous chemicals. Every single chemical of every component
is analysed which dictates your certification level. Various lab trials on water
based coatings for example, were not stacking up, not for a bag.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Adhesive can be
another impediment to optimisation as it often contains hazardous chemicals. We
have been developing a greener alternative for over two years with a UK lab,
something we hope to out-source to the industry, eventually.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Who would have thought you would have been looking at
adhesive when you started your career.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I always remember Stella McCartney saying ‘this is what
gets me out of bed’. It is really incredible, the innovation is so inspiring.
You are focused on a better future, a better way of making things which is very
stimulating.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think you've got to be really tenacious, determined and
patient. As a start-up you get a lot of doors slammed in your face, because
either you can't afford the lab trials, or they are working with bigger brands
for whom minimum order quantities are not an issue. In that respect Cradle to Cradle
really helped me because they put me in touch with people and organisations at
the leading edge, and who understood such issues with a start-up. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghj88Vv0kwlkwOxicE0DUvCMy4Ye0aPo7YjYKNCsYcOC1yw2Z2xI_LB2FetxPaeppIU7g35J7N8bdSPRNWPECV5L8SExIZznRgHaKD1KYArMG0CKTa0odBGLygRtGMG3oylaDbUVgBUbuLXo0-0irRXzRVEz25Uqtg03JFP4pPY8_S2mFhUwPi-zsD/s1277/Suzi%20Delaney000438%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghj88Vv0kwlkwOxicE0DUvCMy4Ye0aPo7YjYKNCsYcOC1yw2Z2xI_LB2FetxPaeppIU7g35J7N8bdSPRNWPECV5L8SExIZznRgHaKD1KYArMG0CKTa0odBGLygRtGMG3oylaDbUVgBUbuLXo0-0irRXzRVEz25Uqtg03JFP4pPY8_S2mFhUwPi-zsD/s16000/Suzi%20Delaney000438%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How far off do you think you are from launch? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Nearly 5 years into development, I have realised that in
order to be a fully circular brand, taking responsibility for the entire life
cycle of our product, is all about the long game. Veja, Allbirds have taken
years to develop and deliver their sustainable solutions to market. Of course, the
pandemic and Brexit have delayed our lab trials and have sent the supply chain
into chaos, not to mention price volatility, however we are navigating these
issues carefully and hope to get Rplanet out into the world in 2023. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Circularity is definitely a pipeline of thought because it's
all about optimising materials, so they can be reused and retain their value. The
ultimate way forward is a fibre to fibre loop, whereas currently a lot of materials
are down cycled as the quality degrades. Brands have to design with end-of-life
solutions in mind. This is the future.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dvora, what do you think is going to make the culture shift?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I don't know, this is something I’ve been talking about, ‘has
fashion found it’s plastic bag moment yet?’ I don’t think so. When I first
started talking to everyone, people were saying fashion is brilliant because it
can pivot really quickly as we see with all the different seasons. The reality is
that it’s a huge slow lumbering beast that can’t pivot quickly. Maybe designers
can pivot collections quickly with new designs but changing the whole production
system behind takes time. It needs to completely change.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: That’s what worries me. Change is not happening quickly
enough. When I talk to people, there are plenty of naysayers that don't or won’t
understand what I'm doing. Perhaps they don’t care - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but someone has to. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You have to for your children and grandchildren and all the
future generations whether you have children or not. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: To design well, having a restrictive bill of material to work
with is a good discipline, fewer materials within a principled framework,
forces you to be creative and able to reimagine. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I started on this journey, some tech innovation did not
exist – now it does and it is being scaled. There are so many great ideas and
initiatives being accelerated. We can never stand still. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoTZXeAmYYcBl2wVDZpiQstvHfpaS95C4pimx9XKH_UZqirWH6tZO_YoL1nHYJp5G0MkTvjNa8-dtL4GQzMhoC8YLIGLvzTwcYFGQeRhn07HtBFgWKP3QfaOR839xOa9AbV_d6zm-nvYERBBckTBEJ7vQHGzq8ojTLEBxARPsg3PqW58y4oqDcEJZ/s1277/Suzi%20Delaney000224%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoTZXeAmYYcBl2wVDZpiQstvHfpaS95C4pimx9XKH_UZqirWH6tZO_YoL1nHYJp5G0MkTvjNa8-dtL4GQzMhoC8YLIGLvzTwcYFGQeRhn07HtBFgWKP3QfaOR839xOa9AbV_d6zm-nvYERBBckTBEJ7vQHGzq8ojTLEBxARPsg3PqW58y4oqDcEJZ/s16000/Suzi%20Delaney000224%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How amazing that a growing number of people are working
along these lines, that the thinking is along these lines and that production
will eventually be along these lines too. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It also needs to be marketed to everybody in a new way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Policy has got to have something to do with that too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Totally 100%.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Rplanet reflects the true cost of producing something that’s
safe for people and planet. At the moment we have an unlevel and unfair playing
field in the fashion industry. On one hand you have the majority of brands
still using bad practice and will do for as long as they possibly can. On the
other you have smaller brands who are nimble, innovative, the pioneers who
would love to have some concessions, yet the government aren’t saying to those
producing with virgin petrochemicals there's a tax to be paid for using virgin
polyester, or giving tax breaks to those who are innovating, or using high
recycled content, or producing in ethical and environmentally friendly ways.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How great will it be when you do go live and you are able
to say ‘Look this is what’s possible, this is what you can do, come on, join in.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: That’s exactly what I want to do. I want to say ‘Look its
possible, we can all go down this route. That's really what keeps me going.
Because it is possible.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Links</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Website: <a href="https://rplanet.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rplanet</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rplanet_suzi/" target="_blank">@rplanet_suzi</a></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><br /><br /><br />Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-7118564427458920172022-06-21T06:00:00.004+01:002022-06-26T21:24:39.527+01:00Focus on Bel Jacobs - Writer, Speaker, Activist<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-lOqeDcSWMZeya_8fqh_auBXq0A6ljDcyKcatLDdIMy9zwPWh9kLXztLerCwYw2wvdoKoTqd-Yy3b9aBV7nmqZKO-QrOtawbdjUj8mDl-dQWKFVCx0Oh85kTJ6Qkay78ltK51luLiURegMt85UIvFQtS0W5346KMSHevX5O3FQ2gswOsJ7yUZyYX/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000024%20rtscc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-lOqeDcSWMZeya_8fqh_auBXq0A6ljDcyKcatLDdIMy9zwPWh9kLXztLerCwYw2wvdoKoTqd-Yy3b9aBV7nmqZKO-QrOtawbdjUj8mDl-dQWKFVCx0Oh85kTJ6Qkay78ltK51luLiURegMt85UIvFQtS0W5346KMSHevX5O3FQ2gswOsJ7yUZyYX/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000024%20rtscc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">I first met <a href="https://www.beljacobs.com/" target="_blank">Bel</a> while shooting street style for Vogue at the
first Fashion Revolution Day in 2014 around the time she was about to turn her
back on her career as style editor at the Metro. Years of seeing the inequity
in the fashion supply chains made her question everything. As a writer, speaker
and activist Bel now uses her knowledge to advocate for animal rights, the
climate emergency and change in the toxic fashion system to create a culture
change that drives alternative systems.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Tsqe3czWnzNC94dEeqLv-_rNyTowi7t838r6Rp5t8K5sVhPfAD0LK4gDNZSODDYxNye5a6KoAcjBbN8GA0ecF9HTwBKn5SJ0otIY6sIf62wG89gd9NaNnl35Ll3XNIwRAi2U7X5QLhmG1XLoTYpq_AbynP-8gM2kqvYXazyNyZ7r1_r492bxt8mB/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000180%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Tsqe3czWnzNC94dEeqLv-_rNyTowi7t838r6Rp5t8K5sVhPfAD0LK4gDNZSODDYxNye5a6KoAcjBbN8GA0ecF9HTwBKn5SJ0otIY6sIf62wG89gd9NaNnl35Ll3XNIwRAi2U7X5QLhmG1XLoTYpq_AbynP-8gM2kqvYXazyNyZ7r1_r492bxt8mB/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000180%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: I have a great interest in, where we've come from
and the influences that lead us to the path that we're on today, so with that
in mind I’d like to start our conversation with where you grew up.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br />
B: I grew up in Hong Kong, Sometimes I don’t take into account the impact that
that might have had on me. It really did inform a lot of the ways I think about
things now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: How long did you live in Hong Kong?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: About 17 years. I grew up there in the 60s and early 70s. It was an
intriguing place. I’m half Chinese. My father was a member of the British
government, a very very kind man, but I noticed that, in a room or meeting
place with British people, the Chinese were incredibly deferential. It made me
think what was happening in that space, although as a child I didn't
investigate it further. Another key aspect of my upbringings was that Hong Kong
is a place of great natural beauty, but I grew up at a time when that was being
destroyed, being concreted over and built on. Finally, there was also a very
proprietorial attitude towards animals. Animals were there for food only, and I
saw all sorts of violence against animals on the streets which didn't sit well
with me. I had an animal loving mother and a caring father who didn't speak out
against it. We had a lot of pets because I would gather animals from the
streets.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
So, in Hong Kong, I learnt about compassion and cruelty, about inequity and
perceived hierarchy, because, at the time, the Chinese were subservient, or at
least perpetuating a myth of subservience. So there are lots of ideas there
that I probably didn't even really realise or haven't really articulated. <span class="apple-converted-space"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: Did you have early influences as far as fashion was concerned?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: Not really, no. My mother loved clothes but our relationship was problematic
so I didn’t really associate dressing up with having fun. Having said
that, I have a certain number of her pieces now (she died last year) that I
keep, mainly for sentimental value. And she did give me my favourite Chanel
handbag!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYkclmMW_C5OyXbAU_wvceFYY6UqjayAyBP2l7JaOoLD6hl2j2i6jW6kXfNBExcKYrjR3onLpApu7u7c7jxL99rnrDqXxOPCrsrEMh9SttQue3hRslaWd7TMzQY-xutsnwDMwqV7a-Aw6Iro9gHLH6wBNk8NqfeKUWUesnBP2G_YvONJ3OL4fMgtp/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000386%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyYkclmMW_C5OyXbAU_wvceFYY6UqjayAyBP2l7JaOoLD6hl2j2i6jW6kXfNBExcKYrjR3onLpApu7u7c7jxL99rnrDqXxOPCrsrEMh9SttQue3hRslaWd7TMzQY-xutsnwDMwqV7a-Aw6Iro9gHLH6wBNk8NqfeKUWUesnBP2G_YvONJ3OL4fMgtp/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000386%20rts.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Did you study in the UK and what was next?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: Yes I did, my university degree was History of Art. It was always
about visuals for me and about how things work together aesthetically. That carried
on to my interest in fashion.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After uni, I went into publishing. I've always been a
writer but ended up in the sales department thinking – I want to be an author,
so I'll get in any way I can. Then I did a postgraduate degree in journalism
and wrote for places like The Big Issue, and feminist magazines - and editing a
directory of green goods and services called the Green Guide. Then -
demonstrating how naive I was - I ended up on The Daily Mail, on the problem
page. It all seemed quite harmless at the time, but it was great tutorial on
how brutal the world of the tabloids can be: everyone was absolutely terrified
of the editor, for example. The writers would shrink into their seats when he
walked past. If I had any concerns about environmental and ethical issues,
I thought they would be sorted out by those in power.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
When I became style editor at Metro in 1999, I didn't realise how consumerism
had become normalised for me. No one was asking, where is the cotton
coming from? Who made this item of clothing? We just didn’t think in those
terms at the beginning. Fashion is good at making itself seem glamorous and fun
so I was completely pulled into that world. I loved it.<br />
But the longer I stayed in the industry, the more uncomfortable I became and
the more I realised that I was writing the same articles over and over again.
How many times, within a decade, can you say that ‘black is back’ or ‘florals
are back’, or ‘safari is back’, or ‘nautical is back’. So I started asking why
and thinking, people aren’t asking for this, it is coming from groups and
companies that want to make us buy more stuff. That’s when I started thinking,
OK ‘black is back’ - and I really don't care anymore. It’s not coming from
anywhere important.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Rana Plaza was the big wake up call. I stayed on for about 12 months after the
accident Plaza, still thinking that the industry was going to address this,
that this was an anomaly. But, after Rana Plaza, the reality of the industry -
in terms of the workers, and the environmental impact, the climate emergency -
kept emerging. With these two strands coming together, it was appalling.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
But it's almost even more appalling now. We are not addressing environmental
and social justice fast enough; garment workers are still starving. I left in
2014, because I couldn't write any more of these articles, knowing what was
going on underneath. It became untenable - although sometimes I do think, what
could I have achieved if I’d stayed on in terms of bringing these issues to
light?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: But could you have achieved anything within the constraints of that part of
the business?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: Yes. It depends on how you do it. I was fortunate that I had a very
hands-off editor. But it would have been challenging because, at Metro, there
was the underlying narrative that people only want fun stuff from fashion - and
from the newspaper in general, to be honest.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="apple-converted-space"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-w29g7Fece1ZVFY3EJ9bRl7mfUit4SE9CwtyO5i5yU0xfchJqunIL72UU_E9BKHeCydIzH_OocMCIa5WfyVtA0gACpL00GgJjx4TECfV9e3A9C9w23my8rYe8BkJxOtXIZYs9zI_YkK89_x2jXmJu51LOIFSQDplhFJgg9pal9yNJXGU5uxecapB/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000073%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-w29g7Fece1ZVFY3EJ9bRl7mfUit4SE9CwtyO5i5yU0xfchJqunIL72UU_E9BKHeCydIzH_OocMCIa5WfyVtA0gACpL00GgJjx4TECfV9e3A9C9w23my8rYe8BkJxOtXIZYs9zI_YkK89_x2jXmJu51LOIFSQDplhFJgg9pal9yNJXGU5uxecapB/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000073%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: When you left the Metro what was your next step?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: I set up my own blog and was trying to focus on ethical labels, which was a
joy because I could write about labels I found inspiring. But still things
didn’t seem to be changing. This plugs in to current debates about the efficacy
of individual change, whether it’s enough, and whether enough people will ever
say to themselves: “I’ll stop buying Boohoo and start buying Fair Trade.”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
What we've realised, particularly in the last two or three years, is that
ethical consumption is not going to shift anything at the rate we need it to.
The ongoing questions are, ‘how much does personal choice matter or should we
focusing solely on asking for systemic change?”<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
My answer tends to be, we need both. The challenge is so huge and so urgent and
so multi-faceted that we need all approaches. Plus, individual change is an
important cultural response to the emergency. It’s a way of showing how things
can be done going forward, I’ve followed a plant based diet for six years now
and quite frankly, in order to feed the world, more and more people are going
to have to embrace it. The planet simply does not have enough capacity to keep
producing meat at this rate. So in a way, it’s good to try this now, when our
part of the world is still relatively stable. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
So I do think personal choice is extremely important as a way to show
willingness for the systemic change that needs to happen. But obviously,
politics is vital as is calling out the industries that aren't changing their
responses fast enough and appealing to governments which could implement full
scale change quickly if they have the appetite for it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: That's the thing, ‘if they have the appetite for it’, but they don’t seem to
at the moment. We can see this with their behaviour around the big
petrochemical companies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: We are more aware now though. We know what enormous subsidies fossil fuel
companies receive; we know how much profit they make. And we are starting to
ask, what is the point of having any kind of environmental policy if
governments are going to give money - our money - to exactly those companies
that are creating the problem in the first place. groups that are creating the
problem in the first place? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCXvZAt7pL9LQg_Da84uHjelvdncH4OMubaOdkLkJywoBTrj4AbnGyFVFVp0qwY3a5u1Bd0CrozvGbW2xVUdWBpVDZsUYkcrtQkikibgiChs4gI0-yjdI0zfWAK6arZ95518DCE0_xrBNc6qSX8T5SAjo0zJqWRENehKFRT2BCQ2rU-OvQtFF6Ebv/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000108%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCXvZAt7pL9LQg_Da84uHjelvdncH4OMubaOdkLkJywoBTrj4AbnGyFVFVp0qwY3a5u1Bd0CrozvGbW2xVUdWBpVDZsUYkcrtQkikibgiChs4gI0-yjdI0zfWAK6arZ95518DCE0_xrBNc6qSX8T5SAjo0zJqWRENehKFRT2BCQ2rU-OvQtFF6Ebv/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000108%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You also have two websites <a href="http://BellJacobs.com" target="_blank">BellJacobs.com</a> and
<a href="https://theempathyproject.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Empathy Project</a>, which started out as How Now Magazine.<br />
<br />
B: Yes, How Now came out about from the fact that when I started to write about
plastic pollution and fashion, I realised that plastic pollution was
everywhere. And I wanted to write about that and tell people about it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: That’s true, for example most children's toys are all plastic now. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: Yes, although it still staggers me how little people talk about kids toys.
It shows that dangerous practices have become normalised and that this lack of
awareness really serves the capitalist system. I'm hoping that's changing at
the moment.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: How do you feel about fashion now? What do you think needs to change?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: We still need to tackle human rights. The way garment workers and those
along the entire fashion supply chain were treated during Covid is a disgrace,
with many workers going hungry, or losing their jobs or living on a pittance,
and the big companies not paying their bills. In True Cost, there’s a young
woman working in a garment factory who was eating once a day - and that was before
the pandemic. What is she eating now?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
We have yet to see what the long-term effects of Covid are going to be. On one
hand it was a shock and an awakening, and for a long time, I thought, this is
it. This is when we all wake the fuck up to what we’re doing to the world and
other people and animals. But instead, there’s been a clamping down and a swell
of reactionary forces and a return to mass consumption.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
For me, the gold star of sustainability in the fashion industry now is whether
a brand is actively seeking way to reduce the amount of product it creates. I
believe fervently in the idea of degrowth.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
We talked about the government putting in place environmental plans, declaring
a climate emergency and then going on to subsidise fossil fuel industries. Very
similar things are happening across industries and particularly in fashion,
where a lot of labels and organisations have come up with fantastic plans to
address issues like biodiversity and pollution but at the same time are still
producing huge quantities. It’s another situation in which efforts going one
way will be completely cancelled out by efforts going the other way.<br />
In many conversations around sustainability, the issue of mass production was
the huge elephant in the room.<br />
<br />
One of the things we need to look at is alternative economic models, like
rental and up cycling, but we've got to be realistic: they will never produce
the same kind of profit as 20 million T shirts. Someone, somewhere is going to
have to say ‘Very basic things are going to have to change, like the amount of
profit we return to shareholders or the number of staff we can employ.”
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Someone is going to have to ask, what is fashion for, in a climate
emergency?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLsaDJr7jx8QUCR3oJKE1PRfbFWiZgfebg4TPYpSzsMZFStAmFpFF65Xwi5J1zIz5mBhntDlISKLMJ3yn9-ZTlMOvn14qo5A9hRwyPUv8iE6iwI_Wv6U6hVci-KYAKd4EvYwBGScSLDsD8NN1iiubMaMF3pfAqFqsGtRG1LR8QoszeRdSWDlhyxOL/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000336%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLsaDJr7jx8QUCR3oJKE1PRfbFWiZgfebg4TPYpSzsMZFStAmFpFF65Xwi5J1zIz5mBhntDlISKLMJ3yn9-ZTlMOvn14qo5A9hRwyPUv8iE6iwI_Wv6U6hVci-KYAKd4EvYwBGScSLDsD8NN1iiubMaMF3pfAqFqsGtRG1LR8QoszeRdSWDlhyxOL/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000336%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: 20 million T shirts - a third of those go straight
to landfill anyway, the next third end up in landfill because they've been worn
once, and the next third if we're lucky stay in peoples’ wardrobes and are worn
more than 10, 20, 30, 40 times.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: Here, we come to education - of the consumer, which is such a
denigrating term. People often say, consumers have to have free choice, but the
trouble with that rationale is that the consumer is swamped with information,
telling them to buy, which is funded by the exact organisations, we are talking
about.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Whilst the alternative narrative coming to meet it - that garment workers are
starving, that fashion degrades the environment, it’s side lined, it can’t
compete. Fashion consumers are not making educated choices. The result is that
staggering figure where the richest 10% of the world's population creates
almost half of the carbon emissions (<a href="https://wid.world/world#lpfghg_p90p100_z/US;FR;DE;CN;ZA;GB;WO/2019/eu/k/p/yearly/l/false/2.92/100/curve/false/country" target="_blank">see here</a></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do we need
so much? It’s because we've been told that we have to have so much. And that’s
another way that fashion has to change: in the way it portrays itself in
traditional fashion media. Magazines or media that still write about fashion
only in terms of clothing are very out of touch. There needs to be much more
focus on human rights and on relationships with nature, on innovation and
regeneration, on alternatives to an industrialised fashion system. Many
magazines feel like they are from another world, out of time and out of
place. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
It’s tragic, when you consider that it’s those in the global South who have
done least to cause the climate emergency who are directly enduring it right
now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: Places like Bangladesh are actively moving people away from the
coastline because they are already so strongly impacted and they know it's only
going to get worse, so they are actively moving people inland.<br />
<br />
B: Change is coming, more than 80% of Bangladesh’s export earnings come from
the garment industry. If they won’t have the land on which to produce the
clothing, that's going to have an impact.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
The question is then, can we prepare for it adequately? Can we mitigate the
emergency for our children and our children’s children? And can we do it in a
way that’s just and fair to communities in the global South, whose industries
and economies are so profoundly dependent on our own. Can we adapt? Adaptation,
resilience, regeneration - these are the three key terms now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: Plus the whole marketing wheel needs to start asking us to behave and to act
in different ways. Because we're buying ourselves to what? what? extinction? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Bel: We are shopping our way over a cliff. But there has to be hope and this is
an aspect of the environmental movement that's I really value: a visioning now
of what the future could look like. No one has all the answers because we're
now stepping into uncharted territory but there needs to be space for idealism,
and visioning and speculative. We have to have something good to aim towards.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: The big brands have futurists, so do we need to be futurists?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: Yes. Brands use futurists to map out potential consumer demand. We need a
different kind of futurist, and people are stepping into this space. We need
good things to show what can come out of change, that other ways of living on
this planet could be better, more equitable, it's more in harmony with nature,
where we're not constantly being driven to aspire to things that are simply
illusion. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq6t04lBJ3e1_p4g7M0L7mvAqEu-Qu8aONAmbZy3IVx3_n4MF4XS45igt2RP9K3hzGSbaS7gDctpLPh2_gixs2W0Q3jkdz-Ma1UOTIJrU8mq6SOSph1JvK3yOo13Of8L54IWR7SYAJ_HuvpBDEyRBWUCgfh8YRpt4LxKSjQCszZl3m-At-E469BEQ/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000373%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq6t04lBJ3e1_p4g7M0L7mvAqEu-Qu8aONAmbZy3IVx3_n4MF4XS45igt2RP9K3hzGSbaS7gDctpLPh2_gixs2W0Q3jkdz-Ma1UOTIJrU8mq6SOSph1JvK3yOo13Of8L54IWR7SYAJ_HuvpBDEyRBWUCgfh8YRpt4LxKSjQCszZl3m-At-E469BEQ/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000373%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
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</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: How would you describe yourself now? How
would you describe what you do? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: The easiest word would be activist, but that word has taken so many forms.
It can mean that you are researching constantly or having conversations. I’ve
opened a climate centre in my local borough, but I don’t really sit within any
traditional category, and I think that's how we will need to be in service to
the planet. And I give street speeches, which can be terrifying, but I hope
they’re useful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: The greater fear would not be speaking. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: Every time I give a street speech I’m thinking, how quickly can I get to the
core of the matter in a way that moves some of this audience further into
action? Can I move them to more direct involvement with what we need to do?<br />
<br />
D: Did you join Extinction Rebellion (XR) right from the very beginning?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: I was there from the first action onwards, when they closed the bridges. I
talk about this a lot, XR was revelatory for me, in that, with all the fear and
panic I had about the climate emergency, I finally found a space in which I was
not the only one saying ‘this is terrible’. <br />
NVDA (non-violent direct action) feels proportionate to the emergency we all
face. The beautiful thing about today’s climate and social justice activism is
the variety of people there. On the bridges in 2018, for example, there were
parents there, there were small kids there, there were scientists there, but
there were also musicians, and there were poets, and there were writers. It was
an alternative cosmos of people all hoping for a better world and it felt very
very beautiful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <br />
I don’t always agree with everything Extinction Rebellion does and I won't get
arrested because I don't want to freak my daughter out. But, on the other hand,
no movement has managed to highlight the agenda like XR has. When the XR
scientists went into the Science Museum that was such a fantastic action, it
was beautiful and it melded together the science with the children it was
perfect.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
I still have enormous faith in XR and other protest movements to tell the other
story we have to tell. The movement is asking for justice for our environment,
is asking for the futures for children, it is asking for equity.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
D: You mentioned earlier in the conversation, the extra powers that the
government are giving the police to stop us from having a voice and taking to
the streets, if that bill passes how are we going to be able to get around all
of that?<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
B: It is a really dangerous precedent and it's the beginning of a slide into a
more repressive regime.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> <br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj9Jv5qTcnuHtrtsbtCDZWrJ_qeJ7yb1r6NEj_pGvOYWIMIvqDu0gDMMn-SD43mpKdz_vmKBv-Qv_fuJsXzSSQgyWmZChk_ySu7gRO273lzPPp_7RN9SO4UnTihXIT8knXeT_dgTkZc26E5KEN3Dnh-j8KOuT5p4uc1YHyapS2y6GHqWo89cFgBk9/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000193%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicj9Jv5qTcnuHtrtsbtCDZWrJ_qeJ7yb1r6NEj_pGvOYWIMIvqDu0gDMMn-SD43mpKdz_vmKBv-Qv_fuJsXzSSQgyWmZChk_ySu7gRO273lzPPp_7RN9SO4UnTihXIT8knXeT_dgTkZc26E5KEN3Dnh-j8KOuT5p4uc1YHyapS2y6GHqWo89cFgBk9/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000193%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> D: You founded Fashion In Schools which is a fantastic
initiative.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br />
B: <a href="https://www.beljacobs.com/fashion-in-schools" target="_blank">Fashion In Schools</a> was designed to confront students with the realities of
the fashion industry, at a time when they start heading into this whole world
of ‘I wanna wear what she's wearing’. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
My starting point tends to be a picture of me when, at Metro, I would dress up
once a week and wear something trendy and say ‘Oh look, florals are back.’ It
was an interesting exercise for me, because I used to spend an hour in makeup,
an hour with hair and had hundreds and hundreds of pictures taken of me to get
one or two “good” shots, according to traditional notions of what it means to
look good. And even after all of that, the photographer would retouch the
image, so basically it was a constructed image. I use that image to get
students thinking about the reality - or not - of the fashion image, and what
all that work, all those photographers and models and make-up artists, are
trying to do: which is really about how the industry persuades people to buy,
and creates these worlds that people want to enter. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
With Fashion in Schools, the aim is to start talking about workers rights and
environmental pollution and to make the students question their own choices,
make them ask questions about where their clothing comes from.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span class="apple-converted-space"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9x9MvnRVHGoRf6URUFkroIxroTXWY5oqYQqdkZkomdMcQQ5T_s6QRnqjxuiwFD1njihz-lVLhO-Umzp4saCaUmepLqX6kT2f3ypvCT9go-ppHA6PIBwNzljXCc1pjh6npS-otSMVth9JXRxUNjspFGgx0saKlZN24d_85zV_MHGcG0XdLP0p_YuI/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000330%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir9x9MvnRVHGoRf6URUFkroIxroTXWY5oqYQqdkZkomdMcQQ5T_s6QRnqjxuiwFD1njihz-lVLhO-Umzp4saCaUmepLqX6kT2f3ypvCT9go-ppHA6PIBwNzljXCc1pjh6npS-otSMVth9JXRxUNjspFGgx0saKlZN24d_85zV_MHGcG0XdLP0p_YuI/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000330%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> D: Also very dear to your heart is Animal Rights.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""-webkit-standard",serif" style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
</span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">B:
I’ve always loved animals. If I see a dog walking down the street, suddenly
there’s this point of light and love and warmth and vibrancy in the world. So
when I see what we do to animals, it’s unbelievable. Most of the time, we
objectify them utterly and that enables us to cause them immense suffering.
It’s time to redress a terrible error, a terrible imbalance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
Six years ago, I came across the Yulin dog meat festival - and I couldn't
rationalise what they did to the dogs before they ate them; that people could
regard these wonderful, cheeky, affectionate animals as things to be brutalised
and consumed.<br />
Yulin almost inevitably led me to industrial farming, arguably the greatest
site of animal cruelty of all time- over and above hunting, and
experimentation, and entertainment, although they are all faces of the same
inequity. The animals we eat are really gentle creatures. In film footage, I’ve
seen dogs and pigs being dragged to slaughter and they don't fight back because
it's not within their vocabulary to be aggressive. The philosopher Yuval Noah
Harari has said that industrial farming is the greatest crime of humanity. I
think that’s true.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1kMmGTzsBpMPKJ8NVRRnuOQVrJecvIOyZf0FABIfX9Vcs1__RABxruizo6hSAoi1lKy1NOxVW9MspoUt06Pe5kmsd5U3OHZu9qDu8oyfDflVg9hwgvN4VNBY28M_Rta0bDhvT7M2Kc4-Ja8Gc2C_LCmRqSniQfSThW9o65oemN8fj9FBn-wvkt36/s1277/Bel%20Jacobs000053%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga1kMmGTzsBpMPKJ8NVRRnuOQVrJecvIOyZf0FABIfX9Vcs1__RABxruizo6hSAoi1lKy1NOxVW9MspoUt06Pe5kmsd5U3OHZu9qDu8oyfDflVg9hwgvN4VNBY28M_Rta0bDhvT7M2Kc4-Ja8Gc2C_LCmRqSniQfSThW9o65oemN8fj9FBn-wvkt36/s16000/Bel%20Jacobs000053%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I volunteer for XR’s sister movement Animal
Rebellion, which highlights the impact of animal agriculture on climate. And
they’re huge: 18% and rising of greenhouse gas emissions, and that's without
considering the effects of deforestation, water pollution and soil degradation.
At the same time, animal agriculture occupies 76% of global agriculture land
while only providing 18 percent of our calories. What a stupid way to use the
planet. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
And what creates almost as much pain as the way we treat animals is the way
people - good people - work so hard to ignore it. The cultural resistance
against giving up meat is powerful. I give school talks on animal rights and,
on a recent zoom call with a bunch of 17 year olds, they started throwing up
questions like ‘aren’t we predators and aren’t they prey?’ ‘aren’t we
biologically pre-determined to eat animals?’. Neither state is true but both are
still batted around like they’re gospel.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
We are so ashamed of the way we treat animals that we can't confront it. A lot
of anti-vegan responses I get are rooted in deep guilt, which in turn enables
terrible suffering to continue unabated. People don't want to be seen as
cruel, but if you're paying an industrial farm to keep and rear and slaughter
young animals for food, it is cruel. Someone once said to me - only partly
joking - that they’d give up flying before they gave up cheese. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br />
I thought of the reality of the dairy industry - all those calves torn from
their mothers at a few hours old, the grieving of the mothers, the culling of
those calves - and I thought: “How can that be?” When you’ve watched film
footage of an unweaned calf being kicked in the head because he couldn’t walk
properly, it breaks your heart a thousand times over. Eating cheese isn’t
an option.<br />
Because of these incredibly emotive aspects of animal agriculture - the
intensity and the cruelty - talking about animals is more challenging than
talking about the climate. It’s really challenged my ideas of goodness and
equity. We talk about systemic change; one of the clearest signs of our ability
to change is our willingness to confront traditions that no longer work for us
or the planet.</span></p><p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
We talk about how much we love nature. Animals - all those 80 billion land
animals killed for food every year - are part of nature and, at the moment, we
won’t even stand up for them, we won’t make a simple lifestyle change for them.
Our wholesale exploitation of the natural world, whether other peoples, other
species or nature itself, is what’s taken us into this emergency. I spent
a lot of time at the beginning of the journey in animal rights in tears; I’m
still working out how to address this catastrophe, the animal emergency. </span> </p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Links</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="Bel Jacobs" target="_blank">Bel Jacobs</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://theempathyproject.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Empathy Project</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.beljacobs.com/fashion-in-schools" target="_blank">Fashion In Schools </a><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/beljacobs_com/" target="_blank">Bel on Instagram</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.islingtonclimatecentre.co.uk/" target="_blank">Islington Climate Center</a></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-30657310602814831382022-06-09T07:33:00.003+01:002022-06-09T08:28:24.685+01:00Focus On Sophie Slater - Co Founder Birdsong London<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41goKP8qq0SaJJ2UiBvJP_wI94UlzFxBo8JZ9cAZSISWMU9hFbiXmgLWDznrsDd-mbvbxaUnvrr1NypfKisUX98mZY-WcXTmWTluXbNOPahGEFUvyc3pKHpIyxYniC30Q8f2miu7aHpsRfHniQQo7IP__nM8djrVL7rNfFtCOwHpimFdTJ0DIqRp3/s1277/Sophie%20Slater000059%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41goKP8qq0SaJJ2UiBvJP_wI94UlzFxBo8JZ9cAZSISWMU9hFbiXmgLWDznrsDd-mbvbxaUnvrr1NypfKisUX98mZY-WcXTmWTluXbNOPahGEFUvyc3pKHpIyxYniC30Q8f2miu7aHpsRfHniQQo7IP__nM8djrVL7rNfFtCOwHpimFdTJ0DIqRp3/s16000/Sophie%20Slater000059%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Birdsong was founded by Sophie on very strong principles, producing
beautiful Pre-Order ethical and sustainable fashion with the wellbeing of their
makers as a corner stone of the business. She has proven that when you create a
brand from the ground up with people and planet in mind your skilled makers can
have the best working conditions without unrealistic pressure and with total
control of their craft. Because everything is made Pre-Order nothing
is wasted. Sophie shows us how to create a beautiful slow fashion
business, which allows you to feel good in the clothes you wear.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3gqWj8NHrueUCNAY15FuBSVXsn44Csnc2TkVFnJwHCQQXO1fxa6fq37EN1-uaVKdPKSrH9dIs1R-Jv5JHbfdVEHKfwIx5pnfY0gHYmBU6D1Vkmu9g2U_TMoBcMx8JxGKPq10VqRsLYjU5yqaRNcAwii-QB1KKpDlZ4Gqglm6vLzXbe9KIrHcJcKA/s1277/Sophie%20Slater000311%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_3gqWj8NHrueUCNAY15FuBSVXsn44Csnc2TkVFnJwHCQQXO1fxa6fq37EN1-uaVKdPKSrH9dIs1R-Jv5JHbfdVEHKfwIx5pnfY0gHYmBU6D1Vkmu9g2U_TMoBcMx8JxGKPq10VqRsLYjU5yqaRNcAwii-QB1KKpDlZ4Gqglm6vLzXbe9KIrHcJcKA/s16000/Sophie%20Slater000311%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Where did you grow up Sophie? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I was born in Sheffield, England and grew up in North
Tyneside in a little seaside town about 10 miles from Newcastle. It’s a really
beautiful place to grow up, but I was really bored. It was quite run down when
I was young, though it's quite trendy now. I think all seaside towns are having
a kind of Margate moment. Mum and Dad both work within the local community, Dad
at Newcastle City Council doing sustainability and regeneration projects until
he was made redundant because the Tories decided they didn’t have money for that.
Mum worked as a basic skills, and arts and crafts tutor for people with
learning difficulties. They both have always had really strong values so as a
family we've always been embedded in the local community, which really
influenced my values growing up. I have always wanted to do something with a
social mission, it is the norm for me.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both my parents grew up in working class families, but because
of their education I grew up in a more comfortably. Mum was really good at
reminding me of the power of education and craft. She was only person in her family
who went to university, so that goal was important for me too. She also
instilled the idea that culture is for everyone, fashion and art should be
enjoyed by everyone no matter your class or educational background.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I couldn't agree more. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you have any siblings?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Yes, I have a little sister who works for Public Health
England. She's the only scientist in the family, the rest of us are in the arts.
We have a huge family in Sheffield who mostly work in retail. We jokingly call M&S
the family business because that’s where most of them work. When I was 17 and still
at school I worked part-time in a vintage shop, it opened the window to clothing
for me. I've always loved working around clothes and chatting to customers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My first brush with the fashion industry was when I was 15. Back
then I was really, really skinny and was scouted by a model agency at the Clothes
Show Live. I was completely flabbergasted by it because growing up in the North
East it really wasn't seen as attractive to be skinny with no boobs and pale.
It was not the look that was cool in the 2000s, which <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>was the age of Jordan, that Katie Price look. But
it meant I got to go down to London and go to some castings. The whole
experience was a bit uncomfortable, and I never got any work. As I got older I
realised there was a lot of really problematic stuff around modelling, but it gave
me an amazing glimpse into the fashion industry, it made me aware of different
magazines like Dazed and I D, which I would never have come across in my
hometown. I fell in love with fashion journalism, fashion photography, and the
creative elements behind the scenes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did it affect your self-esteem?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I had such low self-esteem anyway, it was already rock
bottom but being scouted and then not getting any work - they inferred that my
bum was too big and that my feet were too big and that I wasn't tall enough,
that kind of thing. But it was nothing compared to what I used to get in the
corridors at school. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAT7ZhehMsnQPzLBmlzbr9QwB1-wQAYMncb99uZFCYBHVoeD1z-b6sJX5j2Q3MFXHysYz7UWOIh6WWokTanvgDhKOKGn3BXIWGSm6ReXpCucNdiz3HtMkIBPNE6jINaM8l_guzrO_xy0n2cKOHjop03QvOiwmREy-fWiHWSEPcBaAvPwovzBkGk1Pg/s1277/Sophie%20Slater000221%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAT7ZhehMsnQPzLBmlzbr9QwB1-wQAYMncb99uZFCYBHVoeD1z-b6sJX5j2Q3MFXHysYz7UWOIh6WWokTanvgDhKOKGn3BXIWGSm6ReXpCucNdiz3HtMkIBPNE6jINaM8l_guzrO_xy0n2cKOHjop03QvOiwmREy-fWiHWSEPcBaAvPwovzBkGk1Pg/s16000/Sophie%20Slater000221%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Where did you go to Uni?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Manchester, I studied History and Classics which is what
my father made me study. I really wanted to go art school, but he said ‘you'll
never get a job in that’. Because he had studied History and became a civil
servant, he suggested I follow the same path. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Because you don’t earn much money as an artist…..</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I think he thought that. I wanted to do a few things, I
wanted to be a writer or work in fashion or be a civil servant. I had no idea
how to go about the first two, because all my family and friends, were civil
servants. I didn't really know what other jobs there were. The career choices I
knew were teacher, or the shop floor, or a doctor. I didn't know what fashion
marketing was, nor would I ever have dreamt that it was even a thing, or to even
have the thought of running my own business.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I remember doing one of those questionnaire things on a
computer programme in school and it came up with graphic designer and I said
‘ooh that sounds great what is that?’ but my teachers didn’t know. My best mate
went on to study graphic design at Saint Martins but she was the only kid in
the whole school to manage to do that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Out of the three things that you mentioned you managed to
do two of them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I love chatting and communicating and I also love doing
that digitally and visually. I like connecting the bigger picture, connecting
the bigger themes in the garment industry. I feel fashion is a great microcosm that
shows the bigger negative effects of capitalism. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My History degree came in useful in a lot of ways as I
studied labour movements, a lot of which were started by garment workers
especially in the US in the early 20th century. There was a lot of political
thought during the course which opened me to feminist organising and I became the
women’s representative at my university. Which meant I took part in outreach
programmes for women and girls on body image, which was quite handy and helped
me unpack the whole modelling experience from my childhood.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During Uni I had a part-time job working at American Apparel,
on one level they were amazing as the business was transparent and had their
financial forecasts on the home page of their website so you could see up front
how the business was run. I could see the margins on everything, what they paid
their workers - but the CEO was a complete sleaze bag.</p>
<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">My feminist awakening at university made me think, hang on a
minute American Apparel and the modelling agency are both really weird which
completely put me off fashion. But at the same time I was so bored on the shop
floor that I found myself reading financial reports and trying to figure out how
the business worked. This had me asking questions like, what does a business
look and feel like if you pay people properly?, why is there a trade-off
between this and being nice to women and not sexually harassing your employees?
So those ideas were percolating. Then I decided I wanted to work in social
justice and thought that fashion and the idea of fashion was something I had to
throw out entirely because it didn't reconcile with my beliefs.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p><style> </style></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuRm9hls-2up4fv3FZT0sWD-O6FRAxQ2xCfkuls9Hxw5Lpk7EaeWnWIBCDavxyyiPR_g-AD6szE1r-l9jFCg7dRgG6M3td9A4utKcbSMsI3Yz6DADzpRwos1NvszjuyOd2dZlDBv7-bSfmXKWdp2nc_pTAPdUKdbkSbUvi9lDqCiGwqvET3hmG6Mo/s1277/Sophie%20Slater000177%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuRm9hls-2up4fv3FZT0sWD-O6FRAxQ2xCfkuls9Hxw5Lpk7EaeWnWIBCDavxyyiPR_g-AD6szE1r-l9jFCg7dRgG6M3td9A4utKcbSMsI3Yz6DADzpRwos1NvszjuyOd2dZlDBv7-bSfmXKWdp2nc_pTAPdUKdbkSbUvi9lDqCiGwqvET3hmG6Mo/s16000/Sophie%20Slater000177%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"> <br />D: Yet with that in mind, you set up Birdsong straight after
university. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: After uni I applied for a masters and was accepted at
Oxford but couldn't afford to go. Then I found a free alternative masters
course, called Year Here. Luckily my best mate had a spare room in London they
couldn't rent and everything else fell into place. It was billed as a crash
course in the social sector, with design principles and design learning with a
lot of creative and entrepreneurship training, which sounded like everything I
was interested in. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As part of the course we had a charity placement and from that
the goal was to create an innovation project. We were given free rein to
address a problem that that charity had identified. My six month placement saw
me working with marginalised people, mostly ex sex workers, survivors, women with
complex needs who were living in a homeless hostel in Croydon. To prepare me
for it I was given a bit of training around sexual violence, domestic abuse and
trafficking awareness. With advice from Mum, I created crafting workshops for
the women. At the time there wasn’t even Wi-Fi in the hostel, it was a really
depressing environment, it wasn’t even a woman's hostel either, it was a mixed
hostel which was not ideal. The women loved the workshops though and we were
able to introduce information on feminism and sexual health, domestic abuse and
unhealthy relationships. I really enjoyed doing it and because they knew I had
experience working with women’s groups and women's charities, they let me do
that project, as a 22 year old, which was pretty amazing, it was really
powerful. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I then created a map of all the women’s charities in London and
tried to get them to do outreach programmes. Every single charity I spoke to
said ‘we would love to be working with these women, they are exactly the women
we should be working with but we are on our bare bones we have had so many
funding cuts that we just can't do it.’ </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Subsequently I read a report that said that 90% of women's
organisations had had funding cuts in London. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After the placement we had a project, where we could work on
anything, with the aim to come up with an idea for a social business. My
business partners placement had been working in old people’s homes, it was a
completely different vibe than mine. They were <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>painting watercolours and doing Tai Chi and
puzzles. The people she was working with had a knitting group. They had knit so
much for Help the Heroes that they had said ‘please stop we have enough.’ They were
still knitting but now donating to charity shops because it allowed them to
keep giving. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mixing our two placement experiences with our social
enterprise project, we thought, why don't we approach charities that are
struggling for funding but have some sort of craft making arm. This was in 2014,
the year after the Rana Plaza factory collapse and Fashion Revolution had set
up as an organisation. Obviously I'd been really interested in ethical fashion I
could see the potential of moving in this direction. Also feminism was a
massive conversation and Beyoncé had just put it on stage. Women’s services were
already at the sharp end of the patriarchy, meanwhile feminism was having a
massive moment and consumers were gaining awareness of fashion supply chains
that are mainly staffed by women and are really toxic, deadly and unsafe. Together
we felt if we could gather that #girlboss feminism vibe and use it to make
money for the struggling charities, that that could be really cool. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4s3MyzKoKpVv_mGI6XiuD2DzneMp0pehZiGSxn118NBgiYrXdb5xVBQIOqYOD17U_PCqgdMM68-eKJ52InvGRR7fOOW7161zindyEFL_wFWS9aC4dfWPh6zGbL3kMG3HI7djv0Nty8G4VvkhlcJEHuXLjC3WWq1l3bwz4-WAK8cbmztYEMWy3rbD/s1277/Sophie%20Slater000064%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4s3MyzKoKpVv_mGI6XiuD2DzneMp0pehZiGSxn118NBgiYrXdb5xVBQIOqYOD17U_PCqgdMM68-eKJ52InvGRR7fOOW7161zindyEFL_wFWS9aC4dfWPh6zGbL3kMG3HI7djv0Nty8G4VvkhlcJEHuXLjC3WWq1l3bwz4-WAK8cbmztYEMWy3rbD/s16000/Sophie%20Slater000064%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">That was our initial rough idea and we worked with Heda, a grassroots
community charity in Brick Lane to do it. They had been there for 30 years,
they made clothes, they had a creche on site run by and for women of colour,
mostly Bengali immigrants to the area. They were selling at Spitalfields market,
but the audience had changed, and they really wanted to sell online but didn't
know where to start. We had found a lot of the women’s charities we had spoken
to felt exactly the same way, saying it was overwhelming to sell online and that
they didn’t know where to start with social media. So we set up a website and social
media like Instagram, Facebook and a blog. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then we took over selling whatever they had made and wrote a
couple of blogs on feminism and fashion. Then we created Instagram posts and
built Birdsong from there. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Where did the name Birdsong come from?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: A couple of us were reading Maya Angelou ‘I know why the caged
bird sings’ and thought it sounded optimistic, a new way of doing things.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We applied for funding which meant we could work on the idea
full time for six months. During that which I realised that this is exactly
what I wanted to do with my life. Over time there have been a lot of changes,
my original co-founders left to do other things, but we had hired our designer Susanna
in 2017 who is now my co-founder. She designs everything and sources all the
fabrics. Before that point everything was knitwear made from wool from Wilkos because
that's what the older women were buying and knitting with. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Birdsong is now a brand that designs around the skillset
that our makers have.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What are your aims with Birdsong?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t want to
be, the next big thing is us, or a massive company or polluting. One of my
biggest influences is E.F Schumacher's ‘Small Is Beautiful, Economics As If People
Mattered’, which is an economics book from the 70s. It’s all about climate
change, foreshadowing that if we don't do anything by the year 2000 we are
going to be in serious trouble, which I wish everyone had read back then. He
says the best way forward is that there should be lots of little, community
minded, ecological businesses. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The vision with Birdsong is to create a blueprint for that,
to show that you can pay people a living wage, people can make garments in non-stressful
environments, with a cup of tea, with a creche, with chat. You can hire people
from backgrounds that face barriers to work whether that’s at our warehouse with
disabilities and autism, or the refugee women that make for us. You can do that,
and you can be cool and successful and create beautiful, beautiful things. I
would rather see 1000 small Birdsongs than become massive. It’s about creating
an alternative<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span>model and to be an
example of how you can do that.</p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfVTIKK8x-GTsYIiaVtxnaBy0iI9ivnbyjqxkWmOhfnhO8PWATGTesqkjt4MHNp6QxZLrEdnYYB934tipQUXqK72QV4b4K_PEKqTCkZkAQVuSue29kDnCE7M-7tg6rT13_ES4vD-_PZ5JAJk9g2012fZp3bu07eydSMqddkCcoAsvjD6HUf7WroaI/s1277/Sophie%20Slater000209%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfVTIKK8x-GTsYIiaVtxnaBy0iI9ivnbyjqxkWmOhfnhO8PWATGTesqkjt4MHNp6QxZLrEdnYYB934tipQUXqK72QV4b4K_PEKqTCkZkAQVuSue29kDnCE7M-7tg6rT13_ES4vD-_PZ5JAJk9g2012fZp3bu07eydSMqddkCcoAsvjD6HUf7WroaI/s16000/Sophie%20Slater000209%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You have different people you work with like Mona who
embroiders for you. How did you find Mona?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Our friends were running a community pop-up, based on a
community organiser in Chicago where they brought everyone from the local
community together. You get soup for dinner and you chip in a donation, then
local communities, activists or people with a project that benefits the local
community stand up and pitch. Then you award the money to the idea you like
best. Mona was pitching at one of these because she's taught in the local
community in Popular for about 20 years. She works with a lot of survivors of domestic
violence and people with learning disabilities and a lot of migrant and refugee
women, all people from the local estate. The council gives her space so she can
teach sewing classes. Tower Hamlets is the most unequal borough in the country because
you have Canary Wharf on one side where a lot of the money making institutions
are and on the other, one of the highest child poverty rates in the country. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mona is really embedded in that community, so when we met her,
we asked if she would like to work with us. She had an embroidery machine and we
started embroidering garments together and from that our embroidered T shirts became
absolute best sellers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Who else do you work with?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: We work with Fabric Works which is the social enterprise
community charity called Stiches In Time. They are the amazing seamstresses
that make all of our blouses, skirts and dresses. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Were they were they part of Heba?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: No, Heba was the first workshop that I mentioned that we
built the idea around. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, the
building they were in saw the rents go up overnight when their landlord died. His
kids tripled the rent and then gave them 10 days to move out. Which sucks because
they were an incredible charity that had been going for 30 years. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That’s when we turned to Fabric Works who are amazing, they
have quite a similar setup and are based in Lime House Town Hall and are run on
very similar principles. Lime House Town Hall has all sorts of charity
gatherings it’s a real community hub which is lovely. They have Fabric Works
which is where all our cutting and sewing is done. It’s really great to be able
to support them.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVG3LLcDI8Se5Gwy3g0VEpHQfEiqT_NN8jH-RtjEmaduKl9DIlCW0BZtTlCir-x8Sd8h1Humg0TvPe-7AJOGo-JRNJPwv7bCfCS2vEx_mhcTORDChn9cZ1yvgX6jk99CaQXRsfOz3J1E2NM9QXd4lXazIZZ3xvXGgvVqf4v6xrVunEPvczHb2uSt3j/s1277/Sophie%20Slater000137%201%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVG3LLcDI8Se5Gwy3g0VEpHQfEiqT_NN8jH-RtjEmaduKl9DIlCW0BZtTlCir-x8Sd8h1Humg0TvPe-7AJOGo-JRNJPwv7bCfCS2vEx_mhcTORDChn9cZ1yvgX6jk99CaQXRsfOz3J1E2NM9QXd4lXazIZZ3xvXGgvVqf4v6xrVunEPvczHb2uSt3j/s16000/Sophie%20Slater000137%201%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Your fabric source is sustainable too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: We are always learning, because I feel that no fabric
source is 100% sustainable, unless it was made of compost (laughs). We use a
lot of reclaimed, end of roll fabric and we have a partnership with Traid the
textiles recycling charity, then there is a massive warehouse of reclaimed rolls
in East London that we go to quite a lot. We use organic cotton for all our T
shirts and make sure it’s from a supplier that uses renewable energy and has a
90% carbon reduction. We use a lot of Tencel fabric and have a supplier who prints
in Lancashire with eco-friendly dyes. We have used cardi cotton in the past
which is handwoven by women's cooperatives in India. Unfortunately though there
are not many super stainable textiles made in the UK. Fully regenerated fibres are
really hard to get hold of and because our trading model is Made to Order - to
minimise waste, you can't always pay for minimums. Our aim is to only buy the fabric
we need so nothing goes to waste. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We've worked really hard to build up these partnerships with
our textile providers. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You consider everyone and everything in your supply chain
right down to your delivery service. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Yes, that is a really lovely charity in Kentish Town in North
London they support adults with autism and learning disabilities with
apprenticeships in fulfilment. We pay around £2.00 per package which includes
the folding and putting the label on. We have seen the trainees there grow and
flourish and it's really lovely to also see them grow in confidence. Paying a
premium for the postage means the charity can also offer wrap around support
for the trainees during difficult times like the pandemic. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I love that you pay the London living wage. I don't
understand why anybody would ever pay anybody less than a wage that they could
live on. You have set your business up around treating people really well. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: I'm quite lucky that I don't have much fashion industry
experience. You see brands now trying to shoehorn social impact into a business
that was never set up that way. Because at the start we were quite naïve, people
were always saying ‘oh but you'll never make any money, you are going to fail, why
would you do business like that? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
reply was ‘why wouldn't we do business this way? what you are saying doesn't
make any sense to me’. So much of the fashion industry is set up with only
maximum profit in mind. That model creates everything that's wrong in the
industry, over production, over consumption, no care for the people or the
planet. Whereas the best bit of my job is the relationships we have with our
team and makers. I go will to see Mona to talk about a T shirt and will chat for
2 hours. If you are expected to do that with your colleagues on say a Friday
after work, then why can't you treat your suppliers the same way? She's my colleague,
we love her. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Are you still working with your original knitters?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p>
<span face=""Calibri",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">S: We are but their whole thing from the start was
non-commercial the money raised from their knitting was donated to charity. We
don't pay them living wages because they don't want to be paid. We've
experimented with charging living wages but then couldn’t sell anything because
it so expensive, as you end up having to charge £400 for a jumper and they would
tell us off because we hadn’t sold enough. They are great. </span> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqAlDZ5lqOKZJy9NBrtJKZnBoHNy6zVxiaUiGQ2lE-nUaXdlaeVO-VAB90q3MZlfoi_De0akyXYR-J0bmzMXztrlvwWmqwew5xTkqnv8PjmruX6vtEEUPVarRzvBNSRarWWAuBOlZqdQNkDeKU490iJUyxGhFXj61peyO4rTPjqbcI754FbajxTYH/s1277/Sophie%20Slater000022%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGqAlDZ5lqOKZJy9NBrtJKZnBoHNy6zVxiaUiGQ2lE-nUaXdlaeVO-VAB90q3MZlfoi_De0akyXYR-J0bmzMXztrlvwWmqwew5xTkqnv8PjmruX6vtEEUPVarRzvBNSRarWWAuBOlZqdQNkDeKU490iJUyxGhFXj61peyO4rTPjqbcI754FbajxTYH/s16000/Sophie%20Slater000022%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Tell us about your jewellery range.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: Our jewellery is made with a global social enterprise called
So Just, they work with women's cooperatives in India. Traditionally metal smithing
is a male dominated field, but they can earn a middle-class wage doing it.
There are three women that we know by name who make our jewellery, it's such
beautiful jewellery, I love it. We would love to go meet them, it's important
to know your makers if you are creating product as cleanly as we are. With our
T shirts we use the best supplier we could find, and with our local makers, we
know if they're stressed, we know if they are not happy, we know exactly what’s
going on. So Just have incredible impact reports and we can see through those that
they align with our values. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Another advantage of having your garment manufacture
locally is that you are minimising your carbon emissions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: There is an Oxfam report that says that the average item
of clothing passes through seven countries. It's ridiculous to have a component
made in one factory, then another component made another factory and on and on,
then a distribution centre somewhere else. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For us when we create, if it's a dress for example - the
little zips and things might not be sourced in the UK as they can be quite hard
to find. But the dress fabric will be sourced in Hackney, it will go to
Limehouse where it is made, then we courier it to Kentish Town where it is sent
out to our customers, most of whom are in the UK, so out footprint is light. We
can make a garment to order in 2 weeks which is pretty incredible. We can design
something and make it with a much faster lead time than even the massive
fashion brands. Unless you are Zara who go from design to shop in a week but
that’s because everyone's so stressed. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How do you see the future? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">S: You know I said I would love to see lots of little Birdsongs,
we want to scale up to buy Mona a screen printing machine so that we can create
screen printed T shirts and can create more designs and have a lot more fun
with that. We have 6 seamstresses, and we want to get them all on their ideal
wage. We have a couple of other charities, social enterprise factories that we
would like to scale and be able to work with. We are setting up our repair
service and will be creating Birdsong patterns so people can create their own clothing
from home. The bigger vision ideally is that we want to create an open source
platform where any charitable organisation, small tailor or seamstress can
access the designs - there will be a set of criteria, like paying living wages
and being embedded in the community plus a small subscription fee to access a
database of patterns, fabrics and prints, that way there can be Birdsong
designs on every High Street in an ethical and sustainable way.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Links</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Website - <a href="https://birdsong.london/" target="_blank">Birdsong</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/birdsonglondon/" target="_blank">Birdsong</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sophie___slater/?hl=en" target="_blank">Sophie Slater </a> <br /></p>
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<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-74621652222298683512022-05-24T06:00:00.001+01:002022-05-24T06:00:00.201+01:00Focus On Maria Chenoweth - CEO TRAID<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUQR6uOoRAFJa_-V7va4DEdTDyVPshcHN-7U4V76JaGCqy3d1Yyd1KdiPZE5VKCiQSC546YqdK9bBb0qzy0OisJZ7ZNr9yX14QzTiFgAzhDd1GSTFRJuqvYhU9Otbk8_hJvS9BZ9TsVdtkcnEouF8__rJP4tjf76m2O7CAXbRQIyb-9jB09REAiZV/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000342%20rts1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUQR6uOoRAFJa_-V7va4DEdTDyVPshcHN-7U4V76JaGCqy3d1Yyd1KdiPZE5VKCiQSC546YqdK9bBb0qzy0OisJZ7ZNr9yX14QzTiFgAzhDd1GSTFRJuqvYhU9Otbk8_hJvS9BZ9TsVdtkcnEouF8__rJP4tjf76m2O7CAXbRQIyb-9jB09REAiZV/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000342%20rts1.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Maria is the very stylish CEO of the fantastic charity <a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/" target="_blank">TRAID</a> and has
spent most of her working life in the charity sector. TRAID work to save
clothing from landfill and in doing so use the funds they make from their
brilliant shops for international projects that improve conditions and working
practices in the textile industry. If you live or work in London and are
serious about fashion circularity you really must check them out and with
different stock in different shops you have a very good reason to visit them all. They will even come and <a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/clothes-donations/" target="_blank">pick up</a> your donations from you so you know they are going to a place where they will do the most good.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Read
on to learn more about the work Maria and her team are involved in.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbA_AOdb1hlLiAUGhpxirMW7Uw6tIkR-8uF-RoSRzlp5fIS2prB7iDjybNKPf4xOX0OVc4IJfqCfiuXgelgoWlFyiSypuIYJ5lmdyqPbuZHj4ZeqAL5iv4fYMeF1JQp8pQKUZhTnnEuJ4fROyuNFDe7uzvy-IBCeCm2HmzZYlpBhx3zgX3O2b8JaI/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000131%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbA_AOdb1hlLiAUGhpxirMW7Uw6tIkR-8uF-RoSRzlp5fIS2prB7iDjybNKPf4xOX0OVc4IJfqCfiuXgelgoWlFyiSypuIYJ5lmdyqPbuZHj4ZeqAL5iv4fYMeF1JQp8pQKUZhTnnEuJ4fROyuNFDe7uzvy-IBCeCm2HmzZYlpBhx3zgX3O2b8JaI/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000131%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Normally I start the conversation by asking where you
grew up, but today I would like to know how TRAID has faired over the past few
years. The charity sector was hit really hard by the pandemic and you have <a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/shop-at-traid/" target="_blank">12 shops</a> in London. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: For the charity retail sector, the pandemic had a negative
financial impact. Like other retailers, we had rents to pay on shops that had
to remain shut. At the start of the first lockdown, TRAID staff were in disbelief
when told on a Saturday evening, that shops would be shut once again on the Monday
morning. There was also a sense of injustice within the sector, as some big
commercial clothing brands were able to continue selling clothes alongside
groceries.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Fortunately, during the pandemic, TRAID managed to continue
funding its international projects that focus on the textile supply chain.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And, the level of custom when TRAID shops reopened was
amazing. We never imagined that we would bounce back to the magnitude that we
have. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At its heart, TRAID is bricks and mortar. People love our
shops and we love being on the high street. The pandemic accelerated new retail
habits such as online shopping, and along with this, the closure of department
stores and deliveries galore. However, the high street is such an important
part of the community and society, and it really shouldn’t be lost.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My own consumer habits have reverted back to how they were
pre-pandemic; I walk my groceries home, and I physically go and buy my clothes
and goods from charity shops. I love people, interaction and community.</p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMNJnUvx-udbowS1fhEEAJPf3QJhOv682NM98KTQQbikOYgvyt983mt1aa-wbznRnTldbJ1rUr6zQsgeAY0rDf1t2XMsZld1OnWXxqlHw9Y22_fDVXYCC0sT1-GWXryMhLCqYtAo6PH2QYjvuKSIJRUzBuXdeN-I4o6Sht734k9_H02X1NMQXeBhV/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000168%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMNJnUvx-udbowS1fhEEAJPf3QJhOv682NM98KTQQbikOYgvyt983mt1aa-wbznRnTldbJ1rUr6zQsgeAY0rDf1t2XMsZld1OnWXxqlHw9Y22_fDVXYCC0sT1-GWXryMhLCqYtAo6PH2QYjvuKSIJRUzBuXdeN-I4o6Sht734k9_H02X1NMQXeBhV/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000168%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You said you were able to keep your projects going. I was
wondering had there been an impact at all and on the projects in Africa,
Bangladesh, India.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: We kept our projects going by using our reserves to
continue funding. With the organic cotton projects, due to COVID-19, the
farmers couldn't get together as usual at Farmer Field Schools, which are really
important for sharing knowledge about pesticide free crop management. Luckily,
our projects in Benin and Ethiopia were not hit as hard as others by the
pandemic, and the local teams managed to continue working with farmers socially
distanced to ensure training continued. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In contrast, the children's centres in Bangladesh had to
shut and TRAID funding was diverted to feed garment working families who had
lost work due to factory closures. At the same time, most big fashion brands refused
to honour payment for orders already made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This meant factories and suppliers couldn’t pay garment workers, who in
many cases were unable even to buy food. For the first time ever, TRAID had to stop
funding our ongoing projects and divert money to feed people. This again
highlights how fragile clothes supply and production systems are, and how closely
garment workers exist to desititution.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrI_LjzxeIK3PKkN9i6OD5l6cvJScFvmCmJ8VTu3Vf3udpSDDNjNl4-d_yrSZB2fKdhscDd8q8KyBDnfA5c94m_Hvr3GNFbZPhzBlImdPQUYZx-c2VYRINJUk56U_f32tyeizEL8kOtxIwZyu8XyTCpEJ48yOC0XuhxGjUcEB11g3CcXALtnNKonby/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000023%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrI_LjzxeIK3PKkN9i6OD5l6cvJScFvmCmJ8VTu3Vf3udpSDDNjNl4-d_yrSZB2fKdhscDd8q8KyBDnfA5c94m_Hvr3GNFbZPhzBlImdPQUYZx-c2VYRINJUk56U_f32tyeizEL8kOtxIwZyu8XyTCpEJ48yOC0XuhxGjUcEB11g3CcXALtnNKonby/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000023%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I really love the work that you’re doing developing
cotton seeds, how is it coming along? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: We have three organic cotton projects in India, Benin and
Ethiopia. The project in India in partnership with Fairtrade Foundation is focused
on developing and increasing the supply of non-GM cotton seeds for farmers to
grow organically. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The monopoly of agro-chemical
companies like Bayer – which has 95% of the Indian seed market, meaning it is
extremely difficult for farmers to source non-GM seeds. TRAID funds are
providing around 1,500 farmers with access to organic seeds grown by their own
co-operative and they are now selling them. The seeds are bred to be pest
resistant, drought tolerant and to grow easy to harvest plants. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The co-operative this project supports now produces approximately
20% of the world’s organic cotton, and our work to increase access to non-GM
seeds is pushing back against chemical pesticides for an organic future. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The whole process is science at its best. Creating hybrid
seeds which are suited to local conditions to grow the best cotton is complex and
risky but it’s exciting and is a project with a lot of passion and love thrown
into it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">TRAID funds other partners with huge expertise including Pesticide
Action Network (PAN UK) who are an incredible organisation that do so much with
so little. We have funded PAN UK for over 11 years commiting over £1.8 million
to its work improving the lives, incomes, health and environment of cotton
farmers by reducing and eliminating hazardous pesticide use. TRAID funds
projects often for the long-term, and from our years of experience, we know
what works.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Tell us about the benefits of this type of crop.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: The organic cotton projects TRAID supports are all about
reducing risks for farmers. Alongside their organic cotton harvest, farmers
also grow rotation crops and intercrop to improve food security and sell
produce locally. If something goes wrong, because things can go wrong, like say
it rains at the wrong time which going forward will become more frequent due to
climate change, it means a farmer’s whole livelihood isn't going to disappear
overnight because they aren’t depending on one crop. Intercropping is also really
good for nature and encourages biodiversity. Your soil isn’t eroded, it's a
healthier life. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's a harder way to start off your cotton crop. However,
once you’re over the hurdles of starting an organic crop, TRAID’s projects with
PAN UK are proving that the amount of cotton produced can be much higher with
farmers securing higher yields and more income due to the organic premium and
spending less on inputs like pesticides and fertilisers. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: The soil being very important because the topsoil is very
fragile now. It also takes a lot less water to produce fabric from organic
cotton.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: Sadly though, less than 1% of all cotton produced
globally is organic. Now, there is a huge demand for it but the retailers are
so late. It takes time to convert your crop to organic, and the conversion
process is slow because of the certification process. Many farmers are already
growing organic cotton but they're not certified yet because it takes three
years for that to happen. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Retailers want stuff overnight and they don't realise: (a)
you’ve got to pay for it and (b) it's a slow, beautiful process.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Yet here you are as a charity funding what they should be
doing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: TRAID funds 2% of the world's organic cotton currently
being produced, which is ridiculous because we are a relatively small charity
based in London. Compare us to huge high street and global brands and imagine how
much more those clothing brands could do and could’ve done by now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMc2Lfa9JIBT8Yl1Zs5nsABrDzIHvqxqK2_0--YKIVwiNuHTjWPuPTXlY4-QG4zYPDdckzOg_oHWVGpLgTBc3FioMzGFB99rs9xQw2X-TuUmS2uCaDIWfo4MFOvvggH_CZ_zDL-DlwfelBDB4cRFEO28KkIkTMeoEaNTpguYoet8Y2Wnhr-buHpsb/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000159%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMc2Lfa9JIBT8Yl1Zs5nsABrDzIHvqxqK2_0--YKIVwiNuHTjWPuPTXlY4-QG4zYPDdckzOg_oHWVGpLgTBc3FioMzGFB99rs9xQw2X-TuUmS2uCaDIWfo4MFOvvggH_CZ_zDL-DlwfelBDB4cRFEO28KkIkTMeoEaNTpguYoet8Y2Wnhr-buHpsb/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000159%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Can you tell us about the educational projects that you
work on both in India and here in the UK as we should be educating our kids
where our clothing actually comes from.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: Most charities will have an educational objective. About
17 years ago, we set up a school programme working with local authorities,
going into schools because the environment was on the curriculum, and recycling
was way up the agenda. Due to the pandemic, TRAID stopped going into schools,
however we have since restarted working with local authorites delivering repair
workshops. TRAID also has an <a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/resources/">educational
toolkit</a> that's free for teachers to download. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: In India one project you have is speaking to communities to
discourage them from sending girls into bonded labour.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: We have worked with READ since 2010 to address the bonded
labour of young girls in spinning mills in South India and end the use of an
exploitative scheme called <i>Sumangali Thittam</i>, which means “marriage plans”.
It lured thousands of girls from poor rural communities into the garment
industry with the promise of earning a marriage dowry in exchange for a
three-year apprenticeship. The majority of these workers also lived in spinning
mills making them extremely vulnerable to appalling treatment, and rarely got
the promised lump sum payment. Women and girls have even been given pills to
stop their periods so they could continue working non-stop.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">READ works at every level – from the grassroots to
government level – to raise awareness in local communities of exactly what
happens in local spinning mills to encourage people not to send their daughters
there and it’s been incredibly successful. The scheme once so rife, is almost
never used now. In the current phase of the project, READ is directing its
energies to address the rights of badly exploitated inter-state migrant garment
workers in spinning mills and garment factories.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlnJubZFjpwn4OpyifmvS1xiOSNpooft8YmCNdJhDaEm_2kR1GLph_mD-iqNnTjV47mmEg2dNwn85WP5BtWWi-ADCzecqHOgPlzeqQqncOPW2JYA3TTifCXNI8TFEqBbvgq_XpjqkqQ_9sLO-GHPXzjkxfPaHk2XP1_Vs-_rDYntEF5HiqhwTY_YN/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000324%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlnJubZFjpwn4OpyifmvS1xiOSNpooft8YmCNdJhDaEm_2kR1GLph_mD-iqNnTjV47mmEg2dNwn85WP5BtWWi-ADCzecqHOgPlzeqQqncOPW2JYA3TTifCXNI8TFEqBbvgq_XpjqkqQ_9sLO-GHPXzjkxfPaHk2XP1_Vs-_rDYntEF5HiqhwTY_YN/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000324%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I'm going to step back to your own childhood what were
your inspirations and where did you grow up?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: I grew up in the West country, I was born in Bristol - a beautiful
community, streets where you knew your neighbours and terraced houses. Very
strong women lived on those streets. It was good. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Later we moved to Clevedon, a seaside town where nothing really
happened. Because there were no clothes shops, the only really exciting thing we
could do was to go to jumble sales on Saturday mornings. It meant I found
beauty and fun in really small things, patterns, designs, materials and
dressing up. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With this slow pace of life when not much happened, you would
sit by the sea and wait for the fair to arrive, once a year, or you would have
the time to make things. We used to make 80’s v-back tops out of pillow cases.
There were charity shops, and so I got into secondhand clothes. I helped at the
school jumble sale when I was about 11 or 12 and fell in love with this
nostalgia. The quality of clothing from the 1950’s, you could dress up and be
whatever you wanted to be. That's where it all started and I was totally hooked.
It meant I could live a dream of being whoever I wanted to be. My Mother banned
me from going to jumble sales because I had so much stuff, but I used to sneak
it in through my bedroom window - luckily we lived in a bungalow. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The highlight of my youth was getting dressed up in
secondhand clothes and getting a bus to Bristol to go out dancing. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Do you have brothers or sisters?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: I have a brother who is older, which meant he left home
when I was very young. He's a very humorous character, which I like. I think
people from the West country are quite humorous.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Does he still live there? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: He does. I love the accent there and I love the people. My
eldest son wants to study in Bristol which is exciting as it brings us full
circle.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did you go to university?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: No, I left school at 15 with no qualifications, and went
straight into being a nurse. However in my 50s I completed an MBA. I'm so
grateful to the Open University because through their open door policy, they
allowed me to do a Masters knowing that I had no previous educational
qualifications, and I have been lucky enough to become a Fellow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I learnt from my MBA, was how most business models were
based on growth and profit over everything, and were written by men. Initially
I wanted to learn the language of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>business,
so I could also talk the talk, but in hindsight, it’s a mechanism for
bullshitting and keeping people out of much-needed conversations. My career
path from volunteering in an Oxfam shop to CEO of TRAID is not a conventional
one. Probably from my studies I learned that I'm not as thick as I thought I
was.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjG4tEE1jMJ_SbSupLDAfRrmy-2oAp4m7yqPe4fBVYX1ELBvWLoN7mGXCx25eunRP22JbZ5_mQclZmc4_2niWjKGljHPBQgSAf5bo2ZA48vIGo5kTt0dvvFbkySWtgGaQRo_6vinIq8nGBsgyz9FHAmlAvO9L2BgVjjGZIRk7qrYicYa1-U2rCMev/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000043%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjG4tEE1jMJ_SbSupLDAfRrmy-2oAp4m7yqPe4fBVYX1ELBvWLoN7mGXCx25eunRP22JbZ5_mQclZmc4_2niWjKGljHPBQgSAf5bo2ZA48vIGo5kTt0dvvFbkySWtgGaQRo_6vinIq8nGBsgyz9FHAmlAvO9L2BgVjjGZIRk7qrYicYa1-U2rCMev/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000043%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How did you end up working in the not for profit sector ?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: I moved to London when I was 20, and in those days, you walked
along Oxford Street, saw a vacancy sign in a shop window and got a job. I was
lucky and moved onto management positions. One day I questioned what I was
doing and started volunteering at my local charity shop, and the rest is
history. It’s now my 30<sup>th</sup> year in charity retail. I have worked at
TRAID for 23 years and became CEO in 2003.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: TRAID really stands out on the High Street. You talk
about your stores being very important and they are so colourful and exciting, brilliantly
curated and some are big. The only time I ever remember being in a store like
yours was in Denver in America where they had big, big second-hand stores. What
inspires your shops?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: When I started at TRAID, charity retail was downsizing
and boutiquing their shops. My thought was, well if you're paying nearly the
same amount of money for staff and everything else for a small shop, just have
a big shop. Then I had this fantasy of a big supermarket type charity shop
where everybody was welcome, everyone would find something, and it wasn't
rejecting or excluding anyone. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are only seven senior managers at TRAID, and when
people come into the head office, they expect to see departments of people. Everything
we do is quite organic with most management promoted from within.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP3fAcAS3mcQlyZytqhdIf27pDkE_imqCx223KX66I9RtWHtEXCWPnYY6Am5J-3pRgnd-YbIMCirqXQmJkJFam_ukRp-vSpL2S8raxW0TU4T-c15lkulqjUJwDyaFQ495HmbrBUR4cP-D6CSdMtWQBbPmco-hxBKP9QBQN9m623Kb0fQdKvPTgDcg/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000229%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIP3fAcAS3mcQlyZytqhdIf27pDkE_imqCx223KX66I9RtWHtEXCWPnYY6Am5J-3pRgnd-YbIMCirqXQmJkJFam_ukRp-vSpL2S8raxW0TU4T-c15lkulqjUJwDyaFQ495HmbrBUR4cP-D6CSdMtWQBbPmco-hxBKP9QBQN9m623Kb0fQdKvPTgDcg/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000229%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Your shops are only in London, any thoughts of pushing
them further out?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: We have fans globally, but there is always so much to do
in London with consumption and waste.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Do you have a special place for any high end finds you
come across?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: Our shops stock differing products depending on the
location. Westbourne Grove sells the high end, Wood Green sells a lower end label,
it’s not because we're being geographical snobs, it’s purely because we try out
different types of stock and react to our customer preferences.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyioluNnD6sAjSHwSQnpooGHzlEhlUwy2vrzfBNkUVXnDln7np5t7BgTfXmeYxjSkAeLYLgdsBC0Eomq_4JljeNwhOktvTVzxg1PiAopbvP60ZImx1ZBO3Aoh9Pvkp6CB5SlH5AIJ9gIRs333WBQLvDgZtkcRgAHR-oA3AqIQnQlZOgXmnwB2_yl8s/s1277/Maria%20Chenoweth000107%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyioluNnD6sAjSHwSQnpooGHzlEhlUwy2vrzfBNkUVXnDln7np5t7BgTfXmeYxjSkAeLYLgdsBC0Eomq_4JljeNwhOktvTVzxg1PiAopbvP60ZImx1ZBO3Aoh9Pvkp6CB5SlH5AIJ9gIRs333WBQLvDgZtkcRgAHR-oA3AqIQnQlZOgXmnwB2_yl8s/s16000/Maria%20Chenoweth000107%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What are your views on how we bring about change? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: The view is the bigger picture, it's not about blaming
and shaming the consumer, it’s about businesses and their behaviour. It’s about
using up the earth’s resources, systemic change with business models, profit
and wealth distribution. The fashion industry is the fourth biggest textile
waste polluter in Europe. All business models are built on growth, growth,
growth, growth, growth and cutting costs to the detriment of all things living.
We need to redefine what it is for a business to be satisfied, we need to
redefine business full stop.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Politically we had the Environmental Audit Committee
report which we all held high hopes for which was totally dismissed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: All the EAC suggestions were rejected by the government
and they again exposed the sweatshops in Leicester. It was so obvious that it was
just a matter of time before the UK would have its own sweatshops, because of
the desired high turn-around of fashion.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What would you like to see in the next eight years as we
only have eight years before the 2030 climate goals are supposed to be reached.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">M: The start of dismantling current business models.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><br />Links</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/" target="_blank">TRAID</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/shop-at-traid/" target="_blank">TRAID shops</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/clothes-donations/" target="_blank">TRAID donations</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/traid-projects/" target="_blank">TRAID projects</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.traid.org.uk/volunteering/" target="_blank">Volunteer </a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-66435227014137873642022-05-10T06:00:00.014+01:002022-05-23T13:43:17.497+01:00Focus On Diana Kakkar - CEO MAES London<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSTlAD8k36wISmYn8wYohFQHoGZ8Z9COiGPfGtN1SnrGBg2C_6-TYUp8hcOxJ8x5Ki4e03Bt9qad36HGMo60WLlZEJVnflj4zqKJuaDIMs_bCBXuUNRYy3Sk4OrC26bpgriCOM8miJNA31fmOJk6uKhKngOd09XF1XDp5UiFyvrzVuUzoYbm6jm4p/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000184%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSTlAD8k36wISmYn8wYohFQHoGZ8Z9COiGPfGtN1SnrGBg2C_6-TYUp8hcOxJ8x5Ki4e03Bt9qad36HGMo60WLlZEJVnflj4zqKJuaDIMs_bCBXuUNRYy3Sk4OrC26bpgriCOM8miJNA31fmOJk6uKhKngOd09XF1XDp5UiFyvrzVuUzoYbm6jm4p/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000184%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Diana and I first met when while shooting streetstyle back
in 2012, during Fashion Week in London. We met again right before the start of
the pandemic when I went to see her factory which at that point was in the East
End of London she had done a lot since we first met shooting street style. My
assumption back then was that she was a street style photographer and that
couldn’t have been further from the truth. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we sat chatting in a café close to her workplace back in
February 2020, we didn’t know how quickly the effects of Covid19 were about to
change everything. We set a shoot date 18th March but by the 16<sup>th</sup> of
March we were told if we could work from home we should and from here to there
we only managed to meet for photography this year. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During the intervening pandemic years Diana remained
productive and even surprisingly her business has grown, more on that later. For
now as always we start our interview with the early influences in Diana’s life
that set her on life’s journey.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsfSyKFu-OUAvHoPVQvSsjvf-N_Kd3IsyLCcXSHbIexlPZMLFfrMlQ09s8aiyQlTQsybAEMlkYZzcw-ce_6gQEiZ8DTP1j9GKpBc2gK1qrOm-UW6G7GMLSHNB1keGmifKb1Ie8aK4auSAr63Akcgn9N-1LApuWGJCwxYfhQTGJQeXMBv5zRAEpwD-/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000208%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAsfSyKFu-OUAvHoPVQvSsjvf-N_Kd3IsyLCcXSHbIexlPZMLFfrMlQ09s8aiyQlTQsybAEMlkYZzcw-ce_6gQEiZ8DTP1j9GKpBc2gK1qrOm-UW6G7GMLSHNB1keGmifKb1Ie8aK4auSAr63Akcgn9N-1LApuWGJCwxYfhQTGJQeXMBv5zRAEpwD-/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000208%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Di: I am from India, I was born in a city called Ahmadabad
in Gujarat south of Rajasthan, which is known for its colourful clothes and
trinkets. Gujarat, is called the enterprising state everyone is a business
person there. In India you have different states but unlike the UK or US the
languages differ from state to state. This means you can only speak to people
from different states if you speak in Hindi or English which is the national
language. Then in quite a few of the states you are not taught Hindi either, so
then only English and the regional language is spoken. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mum is from Gujarat and dad was from the North-East of
India, they met accidently. Mum was driving, she was running late for something
and was driving the way she still does today (laughs) and dad was a passenger
on a motorbike with his friend driving. Mum took a dangerous turn and came
precariously close to crashing into dad and his friend. Fortuitously mum and
the friend of dad’s knew each other. She was saying sorry to him, that was
their first introduction. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Because they came from completely different cultural
backgrounds - back in the late 70s in India, it was rare to marry out of your
cultural background, or your city, or your state. In the 70’s it was more usual
in India that your parents found you a bride or groom which is called an
arranged marriage. A love marriage is, I guess what rebels do and it was very
rare then, and very rare between cultures too, so they had to fight their way
through a lot of tradition to convince my grandparents on both sides that this
was for them. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My family lives in India still, I moved to the UK in January
2011, you and I met at the start 2012. I remember it was a very cold wet February
Fashion Week day. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I arrived in the UK I went for a job interview and
remember the recruiter saying “Diana you interview brilliantly and I think you
are really employable but your portfolio is not right for the UK.” I had moved
from Australia, where I had lived for a couple of years, my photography folio was
boat shots and my design portfolio, was vests. She suggested I walk around
Oxford Circus and see what people are wearing in the UK then create designs for
the UK market. That was great advice for me and that was why I was taking
photographs of people on the street and writing a blog. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DbmvUvC1Mb6pskRtkO03ABWNLB_MNlUX3mX0XFjfPB8pY2MVFjv9HFy2kQrHG3U8MOwLU4coZyY2Tt50rG3Lvlm6vfRiSO5nUjYqfexkjbxh6qnevKhZuVO1blNRLjxYyz5jRwqvXj4oQq3fhWhfabAmLJ1GCTI8GFtVVC06B_lAzOaP_wlZ6oE1/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000356%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DbmvUvC1Mb6pskRtkO03ABWNLB_MNlUX3mX0XFjfPB8pY2MVFjv9HFy2kQrHG3U8MOwLU4coZyY2Tt50rG3Lvlm6vfRiSO5nUjYqfexkjbxh6qnevKhZuVO1blNRLjxYyz5jRwqvXj4oQq3fhWhfabAmLJ1GCTI8GFtVVC06B_lAzOaP_wlZ6oE1/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000356%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Is there fashion in your family?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: No, no.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Not in the creative industry at all?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: No, not at all, if they had it their way, I would be a
lawyer or a doctor or an accountant or have an MBA or maybe be a housewife with
children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: You could still do an MBA someday if you wanted.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: Yes exactly, even though I am running a business and we
have a growing team of over 15 people on the payroll when I speak to mum she will
say “had you done an MBA it would really have come in handy right now.” So no,
no-one in my family understands what I do. I think in their heads I am sitting
twiddling my thumbs and staring at the wall and sketching all day. I try and
send them as many pictures as possible to show them what’s really happening.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had studied Economics, but always knew this wasn’t for me
and was pretty sure fashion was my calling. When I was a girl, I couldn’t find
clothes to suit my shape, so I would buy fabric and work with a local
seamstress who made clothes for me. That’s how fashion became and interest, for
me it was a way of gaining confidence, feeling confident making a change. Then it
was the creative process, not only finding the right fabric and the right
colours, for me it was more about the technical process of making the clothes. I
loved watching the seamstress, she would pinch in a little here and suddenly I
am like ‘Oh, I’ve got a waist, I didn’t that’. And she would put in a shoulder
pad - this is the early 90’s, and suddenly your wonky shoulder would be
balanced. That engineering and understanding of the body fascinated me and
sparked my interest in clothes, more than fashion. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: What a wonderful way to learn, by watching, by seeing
and as you say the engineering of putting it together.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: Exactly, she used to work under a tree. She didn’t even
have a kiosk, she was working under the tree on one of those manual machines,
which you had to press the foot pedal down and work with your hand and I was fascinated
‘how do you coordinate your feet and your hand and how is all of that going
together?’ I was mesmerised from the very beginning. Then I got my own Singer
industrial machine that you had to move manually that I learnt to a sew on.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Was that something you specifically asked for? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: I think we inherited it from one of the house’s we moved
into. I used it mostly for mending. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">As I grew older and went to college to study business and Economics
but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I knew I didn’t want to sit behind a screen
looking at excel spreadsheets all day trying to figure out how to make money.
Laughs, which I am doing now anyway, but I knew I wanted to learn a skill, a
skill that would live with me forever. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I finished my Economics degree and went back to mum and
said, ‘let me try fashion and if it doesn’t work out I can always fall back on
my economics and statistics degree. She was resistant but because I had done
well in my degree I managed to get a scholarship for the fashion course, for everything
except the first year. I fought really hard to do this, that’s how I got into
fashion.</p>
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{page:WordSe</style><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbtQVIt6Dm6EGE4Xkw6II8Z7QTZ4vth0Gkop4qSb_QAxSo_4l4EbAJi2KcbR0EjyfOP4K41kSRml2ExH7gfmoCKYa6PRUsjPckktYTsujnHTeKL1L28Lo9ia1UUjTUjyBNVXEZRzQUrWpAdRqb2MovtWrmpaI39nRQajg2G0PavcROrHAZzczfusf/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000308%20rtscc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGbtQVIt6Dm6EGE4Xkw6II8Z7QTZ4vth0Gkop4qSb_QAxSo_4l4EbAJi2KcbR0EjyfOP4K41kSRml2ExH7gfmoCKYa6PRUsjPckktYTsujnHTeKL1L28Lo9ia1UUjTUjyBNVXEZRzQUrWpAdRqb2MovtWrmpaI39nRQajg2G0PavcROrHAZzczfusf/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000308%20rtscc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Now you have 2 degrees, what was your next step, where
did you go next?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: In 2008, I fell I love and moved to Sydney to be with him.
I have had two defining moments in my life the first was moving from India to
Sydney, I had felt I was at the peak of what I could achieve there and the move
meant I had start all over again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Who did you work for in Sydney?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: My first job was working for a small vintage boutique
call Barbarella vintage. The owner was descendant Hmong Vietnamese and she was
supporting a Vietnamese factory, producing everything in Vietnam and selling in
Sydney. She needed someone who could speak the technical language of fashion, so
I was translating all the designs technically to produce overseas. I then moved
to Ben Sherman, which was very interesting because I was suddenly thrown into
UK culture and the best way to understand the UK was to study the music and
there was a lot of Pop and Mod culture coming through. When I was studying fashion
I had wanted to study at LCF or Central St Martins, because McQueen had studied
in London you want to study in London too. So, my next move was to London.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Once in London and after the interview with a recruiter who
I suggested I use photography to get a feel for London style, I found I<i> <u>really
</u></i>loved taking photographs and my design sensibilities changed. I started
finding myself again and started almost redefining myself. It also meant
removing anything I didn’t want in my life at that stage. I then split with my
ex which was very painful, so this shift gave me a renewed energy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I tried to run away to figure out what was happening to take
this pain away and moved to New York, to work with Scott Schuman, The
Satorialist. I loved working there and learnt a lot about how the blogging
industry works in New York. I still think America is 3 to 5 years ahead of the
UK when it comes to that, so it gave me a glimpse of the future and what would
happen if I continued down that road. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It made me realise what I was actually missing was the
clothes. I loved fashion, but I actually loved the clothes more, the making and
the engineering of the clothes. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had come to a stage where I had to choose New York or
London. While it was in New York it pulled into focus that London, in spite of
memories of my breakup, was home. My girlfriends were here, my friends were
here, I had a support system here. I moved back to London, and started
interviewing for a pure garment manufacturing or garment technologist job and
got a great break with a Canadian designer based in London called Erdem. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The second life defining moment was when I was working with
Erdem. I wanted to be back in the clothes industry I wanted to be around
fashion. I walked into that atelier and I could see the pattern cutting and I
could see the sewing and I was like ‘Oh my god, I’m home. This is home.’, I
found myself again. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It restructured everything, any frays or split ends in my
life. All my knowledge, started flowing really easily, it meant that whatever I
had learned, what my experiences were, were coming out more naturally. I was
really passionate about the product. I was really passionate about the process,
it completed me. </p>
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{page:WordSection1</style><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvtBwV3dIzhYMZjUEsSqQ-nje4CNRR9o6c0n2Jluv5ObbNb3LnAwKT_-uy7QMLqUloNkc3K78Pdsl-4sW5RyNIt-Ge38I1U44aB_vKbGbhsSdvsdodxni5UJxTgyt49Od6YSKFkOecIVqTnFvMxPwzd196-INQM-zF9obKUwqr6FVslkFmrdUqnEO/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000158%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxvtBwV3dIzhYMZjUEsSqQ-nje4CNRR9o6c0n2Jluv5ObbNb3LnAwKT_-uy7QMLqUloNkc3K78Pdsl-4sW5RyNIt-Ge38I1U44aB_vKbGbhsSdvsdodxni5UJxTgyt49Od6YSKFkOecIVqTnFvMxPwzd196-INQM-zF9obKUwqr6FVslkFmrdUqnEO/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000158%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: You wanted to do your own thing. What gave you the
impetuous to step forward and do that? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: My boyfriend Josh is from America, he had been in the UK
21/22 years, mostly in London. He was at a stage where London was tiring him
out and he wanted to live a slower pace of life, he wanted to move out of
London. The only place I was willing to move to was Margate because I really,
really like it there. I could see he needed change and wasn’t happy and that was
affecting me too. So although I loved what I did, someone I dearly cared about
was suffering. The conversation had been on the periphery for 4 or 5 months,
maybe longer. On the 18<sup>th</sup> of September the day of the Erdem show, Josh
resigned from his job. He had told me the Friday before he was going to resign
on the Monday saying ‘I have been in this job 11 years, this is my first step
towards moving out of London and living a slower life. I want to live closer to
work. I don’t want to be on the Central Line in the rush hour, I really want to
take control of my life.’ I was fully supportive of that. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then he kept pushing me, you know you have so much fashion
knowledge, why don’t you create a connection between India and the UK, you know
people are really struggling to make their collections, you can make dreams
come true. You can use your skills and experience and connect them to
manufacturers in India. I had done it in the past with other designers but had
always felt there was a lack of communication between manufacturers and
designers when they are in two different countries. They don’t speak the same,
not the language, but the same language of fashion. I could see that that’s why
the partnership between designers and manufacturers weren’t working and
manufacturers were getting a bad name. I wanted to support India and I wanted
to support the designers here because they had the visions I believed in but was
struggling to create a bridge between them. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The initial thought was to set up a small studio in Margate to
help designers achieve their vision. Then if there was a bigger production we could
take that to India and I could go and see the family etc, etc. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The more we talked the more we realised there was a gap in
the market, where designers didn’t have manufacturers they could trust with
their vision, that’s when we decided to set up MAES London. MAES is seam spelt
backwards. The core essence of <a href="https://www.maeslondon.com/" target="_blank">MAES London</a> is that we are an extension of the
designers. We work with designers and help them create a collection which they
are proud of so that when they walk into the sales room they know <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that what they are walking in with is a
really good product. Then if they choose to produce with us we could take it to
India. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was our initial thought because we were thinking really
small, thinking we would have maybe a 2 or 3 person team maximum. This was the
business idea, we started looking at numbers, then we both quit our jobs. We
released quickly that Margate was not going to work as all my connections were
in London. To start we took a small studio in Hackney Wick which was close to
home. Josh wanted work to be in walkable distance, he didn’t want to take the
train and he wanted to reduce his carbon footprint. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUbjYBTPkGcnK2oCnHwRTcA9dhe8hLdn33XPoZBRafXVmNfr_mfk4F5LgtAi6K7V7zeywvZTVnvSY9UAsytKhIt9TeBrvohk0WGi6G6AEWex9_ml_CgJ7NcSpZ7rn2TlY6dMoHnFre0W_Qo_oUZFkRldw3rYnvH0K4AcEhVMITZL5oZkToCyWfaVx/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000383%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUbjYBTPkGcnK2oCnHwRTcA9dhe8hLdn33XPoZBRafXVmNfr_mfk4F5LgtAi6K7V7zeywvZTVnvSY9UAsytKhIt9TeBrvohk0WGi6G6AEWex9_ml_CgJ7NcSpZ7rn2TlY6dMoHnFre0W_Qo_oUZFkRldw3rYnvH0K4AcEhVMITZL5oZkToCyWfaVx/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000383%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: And you are still working together?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: Still going strong. I am still the CEO, so I have the
final say. We have learnt how to agree and disagree with each other. Those are
the big challenges when you are working and living together regardless of whether
the person is your partner or your best friend. You have to draw your boundaries.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: It is good you come from different directions and have
different strengths.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: He really compliments the skill that we need in the
business. I feel I am the initiator and he is the processor and I am the doer, so
he has a big chunk in-between. I start something, he processes it all, makes
the systems and I execute it, we make a good team. He definitely challenges me daily,
to be the best version of myself. That’s the beauty of working with a best
friend because they understand you.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, there we were setting up a small studio in Hackney Wick
and our first client is with us still. We started with one designer making
their collection. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb_DCCxOU9X72B-qWCGoPbvYtu0xVgiAEaaoae4nCqlWc890bM09AgdEd2G5e85_5dIaCbChMRq6hCw4Qk7W0q9xmNEYMuUb5h-_lI0lOyIHtYT6-6vtO7SeGpGY0gJIKT3U-8Q-bMH5-5d-RMjzn_-6kF7NrN60yXui0FqUWH0-V_N6dLIvLisfo/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000241%20rtscc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="942" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjb_DCCxOU9X72B-qWCGoPbvYtu0xVgiAEaaoae4nCqlWc890bM09AgdEd2G5e85_5dIaCbChMRq6hCw4Qk7W0q9xmNEYMuUb5h-_lI0lOyIHtYT6-6vtO7SeGpGY0gJIKT3U-8Q-bMH5-5d-RMjzn_-6kF7NrN60yXui0FqUWH0-V_N6dLIvLisfo/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000241%20rtscc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Who do you work with now?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: Confidentiality doesn’t allow me to say outright, we do
however work with a lot of London Fashion Week clients I would say 95% of our
clients showcase at Paris Fashion Week, London Fashion Week or Copenhagen
Fashion Week. Most of them sell in Selfridges, Harrods, Net-A-Porter, Matches.
Both Men and Womenswear. We are set up do Women’s sampling and production and we
have one Menswear client who creates a genderless, gender fluid collection. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Lines are blurred a lot now and a lot of brands are putting
both Men and Womenswear collections down the runway at the same time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: It all becomes flatter. I think it is better for the
fashion industry because you would say that the collections are becoming more concise
and more thoughtful. I think it’s high time the industry was going through this
new way of thinking or we would just come back to a situation where we are
overproducing and under selling. Or there would be so much deadstock.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: The way you produce allows people to work in a more
sustainable way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: I think the main thing is, because we are based in London
and we are a small studio, we can make smaller collections and smaller
productions. We are not looking for 1000 units to be produced with us. We help
designers produce even the smallest of smallest of collections. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: I guess it also allows them to quickly extend the
collection if something is selling really well. And keeps their carbon footprint
lower. They can also see the people who are creating the clothing for them and they
know that they are being treated in an ethical way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: They are a few things we think about. By offering lower
MOQ’s (Minimum order quantities) by saying that we can produce 25 units or 65
units we are enticing designers to be more thoughtful when they are producing
clothes which means that they are producing or are choosing to produce only the
stuff that has been sold or confirmed sold by retailers. This means you are not
sitting with loads of deadstock in your warehouse. Gone are the times when
fashion should have a shelf life, you should be looking at more sustainable
classic pieces.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWSn6oNIj629uxY_7NE7145ltEj4nvi6dHJqoSBdj7bdbGE0kSayoqt96ZXgJ9hP9XVjV6ERmhREKKr6oXHWeT3NlIFkrPrffpjT8_8Y1EDy0jebIKucVcF_Fyyol4OiofwRkWmGwwcSyAEFemF6lBTRV2V8PelcR88XJPtYBtEjPFoQV6qE04r-k/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000291%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWSn6oNIj629uxY_7NE7145ltEj4nvi6dHJqoSBdj7bdbGE0kSayoqt96ZXgJ9hP9XVjV6ERmhREKKr6oXHWeT3NlIFkrPrffpjT8_8Y1EDy0jebIKucVcF_Fyyol4OiofwRkWmGwwcSyAEFemF6lBTRV2V8PelcR88XJPtYBtEjPFoQV6qE04r-k/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000291%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: You are working high end, so you are creating pieces
that are beautifully structured that people want to keep in their wardrobe
forever. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: The garments are made to the highest standards, so they
will last longer. The fabrics are beautiful, we specialise in silks. We try and
stay away from cheap fabrics which don’t stand the test of time or are bad for
the environment. Our designers choose to use fabrics which are more beautiful,
structured and come from reliable sources. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our supply chain forward and behind us is so solid that we
feel that what we are doing is really thoughtful and we are conscious of what
we are producing. The clients selling the clothing are also thinking about this
industry on a bigger scale, not produce, produce, produce to sell at minimal
price for throw away fashions sake.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: When you started <a href="https://www.maeslondon.com/" target="_blank">MAES London</a>, you said it is seam back
to front. How did you come to that?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: One of the first names we came up with for the business
was Ada, we were thinking of anagrams, we played a lot with these, with
different words and we were on the 25 bus coming back from the gym when Josh
suggested I write down everything related to fashion. The name had to sound
classy and luxurious with quality. It needed to sound lovely when you listen to
it. We wrote down a few words and because we had been paying with anagrams, I
was reading things backwards and MAES really struck a cord. Everyone liked it,
it sounded good, it sounded international it sounded like a person and then we
found out it is one of the Netherlands most popular surnames and in another
language it meant mum, it had positive ever growing solid synonyms with it so
we were sure this was it. It is MAES London, seam backwards because we truly,
truly believe that if you get it right from the first stage then you have a
really good product. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I look at it like if you were designing a house and you have
the most amazingly beautiful designed house, but if your base, your foundation
is slightly wonky your most beautifully designed house will be wonky so we
believe that the foundation or seam of the garment is the first stage and you
take it from there. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfpDl4rPJSViVnLbXot3_pqKcRgkrqrEsRsmpElrtiwg8jPmbX-wcL5r8FEkQg_hysBosDDdT-M40oGstjAf0g-njpotJXkZthbBOuNELCPrjLPfzvLzjTyPmOS-ADOAOiq2FnQpHU7CuhMa6JDLXPzVo-QetMOhW5fgOzjoohgoZymhGsb5-xyJx/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000135%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHfpDl4rPJSViVnLbXot3_pqKcRgkrqrEsRsmpElrtiwg8jPmbX-wcL5r8FEkQg_hysBosDDdT-M40oGstjAf0g-njpotJXkZthbBOuNELCPrjLPfzvLzjTyPmOS-ADOAOiq2FnQpHU7CuhMa6JDLXPzVo-QetMOhW5fgOzjoohgoZymhGsb5-xyJx/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000135%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <br /><p></p>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: When I interviewed Dilys Williams she mentioned a
collective of product designers who believed a product that couldn’t be taken
apart, fixed and put back together again has failed from the beginning, which
is what you are saying about your seams and foundations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: If the foundation wasn’t right, we wouldn’t be able to
unpick a garment and put it back together.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Where you manufacturing from the beginning?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: We started with the intention of manufacturing locally,
with the intention of sampling not production. We were sampling for the client
and then decided to produce for them. We started with one sample and they took
it to market and realised it was really good and they wanted to produce 30 of
them and it was a best seller so then they wanted us to produce 50 of them and
since then we have been in the cycle of growth with our clients. I think that’s
the joy of having a small family run business, because you engage with the
client you see them grow. One of our first clients from May 2018 came to us
with 5 units and we recently produced 350 units for them that’s the growth the
brand has seen, and we have grown with them and for us to be a part of that, is
really rewarding.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Do you work with students as well?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: The client I mention was a student and is now selling in
lots of Parisian & English boutiques. The beauty of <a href="https://www.maeslondon.com/" target="_blank">MAES London</a> is that we
are such a good support team, we love supporting our designers. We are
championing their growth because the more they grow the prouder we get and that
means the more opportunities we have to bring their design and visions to life and
that is the joy we get out of it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So that is MAES London, we do sampling production and
pattern cutting for designers. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However we can’t work only with students as we invest a lot
of time grooming them to be production ready. My point being, we are very
selective of who we work with. Our selection works like this: People, Planet,
Product and Price.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbkvQGVP4HZu48ncjv2MqtdZ69G8c4R2BWx2q2IzGNvmmZ1HSqlRytn6SHU0Szzhny6MVCLAUC7yiZOjRVmPBv6rtTFl5HkLoabizi3WDVNPf1uxkDD1B8y8Z0iN5ZrNPjU7ciuzdiZvyE_4o2shbJ_nVWNF68aSpH4RUmK5AtIKftGHX2dRhYTDw/s1277/Diana%20Kakkar000168%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbkvQGVP4HZu48ncjv2MqtdZ69G8c4R2BWx2q2IzGNvmmZ1HSqlRytn6SHU0Szzhny6MVCLAUC7yiZOjRVmPBv6rtTFl5HkLoabizi3WDVNPf1uxkDD1B8y8Z0iN5ZrNPjU7ciuzdiZvyE_4o2shbJ_nVWNF68aSpH4RUmK5AtIKftGHX2dRhYTDw/s16000/Diana%20Kakkar000168%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: How do you see the future for MAES London?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Di: We are very lucky to be in London and to be producing
locally is a privilege. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At MAES our core message is that we are here for designers, enabling
them to create beautiful products. That holds true even more now than before
because this is their livelihood and we want to make sure they know that we are
there to assist them through their development, production sampling journey. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Making their dreams come true.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Links </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Website <a href="https://www.maeslondon.com/" target="_blank">MAES London</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maeslondon/" target="_blank">@maeslondon </a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-11717237176210254822022-04-26T06:00:00.001+01:002022-04-26T06:00:00.203+01:00Focus on Emily Penn - Founder of eXXpedition<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAR5NsPzEEyzQSqJ9n-xFxEyKicOGYFG6VjE_5_9Ce6A2PZN7uM5b_Yo9IECVeyrC3nae3_DMMCX8OmQkBFLga9UxBjk3-AgzQzhjDYmwX2qHhYnBOmU9VDvibkZp6LKzUvVuRz9NAVLN6cY032h44fB0ShqahcuTRBWPdkyzaSxTVsO1aRD-6EPuF/s1277/Emily%20Penn000302%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAR5NsPzEEyzQSqJ9n-xFxEyKicOGYFG6VjE_5_9Ce6A2PZN7uM5b_Yo9IECVeyrC3nae3_DMMCX8OmQkBFLga9UxBjk3-AgzQzhjDYmwX2qHhYnBOmU9VDvibkZp6LKzUvVuRz9NAVLN6cY032h44fB0ShqahcuTRBWPdkyzaSxTVsO1aRD-6EPuF/s16000/Emily%20Penn000302%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">I first learned of Inspirational Woman <a href="https://www.emilypenn.com/" target="_blank">Emily Penn</a> when <a href="https://fashionistable.blogspot.com/2019/10/focus-on-carry-somers-co-founder-of.html" target="_blank">Carry Somers</a> started talking about joining her eXXpedition to look at plastic
pollution in our oceans. Emily’s work tracks the plastic from the ocean back to
its source, back to us and industry. Her story is amazing, if like me you love
to travel you will love reading Emily’s story. She is a very modern adventurer with
true purpose, discovering many solutions to solving our problems with plastic.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I'd like to start by saying congratulations on your
British Empire medal you received recently for all the work that you've done so
far.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: It was so nice to get that recognition after working on ocean
conservation for so many years. It's been a busy last decade really and
increasingly so over these recent years when plastic pollution has risen to the
forefront of people's minds. It’s on the top of the priorities list and I was,
in a way, in a lucky position where I'd spent so many years already working on
it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0ix7pp82AijtnIx64PdBa2Dg2xZ2NOiVWL89W6tRAW6_hytK2PBHu7HsQlNZd7WskCK6FcZwGeF5cSUkXQMZi9AJoUnQGiBeMFyRtORSDDeC4U4f1BQeVzQsw1OlAcSGPE39QsvvZtQWW589jPXf3vejDg7TfxLKVZxXGHThcfHMEmw-YS8DP13E/s1277/Emily%20Penn000055%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX0ix7pp82AijtnIx64PdBa2Dg2xZ2NOiVWL89W6tRAW6_hytK2PBHu7HsQlNZd7WskCK6FcZwGeF5cSUkXQMZi9AJoUnQGiBeMFyRtORSDDeC4U4f1BQeVzQsw1OlAcSGPE39QsvvZtQWW589jPXf3vejDg7TfxLKVZxXGHThcfHMEmw-YS8DP13E/s16000/Emily%20Penn000055%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I'd like to go back to the things that inspired you as
you were growing up. Our childhood shapes who we are as adults and would like
to start by asking, where did you grow up?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I grew up in South Wales near the sea, a little town
called Penarth. I was very connected to the ocean from a young age, through my
parents. Dad, before what he was then, had trained as a marine biologist. Whenever
we went on holiday, usually to Devon or somewhere around the cold British
coastline, we'd still get the mask and snorkel on and get underwater. Really get
immersed in it. I tried sailing for the first time when I was about 6 or 7
again on holiday in Devon. It was a fun holiday thing to do, and I really
enjoyed it. At the end of the holiday I wanted do more and ended up going for
lessons on a tiny little lake in Wales. Then over the years worked my way up
the sailing dinghy classes, so by the time I was a teenager I was racing for
Britain. So, I spent my childhood either on or under the water.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think the interesting thing about my childhood was that I
fell in love with the sea; the sparkle on the water, the way it looks, the way
it feels, that feeling as you jump in, everything that I could see under it. I
also had real respect for it through sailing. You realise that the weather and
tides change - Mother Nature knows best and to respect that. There was
something about that though, that made me feel that it was so awesome, in that
sense of awe inspiring, raw nature. I think when we grow up in these concrete
boxes, we were so buffered from the natural world and what I loved most about
being on the water was that there was no buffer. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What I didn't know anything about when growing up was how
much the ocean was in trouble. That realisation came as a complete shock to me
when I was in my early 20s going round the world.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Do you have siblings?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I have one older brother, he's a meteorologist. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: So, he’s plotting what the weather is doing and you are
in the middle of it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You studied architecture at university what made you head in
that direction? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Despite obviously loving the sea, in the academic world I
was growing up in, I also loved maths and science, but also art, drawing and
designing. Which all points you towards architecture. I'm so glad I did the
architecture degree; it wasn't what I expected, it was actually far less “science-y”
than I had imagined. Architecture degrees vary quite a lot depending on where
you do them, the one I did was very philosophy based which was a subject I
would have never chosen to do when I was at school, but I loved the depths of
thinking that came with that. Learning how a building can change the way you
think, how you feel, how you act, on a deep psychological level. That sometimes
you wouldn't even realise - that subconscious level. Exploring all those ideas
was far beyond the physics of how a building stands up, or even the art and
design of what looks beautiful. It was about the mind and that fascinated me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Looking back, years later, what fascinates me now as someone
who's trying to create change on these issues, is that I am using the same way
of problem solving and the same theories of change as I did in Architecture
school. So, I'm so glad I did it but not for the reason I thought I was signing
up for.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How did it feel to be landlocked for, was it three years
or more? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: It was fine because I loved the degree so much. I took up
rowing on the Cam and threw myself into that life. I never ever thought that I
would end up becoming a professional sailor for a large chunk of my life. I really
thought I was going to go on and be an architect.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmXy0INKi7U3PLpGjnl2ojkpq56U7Hj4SUNr9a--XUo8y6ZhwXlXcakG0DVSaCNbQtkFx1asxT5eK1tw-g1lE3F8qyqm_1paQKVg7eEMI1WaChluOSXR4EmX7aPP8jFnujN9DNm1oW4wTMlJkalMJN7o0T8urebs7Qwg1subbB2DdG7LFS-NvDRwc/s1277/Emily%20Penn000087%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmXy0INKi7U3PLpGjnl2ojkpq56U7Hj4SUNr9a--XUo8y6ZhwXlXcakG0DVSaCNbQtkFx1asxT5eK1tw-g1lE3F8qyqm_1paQKVg7eEMI1WaChluOSXR4EmX7aPP8jFnujN9DNm1oW4wTMlJkalMJN7o0T8urebs7Qwg1subbB2DdG7LFS-NvDRwc/s16000/Emily%20Penn000087%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: The second year of your architecture degree saw the
beginnings of your travels. Firstly, across land to Shanghai. Can you tell us
about that trip?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I have always had a fascination with sustainability and
I'm sure a lot of that’s from my parents - with my upbringing and having the
Natural History of the world shared with me from a young age. When I was 16 and
was asked to design a chair for the 21st century for my GCSE design project,
when I looked at what the 21st century furniture needed my answer was, ‘well it
has to be completely made from reclaimed materials.’ At 16 that was what I felt,
and that outlook carried through to my degree. When I had the opportunity to
write a dissertation on anything I wanted to, to do with architecture, I came
across this Eco City that was being built in Shanghai. So I thought, great,
China a country that I know absolutely nothing about and there's an Eco City
being built there, that sounds like a great place to go and focus my attention
on. Of course I couldn't very well take an aeroplane to go and visit and
research a zero carbon city. That was when this idea came about to take a train,
a camel and a horse across Europe, Russia, Mongolia and down through China.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did you travel on your own?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I did yes and met a lot of people along the way and
that's the bit I loved the most. It began as a quest to minimise my carbon
footprint, but the process of that journey, and experiencing the subtle
transitions you see when you're travelling at a more human pace than on an
aeroplane, was great. Instead of arriving culture shocked, jet lagged and
climate shocked I arrived having seen the changing landscape and architecture
and climate and, most of all, the people who I met all along that journey. It
fascinated me so much and I fell in love with the idea of travelling slowly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But the huge surprise when I got there was that they hadn't
even broken ground on the site of the Eco City. They had created beautiful
marketing material but nothing else and when I arrived at this beautiful island
it was a wetland full of lovely birds.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course that could have been a huge spanner in the works,
and it probably would have if I had just stepped off a plane, but because I had
had that journey, by the time I got my destination, my mind was full of new
ideas. The local family I was staying with in China lived in Lilong housing which
was a type of architecture used in the early 1900s, when most of Shanghai was
built. It fascinated me, the way it was orientated based on the sun and the way
the community evolved within the structures and that gave me a new focus
without really realising it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That journey gave me an important part of my approach to
life that I've continued to adopt. You need a goal. You need something to get
you up out of bed every day - something to energise you and start working
towards. But if you're too blinkered only focusing on your goal you miss the
really important bits - the opportunities that cross your path. And then you need
the courage to shift paths. That was a really important learning experience to
have a young age and is something I've really embraced. It’s led me to where I
am now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: After University you then got a job in Australia and
again you didn’t fly there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: It was that experience the year before, falling in love
with slow travel, combined with spending so much time on the ocean growing up, which
had me thinking how amazing would it be to cross the Atlantic on a boat. That
was when I started looking at ways to hitchhike to Australia and came across
this amazing project Earthrace which is a crazy rocket shaped boat.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did it get you to Australia more quickly?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: It took six months to get from the UK to Australia. Along
the way we stopped at a lot of places, pulling in, you can imagine that boat
coming into a little Pacific Island, you get the entire town out on the dock.
All the locals would clamber through the boat and we would talk about renewable
energy and some of the challenges around that. It was a great tool to enable us
to engage people. It was a project that attracted really interesting people and
most importantly people who were unlike anyone I'd met before while growing up
in the UK - I was being exposed to so many new things. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Was it on that journey that you heard the bump on the
side of the boat that changed everything? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">E: One night we were hundreds of miles from land when we
started to hear things hitting the hull of our boat. When the sun came up, we
could see pieces of plastic in the water around us. It wasn't this island of
plastic that I went on to hear about, and then later discovered didn't exist, in
reality it’s much less dense – a piece here, a piece there – but went on day
after day as we crossed the Pacific. </p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">We didn’t have any running water, just three litres of
water per person per day, so any washing we did was by jumping over the side. We
would stop the boat at 9am every morning and all jump in for a swim. It was
being so up close with that part of the ocean that I started to realise what
was floating by; a toothbrush, a cigarette lighter, a bottle top. At first we were
all questioning “where’s this coming from?” – there must be something just out
of sight that we haven’t spotted that explains what we seeing. But this went on
and on for days, for weeks and then we would stop at little islands and they
were covered in plastic too. Uninhabited specks of absolute paradise in the middle
of the Pacific, covered in plastic. I couldn't believe it. It didn't make any
sense to me at all.</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"> </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAMrpc7DQy89l6C14I4M5VQgeNaSu4CUDhyuwIPzI9_V9Jrr4fWo0wSXf1VpzR_hDUwNlnJIw7X7lpzhb0nsWVeHEkHigjvopbWlH6JyprHVgM8b0U4LYJNs213M-Y_ckbFdkaaEaCNDat4EldfIhEQXdrzJ97sBfdXu1_twvpPFuD7fzfJrOM844/s1277/Emily%20Penn000227%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAMrpc7DQy89l6C14I4M5VQgeNaSu4CUDhyuwIPzI9_V9Jrr4fWo0wSXf1VpzR_hDUwNlnJIw7X7lpzhb0nsWVeHEkHigjvopbWlH6JyprHVgM8b0U4LYJNs213M-Y_ckbFdkaaEaCNDat4EldfIhEQXdrzJ97sBfdXu1_twvpPFuD7fzfJrOM844/s16000/Emily%20Penn000227%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What happened when you eventually reached Australia? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I postponed the job for six months - I wanted to finish the
Earthrace project. I had already learned so much and was loving the experience so
really wanted to see it through to the end and that meant carrying on to New
Zealand to complete the tour which was absolutely incredible. At the end of those
six months: again I had met so many other people, including a group of sailors
who had just returned from the Pacific islands, and they had also seen the
plastic issue in Tonga. At that point I thought why don't we sail back up there
and do a project which I thought would take maybe three weeks, then I would
head over to Australia and take the job. By the time I got back to Tonga and
learnt more about the plastic problem and realised how big it was. Plus, it
wasn't only a clean-up that was going to solve the problem - it needed a huge
amount of long-term work in the community, with the government, with schools
and more. At that point I called the architecture job off altogether.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Who are you working for in Tonga? Did the government fund
the work?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: We basically turned up and started to have conversations,
back then not many people had access to the internet, so you would fire off a
few emails and rarely got a reply. So it was a more of a case of showing up,
meeting with the government and talking with the Ministry of Environment and
the Ministry of Education, to have conversations about the challenges they were
facing. They knew they had a huge problem but had no resource and were not
really able to do anything about it. We then went and spoke to Westpac the bank,
and Digicel the phone company and from there we managed to start put together a
small fund that allowed us to get the materials we needed to do the job. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we got to the remote outer islands we spent the first
couple of weeks camping in hammocks on the beach. At that point I had lived on
a boat for year, I'd washed in the sea everyday and we'd fish for our food. It
was a beautiful life really - probably not one that would work for your whole
life, but at that time in my life it was absolutely ideal. Then a local family
took me in, they loved the idea and had a whole load of daughters of similar
age as me. I was able to speak English with them and learn some of the things
that they really valued as a family. I had a place to sleep, there are 22
people in the home, four generations together including cousins. So, I managed
to sustain myself at a time in my life where I didn't have any outgoings, or
any ties, and was able put all my time into focusing on whatever needed to be
done. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then when the funding came in we were able to start
implementing things and get the tools we needed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You managed to clear the island, how much waste did you
lift?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: 56 tonnes of waste. It was a combination of types of waste,
including plastic. The thing is with islands is it’s expensive enough to get
something there, but then to remove waste, economically there’s no reason why
you would. Even when a car gets fully to the end of its life - which happens
probably sooner than it does anywhere else because it's hot, humid and salty - it
gets stripped of all its valuable bits and then the rest of it stays where it's
left. We weren't removing cars but we were removing huge amounts of waste like
fridges which as we know have lots of nasty chemicals in them. That kind of
thing would end up being dumped in areas the community had sectioned off to
dispose waste in, but the areas are not lined and the waste was very close to
the freshwater lens which means a much greater risk of contamination. Or
they're burning it and all these nasty chemicals are in the air. Donated electronics
were being thrown away, that's a whole other story in itself - why were the
electronics even there in the first place? You could see the huge impacts that
this waste was having with no system in place for dealing with it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Of course, their water table is right there in front of
them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I think that was when I started to realise that it was external
pressures - the collapse of fisheries and the rising sea levels - causing this
problem. Plastic wasn’t being created on the island, but the external pressure
on resources, meant the only way the islanders could survive was to import food
and drink wrapped in plastic. </p>
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{page:WordSection1;</style><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIxSSokBM8BsmTGxsgUdqoEvD2oYQAUNRtMg34JHyumkqLIp6noXW5qJKBVqvz1GbR8Aew4T0C63yECTEZt1YkkPSCMuG3dNO7iNdjqHkJXDYs1dXiIuqY1KfOtyjvHUJY0FlupmyYnl0czawhSFP2rzC21-WGfxa3Kh7k5_CFL1qxnwuGFLW30cj/s1277/Emily%20Penn000058%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIxSSokBM8BsmTGxsgUdqoEvD2oYQAUNRtMg34JHyumkqLIp6noXW5qJKBVqvz1GbR8Aew4T0C63yECTEZt1YkkPSCMuG3dNO7iNdjqHkJXDYs1dXiIuqY1KfOtyjvHUJY0FlupmyYnl0czawhSFP2rzC21-WGfxa3Kh7k5_CFL1qxnwuGFLW30cj/s16000/Emily%20Penn000058%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: From Tonga did you come back to the UK?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I didn't.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What was next on your journey?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I still hadn't taken a plane by this point. I considered
coming back to the UK because I had been away for nearly two years, but I had
momentum and there's something special about being on a journey and not taking
an aeroplane. That idea of travelling slowly was leading me on to the next
thing, which saw me on another sailing boat back to New Zealand where I started
to establish the Sustainable Coastlines charity with a group of Kiwis. That was
the umbrella the project in Tonga had been under. I absolutely loved working in
New Zealand on the same sort of community led clean-up projects and setting up
long term systems.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was still quite young and restless and had so many more
questions that had appeared during my time in Tonga that I really wanted
answers to. As I started to research how plastic was moving around the world, I
learnt about the gyres and ocean currents, which led me to find out about an
organisation in California called 5 Gyres.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Could you tell us non-sailors what a gyre is? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: A gyre is a plastic accumulation zone. Because our planet
is spinning it causes the Coriolis effect. In the centre of this fast-moving
current you get a really calm patch which behaves a bit like when you pull a
plug out of a sink and the water rushes fast around the outside and it's quite
slow in the middle and all of the toothpaste bubbles or whatever it is moved to
the middle. The same thing happens on a massive scale in our ocean, so any
debris whether it's plastic, or seaweed, or whatever else ends up moving into
that calm patch in the centre of this rotation of currents. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time there was
a computer generated model showing that there were five of these gyres around
the world but only the one between California and Hawaii in the North Pacific
had been studied. This got me thinking, if there's another four gyres we need
to go and find out if there is any plastic there. There’s a theory but what
might we actually find? I wanted to know more about these gyres by going and
sampling the water. After writing to several scientific institutions and NGOs
in California who were looking at this issue I set my sights on getting there. It
took me a few months to put it together and ended up on a container ship from New
Zealand to California - my next mode of non-flying transport. This was another
fascinating experience. I witnessed 10s of thousands of tonnes of tuna being shipped
from the middle of the Pacific into America. Seeing that whole operation, and the
cargo shipping industry generally, was really eye opening. In California I
started to work again as a volunteer, figuring out how to make ends meet and
working on understanding the plastics issue more. That's when I set up my first
organisation Pangaea Explorations with a </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">co-founder who invested in the project, enabling us to set
up this incredible boat. My role was to organise the logistics, working in
partnership with 5 Gyres who did the scientific side of the work.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Pretty quickly we set up the first expedition to sail from
Brazil towards Africa, into the heart of the South Atlantic Gyre for the first
time - to see what was there. It was days of real intrepid adventure, having no
idea what the science is going to show us. I spent the next three or four years
mostly at sea, on this boat, running these expeditions and doing that first
global study.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Where you picking up people and dropping off people as
you went along?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Yes, and all sorts of people too: scientists, film makers
and journalists - because the plastics issue was beginning to emerge in the news.
People wanted to get out there and see for themselves what was going on.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJdtFo7QqfHgU5OhxlrZ9Hx2RrDzDHAyk5Tdx6RiuBvsVADUBVDI2-P-UDFeYrb3kX_vxBncuViO1Y_O4S8CVhfseTLS-7S82YMhlGTUB9lZXBIvUX70BPpJozgZXKz0ShDQHgnalhbdYqLV5NEO1DZEi1S0j7YCxTlKZFLLDiK5Oi0M71vDw_5bc/s1277/Emily%20Penn000126%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJdtFo7QqfHgU5OhxlrZ9Hx2RrDzDHAyk5Tdx6RiuBvsVADUBVDI2-P-UDFeYrb3kX_vxBncuViO1Y_O4S8CVhfseTLS-7S82YMhlGTUB9lZXBIvUX70BPpJozgZXKz0ShDQHgnalhbdYqLV5NEO1DZEi1S0j7YCxTlKZFLLDiK5Oi0M71vDw_5bc/s16000/Emily%20Penn000126%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You have such a positive outlook, something you have said
is ‘that a shift in thinking is all that that is needed to change the world’
and you've done a lot of that. You talk about sailing and your goals in a way
people can easily understand. When you eventually came back to the UK, you came
back with a with a vision and plan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I had left as an architecture student and came back
having sailed to the Gyres. Coming back to the UK I was a completely different person
- in terms of what I was doing with my time and want I wanted to do with my
future. What was really nice when I came back is I discovered a new community
in the UK which, when I was on the other side of the world, I was quite
sceptical even existed as I had never seen it before I left. I made connections
with the Royal Geographical Society and found my tribe of like-minded people, who
were passionate about similar things.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Tell us about eXXpedition, is it 9 expeditions you have
completed so far?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: In terms of Legs we had completed 11 before our Round the
World trip and then 8 during the Round the World trip.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Before eXXpedition I had spent several years at sea already
researching the plastics issue and as much as we were finding answers, we were
also finding a lot more questions. The thing that kept getting to me was the
fact that the plastic fragments were so small. We were finding them in the fish
- in the food chain - and I couldn't help but wonder what impact that was
having. I also started to learn about the toxic chemicals in our ocean too. We
tested the water and the plastic and we found pesticides, flame retardants and
all sorts of industrial chemicals. These chemicals are fantastically useful in
the lives that we lead today, but when they then start becoming a pollutant in
the environment and we start seeing them in the food chain that questions are
raised about their impact. At that point I teamed up with the UN Environment
Programme to set up a project to see if it in us too. The reality is that, still
to this day, there's very little evidence that scientifically connects chemicals
in the bottom of the food chain to the top so I decided to skip to the end of
that food chain to myself, and test my own body. I thought “is this something
we need to care about, is it in us?” With the test we discovered that actually “yes,
it is” and in a way that I would never have thought. I thought maybe I'd have
one or two of the chemicals in my body but I couldn't believe it when I
discovered I had 29 of those 35 toxic chemicals in me. Some of them are
carcinogens, but most are endocrine disruptors which mimic hormones and stop
those important chemical messages moving around our bodies. That's when I began
to realise that being a woman, how important these hormones are during
pregnancy, and that we can pass them onto our children when we give birth and
when we breastfeed. That’s what made me think this is such a female centred
issue, which in turn effects the whole of humanity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On top of this, I had been blown away by how many fantastic
women I had met working on this issue. It was a combination of all these
factors that made me think “let’s do this with women, let’s sail across the
North Atlantic, look deeper into this microplastic and toxic story and find out
some more answers.” To do it with women was the best decision I made. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I have heard of people being sceptical about all women crews
but you only have to watch the movie Maiden to know that it works.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I wasn't expecting it to feel different to all of the
mixed expeditions I had been on before, but it really did. I was blown away by
the magic that happens when you bring an amazing group of women together and
the bonds that are made at sea.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Can you tell us where you were going, what you were doing,
what you were finding, and what the Great Pacific Garbage Patch actually looks
like? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Very different to what I first imagined when I set off on
those early voyages. The biggest myth being the idea of an island of plastic or
sometimes it’s described as the 7th continent. <i>The reality is that it's a
soup.</i> You do see plastic for sure as I did on those days on Earthrace. A
piece here, a piece there - maybe every 10 seconds - and other pieces hitting
the front of the boat as we pass. It's not something that you can walk on, or
put a flag on, or put a building on. It’s really scary when we put the trawl
through the water - it is a really fine mesh net that's 333 microns, a fraction
of a millimetre – and pull it up to realise that what you can't see is the soup
of fragments, microplastics smaller than your little fingernail, that have been
degraded by the UV rays of the sun, and the wind and the waves have broken them
down into fragments. The reality is that most of the plastic at sea is tiny.
You can't see it with your eyes when you look at the water. You can't see it by
satellite image from space. What we now know is that it's also starting to sink
to a place so deep that we can't see it, measure it or even really understand
the impact of that yet. But the very few submersible expeditions that have gone
down deep into the ocean have found plastic in their samples.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Since then have you decreased the size of microns that
you're looking at? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Originally we were looking at anything over 333 microns with
the manta trawl net and we still use that same grade mesh for the trawl over
the side, because you still have to be able to drag the net through the water
and the water needs to exit out the back otherwise you end up pushing the water
and the sample forwards. In addition to that we now gather samples using a niskin
bottle - which is a fancy bottle with ends that snap shut at different depths.
That water sample is then put through a super fine filtration by creating a
vacuum to draw the water through the filter leaving behind the sample. That's
when we start to find things like microfibers that we know come from our
clothes when we put them in the washing machine, the pieces of tyre dust coming
off our cars when we drive on the roads that are then washed down the drains. All
these things, that we all - you and I - had no idea of, every day create little
impacts that all add up over time and we don't even know we're doing it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: As you said much of our clothing is plastic, 60% of it,
and shockingly when we wash our clothes we are washing those plastic microfibres
straight into the water system.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: There are no filters in our sewage system that cater for
that size particle.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gwR-xRC0hDsFktYvC1pUg6MJxNRW21GZxPoVLuUruUXoD5NbYfSOTwFbnJUvWSCkJfozrtqsDb_d4iSicajCLm1aXtTtOalYtVDqRognmhmAZJv6ShNaz39M2Jqx5rtlIQLaBGdWDHELlxm55LPmYcHzcDatxYk8533sfPpckJaXO83NXIOp1vX-/s1277/Emily%20Penn000217%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gwR-xRC0hDsFktYvC1pUg6MJxNRW21GZxPoVLuUruUXoD5NbYfSOTwFbnJUvWSCkJfozrtqsDb_d4iSicajCLm1aXtTtOalYtVDqRognmhmAZJv6ShNaz39M2Jqx5rtlIQLaBGdWDHELlxm55LPmYcHzcDatxYk8533sfPpckJaXO83NXIOp1vX-/s16000/Emily%20Penn000217%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: The fashion industry have a lot to do.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: It's a tricky one to solve. A lot of the solution finding
that I work on is looking at the symptom of the problem in the ocean and then at
the source. You can solve these problems at many different places on that spectrum.
You could look at improving the sewage system which means a governmental
approach. With industry you could look at putting a filter on your washing
machine - this is something that you can retrofit or add to new washing
machines which again might need legislation at some point, but it’s a start. Or
you could work even closer to the source and look at the design of the garments
themselves; the materials that are being used, the yarn length and the
tightness of the weave that prevents shedding. All these factors try and get
closer to the source. There are ways to solve it but are not processes that big
fashion industry companies can do overnight because of the scale of the
industry. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We design so many of our products using the wrong materials:
a plastic bag or a water bottle that's designed to be used once and thrown away,
but made out of a material that lasts forever. The same with clothes, if you're
designing a piece of clothing using polyester, like a fleece that has a very
short yarn length, it sheds when you are wearing it in your home and all those microfibers
are shedding into the air you are breathing. Or when it's in the washing
machine they shed straight into the water supply. It doesn't make sense. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As we mentioned earlier <i>‘a shift in thinking is all we
need’</i> and my reason for saying that is that <i>I do believe so many of the
solutions that we need already exist</i>. We have the most incredible
technology the most amazing innovations and we can also behave a little
differently. A lot of what Carry (Somers) talks about is that you don't need to
buy something new every time, which means it's not even about a new innovation
or a new technology it’s about making the most of what you already have. When I
saw what went onto those container ships it made me realise that every time you
buy something to arrive on your doorstep the process of getting it there is
colossal. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thinking about consumption is important but there's also so
much to do around changing mindsets and changing values which then has a
trickle effect on everything else in a really positive way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: The last trip you were on in 2019 -2020, you were going
around the world, collecting amazing data, with lots of fabulous women when our
whole lives shifted, tell us where you were and what happened when you found
out that Covid was coming.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: The pandemic had obviously been brewing and we were
taking a lot of precautions on the boat at the time - checking temperatures and
making sure that people hadn't passed through high-risk areas. Then we set off
from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the South Pacific for a month-long voyage
towards Tahiti, French Polynesia via some other islands in the Pitcairn group -
a very, very remote group of islands in the South Pacific - and also working
through the South Pacific Gyre - that accumulation zone. It was set to be an
extraordinary voyage, and it was extraordinary but not in a way we expected. We
were less than a week in when things started to escalate globally. When you're
sailing in the direction of the wind you can't really turn around as it takes
longer to sail back upwind than to keep going. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even though we were still reasonably early into that leg of
the voyage the quickest airport we could reach was two weeks away in Tahiti. Then
we started to hear that borders were closing and airlines were grounding their
planes - those crazy days that we all remember in March 2020. So we headed to
Tahiti as quickly as possible… which is 6 miles an hour in a sailing boat! It made
us really feel how big the ocean is, how big the planet is, how remote we
really were and emphasised how remote the plastic is.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We made it just in time with literally less than 24 hours to
spare to get the last flight out of Tahiti before the world completely shut
down. Thankfully, despite the borders being shut, we managed to get special
permission to make landfall to get the crew off and return them home to the six
different countries they came from.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It must have been difficult to leave the boat behind.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: It was, packing down with no idea when we were going to
get back. It was a real shame because so much had gone into such an ambitious
project, that was taking so many women on an extraordinary journey of discovery,
and to do the scientific work on a global scale.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I managed to bring all the samples and a lot of the
scientific equipment back to the UK, and we've now processed those samples and
papers were written up at the end of last year and we will have four scientific
papers published from those first 8 legs of the voyage which is an incredible
achievement. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkhOXoEK7h-Rpm4APCbx7LkNk2obDvz2kGeY-pIXVWs86CDcsr4KsQoIdcHcoKIuRAujyuI3L4_LGB6Esnu3Vl58c6-8VoFYRsDEbgqLfl-dTnycfiWtIADhYjN9iJji3KFy9NsnXzWnWnZ7cQue6ujxS9gSVP7T1q3NyyZSsVJvOOsk_KAP0RZqI/s1277/Emily%20Penn000161%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkhOXoEK7h-Rpm4APCbx7LkNk2obDvz2kGeY-pIXVWs86CDcsr4KsQoIdcHcoKIuRAujyuI3L4_LGB6Esnu3Vl58c6-8VoFYRsDEbgqLfl-dTnycfiWtIADhYjN9iJji3KFy9NsnXzWnWnZ7cQue6ujxS9gSVP7T1q3NyyZSsVJvOOsk_KAP0RZqI/s16000/Emily%20Penn000161%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You talked about going to all 5 Gyres. Did you see
differences in the ones you managed to get to?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: On Round the World we managed to go to 2 two of them and
had been to the North Pacific Gyre the previous year. We have now 3 three great
sets of results and there are huge differences. Typically, in the northern
hemisphere you find a lot more pollution than in the southern hemisphere, which
I suppose is not surprising considering the population split being about 90% in
the North and 10% in the South. Interestingly though the plastic isn't 90/10 as
we see more than perhaps we should in the southern hemisphere, possibly because,
on the whole, southern hemisphere nations don't have the same controlled waste
management systems as in the north. What we were really looking at on the eXXpedition
was not only how much and where the plastic is, but also what type. Since the
beginning we've always looked at the colour and whether it's a fragment, a
piece of film, a piece of foam, a line or a nurdle - which are the pre-production
pellets, the raw material of plastic. You wouldn’t believe how many nurdles we
find out there especially given it’s the raw material, it’s never even been
used. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How’s it getting there?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: Either during transport on a container ship as we saw
with the disaster that unfolded on the coastline of Sri Lanka but I expect most
of it is coming from industry. I've visited some factories where they're
producing plastic bottles, or whatever it might be, and they have these big
hoppers full of the plastic pellets coming in, that then go into the machinery
and in the process they naturally escape, they end up on the floor and at the
end of the day that gets hosed down and the only place it goes is the drain. So
you can see thousands of these things washing down the drain in every factory
everyday. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You can start to deduce the type of plastic from the colour
and shape but on Round the World we went a step further. We took a machine on
board called an FTIR which sends infrared light through a diamond, through the
piece of plastic and produces a reading that allows us to work out what type of
polymer it is – what the chemistry of the plastic is. Then we know whether it
is PET, or polypropylene, or polyvinyl, or PVC - all of these different types
of plastic - which gets us a little bit closer to working out the use and where
it might have come from. That's where we start to have some really surprising findings.
At one particular point on our route map around the world we found a lot of
paint fragments, which we didn't find anywhere else, and we hadn't thought this
would be something that would be in such high quantities polluting a particular
part of our ocean. By understanding more about which plastic we are dealing
with and where, we have a much better idea of how to solve the problem on land.
We now know , based on the science, which types of plastics or other polymers
we need to target. It helps because we then know where to put our resource - we
need to be smart about it and put our energy and resource in the right place.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Being at sea you constantly have the environment around
you, and you're reacting to that environment. You have said that often your
life depends on your responses and this impactful work you are doing shows our
lives depend on it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I think that's one of the big analogies I've seen from
life at sea where you're constantly solving problems that are being thrown at
you left, right and centre in the form of say, a squall. You have to react, you
have to shift your sails, shift your course and yes, at times at sea, your life
does depend on your response. When tackling the plastics issue, I see it as a very
similar approach to solving that problem. The landscape keeps changing - we
keep learning new things and different parts of the problem so we have to keep
adjusting our methods and our ways of working. Plastic was invented for
brilliant reasons, and it saves lives. During COVID it has saved so many lives,
the amount of PPE we have used, we couldn’t have got through this pandemic
without it. So, it's there for great reasons, but what we didn't know when we
invented it, and these other chemicals, were the unintended consequences. As we
start to learn that information we need to adjust how we do things, and I do
feel we're getting to the stage where our lives and our health depends on what
we do in the next 10 years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A lot of the health scientists are looking at
the impact of it on our bodies. When you have a foreign body inside you, which
plastic is, it creates inflammation in the same way a splinter creates inflammation,
the same thing happens on the inside of your body as it tries to deal with it,
which then means it's less able to deal with everything else.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkTxDOkmhHo-NoIRliPJzbbfGmH74AimLB10mMoFSrR--EUw9iyqdtXdwMzmp87pnzMUUCHN-anQVAAhVtQQbZbjymeTb9vwa-2Onc6UluWNGhrEmpknh3yLdxB-ka0bToXQpm8w0UQG841UKXAddsg60ReEFKoDVTfGAUyAqt-skdO9kix3-jVRR/s1277/Emily%20Penn000355%20rts.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkTxDOkmhHo-NoIRliPJzbbfGmH74AimLB10mMoFSrR--EUw9iyqdtXdwMzmp87pnzMUUCHN-anQVAAhVtQQbZbjymeTb9vwa-2Onc6UluWNGhrEmpknh3yLdxB-ka0bToXQpm8w0UQG841UKXAddsg60ReEFKoDVTfGAUyAqt-skdO9kix3-jVRR/s16000/Emily%20Penn000355%20rts.tif" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Since your return to the UK at the start lockdown what
have you been up to?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: I have created SHiFT.how which is a platform to navigate
this plastic problem. We have hundreds of solutions and a big part of my
problem solving methodology is that there's not one solution, there's no silver
bullet, and that is a positive thing as there are hundreds of ways to solve it.
The challenge with there being no silver bullet is that it can feel
overwhelming. If you are trying to get on with your life and deal with your
kids and your job and everything else it can feel overwhelming to think where
do I begin? Every time I read the news, or open Instagram, or chat with friends
I am being told to do something different. It can quickly get paralysing which
then of course means we don't do anything.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Part of the idea of building the SHiFT platform during
lockdown and harnessing technology, was to create a map of solutions and tools
to help people navigate through that overwhelmed feeling of “where do I start?”
Helping them find a few things that are the right things for them, depending on
what it is that they're great at, and where it is that they are trying to solve
the problem, and then what scale of time and ambition they have at that moment
that they can tackle. They can then use it as a map to take people to different
places so they can start taking action.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We had launched the idea of SHiFT Sessions pre-COVID, before
the eXXpedition voyage, when we brought fascinating varied groups of people together
in real life. Carry (Somers) joined us on one of those to talk about
microfibers. The thing with the plastics conversation is that there are so many
interesting different angles to explore - both the problems and the solutions. We
need to start taking those different threads, delving into them and give them
the time they need. That's what these sessions are all about. During COVID we ran
them as a series of Instagram live sessions. We also do a lot of work with our
ambassador community where we get together once a week to have these
conversations in a closed community setting which has been really impactful.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: All those crews of women, I'm sure it has changed their
lives, and that they then go on to work on change. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">E: The impact that’s come off the back of these voyages has
been fantastic. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was the trip that I had around the world when I was 21, when
I saw the plastic and realised how powerful that experience was, that fuelled
my passion to take other people to experience it too because I know how much it
changes your life and changes your outlook on the world. You build deep relationships
with the people that you're thrown into that little environment with and it has
a huge impact. Then that impact has a ripple effect and the effect of that is
massive. </p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> Links</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.emilypenn.com/" target="_blank">Emily Penn</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://exxpedition.com/" target="_blank">eXXpedition </a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://shift.how/" target="_blank">SHiFT </a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Insta</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/missemilypenn/" target="_blank">Emily Penn</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/exxpedition_/" target="_blank">eXXpedition</a> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jointheSHiFT_/?hl=en" target="_blank">SHiFT</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Thank you to <a href="https://www.uk.isabellaoliver.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwjZmTBhB4EiwAynRmDzvAZNl9dYbNZSf0BiaEjulzP9HVQKXlP7fGiUzwjpj9fB0s-TuOghoCj3EQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">Isabella Oliver</a> and <a href="https://onloan.co/" target="_blank">ONLOAN</a> for lending us clothing for the shoot. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-15504823667556403762022-04-14T09:08:00.014+01:002022-04-14T09:13:48.234+01:00Focus on Claire Bergkamp - COO of Textile Exchange<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkR8_JqB8TirQ5dhwI2hPkDQOpaeXMROBCYpkWMpPU4cj6SK_slcIKGKg_CD0BiNb8ppshxeyQH5eaXdHxVAjhlXb9SEG2eqFxE2V7UDVIqGRZTony25vWm05-8WebZEbCVotjeri2e-q7H4U-bIr9G6jldp9XjYUIvmw6Ovpyip6DgUT6sVvUCJiH/s1277/Claire%20Bergkamp000208%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkR8_JqB8TirQ5dhwI2hPkDQOpaeXMROBCYpkWMpPU4cj6SK_slcIKGKg_CD0BiNb8ppshxeyQH5eaXdHxVAjhlXb9SEG2eqFxE2V7UDVIqGRZTony25vWm05-8WebZEbCVotjeri2e-q7H4U-bIr9G6jldp9XjYUIvmw6Ovpyip6DgUT6sVvUCJiH/s16000/Claire%20Bergkamp000208%20rts.jpg" /></a></div>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Claire Bergkamp is the COO of <a href="https://textileexchange.org/">Textile Exchange</a> who are a global
non-profit who drive positive impact on climate change across the fashion and
textile industry. She has had an amazing career path to what is a relatively
new role for her at Textile Exchange, via film and TV in LA and her various sustainability
roles during her time with Stella McCartney. Her work has gained her a unique
insight and deep understanding of the fashion industry. She has been on the cutting
edge of new fabric developments and now in a way her journey has brought her
back to the foundations of everything, the earth. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVImrHEHgKhMaoq-0yWmKJP8zZ6iFkUmzg_UDADv_E_Nz8Rw76bAmvjoAwhyZkld-YukQ3eDkVFetd8RVxMDdJj8miPmG6KN0TUdqKdzoTRiB6qlDjE_f0aD92G4erh2U5gWF_vSIiHxE6xWg3FtZSQcKegStHeVvb4TUe6q-hX6SIsuHxBWNfQ5q/s1277/Claire%20Bergkamp000414%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVImrHEHgKhMaoq-0yWmKJP8zZ6iFkUmzg_UDADv_E_Nz8Rw76bAmvjoAwhyZkld-YukQ3eDkVFetd8RVxMDdJj8miPmG6KN0TUdqKdzoTRiB6qlDjE_f0aD92G4erh2U5gWF_vSIiHxE6xWg3FtZSQcKegStHeVvb4TUe6q-hX6SIsuHxBWNfQ5q/s16000/Claire%20Bergkamp000414%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: You grew
up in Montana a beautiful big sky state which means you were immersed in nature
from a very early age. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: I was. My
parents are not from Montana, they both moved there. My mom is from Arkansas and
my dad is from Kansas, they met in Oregon and moved up to Montana. They moved
there because they loved nature and were thinking about settling down it is
really special for folks like them. I spent a huge amount of time in nature as
a child as both my parents are avid hikers and backpackers and love being in
the woods. There were lots of hiking tops up mountains, carrying little packs, and
sleeping under the stars. Montana is special for that, it is pretty unpopulated
and there is still a lot of untamed nature. You learn how to hide food from
bears as a kid growing up in Montana that’s normal.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Did you
have early influences as far as fashion was concerned?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: No, not
really, outside of the fact that I was always drawn to it, I don't think there was
anything specific. Vogue I guess would have been my early influence. There
wasn't really fashion in Montana, we didn't even have a Gap or anything in town.
I think we had JC Pennies which is far from fashion. It’s one of those things–you
get drawn to what you're drawn to, and I was always drawn to it. I used to play
soccer and whenever we travelled around, I would always go to the malls in whatever
city we were in and shop for more exciting things than you could get in Montana,
where there was nothing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Did you
have big thrift stores?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: We did,
and I always thrifted growing up. A lot of what I wore was thrift store stuff,
but you would only get the remnants of the population of Montana, so still not
very </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">fashion-forward,
but you did find some wonderful old things. I still have some vintage blazers
from the 40s which are beautiful. You could find some incredible vintage pieces
in the antique stores, but in all fairness, they were more expensive than I
could afford as a teenager. When I was at college I really enjoyed coming back
to Montana and being able to dip into that. I don't see it that much anymore, I
think it was limited stock and has been moved out of the stores by now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D:
Hopefully those who saw it’s worth and snapped it up and kept it and it hasn't
ended up in landfill. Did you study in Boston?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: Yes, I
studied costume design, not fashion. I was always interested in fashion as a
young person. My mother is an artist, so I was always surrounded by the arts
world. I did a couple of summer courses at the Chicago Art Institute when I was
in high school. One of them was a fashion design course and I realized while
doing it, that I didn't want to be a fashion designer. The design that I liked
was more historical, more based on problem-solving than trying to come up with
a new trend. That lead to my interest in costume design and the psychology
behind clothing. I was fascinated by the history of clothing too, it really tells
you a lot. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Did you
work in film and theatre in Boston?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: It was a
required part of my degree. I love the theatre but the costume design I was more
interested in was film-based, more subtle, I guess. Theatre is beautiful, but
you have to be very bold with what you're wearing, it has to translate to the
back row. I was more interested in subtle design which is more applicable to
film.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqs_p2MRmvaprDhZHkE8i-74CS1j2ftJUu24-eNXuWSyntRXQvLUm4D1WAw083GHaAkg6CgxDN5uNHgyo7OU-Xu_19qE0Ps18rfif6fFrbwcgUP-zaus3RvC3WKYg9o1OTSHxXUZobs02OD11KXi4uUPdKcJx5qzCvahf8x6IN1KN979NEZyvyTkb/s1277/Claire%20Bergkamp000387%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSqs_p2MRmvaprDhZHkE8i-74CS1j2ftJUu24-eNXuWSyntRXQvLUm4D1WAw083GHaAkg6CgxDN5uNHgyo7OU-Xu_19qE0Ps18rfif6fFrbwcgUP-zaus3RvC3WKYg9o1OTSHxXUZobs02OD11KXi4uUPdKcJx5qzCvahf8x6IN1KN979NEZyvyTkb/s16000/Claire%20Bergkamp000387%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: That
took you to LA which saw you working on programs like Heroes and Glee.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: Different
life, very different life. I worked on Heroes for a long time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: I loved Heroes.
What was it like working on that?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: My whole
journey through film was interesting. It was so exciting at the beginning and
so exhausting by the end. I worked in LA for about three and a half years, and
I worked on Heroes for almost all of that. It was a dream to work on films and
TV shows and be on set, it was extremely exciting to see how it all happened
and to understand what it takes to create a show like that, with all the
special effects. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">How that
translates into clothing means buying many multiples of anything so that when
someone’s arm gets blown off, they can change 10 more times and have some for
reshoots. That’s what my job became, trying to find 30 of the exact same black Theory
T-shirts in the malls of Los Angeles.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I started
on set, which was interesting, but the hours on set are pretty brutal, so I
switched over to being more of a shopper, which still means very long hours but
a little less. On set you would be working 14-hour days (12 hours minimum).
I've never understood how people do it forever. In my 20s it was easy, but it
would be very hard to keep that kind of lifestyle up long term. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: When I
was a photography assistant, we used to work like that on trips, photographing
from morning to night with <u>maybe</u> a break in the afternoon but we didn't
have unions like the film industry. As the assistant, I would try and sort everything
so that at the end of the trip we could have a day off but that never happened,
re-shoots ended up in that space.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: We did
have unions in LA and negotiated rates. I made very good money for someone in
their 20s but worked very long hours. I was very grateful for the union and in
one respect it was the best health insurance of my life. I will never have
insurance like that again, it was spectacular.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC8MduwaZQ0XZ8eO8U7te5tcZSR_FRUSuaxe46Lo5_aUKdK98_L4HUG7C5k0W0BNJG4nRbuv7drbFaOiT2-HXrIVex2Va4fU1d8QK4hhQcf8tlStMtWxySKPTRBAKhjXB1J2di9lMXi2g2I5p8pOPnRkRwwe2_UhNbHCr1xe5IHgd6ARImf_rruIV/s1277/Claire%20Bergkamp000232%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC8MduwaZQ0XZ8eO8U7te5tcZSR_FRUSuaxe46Lo5_aUKdK98_L4HUG7C5k0W0BNJG4nRbuv7drbFaOiT2-HXrIVex2Va4fU1d8QK4hhQcf8tlStMtWxySKPTRBAKhjXB1J2di9lMXi2g2I5p8pOPnRkRwwe2_UhNbHCr1xe5IHgd6ARImf_rruIV/s16000/Claire%20Bergkamp000232%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: If only
all unions had that much power. Your next step was your move to the UK.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was for my master’s. I don't remember
exactly the moment I realized that sustainable fashion was a thing. It most
likely started with my love of vintage and thinking about second-hand but not
really understanding why. I think that reuse and upcycling is always the entry
point into the larger topic of sustainability, because you see excess. For me,
in film, I saw so much excess. They're buying so much, and you're seeing
everyone else buying so much, you spend all day in the mall <i>buying</i>. Consuming
at a rate that no normal human could because it is your job. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">When my
interest started in sustainability, I looked around at courses and found the course
at the London College of Fashion. It was very unique at the time, I think there
are more now, but there was nothing like it in the US, or anywhere else that I
saw. I eventually did a more business program, but I still did all my work
through the Centre for Sustainable Fashion with Dilys (Williams). The best
thing I ever did was moving here and getting to meet Dilys. She really did
change the course of my life in a big way. She's inspired a lot of people being
in that role. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Did you go
and work with Stella straight after that course?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: During
my master’s I worked at Arcadia, which was interesting and I realized quickly that
it wasn't the part of the fashion industry that I wanted to be in. I started at
Stella pretty much immediately after I finished my master’s. I started as a temp
to work on the end-of-year environmental impact report, the reporting that most
companies do and we reported to the Kering Group as we were still a member then.
At the same time, Kering decided that it wanted to have a sustainability
department and was really encouraging brands to hire people. So for me, it was the
right place, the right time, the right skills. It was still a pretty niche
thing that I had done, it’s way more competitive now. Hiring others and
bringing in team members got so much easier, but it was so niche when I started
that nobody wanted to talk about it at all.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Your
mandate was to make the company more efficient and green.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: Broadly
yes, that was the idea. At the beginning a lot of it was getting to know the
supply chain a lot better, looking at where the risks were, not only environmental
but human rights too. For the first couple of years I did both, by myself, only
me, so way too much. Looking back, when I did my indefinite Leave to Remain to
stay in the UK, you have to tell them everywhere you've ever been, which is
insane if you have a job where you travel. In the first two years, I was gone
so much more than I was here. I think I spent two months in Asia at one point,
I don't remember that. My time had been spent between India and China and a
huge amount of time in Italy. Over the years I hired people to help so I didn't
have to do it all by myself, which was a lot better.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: That
must have been a huge education, to see how everything works and how people
were treated.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: It was
and I'm so grateful that I had to do it all myself because I saw it all first-hand.
Drom embroidery in India, to big factories in China, to high quality luxury
mills in Italy, to farms, I've seen a lot of what any global fashion supply
chain has to offer. I was also at an age where it was fun. I think now, in my
late 30s it would be a lot harder, but I was 27 and it was exciting to see it
all. It was a real education into what it actually looks like to make fashion.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: You
worked on the EPNL (Environmental Profit and Loss) system with Kering. Do you
think that that and all the travel you did has set you in the direction you
have taken now?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: I think the
EPNL had quite a big role in that because I was very involved in helping to develop
it with Kering. Many of the brands were, but with Stella, obviously it was very
important to us. What it showed, because of the types of materials we used in
luxury, is that the raw material part of the supply chain has the largest
impact. Where a lot of the focus went for me, for the team, and for the brand,
was on raw material production and sourcing. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The travel
that accompanied that was visiting farms and spending a lot of time on wool
farms and really getting to understand that part of the supply chain, where
those impacts were, and what they looked like in reality. It was the part that
spoke most to me also, I think that comes back to my connection with nature. When
you're on a farm you are in nature, and you can see how that farm is acting in
nature. I grew up around that too, I grew up around ranches, they were mostly
cattle in Montana, but there were quite a few sheep ranches too. It made a lot
of sense to me, the impact was very tangible in a way that I can personally
understand and engage with. When you're in a dyehouse you can see water
pollution and you can also see water treatment, but the technical differences
between water filtrations is not my strength. I'm not the person that can tell
you if that chemical mix is good or bad. For me, raw materials has always been
the part that I understood. That is what drove me to Textile Exchange, because
that's what we work on.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: When did
Stella stop using cashmere?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: When we
started doing the EPNL report, cashmere had such an outsized impact for the
amount we used. As we were being very serious about trying to reduce impact, the
easiest solution was to stop using virgin cashmere and switch to recycled, so
we didn't source virgin cashmere after 2016/2017. Cashmere has an impact on the
degeneration of grasslands. We did a lot of work in Argentina and we walked
away from it because of some animal welfare concerns. But a group of Argentinian
farmers was doing incredible restoration work on grasslands through holistic grazing.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Huge swathes
of the grasslands in Argentina have been turned into desert because of
overgrazing cattle. It's a very different ecosystem, very similar to Montana in
climate, very brittle, very dry, not lush at all – I think parts of Mongolia
are still quite lush. Overgrazing with goats happens a lot quicker than it does
with sheep.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1wTEmb_IRNS4xwCAgVkC_nGrIb7U9gtzHG-5WIso5BfijuE4-Z8J5gRgc5nzqp1AO8jTcN4ZHMnE2v11n96EgkfRtSGX9v0dph2PPOGrjXPQOuCNFf8kXwnB_NctavAP9Y6rcA3TzNnvx33OsiuSqvMdP4riWo2o1yylWGmLut73Vnf9VUveYYZ8/s1277/Claire%20Bergkamp000264%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1wTEmb_IRNS4xwCAgVkC_nGrIb7U9gtzHG-5WIso5BfijuE4-Z8J5gRgc5nzqp1AO8jTcN4ZHMnE2v11n96EgkfRtSGX9v0dph2PPOGrjXPQOuCNFf8kXwnB_NctavAP9Y6rcA3TzNnvx33OsiuSqvMdP4riWo2o1yylWGmLut73Vnf9VUveYYZ8/s16000/Claire%20Bergkamp000264%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Through
your work you've managed to work with a lot of innovative fabrics. Which one
fascinated you most?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: The
partnership we had with Bolt Threads at Stella was the first major one and the
promise of spider silk still holds very dear to my heart. I know there has been
a lot more focus on mycelium, but spider silk with Bolt was my entry point to
the whole topic and for me is still one of the most exciting. <i>However, the
unsung hero of material innovation is textile-to-textile recycling.</i> I also worked
with an organization called Evrnu, which is pretty incredible too. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I think
like anything in life, and this is <i>something I think we really undervalue when
we talk about this idea of sustainability, is human connection.</i> All that
change we made in the supply chain was from getting to know the people in the
supply chain. It’s not like there is this hard science, it's about
transformation and changing people's minds, getting to know them, and
understanding the reality. With the innovators, it's the same thing. The people
that I had the most connection with personally also tended to result in the
best results for us as a company because we could work together. The
technologies are often very similar but having that working relationship really
unlocked getting it to the next level. You're going to run into so many
problems – every day is a problem when you're trying to bring in a new material
or innovation to supply chains that have been working one way for hundreds of
years. So much of that was because of the people running those companies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: I guess
you found yourself working with sci-fi a little bit again with these
technologies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: I love
it, it's interesting. But I think because of the state the world is in we need
to be careful not to let innovation distract us. We have a lot of work that
needs to happen and within that, it should still be invested in. But some of
the investment does need to be on the big problems we have right now. I think
it's easy to get excited, I did and still do, with some of the innovations out
there, but none of them are at scale and we have very little time to address
some very big problems. So focusing on the solutions that can scale up quickly and
that already exist, for things like soil health, has got to be where a lot of
the focus is now.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Tell us
about <a href="https://textileexchange.org/">Textile Exchange,</a> what they do and what you are doing with them? Can you also
explain the tier system?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: Textile
Exchange exists in what we call Tier Four. If we think of a supply chain in tiers,
Tier Zero is where a company operates itself, its stores, and its offices. Tier
One is garment manufacturing, Tier Two is fabric mills, Tier Three is the
transformation of raw materials into fibers through processes like the scouring
of wool and the creation of pellets, and Tier Four is where the actual creation
of the material occurs – where the sheep live, where the cotton farming happens,
where oil extraction is, mining for metals, whatever the material is. Where the
actual, on-the-ground impact is happening is in Tier Four.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Does
Textile Exchange also do certification?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: We do. We
are a non-profit, not a membership association, but we do have over 700 members
made up of most of the brands you have ever heard of, but also farmers and
suppliers. That's one part of our world that brings members along on the
journey, trying to encourage transformation inside companies. We are also a
standards holder and certification organization. We don't certify farms, but we
developed the standards that are then applied, or asked of farmers or the supply
chain to adhere to. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We hold
standards covering both animal welfare and sustainability for wool, alpaca,
mohair, and down. Then we have an organic cotton certification, which does not
certify the farm –that's a separate thing that is important to acknowledge. Our
most used standard is our Global Recycling Standard, which is pretty much the
main certification out there ensuring that something is recycled, and we do see
that as a very important part of transforming the industry. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Certifications
result in impact change on the ground, which is important, but they also
provide a chain of custody to the finished product. It is a way to verify a
claim that is being made. There are all kinds of claims made in this world, but
certifications are real, in a way that a lot of stuff isn’t, and we believe they
are an important part of helping the industry transform. We also run a big
benchmarking effort which is the largest peer-to-peer benchmarking effort in
the industry, where companies voluntarily report to us the use of their
materials. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The report
for 2020 had 191 brands that reported on how they're doing. They are then
benchmarked and can see their progress on the adoption of preferred materials. It
helps us keep an eye on the industry and point in the direction of travel. We
have a few other tools that help companies understand the bigger picture of
impact because a lot of times what we've seen is that companies get very
focused on looking only at Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to understand impact. This
is a very scientific way of looking at it, but it has very strict boundaries – it
doesn't take into consideration things like microfibres, animal welfare, or in the
case of polyester, oil. We have created a tool that gives you a much more
holistic view of trying to understand the impact of different materials, which
we call the Preferred Fiber and Materials Matrix.</span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WpClhEJYvTGamFu8hwz3qzV2Tm1M0-Yl03oKMZhixypPHYJMV7V_-k48ZS6PRwNDAKweABVb-n4hSxMhahvFDnnRVNyRN5nllgWNth-iJjYJ8pDWEGMmUcW2wJ10xRZ7xpQPNeDFYVH7Kipszoz9HbwbhwGjr6nqOfMZWIa7pFzzI7RHl3nhNdTQ/s1277/Claire%20Bergkamp000402%201%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WpClhEJYvTGamFu8hwz3qzV2Tm1M0-Yl03oKMZhixypPHYJMV7V_-k48ZS6PRwNDAKweABVb-n4hSxMhahvFDnnRVNyRN5nllgWNth-iJjYJ8pDWEGMmUcW2wJ10xRZ7xpQPNeDFYVH7Kipszoz9HbwbhwGjr6nqOfMZWIa7pFzzI7RHl3nhNdTQ/s16000/Claire%20Bergkamp000402%201%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: How are
you encouraging farmers to look after the soil?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: We have
a new program called Impact Incentives which is one of the tools that will be
able to help incentivize farmers. It is a way of getting money directly to a
farmer – it is not a certification, but it is about helping transformation
happen without building it into the supply chain. It’s that initial piece of
transformation we’re looking for. We don't typically work directly with farms, but
what we do is help to create movement and point the direction of travel. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We are
working on a protocol and some thinking for what drives healthy soils. The word
regenerative gets thrown around a lot these days and we believe in it in theory,
but we’ve just embarked on a very large exercise mapping regenerative programs
around the world, the Regenerative Agriculture Landscape Analysis, to create the
understanding that the industry needs of what really does drive soil health. There
are a lot of things popcorning off around the world and no one is really taking
the time to say, let's look at all of this together and figure out what is
working in different regions, what we need to be doing to measure the soil
health, where the methodology is in scientific protocols that exist. We wanted
to translate that into a practical resource that the industry can use. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Do you
feel that now that you're working for a non-profit that you've put your running
shoes on so to speak? With more freedom to push for change faster?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: I'm
across more than one company now as Textile Exchange's mission is industry
transformation. When you are working in a brand your mission is brand
transformation. Textile Exchange is very different, it’s a much bigger mindset
which is really exciting. Stella was a little different but it is still about
what your individual impact is, and at Textile Exchange, we are all about
enabling everybody at once. Anybody who wants it can have it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: What do
you think the impact the pandemic will have had on everything? On one hand,
there was an overdrive in production, on the other, more people seemed to be
more aware of the bigger picture. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: I think
it's too early to say. I see the same thing you see, which is that after a down
there is an up. Historically when we've had a down, a lot of overconsumption
happens afterward. I think that we should assume that that will probably happen.
One thing maybe though is that not everyone feels that way. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Personally,
I slowed down for the first time in a long time during the pandemic. It’s why
I'm working with a non-profit, as I slowed down and thought about what I wanted
for the next phase of my career. It gave me time to think about the impact I
want to leave behind. I don't know that I would have done that as fast, without
the pandemic making me question what I need in the world. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I also
think that the pandemic taught us something else important. There's a lot of
talk of the slowing down of production, which does need to happen, but people
were really <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>irresponsible with their
supply chain. They just walked away from orders, all of that was horrible. There
are those of us in the non-profit space who are hoping to help lead </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">thought. We
at Textile Exchange are not really in that part of the supply chain, but I do
think that there needs to be some real stakeholder engagement thinking about
what responsible manufacturing actually means. Again, we're talking about
humans here.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: 100%
it's humans and we need degrowth. How do you do that responsibly?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: That’s not
something that one company can decide on its own, or it's going to go wrong.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Bey79ZsGYsF-n8ulGJMGQFj0o4mei_VmksyMzN_APHYpnKG4PBaRejsijPCwJySSUQoQ1CvWma_S-nZSDCXt63g5nj06kTyaqHmJAnQdR6KyBpao234Ae89HuUbPtIEr42-Hf0wRCsaDbo7AkiMq8R7s422OvHLVh498uk6VaH_AALjd-OP_df_Z/s1277/Claire%20Bergkamp000181%20rtsc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Bey79ZsGYsF-n8ulGJMGQFj0o4mei_VmksyMzN_APHYpnKG4PBaRejsijPCwJySSUQoQ1CvWma_S-nZSDCXt63g5nj06kTyaqHmJAnQdR6KyBpao234Ae89HuUbPtIEr42-Hf0wRCsaDbo7AkiMq8R7s422OvHLVh498uk6VaH_AALjd-OP_df_Z/s16000/Claire%20Bergkamp000181%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That brings us to the power of legislation.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need that so badly, but I do worry about
policymakers not really being educated on the topics. People understand oil. I
don’t think people understand fashion supply chains and policy, that's been my
personal experience of policymakers and it really freaks them out. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: On the same
level you've got governments supporting the oil industry.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: People
need to keep on pushing governments – they are not doing their job anywhere in
the world. I do think policy plays a role in all of this, but with oil and gas
it’s a very different conversation. With fashion there needs to be a little bit
of incentivization as well. The problem that I've seen with the way that policy
has tried to engage with fashion supply chains is that they treat them like
every other supply chain and they're not. They are way messier and there are
more twists and turns, you can't compare it to say, a car supply chain. They are
not the same thing. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">My concern and
what I've seen happening in some of the EU legislation talks is that they want
it to be simple. They want a simple solution, they want footprint, with the way
they're approaching it, it’s potential to drive real change feels very slim. We
need a shift in thinking about how we incentivise good action instead of trying
to make it all fit into the same box for every type of product and looked at -
what if there was a tax break on organic cotton, what if there was a tax break
on second-hand, or what if you didn't pay any tax when you bought something
used? That would start to shift the market in a way that would be more
effective, less complicated, and could be actioned right away.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: You have
seen that work in practice when you were working in the film industry.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: Absolutely,
all the films left LA while I was there, all the films left completely. I then worked
in Boston and Louisiana on a couple different things.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: And that
was purely because of tax incentives.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: Absolutely,
tax breaks. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: So if
they can make the film industry move like that with tax breaks then absolutely
100% they would be able to move the fashion industry with tax breaks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: It happened
overnight in film. Every film was made in LA then no films were made in LA. It
happened in like 3 weeks! It was like that (Claire clicked her fingers). Films
relocated, they changed production, they wrote scripts to be based in Louisiana,
the entire industry, everything, is still made in Atlanta now. All because there
were great tax breaks. It might take a little longer with fashion, but the
change is immediate. <i>I'm personally promoting this at this point because I
think everything else has gotten way too complicated.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFHR04PCcxr_qTF_Xd64eCkXrgYTW0inhIHaeq49lI7scSxyfkKDUn54dEIB2OTIK65Comida9IprAanShzgDTuv-MPAgmGpSZ-0llTtol0tzH_qH2rw5PU6SnMzs2G-fJdxjQg85bk7tOJSo307h11rk4fB400csncwf6YtcyF3ITd245-bhF_ZQ/s1277/Claire%20Bergkamp000408%20rts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFHR04PCcxr_qTF_Xd64eCkXrgYTW0inhIHaeq49lI7scSxyfkKDUn54dEIB2OTIK65Comida9IprAanShzgDTuv-MPAgmGpSZ-0llTtol0tzH_qH2rw5PU6SnMzs2G-fJdxjQg85bk7tOJSo307h11rk4fB400csncwf6YtcyF3ITd245-bhF_ZQ/s16000/Claire%20Bergkamp000408%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">D: Do you
have hope?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">C: I do. I
think policymakers will step up. I'm going to hold on to that, I think we can
hit the 45%, I think it's possible. But policymakers need to step up because they
can really transform things. It doesn't take that long to change things when
people are motivated to change them. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Links:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/claire.bergkamp/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Claire's Instagram</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="Textile Exchange ">Textile Exchange</a> <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/textileexchange/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Textile Exchange Instagram</span></a></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-19050777261571758722022-03-29T06:00:00.006+01:002022-05-23T14:27:39.681+01:00Focus on Lucy Shea - CEO - Futerra<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiBING0fCDlgE6pTanh2LIAi_dM6yBnZSTowMn0wVFI0NAsVumZMgt9xzosejc4cmvik0rz5ToD4XJbvG11ffwA2xMknCAHFEh9WLUe1nrq3-IxJpSuDZ2krVV8vwU-le4HdibXZMyFfrE5kCqnxuDS-BQ6Gfv4MhS9lzw4GWWT4ouO_6d6nAcCAQ/s1277/Lucy%20Shea000222%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSiBING0fCDlgE6pTanh2LIAi_dM6yBnZSTowMn0wVFI0NAsVumZMgt9xzosejc4cmvik0rz5ToD4XJbvG11ffwA2xMknCAHFEh9WLUe1nrq3-IxJpSuDZ2krVV8vwU-le4HdibXZMyFfrE5kCqnxuDS-BQ6Gfv4MhS9lzw4GWWT4ouO_6d6nAcCAQ/s16000/Lucy%20Shea000222%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Lucy Shea is CEO of the change making agency <a href="https://www.wearefuterra.com/" target="_blank">Futerra</a> who, for
over 20 years have worked on sustainable development and communication. They will
only ever take on a client brief if it serves social justice and environmental
protection. Lucy joined the agency when it was still in its infancy and for her
it felt like coming home as at last, she had found a place to work and make a
difference that aligned with her own inherent values. As the agency continues
to grow so does their offering as they venture into making their own products,
setting up learning through their academy, continue valuable research and are
in the process of setting up an independent charitable foundation.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDz7GJg-CmimJtXrDi7CH6pqIryo_VnUgcvB4yHfcB4laF0Tn90b4Ihd6S1361tR8mDOjyCgcaKQVqSwmyqB15UzM1i7X2RQKChbNnqKqqEmfXZfhCYnW6glH83jHKjI08ddWYXzeeHlC8CMDaZ0g5H4sfq3JEtR1uFWOHXEhoJ4UxiPMa_S-m3QhW/s1277/Lucy%20Shea000052%20rtscc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDz7GJg-CmimJtXrDi7CH6pqIryo_VnUgcvB4yHfcB4laF0Tn90b4Ihd6S1361tR8mDOjyCgcaKQVqSwmyqB15UzM1i7X2RQKChbNnqKqqEmfXZfhCYnW6glH83jHKjI08ddWYXzeeHlC8CMDaZ0g5H4sfq3JEtR1uFWOHXEhoJ4UxiPMa_S-m3QhW/s16000/Lucy%20Shea000052%20rtscc.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Where did you grow up Lucy?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I grew up in Purley which is a suburb of Croydon in South
London.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What early influences brought you on your environmental
justice journey and are there any fashion influences in there too?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I love that you said environmental justice, because my
earliest influence was my mum, she was a huge social justice campaigner, still
is, she's in her 80s now. She was active in CAFOD, Amnesty, Fair Trade and I
think Croydon was one of the first Fair Trade boroughs and she was active in
that and she went to Greenham Common. Because of that influence, during my
teens I was campaigning on baby milk, taking action against Nestle for example,
she was a <u>huge</u> influence on me. When I first started working in
sustainability it had a much bigger environmental slant, now everything's
coming together which is brilliant, but I had almost lost the reason I had come
to work in sustainability which was social justice. Back then everything was
environmental now, everything is intersectional as climate change
disproportionately effects the poor, my work now reflects that. Mum gave me the
sense that change is possible. I don’t remember lots of marches as a kid, but
we certainly go as a family now. She gave me that real sense that you should
work on this, you don't have to, but you should work on these types of issues because
change as possible, which was great. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My early fashion influences were probably from my sister
because she was seven years older; I have two kids a 7-year-old girl and a 3-year-old
boy, when you are around six or seven that’s when your memories start to kick
in, and my daughter is bringing back a well of memories for me of how I was at
her age. At that time my sister seemed so impossibly glamorous and gorgeous and
always had a copy of Vogue in her room and would get annoyed with me because I’d
be breaking into her room, looking for lipsticks and reading her copy of Vogue.
I was kind of trying figure it out, how does she do it? how is she so glamorous?
what’s the secret? and what’s her formula? Obviously, she was a teenager shouting
‘Mum! she's been in my room again’. So yes my sister was my biggest early fashion
influence, probably still is actually. Mum was also a keen dressmaker she made
more when my brother and sister were younger than for me, but there were still
old Vogue patterns in the house. I used to read Vogue almost as an intellectual
exercise, trying to figure out “how do people do this?’ I could never
understand all those pages of ads before you got to the editorial. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You went to university, what enticed you to study French
and economic theory? Has it proven useful?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always wanted to
study languages, my mum spoke French, she studied to A ‘level and took herself
off to France, so I wanted to speak another language and when I grew up the
only language options in school were French or German. French was a bit more
glamorous for me. I always wanted to be able to open up the world by speaking
more languages and travel. To add to this mix I married a Colombian Italian so
now probably speak more Spanish than I speak French. My husband’s mum doesn't
speak English and we want the kids to speak their second language or even their
third languages so I learnt Spanish too, to be able to have a family
conversation. With economics I had this slight tension in me, there was the
social justice side of the family but dad and then my sister worked in the city,
in banking. So there was this tension between the social justice side of me and
the interesting things that should be done with the pull of earning money and
having career. I studied maths not economics at A ‘level and thought it was
going to be a bit more like politics but was dreadfully disappointed to find all
the econometrics when I got there. But that set me up to go into the city and earn
lots of money, which I did and lasted six months. Looking back on it was a
brilliant job, you got paid pots of money for doing not very much. It was in financial
software because the .com boom happened while I was at Uni, I graduated in 2000
and thought OK tech and finance great but only lasted six months because it was
so dull. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then I started reading about corporate social responsibility
and thought OK that's it, that puts together the environmental, social justice and
business to make a difference. At that time not-for-profit, its different now,
but at the time it didn’t appeal to me and I didn’t want to work for a charity.
I wanted to work in business and had a sense that business was a big agent
change. So finding this idea of corporate responsibility felt right and I went to
work for a company called Article 13. Then found and joined Futerra. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmRs5l9ztSujfzMWDlDYw2xDgNzsVoJcgoEPxub_X3sRjZaQMNembqkPHnPkFfUn84QMdjibifIV2KcFTLlJJCAyf_GcfonGdGmoWW7Z5QS_CGSaOnRjET2uzYzdKwI2D0r8-JAzn-jnmjWF5sAXf3pcaMa6_Dlg2X5PT4NG6jJBEEaN1lcCmw0Ox/s1277/Lucy%20Shea000111%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmRs5l9ztSujfzMWDlDYw2xDgNzsVoJcgoEPxub_X3sRjZaQMNembqkPHnPkFfUn84QMdjibifIV2KcFTLlJJCAyf_GcfonGdGmoWW7Z5QS_CGSaOnRjET2uzYzdKwI2D0r8-JAzn-jnmjWF5sAXf3pcaMa6_Dlg2X5PT4NG6jJBEEaN1lcCmw0Ox/s16000/Lucy%20Shea000111%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: You joined Futerra in 2003. Tell us your career path
through the company.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I started as a director, an exciting job title but there
are only five of us at the time. It was two years old and still very much a start-up.
We still see ourselves that way now even though we're 20 years in, we still have
that entrepreneurial excitement for change. At the start I didn't direct anyone,
so the role really was as a consultant. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Did you feel like you landed on your feet this time. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I did, I felt I was home. It was enormously high stress,
crazy hours, working weekends, but I certainly felt I had found somewhere where
I could be myself and could bring my full self to work. Although we worked hard,
socially it was good too and I grew to learn that there could be friendship in
business. Now I know this is where I will stay, I am doing what I love, in the
early years; my brother had moved Australia and I would think, I still want to move
about, I still want to travel. Maybe I could go to Futerra Australia but it was
always friendship that kept me in the UK. That and the sense of, we're building
something here and it's exciting. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In career terms I felt it was where I could accelerate, it
is very entrepreneurial. If I saw something that needed change I could go do it,
I could make that change, I could advance in the business, along with a very
heady feeling that we were creating a market. Back then I don’t believe there
were any other sustainability comms agencies, I think Futerra was a pretty much
the first. The idea of sustainability consultancy existed which is where I came
from, but the idea that you need unique communications, you need the power of
persuasion, you need to sell, you need to bring audiences along with you, that
felt new and heady. There was a lot of push back from the environmental
movement saying, ‘people should do this because it's the right thing to do’, but
we knew we had to communicate change to bring people along.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Going back to your sustainable fashion question, I love
fashion and now that that we are more into the environmental aspect of it, I wonder
can I still be proud of the clothes I wear? Do I need to wear a hemp shirt, do
I need to wrap my copy of Vogue in a copy of the ecologist for example? But
when I put that together with the Futerra feeling of ‘can do’ I very quickly
realised that what I needed to do was to carve out my niche in Futerra to
create change within the fashion industry. At the time Futerra hadn’t touched fashion
at all, and that's where I set out to create change. It turned into more of a
career trajectory than I anticipated as so many of our clients are from the
fashion industry now. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbokihWdJo6N5aVDxhRujxdz2koshhhynfjNpUFIUbUTM577qrqcHwKGGgUmLxIxOMEQn0wbZpjgdRJi3ErNR4F1g50ZSGXr4q5grQmg6qXJDZpQX05K8ZlQq9jKf9b9iPUGfrtRscgKvGfk3rGrxt7rWjjab_XmOJGgYn9lNPUg70ni0_4FqrxSb/s1277/Lucy%20Shea000352%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbokihWdJo6N5aVDxhRujxdz2koshhhynfjNpUFIUbUTM577qrqcHwKGGgUmLxIxOMEQn0wbZpjgdRJi3ErNR4F1g50ZSGXr4q5grQmg6qXJDZpQX05K8ZlQq9jKf9b9iPUGfrtRscgKvGfk3rGrxt7rWjjab_XmOJGgYn9lNPUg70ni0_4FqrxSb/s16000/Lucy%20Shea000352%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Where you at Futerra when you set up your Swishing blog?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I didn’t come up the idea, Futerra’s co-founder Soli with
others in Futerra did that during an intellectual exercise on an away day we
were on. We were split into groups and given the question ‘how can we make an
unsustainable behaviour desirable?’ The group that Soli was in were thinking about
shopping and charity shops and came up the name Swishing. Swishing parties were
a creation of this thinking and my goodness the thing took off because we
managed to land on a confluence of, people feeling guilty about environmental
impact and people feeling shopping is expensive. At the time people had the mindset
of buy every week, buy three bikinis only trying one and shoving the rest in
your drawer, this was before Depop, Vestiaire and others. Clothes swapping
parties did exist but were more like glorified jumble sales. What we set out to
do was to popularise this notion that you can recycle your clothes, you can
swap your clothes, you can be someone who loves fashion and go to a Swishing party,
so we did it. What surprised us the most was how much people loved the parties it’s
why they came, it was social a whole network sprang up around it. I met people
who said ‘I moved here from Russia and I developed my social circle from going
to Swishing Parties, that's where I met my friendship group in London’. It was a
good outpouring of female love and appreciation, it was great.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Of course it has mushroomed at the moment with Nuw,
OnLoan, by Rotation, Hurr, Owni, many amazing people doing this now. Are you
going to bring Swishing back?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: What I love about being at Futerra is that we try to always
be at the edge, at the moment we are restructuring our business, we will keep the
agency, the agency is amazing, making Tommy Hilfiger possible, Econyl’s positioning,
all of that will stay. We need more ambitious strategies, more integrated
diversity and inclusion. But we are starting a new Futerra Makes service, we're
going into partnership and joint ventures for our clients to bring disruptive
products to market. The first one is Love Bug with Mars pet care, <a href="https://www.lovebugpetfood.com/" target="_blank">Love Bug Pet Food</a> which
is insect-based cat foods with no animal products whatsoever, in order to get
disruptive product off the ground, this could revolutionise the pet care
industry. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Swishing was really popular around 2008 but with the big
financial crash we had too much on our hands keeping the business afloat, to
think about it. We had opened in the States, so it was put on hold as we
concentrated on building Futerra into the strong business it is now. We have UK,
U.S., Mexico and Swedish based business and are now at the point where we can be
innovative and experimental again. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Including Love Bug, we are setting up a solutions union, an
independent charitable foundation supported by Futerra. If we had still been working
on Swishing I'm sure we would have gotten into a joint venture with a client to
do something like Depop, but I think that’s done, the markets grown, it's
brilliant, we now have to find out where the next edge is and get the next new
product disruption market off the ground. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wF-ZgSQQOY8FbFMF6SDQHe7yB-gvUXXJEkG8_UoXaODDCdOph9ifUljf_oQHNrdEBtpos0Vk3GAAqPZEmzmRb435j7KEEgIk7AzCgOxgwvJoX1IJJmIXXJmcv43le-043gLuBMZm_XYd_kOdLHeA2Tc7geq0tUd4udF6OXvIfXbmvvKWy976lpFU/s1277/Lucy%20Shea000266%20rts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wF-ZgSQQOY8FbFMF6SDQHe7yB-gvUXXJEkG8_UoXaODDCdOph9ifUljf_oQHNrdEBtpos0Vk3GAAqPZEmzmRb435j7KEEgIk7AzCgOxgwvJoX1IJJmIXXJmcv43le-043gLuBMZm_XYd_kOdLHeA2Tc7geq0tUd4udF6OXvIfXbmvvKWy976lpFU/s16000/Lucy%20Shea000266%20rts.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How do you feel you've been able to change mindsets and
affect change for business on a global level.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: By using magic and logic. That's the Futerra core skill
set, we are able to do the deep sustainability strategies, the KPI’s (key
performance indicators), what issues you need to be working on as a business
and what targets you need to set. For Formula One working towards being net
zero by 2030, that's our work, but we were also able to put together, the magic,
the creation, the branding in the same year. We created the Ad for Fridays for Future
in the states on NBC, bringing people out on a nationwide scale to support
those strikes. That combination can look funny within an agency but you need
both to create change. It's our formula for change, showing our clients that
they need to make sure that they are not greenwashing, that you're creating
change where change is needed on your most material issues, but you also need
to brand it, persuade it, give it the guts and glory and get people sitting up,
taking notice and doing things. That magic, logic. One of my favourite examples
is Econyl because it's such a technical product. When they came to us I
honestly didn't know how the team were going to do it. You would think Econyl
would be an easy sell, it is now, but it wasn't at the beginning. Now the
product makes sense, to start with it was ‘OK we've got this product is made
from fishing nets and it's got this very complicated process with chemical
recycling and we turn it into this polymer that is such a high standard it
never degrades. It took our team a lot of research and digging in with the
product to find out what the truth was and the truth was, that it has infinite
possibilities. This can appeal to its audiences who are both architects and the
fashion industry. So Econyl, wonderfully credit us with the explosion of
partnerships they had, like Prada or that Arkett swimwear is made from Econyl.
I think that is a good way of showing you can take a very, born good, technical
eco product and make it as compelling and persuasive as high fashion, maybe not
high fashion but pretty good fashion. We worked with Fashion Revolution in the
early days creating the branding. As a consultancy I've seen the change Fashion
Revolution has created; if I was going to characterise the ages of our work
within fashion it would be our work with Swishing, the early Re-fashion awards
back in 2008 where we wanted to popularise the notion of sustainable fashion,
it was a growth market but then it kind of wasn't. We didn't get the work with big
clients, they would counter with ‘oh we didn't need to change’ door shuts. It’s
sad that it took the super tragedy of Rana Plaza and the setting up of Fashion Revolution
to make visible to consumers what was going on. The number of doors I saw
opening after Rana Plaza and the creation of Fashion Revolution, proved that
there is this multimillion outpouring of support. It did so much to change
hearts and minds in the industry and get everyone to do a wakeup call. Obviously
there is a lot more to do, but now at least there are great strides from the
fashion industry.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Covid threw up a lot more on the social justice side.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: #payup etc</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It left all the garment workers again.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Again, yes again exactly. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfC443Ip2u69dXdmEP7r1OPa1U_0xYjjzE5Lykj63w56VRAxC_hb5Gu8j7eIw7EKnxE3tMnFuW1dqqhhL5VKGDNX9Xkc8GuBMpXhGjqYQcbM5zDxj_erpIkYR3XisrOEV2ZqOMKO2M7j-Os6X7WRJYj7sXuFhK2tTS5ymZrR7tw8Hlcu08SOL3tITw/s1277/Lucy%20Shea000049%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfC443Ip2u69dXdmEP7r1OPa1U_0xYjjzE5Lykj63w56VRAxC_hb5Gu8j7eIw7EKnxE3tMnFuW1dqqhhL5VKGDNX9Xkc8GuBMpXhGjqYQcbM5zDxj_erpIkYR3XisrOEV2ZqOMKO2M7j-Os6X7WRJYj7sXuFhK2tTS5ymZrR7tw8Hlcu08SOL3tITw/s16000/Lucy%20Shea000049%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I'm sure you've seen a huge attitude shift, which you
have touched on. What achievements would you say you're most proud of? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Wider than only fashion one of our clients is Google, in
the early months of the pandemic they realised and then made public, that
searches for sustainable lifestyle was up 4550%. There has been this sea change
or desire for a more sustainable life. A more just and equitable life so people
can see their children and grandchildren living a better life. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Growing Futerra as part of the Futerra team: from navigating
ourselves through the 2008 crisis, then the Covid crisis and to manage to grow
within the Covid crisis. To have changed the work that we've done, 20 years ago
honestly the work wasn't that exciting, when we won the first national climate attitude
change campaign from the government, that felt like a big break. But we had to
cut our teeth on things like PR support for local government reports that type
of thing, important but not very exciting. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Seeing Futerra working with businesses like F1, getting them
to change and seeing the potential for Formula One, not only to change their
ecosystems or their generators on the tour that make up their footprint, but
changing the fuels they put in their engines, work on synthetic fuels with Shell
and the other baddies and having the potential while we're waiting for electric
and the move over to electric that you could see with the potential to drop in
synthetic fuels. Then to see millions of cars on the road being able to use it
overnight, that type of thing to me is amazing. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Seeing Futerra being able to really create change in
industries. I am proud of the work we've done in fashion, we are not the only
people working in fashion, but the fact that it's now </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">de rigueur that if you are a credible brand in this space
you need to have a comprehensive sustainability strategy. Some of which are
spinning out new product areas, like Tommy Hilfiger with Tommy for Life and
their adaptive range for example. Swishing is probably still one of my biggest and
seeing how it helped, birth something if you like. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Growing Futerra and turning it into a really, going
enterprise, we have huge ambitions for it next. And speaking very honestly,
managing to keep working as a CEO and a mum of young kids, that is, so hard, but
so worth it. I never really felt the guilt before lockdown, trying to structure
life. Before that I would leave the house, go to the office, but struggling
through home schooling, struggling through having the kids at home, suddenly
not being able to work. Feeling so immensely guilty about Futerra, which was
fine. But having to say goodbye to my kids more than once a day, that's been
really hard, managing to keep it going through lockdown and being a working mum.
That’s probably my proudest achievement and I still find it very difficult the
tension between the amount of hours I'm able to give it here and the amount of
things we still need to do to change the world. How much I love my kids and
want to be with them, that tensions hard.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The word change
has permeated our whole conversation right from your mother to yourself and now
to your children. It's obviously a thread that runs through your life, and it
is a charge that you're leading. Obviously being in the advertising side of
things it kind of gives you the power to get in front of people, to spread the
message. There are a lot of people suffering from Eco anxiety. How do you spread
the message of positivity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Change has been the ethos all the way through, Futerra is
based on this notion of being positive otherwise we might as well pack up and
go home. The problem of denialism, fatigue and cynicism is really problematic. We
did some research with Ipsos Mori three or four years ago and again for the November
2021, climate week, our mission for Furerra has been the same for 20 years, to
make sustainable development so desirable it becomes normal. We have recently
changed that to Make the Anthropocene Awesome this idea that we're all
suffering from Eco depression and anxiety and the idea that we're living in the
Anthropocene, which means that human activity is now the dominant force on the
planet, more so than natural shifts, like say plate tectonics, which causes earthquakes
and volcanoes has. For us at Futerra there is power in that because if we as
humans changed this by accident, then we can make it better, we can restore it
on purpose and by design. The solutions out there, if you look at Project Drawdown
which lists the top 100 solutions to climate change. Number one on the list is
something like refrigerants, meaning the methane that leaks out of faulty or
dumped fridges all over the world. That's not too hard so lets sort out fridges.
Also among the top fixes is the education of women and girls and family
planning. More people means more carbon footprint obviously, as soon as you
educate women and girls they have smaller families, there are less problems
with maternal health and a reduced death rate for kids around the world. All
these things are not hard, some of them are tech fixes, some of them are
amazing solutions for people humanity and women, and groups and races that have
been marginalised. We can put it all together and can create a better future, with
sustainability we can meet the needs of present generations without
compromising the needs of future and can make it better and can enhance the
ability for future generations to lead their own lives. Where Futerra are
really doubling down on, in all our different work, is around that feeling of
belief and optimism, that we can create change, it's not too late, the
solutions are out there. Of course we can make changes in our everyday lives
but using the power of culture, using the power of business all looping
together to create change. It’s less about the individual, it’s more that you're
sending a message, when you look at the sea changing attitudes around plastics
and meat. Our clients are jumping on these issues now, more so than ever before,
because they've got the consumer data that says people want change in these
areas. Although it's not down to the individual, I’m a really passionate
believer that it's the individuals within a system within the structure and
we've got to work with the agents of change, people have power, the consumer
has power to send a message through purchasing, by voting with their wallet to
show the change you want to see in the world. That's why I feel positive, we've
got the power we can do it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTZQa-1Fhc72lMyptM-L0Me_jN683PcIime4PDPNpWkR9GAfMdfxcFWRhvZBu6GdKpdut3uSEpPjRELYiS8EHbeShH2rbZ7i-TYGpp9XZn-hYuxqRZUwgw5ig6URhNsHYoDTqKhBuATSqlqFIQDOgZZ5_Gqw_ajRHdN-VDC5ypSXUAjZC1_FCMSx5/s1277/Lucy%20Shea000123%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTZQa-1Fhc72lMyptM-L0Me_jN683PcIime4PDPNpWkR9GAfMdfxcFWRhvZBu6GdKpdut3uSEpPjRELYiS8EHbeShH2rbZ7i-TYGpp9XZn-hYuxqRZUwgw5ig6URhNsHYoDTqKhBuATSqlqFIQDOgZZ5_Gqw_ajRHdN-VDC5ypSXUAjZC1_FCMSx5/s16000/Lucy%20Shea000123%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What changes would you like to see now and in the future?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I think what's going to happen is that sustainability
will no longer be a niche, we get people coming to us saying ‘I’d love to work
in sustainability, how do I get into it’ and the answer is, ‘do it where you
are, do it in your everyday life and do it in your own business’. My colleague Soli
is working on a project at the moment around <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">scope X</span>, which leans into your carbon emissions.
When you set them against your business they are judged on scope one, two or
three which means your own inhouse emissions, your supply chain or your
consumers. What’s never really considered, is say, as an agency our footprint
is tiny, the impact we have is with our clients. So there needs to be a realisation
from the rest of the services industry that you can't only work on your
footprint, doing your printing on recycled paper is laughable when you're
working with the fossil fuel industry. We have created a piece at Futerra
called the Client disclosure report and an absolute sea of amazing agencies
have signed up as Creatives for Climate. They are all like us, they are all
born good, they've got sustainability at their heart and their core. Not one of
the big agencies signed up, some of the big tech agencies signed up to be a B
Corp which is brilliant like Havas for example but there has to be a sea change
in the service industry, that the work you do as a lawyer, as a banker, as
insurance, as recruitment, as communications, where you put your day today
effort has to change. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I think fashion needs to speed up in its change, again the
solutions are out there I don't want to trash it too much because there are a
lot of people creating incredible change, but the rate of adoption of the new
technologies is not high enough, the dig in to actually using marketing dollars
and spend to promote new sustainable solution isn't there and needs to be more.
I'm really excited about this knit together of environment and social, this
knit together and this unlocking, this work that we've got to do to become anti-racist
as organisations and work on anti-racist strategies with our clients. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You did some fantastic work with the UN in the past do
you still work with them?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: We do, the UN is amazing and they have such convening
power and credibility. Both I and my colleague Hannah Pang are co-chairs of the
outreach group on the UN fashion charter. As our contribution of being a member
of the UN fashion charter on climate change we are working on their branding
and positioning, their visual identity and their messaging. We partnered with
them on the run up to COP26 to launch a handbook on how to engage the consumer
on decarbonizing the fashion industry. We also partner with them on the Good Life
Goals, where we translate the sustainable development goals into actions you
can take every day. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Tell us more about the pet food you were talking about.
Is it plant based?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: Its insect based and it’s our first collaboration on Futerra
Makes which is a new product line for us and is based on offering; we've always
partnered our clients to create change but we've always been the agency. Like partnering
with people like Fashion Revolution where we've done some pro bono work or
sometimes there's been a contract like the film that we created with them, all
still agency work. Then we realised that when we get to pitch for exciting new
brands that a mainstream FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) company might be
rolling out, often they give it to their mainstream agency, the ones with the
sales experience. Society needs more disruptive products, we need more products
out there for consumers to buy, based on consumer data and consumer needs, but
also based on real scientific issue. Pets and planet don't very easily co-exist
because of the huge meat consumption involved. For the past five years we have
been developing an alternative. As cats eat insects anyway you can see them
hunting them in the garden, they are obligate carnivores, you can't get them
not to eat meat, unlike like dogs who are omnivores and can survive on a plant-based
diet. We thought what about insect-based cat food? and it's been a long
partnership with Mars to bring it to market. Partnering with Mars also brought
a partnership with the Waltham Science Institute who are the leading experts on
feline and domestic animal health. It is our first one, there will be more and
I'm hoping there will be more in fashion, but the first one is live and you can
buy it in the UK at <a href="https://www.lovebugpetfood.com/" target="_blank">Love Bug Pet Food</a><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's the first time
that we've launched a new business in 20 years, of course we have grown Futerra
by opening new hubs in different countries, but it's our first new entrepreneurial
business we’ve put on the market and we are pretty excited about it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I have seen farmers on Countryfile with shipping
containers in their backyards growing the insects for things like flour.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: It's amazing and its such a growth market, there are insect-based
protein bars, we work with a really cool factory in Germany with good insect
husbandry techniques. Insects have a very low central nervous system we don't
know if they feel pain, but we still want to treat them as well as we can.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIKY-pD4eVICm6pXZg_9yiLgg6Cugt5zMPWm2MuAodiWFkwrlOldfT6uontEsOpZSzVNMrz56beUX6tRVjo3qjx8jPh8OC99PEuNZ5gPsW3rkYt66ZkYbEOoLShfDk4W6mrdk_15wzyC0InD85gutIFTnihpgHx7J3PVK6haZYsMuQz8cD_MYaKMP/s1277/Lucy%20Shea000324%20rtsc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIKY-pD4eVICm6pXZg_9yiLgg6Cugt5zMPWm2MuAodiWFkwrlOldfT6uontEsOpZSzVNMrz56beUX6tRVjo3qjx8jPh8OC99PEuNZ5gPsW3rkYt66ZkYbEOoLShfDk4W6mrdk_15wzyC0InD85gutIFTnihpgHx7J3PVK6haZYsMuQz8cD_MYaKMP/s16000/Lucy%20Shea000324%20rtsc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What do you think is it is that drives you forward?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I find the whole sector massively interesting, why I
wanted to work in sustainability is that it's intellectually challenging, it
brings together issues, change and consumers, for me being a consultant is really
interesting, you get to work in loads of different industries and loads of
different sectors, you really rapidly have to become an expert on something. We've
been doing sustainability for 20 years now, but you have to rapidly gen up on a
new issue or when you bring on a new client. I love that intellectual challenge
and intellectual rigour. I love feeling that I'm creating change, honestly I
feel a bit scared about the kids, even with the belief that humanity has the
knowledge to save itself, the question is can we create change quick enough? Every
year is important now, the fact that the fossil fuel industries are being
called out is great. I loved the ruling from the Netherlands court, if your going
be net 0 by 2030, what you doing along the way? you can't keep burning
everything for the next eight years, come on. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What keeps me going is seeing the change that we can create
and working with Futerran’s everyday, we’ve built this amazing company of
amazing people who have the desire for change at their hearts. They keep us
honest and they want even more change than Futerra is able to create so it's
that feeling that we need to do bigger and better and create more. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How does your mum feel about all the change that that she
has seen? I'm sure it's very different now than it was for her at the beginning.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">L: I don’t know, I need to ask her that. They're pretty low
impact now, mum and dad don’t have a car anymore, they're not really flying
anywhere. I always feel like I want to ask her about the social issues of
climate change, but haven’t. ‘How do you feel about all this change you’ve seen
in your lifetime, and is it enough, and what do you think will happen?’ I gotta
ask her.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Links</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.wearefuterra.com/" target="_blank">Futerra</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.lovebugpetfood.com/" target="_blank">Love Bug Pet Food</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.wearefuterra.com/academy" target="_blank">Futerra Academy </a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.wearefuterra.com/solutions-union" target="_blank">Futerra Solutions Union </a></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.wearefuterra.com/thinks" target="_blank">Futerra Research </a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><br /> </p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-11599471477349403392022-03-15T06:00:00.003+00:002022-06-20T22:46:16.018+01:00Focus on Dominique Muller - Policy Director for Labour Behind The Label <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEIqVDQcLzM4vUKsuJm1qQkimI5jeDm8zZnDySwaowYgstUofGi4jH7tC68Uhmk8py76gkTSSThQ27kZTOmis2E77hgJ6GNb8MVvkTdMgL47KqF5qMKqZOwiwKm7VfRwCRRbNi2JPXcsNRtGhs42f3arlSPp_xqpuWGiNRCqzTjwbHFa2QJ1w6pSvb=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEIqVDQcLzM4vUKsuJm1qQkimI5jeDm8zZnDySwaowYgstUofGi4jH7tC68Uhmk8py76gkTSSThQ27kZTOmis2E77hgJ6GNb8MVvkTdMgL47KqF5qMKqZOwiwKm7VfRwCRRbNi2JPXcsNRtGhs42f3arlSPp_xqpuWGiNRCqzTjwbHFa2QJ1w6pSvb=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">The work of Dominique and her ‘small but mighty’ team at <a href="https://labourbehindthelabel.org/" target="_blank">Labour Behind the Label </a>support the garment workers who make your clothes here in the
UK and then globally with the work they do with <a href="https://cleanclothes.org/" target="_blank">The Clean Clothes Campaign </a>They
take their voice from the workers, they campaign for them and call out
injustices by naming and shaming brands but they also liaise with the brands to
bring about change. We talk about their work on the real living wage or actually
securing a minimum wage in places where this doesn’t exist, human rights,
isolating labour costs, legislation, raising the voices of women within unions
and so much more. Read on as Dominique shares with us the vital work they do.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn_RA4pPF2vA24PvbaFYi3okLt-o2s3_aMWQgKoZxtwQp5CWTtU8B4nxdHL-AwR7K0PCk9rR1K25CryQBiy5Cy_5BHtQnAWDV4HrYgwPNugg2APNNQmau0FjkB03YXboRxY8NjnDkHsE3L7z_NyN3TDLmUJnVLEZhOnuuTeoAC1JvVu38K9MzaN6qe=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn_RA4pPF2vA24PvbaFYi3okLt-o2s3_aMWQgKoZxtwQp5CWTtU8B4nxdHL-AwR7K0PCk9rR1K25CryQBiy5Cy_5BHtQnAWDV4HrYgwPNugg2APNNQmau0FjkB03YXboRxY8NjnDkHsE3L7z_NyN3TDLmUJnVLEZhOnuuTeoAC1JvVu38K9MzaN6qe=s16000" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Where did you grow up Dominique?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: In Amersham, at the end of the Metropolitan line, a
little town in Buckinghamshire. My mother was French and English my father,
Swiss German which explains the mix of my names. After school I lived in London,
Prague, Hong Kong, France and Holland. I lived out of the UK for 15 years and now
live in York. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Your choice of university degrees and the journey you've
been on, has very much centred around politics, law justice and human rights,
what moved you in this direction and inspired you to help? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: My mother’s opinion that ‘you are put on this earth to
make it better’, was very influential and if I see someone struggling it affects
me emotionally. When I was about 14 or 15 I wanted to be a benevolent dictator,
I thought that if I could get it right and could push all the bad people out of
the country things would be better. That’s when I joined the young communists, it
took me a while to realise things weren’t quite so clear cut, that there's a
lot more context. Human rights and justice, I'm not sure quite why, a lot of
empathy really, my daughter is the same.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Did you go to University in China?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: I did, in those days it was more common, it was a four
year course, Politics in East Asia with a year in China, that was my first
degree and I fell in love with China. It was changing, 1987 to 88, the people
were lovely, everyone was friendly, everything was fresh and new. Then while I
was doing my finals the Tiananmen crackdown happened. After University I felt I
hadn't finished with China, so I went back and spent a year researching
juvenile delinquency. There were and still are, laws regulating so called
hooliganism, you could be put in a juvenile detention centre for things like
talking loudly in cinemas, spitting watermelon seeds, being a juvenile, being
loud and obnoxious. If you're female you could be detained for having a
boyfriend, or for having sex. But they were so lovely and so tame I thought that
I would love to know more, and at the same time see a balance in the law. On one
hand it's very totalitarian and repressive, but on the other, there was a
belief in the reformation of someone’s character. Now, I would consider it to
be much more like brainwashing, but at the time it didn’t seem that way. The
social workers, really genuinely, thought they were altering someone. In the
West oftentimes, kids and adults are just put in prison which is punitive and
not reformative. I went back one more time and did six months of a PhD in China
on human rights. This time it was more difficult, no one wanted to talk about
human rights, the political climate had changed. Also I was older and it was more
risky, because this time I was asking better questions than before. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFxcMe04bCLuSyHT_GOjRFyZF2UioVwPpTkA95GRhJ_n37cRtz0KFxExhfKNh9uGu3KviX3FmfJjum0jFKIXAuY204w6WdUrj8YSK0ZL0GtrMHBq_-ogSqDxR6iQaIYQNaWVzXDkqM9K0XNmwpjkPMOuMU5xNztF7fBbE7G63BFdKSg230cDEP3qCh=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFxcMe04bCLuSyHT_GOjRFyZF2UioVwPpTkA95GRhJ_n37cRtz0KFxExhfKNh9uGu3KviX3FmfJjum0jFKIXAuY204w6WdUrj8YSK0ZL0GtrMHBq_-ogSqDxR6iQaIYQNaWVzXDkqM9K0XNmwpjkPMOuMU5xNztF7fBbE7G63BFdKSg230cDEP3qCh=s16000" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Tell us about Labour Behind the Label and The Clean Clothes
Campaign, how are you linked? Was it because of The Clean Clothes Campaign you lived
in Amsterdam?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: When I was working in Hong Kong I worked through with The
Clean Clothes Campaign on their 2008 Beijing Olympic campaign, we collaborated
with a campaign around workers producing sportswear and kept in touch, later
moving to Amsterdam to take up a job there. Then eventually moving back to the
UK to work with Labour Behind the Label. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Labour Behind the Label was set up in Norwich about 20 years
ago and it's the only UK body focused solely on garment workers. We call ourselves
small but mighty, there are six of us at the moment and we do a lot of
campaigning work, a lot of naming and shaming, but we also do a lot of brand
liaison and advocacy. We reach out to brands about specific cases, which are
called urgent appeals. That's when our partners overseas will contact us and
say ‘this is happening in our factory can you help?’ In many cases we do this
work behind the scenes and don’t need to go public unless the brands refuse to
remediate the abuses. We also do policy work and work a lot on that in the UK. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are an independent organisation, but also work as The Clean
Clothes Coalition in the UK. Europe has a lot of well established coalitions with
newer coalitions in places like Romania, Croatia in Eastern Europe and regional
coalitions predominantly in Asia. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On top of those hubs, we have partners and members of the
coalitions, mainly in Asia but we have some in in Africa, North Africa, South
Africa, Latin America etc. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then there are global partners who are big global
organisations who work on worker rights. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It's very much a network, this means we were using zoom way
before lockdown. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our work is with lots of different people in lots of
different countries. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>The key is that we take our voice from the workers</u>. We
don't claim to represent them, we can't, it's their unions and their groups
that do that. The work we do comes from the grassroots up and it's very flexible.
They create the policies and bring us the issues. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Do they feel it’s easier to speak with you than their
unions?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: It depends, our partners and members are unions, well
established ones, but also smaller unions in lots of different countries, plus
NGOs and women's groups. The garment industry is made up of a lot of women who
live and work in a lot of countries where women are not necessarily treated
equally. We know there are a lot of traditional unions that don't always
represent women well and that won't always give them a voice. We are very clear
that they are all equal. For example, we have done work that focused on
developing women's leadership in the union movement and in factory
representation. Before the pandemic we had global meetings where women leaders
come together, from everywhere, where a woman from Honduras, who is a trade
unionist could be speaking to a woman from Thailand. We look at how they can
develop their confidence and their skills and how we can work on unions that
might be more hesitant to let them in or let them talk.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Giving them a voice. That must be that must be very
powerful.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: It’s amazing, some of the women are so inspiring and
some people like Kalpona Akter in Bangladesh, she's amazing, she's always so
cheerful and yet I know she sits in her office or goes out to factories and
meets women that are in terrible situations and she keeps on fighting. Then
there are 18 year old women coming up through the ranks that are so full of
energy it's great. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: It must have been really difficult for them, knowing now
what happened during the pandemic when the brands pulled their orders leaving
all the people empty handed. Suddenly they had no money, how do you feed your
family? how do you feed your children? what happens in that void?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: It was such a huge shock, but it had been creeping up, during
the three waves. The first wave when China shutdown, meant a lot of orders went
to other places which created a lot of abuse in terms of overtime, being forced
to make up for China. Then came the lockdown in Europe where all the orders
disappeared. During the lockdowns in Asia some factories were still working and
the women were at greater risk of getting Covid and still are. If a factory
shutdown there was no income. It really highlighted that for all the fine words
of the last two decades, the brands were quite happy to forget everything to
protect their profits. When you look now, obviously there have been some
failures on the high street like Arcadia and Debenhams, but they were also
being bled dry by multimillionaire owners. All the others are presenting nice
tidy profits, or have increased massively, with huge profits. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6EEnhph1J1P-VahlVaCN0gOGY9ZlX58-aPjD06c9ZZR0-vvExWc3qYjOHSsWqGnHDU7LEjqtewR_JEueCzEY3E6XU5UlNigBe1lbcb2bbI8d6XJBQJiLlykIhwOApdmwPUzsiDwfAP1mHNIw-meXtY27LlBhr8z_VfnX8tQMNVsKbT_SSPDo6ia0t=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6EEnhph1J1P-VahlVaCN0gOGY9ZlX58-aPjD06c9ZZR0-vvExWc3qYjOHSsWqGnHDU7LEjqtewR_JEueCzEY3E6XU5UlNigBe1lbcb2bbI8d6XJBQJiLlykIhwOApdmwPUzsiDwfAP1mHNIw-meXtY27LlBhr8z_VfnX8tQMNVsKbT_SSPDo6ia0t=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Is there a way of keeping the women safe if they're
whistle blowing?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: It's very different in different countries and factories.
The urgent appeal area, it's a very good system, we have partners who will come
to us with a case, we will assess it and work out which brands are involved, it
might be say H&M, Next or Aldi for example, we then speak to the German CCC
(Clean Clothes Coalition) the Norwegians and the UK and we will form a case
group with the partner. However, over Covid the number of cases mushroomed, we
have had hundreds and hundreds and we can't deal with them all altogether. To cope
with the increase we created country groups. Many of the issues are about wages,
then the next biggest issue is dismissal and using Covid as an excuse to get
rid of unions. In places where the workers are speaking out and are organising,
the owners will say we don’t have any more orders, we don't have money, we're
going to close this factory, then they simply move it somewhere else, where
there are fresh workers desperate for work and no unions. We try and protect
workers by pushing the brands to talk to the management by naming and shaming, by
campaigning and by direct work with embassies, global unions, in any way we can.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of the things that's been really inspiring is the amount
of self-organising in terms of the unions and the women's groups, developing food
networks. They're distributing cooking oil and flour to all the families in the
garment working areas. It doesn't matter who you work for, if you have a family
whose affected you get it, that support has been going on the whole time. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We are not a fundraising, project based organisation, we
support the workers with the brands, with the local governments, pushing back
where we see the need, for example in India, new laws introduced have damaged
and set back the Labour Laws, so we push back against things like that. It's
hard work and there's always more to be done.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A lot of work we have done is on the living wage and now unfortunately
we are in a situation where we're asking for workers to be paid the minimum,
because they're not even getting that, or their bonuses. On one level that's
what we're doing now, but strategically we're also developing a plan where we
can keep pushing for the living wage.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection</style>Dv: Do you think it’s difficult because of self regulation
in the fashion industry? Would legislation that protects workers here and
abroad work? What are the chances of that happening?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: If you look at some of the reports you can see that
brands are saying that they want legislation. That wouldn't have happened five
years ago, but they know they must ask for reputational risk management. That and
the growth of possible court cases. They are also asking for a level playing
field, that's the big thing for some brands, ‘we want a level playing field,
because we're the good guys’. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a movement towards mandatory human rights due
diligence and proper legislation. I think it’s moving in the EU, but this UK government
is failing in one of the most basic things and that is, as a consumer we all
have to buy clothes, every single one of us. If you're buying new, wherever you
buy from the High Street, or Primark or anywhere else, you have to think, has this
been made by an 18 year old woman in a factory earning a minimum wage? We
shouldn't have to make that choice, with legislation the government could
enable us to have a free conscience. That way we can say, everything in the UK is
clean, but it isn't, so every day we are forced to make those choices. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The UK government has a hands off approach to legislation
yet brands are calling out for more and enforcement agencies in the UK are
failing miserably because they are under resourced. Which means what little law
the UK has is not being upheld. We have the modern slavery act which has no
teeth, even the government says ‘well you know consumer pressure at the end of
the day is a sanction’. But you can't put that on consumers, how dare they fail
that as a government. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: What are the trade unions in this country (UK) for garment
workers?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: There's the TUC, which is the Confederation and then the
key ones Community, Unite, GMB, Bakers Union plus more for those working in
logistics and warehousing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Do you have to be a British citizen to be a member of
the union?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: No, the TUC and other unions are very clear that they
will protect workers regardless of immigration status and regardless of
contract. We have big issues, in Leicester in the UK, we are working with
several different stakeholders including brands and enforcement bodies to
develop a binding agreement. That has come out of the <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">exposé </span>we did on Boohoo in the summer of
2020.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://labourbehindthelabel.org/report-boohoo-covid-19-the-people-behind-the-profit/" target="_blank">You can read it here</a>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Is Leicester the biggest producer of garments in the UK?
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: It's the biggest hub, there is also Manchester,
Birmingham, London and some in Lancashire. But Leicester has the biggest
concentration, they estimate around 10,000 plus workers the majority of whom
are female. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After our <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">exposé</span> brands that have never talked to me before or didn't like
talking to me, came and said this is great, we want to do something. That was
partly because a lot of brands have pulled out of Leicester because they kept
being exposed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: But that leaves a void for Boohoo to happen.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Exactly, which is that's why they swooped in, and with
no transparency whatsoever it got worse and worse. It’s not only Boohoo, they
are the biggest player, but there are lots of other e-retailers with websites
that I don't know of, but my daughter, whose 16 has heard of, that cater to
that age group. So we are working on an enforceable binding agreement that
would bring unions, brands and manufacturers together, that would enable union
access and that would support workers in the community. It would also hold up
standards on fair pricing, isolation of labour costs, purchasing practises like
regular contracts and at the same time it also tries to bring in enforcement
agencies. What we've seen is that many agencies undertake raids with the
immigration agency. That means, automatically workers don't want to talk to
them because they are scared and quite rightly. They feel if they speak out
then they might be deported, or their friend might be. Since a new taskforce
was set up I think there's been one arrest so far and up until a few months ago
it was the only action taken out of all the raids that happened. The person
arrested was a worker who was detained and charged with immigration offences. That's
the only criminal prosecution which is appalling and sends the message that the
government does not care. There’s a really low prosecution of labour rights
enforcement, the narrative is that the situation is caused by criminal
suppliers or dodgy owners of factories and it isn't the full story at all. It's
a whole endemic set of circumstances, much of it pushed by low prices paid by
brands and the overall lack of government oversight and care for workers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Is this in line with the government sending Levison in to
check on Boohoo?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Boohoo are spending their own money on Alison Levison to
do that review. Now they have Levison who sends out regular updates. Boohoo are
making slow progress, but they are starting from a point where other brands
were 20 years ago. People have been publishing their supply chain for years and
years. Boohoo have only just published their supply list. In the UK it's very
small, it doesn't quite add up to their claim that they haven't reduced
sourcing in Leicester. We know that they have massively increased production in
places like Pakistan and Morocco and information from all those factories is still
unknown. £3 a week was commonplace in Leicester for many years and we are still
seeing endemic underpayment of the minimum wage and holiday pay is almost
unknown still! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVH8hYEcMDfCKWuTOGgpKGKHwC945C6GqKTgDQg2kRf1jd2sKtkB4HxX9wmZmXcIzFtVC-uhp0N1f-I-f0Pf4AeeEALR9VA7Nb7gu40FNl2pyge5yZYUzhb3tpC4yHjUNiXdfM8F2Jy5imX5qooeBlX0ibFVkylCUp4mA2CyffQlyCStwHnClyXrWN=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVH8hYEcMDfCKWuTOGgpKGKHwC945C6GqKTgDQg2kRf1jd2sKtkB4HxX9wmZmXcIzFtVC-uhp0N1f-I-f0Pf4AeeEALR9VA7Nb7gu40FNl2pyge5yZYUzhb3tpC4yHjUNiXdfM8F2Jy5imX5qooeBlX0ibFVkylCUp4mA2CyffQlyCStwHnClyXrWN=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><style>@font-face
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</p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: You mentioned isolation of labour costs, can you explain
what that means?</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Isolating labour costs – or ringfencing wage costs helps
to make sure that any prices agreed will protect the cost of wages so brands do
not try to reduce the prices downwards. Brands and especially fast fashion
brands keep pushing prices lower and lower forcing suppliers to cut costs if
they want the orders and the work. Brands want suppliers to produce cheap
clothes for minimal costs. This isn’t sustainable or fair. We have heard anecdotally;
a brand will bring lots of suppliers in to a room and say ‘we want a supplier
who can make this for £3.00’ someone will say ‘I can do it for £2.50’ the brand
will say ‘okay here’s the order’. The supplier needs the money. The profit
value in the supply chain, is so big at the top and so small at the bottom. Margins
for retailers can be around 40-60% and for suppliers it’s as low as 5%. This
means that some suppliers, in order to make money, (and some of them are very
rich, the really criminally exploitive ones), will supplement profits by tax
fraud or VAT fraud. In the UK one example is to have an official pay slip which
says 20 hours at the minimum wage, that goes through the books, but the worker then
has to pay back the extra in cash, to reduce their wages to £3, £4 or £5 an
hour.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: That must be heart breaking for the worker. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: I know it sounds awful - at the moment the situation in
Leicester is pretty tough.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: If somebody is having to work like that and are on such
low wages do they then get government support to live?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Well that's the other thing which is a problem with the
enforcement bodies. I'll answer this in two parts. Sometimes the supplier
coerces the worker into benefit fraud. They will say ‘I can give you 14 hours so
it's part time, at £4 an hour which is better than £3 and you can claim benefit.’
Sometimes suppliers help the workers fill out the forms as many don’t have good
enough English to do this. In this way – the employers are coercing workers
into criminal behaviour thus making them even less likely to whistle blow.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Of course this is only for people who are legally here.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Yes exactly, the people who don't have proper legal
status, they are totally vulnerable, and one of the things that we try to raise
in our work with the labour market enforcement bodies. They have said ‘well
we've also got to crackdown on benefit fraud’. But we are very clear that we're
not here to further our own agenda, or for you to get your targets. We are here
to support the workers. It’s not being supportive if you go after them for
benefit fraud. They don’t necessarily want to claim benefit, they would rather
have a decent living wage and a decent job. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Isolating labour costs, creates a transparent costing mechanism,
the fabric, the overheads like lighting etc are separated out then you have the
wages, the pensions and the VAT so it's all clear and that should create a more
equal relationship between the supplier and the brand. Which means the brand
can't say, ‘well the supplier said that they could make a garment for £1.50’ _
because we all know that's impossible. You need to ring fence that labour cost.
It makes it safe and what we want to see is that in the UK we move towards the
real living wage and not the minimum wage which is erroneously called the
national living wage. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: I hate it.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: I know, I know, but it's such a good marketing tool, ‘but
why don't we call the minimum wage the living wage that would work’, because
it's not the living wage, it's the minimum wage. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In so many countries the minimum wage has become the ceiling
wage which leaves people struggling to pay the rent, buy food and pay for all
the other things. This is not a living wage, if you can't live on it, it's not
living. </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: It feels like a difficult balancing act to protect the
rights of the workers. But what’s not talked about enough are the skills garment
workers have and our need for them. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The obvious way forward would be to lift garment working up
as a as a career path, as something for people to aspire to when they finish
school. But the skill is not valued or even taught anymore so why would you. We
have become reliant on a migrant work force who are skilled yet are vilified,
mistreated and live in fear.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Brexit hasn't helped with the uncertainty for EU
Nationals. There are a lot of Bulgarian workers, other Eastern Europeans and
obviously a lot of Asian workers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Kate at Make it British, wants to see a thriving British
industry, but at the moment Leicester is competing with Bangladesh and Pakistan
and the garments often made in the UK are really simple like tube dresses where
only the top and the bottom are stitched. There is some skill, and they have to
be fast, but in terms of old fashioned skills they are not there, this is because
of the pressure from fast fashion brands to, reduce skills and keep costs down.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have seen some invoices and they clearly show that the
prices paid and offered in the UK are less than would have been paid in
Pakistan, even including air freight.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s shocking, but there is such a great opportunity to
create better clothes, more sustainably, more ethically and with climate change
things should be made close by. With fast fashion you want things made close by
so you can get items out fast. There are so many positive things about having
things made in England and yet it's almost like Leicester and the whole garment
industry there is being exploited as a sweatshop, within a supposedly first
world, first class country.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidlgowmgLkepKk0TwovqZG1NjYpY7HblpJeU7brnGMMNZAoQ9Y5dlsF9811zsjCZGXxz8QfF7TroJuSKr7XSXq8c2kwMXk2opZqVPT6c5dE05_haGSY1NPhN9OhA3SUpZyujtTd6XKCt3Cun2peiK5CyM1-fbggM_jl4Z5JqwMUpGE876EVxwaQuLn=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidlgowmgLkepKk0TwovqZG1NjYpY7HblpJeU7brnGMMNZAoQ9Y5dlsF9811zsjCZGXxz8QfF7TroJuSKr7XSXq8c2kwMXk2opZqVPT6c5dE05_haGSY1NPhN9OhA3SUpZyujtTd6XKCt3Cun2peiK5CyM1-fbggM_jl4Z5JqwMUpGE876EVxwaQuLn=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: I've read somewhere that only 20% of garment workers in
the UK are being paid properly is that correct?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Possibly because if you think 80% of those are women, I
would think so. The most common missed payment is holiday pay, this is
happening increasingly, especially with some migrants, but also with vulnerable
women who aren't used to working in formal 9 to 5 full time jobs, there are so
many instances where they don't even know that they are entitled to holiday pay.
They say ‘but I work part time’ but you should still get holiday pay, you're
still allowed a holiday. The denial of holiday pay is so common. Then there is
the denial of pensions and if you're on a low wage that’s kept artificially low
for benefits, then you're not contributing more to pensions and so it adds up
to a lifetime of poverty or possible poverty. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Because of this underpayment and because so many women work
in garment production Covid impacted them more, because they didn't stop
working. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Together with the TUC we did a press release. The ONS (Office
for National Statistics) put out aggregated figures at the end of January 2021,
very quietly that show the occupations most at risk of Covid and within that
garment work and female garment workers were statistically three times more
likely to die of Covid. The figures included nurses and teachers, it’s statistically
a small group because they are a small category, but the number of deaths from
those factories were 3 times higher.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: So they are literally dying to make our clothes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: In overcrowded factories, with very little regulation
from the health and safety executive. Boris Johnson said inspections were going
on last spring, they weren't. The agency said they weren't. The Covid
guidelines were guidelines only, so these workers were literally forced to work
in unsafe conditions. In Sir Lanka for example there was a massive wave of
infections spread by the garment industry, because workers are forced into
crowded factories and onto crowded transport. The Sir Lankan government has
said that in Sir Lanka there needs to be official tripartite committees looking
after Covid guidelines and manufacturers are ignoring this. We pushed for
brands to step in but it’s a struggle. And again, this is where UK or global legislation
would help, then it would impact what's happening to people abroad too. Brands
would be held responsible and factories would have to fall in line with the
laws, so law really is key. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the
other end we need unions in the factory that can push - so many brands talk
about respect for freedom of association, but in reality on the ground they don’t
apply it. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMpcHWuqbyQ3mZ1d81Cw6I56MRySvBY8UC3PlxF7jQyy2aZL9aFrglYPJcHzJdKStq8uc7Yjl7IpRACNN5wzY20WkPfGLvNsXoqvhWNrn25POV7aV705Lqfe3kV8_5hllzOIxNsr-HWWgGUIHydLCt2KiXxpY-AvoP_6BLax_6Sbvmz1wKy0Pm3_rI=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMpcHWuqbyQ3mZ1d81Cw6I56MRySvBY8UC3PlxF7jQyy2aZL9aFrglYPJcHzJdKStq8uc7Yjl7IpRACNN5wzY20WkPfGLvNsXoqvhWNrn25POV7aV705Lqfe3kV8_5hllzOIxNsr-HWWgGUIHydLCt2KiXxpY-AvoP_6BLax_6Sbvmz1wKy0Pm3_rI=s16000" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Dv: The constant need for growth within the fashion industry
means we're overproducing and throwing things away, as we know things are being
made that don't even make it to the shop floor that go straight from the
factory to landfill. Which is awful for planet and people. Do you see a way to
bring balance in this?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: It's such a big question. I think it's got to a point
where people are much more aware of the issues around the lack of
sustainability, climate change, the impact of how much water is used, pollution,
airfreights, all those £2 bikinis being flown in from Pakistan, it's not
sustainable. I think, and possibly this is where legislation comes in again,
because you have a lot of brands that call themselves ethical, who say a lot
about the planet, but nothing about the people. So we're always calling out to ethical
brands and telling them, you have got to talk about the people, it is not only
about the planet. Your communication and work must be addressed in a very
holistic way, because it's livelihoods, its economic development, it's the
planet, its resources. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There are laws in some countries around mend and repair, where
you can't produce certain electronic goods that are not repairable. It should
be the same with clothes, you can't produce something that will fall apart
after five washes or produce something unless you have a plan for dealing with
it as waste. At the moment, used or throwaway clothes are packed up and given
to Africa which decimates their own domestic garment industry and their
traditional crafts and that is not sustainable or ethical. <u>Something we want
to see coming out of this pandemic, is the idea that another world is possible</u>.
The pandemic has given us the opportunity to really reset and think about the
future. We have to capture this moment before we're all forced back to normal. Relying
on us all to go shopping to keep the economy going is not sustainable either. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">My colleague is producing a film, looking at how another
world is possible. We're also working on this within the CCC (Clean Clothes Coalition)
network, the CCC has something called wigs, which is a working international
group, we have them on different topics, where we all come together as a global
network. One of the issues we're looking at is what’s called ‘A Just Transition’.
Looking towards better, better for the planet, and better for the people, which
means a radical shift away from intensive labour, low cost labour exploitation,
consumption, overproduction, it's a work in progress.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dv: You have a fashion
tracker is that part of a project within the clean clothes network?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: Yes, we researched over 100 brands and completed 4/500 worker
interviews in many different countries. Part of the research looks at what
brands are saying on living wage and then seeing what’s actually happening in
the factory and in the fashion sector. The Fashion Tracker is the result of
that. It was launched relatively recently and is ongoing. We will get people in
factories to upload information.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: Will they be allowed to?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">DM: They won’t be allowed to in the factory, we are hoping
the local unions will be able to action that. Then we can see if, say Next say
they have a commitment to the living wage, but at the same time don't have a
benchmark or a costing of what that is. Or they've got a commitment to a living
wage, but they don't have a plan and that's useless. Either way we can then find
out in the factories if 0% of their workers are being paid a living wage.
Indeed very few brands pay their workers a living wage, but 99% of brands have
a title saying living wage on their websites. Other plans for the CCC, in May
2021 we had a resolution at H&Ms AGM, (we had one in 2020 too, which was
rejected,) we are asking for profits to go directly to pay wages and for
information on the wages paid. We are also planning to do this with other large
high street brands.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dv: We want to know that not all factory owners are bad
people.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do: Absolutely they are not. For example BetterBuying.org do
surveys of producers and produce research which looks at how manufacturers feel.
They show the percentage of suppliers in Bangladesh for example who have
payment terms of over 90 days and the percentage of suppliers that don't know
when they may or may not get an order. You can see that the suppliers are right
in the middle and that they are being really used by the brands who all hold
the economic power.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Reading List<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://labourbehindthelabel.org/" target="_blank">Labour Behind the Label</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://labourbehindthelabel.org/donate/" target="_blank">Donate </a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://labourbehindthelabel.org/matalan-stop-stealing-from-families/" target="_blank">Act Now</a> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://cleanclothes.org/" target="_blank">The Clean Clothes Campaign</a> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-39287284609287984542022-03-01T05:00:00.001+00:002022-03-01T05:00:00.218+00:00Focus on Raakhi Shah CEO - The Circle<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxrY5CYkfaEfWVgEo8ZeRzICr52iHyxCTrRZfwjdHd-q4afxn6mFCXk40DYJmbXZ4Nd4ZVPyF017u3Lq8gDijfQD_6KPn2297f3mkHoyKWceTjkhq9Snky2F6TCjhFBRxbmHgngglI54N_8czDm7KyW9Jp21QA0pU33M2YzV1-MvCaJRZoRRFTSGJb=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxrY5CYkfaEfWVgEo8ZeRzICr52iHyxCTrRZfwjdHd-q4afxn6mFCXk40DYJmbXZ4Nd4ZVPyF017u3Lq8gDijfQD_6KPn2297f3mkHoyKWceTjkhq9Snky2F6TCjhFBRxbmHgngglI54N_8czDm7KyW9Jp21QA0pU33M2YzV1-MvCaJRZoRRFTSGJb=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">At the start of Women’s History Month<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it is good to be sharing the story of Raakhi Shah who has
dedicated her life to helping other women. Her journey has seen her working for
Oxfam and UNICEF before joining <a href="https://www.thecircle.ngo/" target="_blank">The Circle</a> as CEO which, as it turned out would
be right in at the deep end, as the pandemic and lockdowns rolled out across
the world. Read what inspired her at a young age and the wonderful work The
Circle are doing right now.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6K0rtvbD2YWlYNR6aEndGHASlfsBsyz77mq3fQ2HnC0ewZXV3yE1877evVyjs96SIds_UxA2MgTe-DpStxViik-Wt4BNHO9PE9HZEJfLr7XnGyIGjrh2kTgel_cgsevLwaEPlLKEy0Kof2vnOdR57XCUCFIX4Huu867oiSTAIs_Jub0dxL8efDFz8=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6K0rtvbD2YWlYNR6aEndGHASlfsBsyz77mq3fQ2HnC0ewZXV3yE1877evVyjs96SIds_UxA2MgTe-DpStxViik-Wt4BNHO9PE9HZEJfLr7XnGyIGjrh2kTgel_cgsevLwaEPlLKEy0Kof2vnOdR57XCUCFIX4Huu867oiSTAIs_Jub0dxL8efDFz8=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Where did you grow up?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: I grew up in West London, so am a Londoner at heart. I
now live in the countryside, in Oxfordshire so quite a change. We have been
here for a few years so it feels like home now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It seems that from the beginning you've had an interest
in social justice. Could you pinpoint what sparked your interest, is anyone in
the family involved in it too?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: I think there were a few things that interested me. One
of my cousins worked for Action Aid around the time I was doing my A ‘levels
and was trying to work out what my degree would be. My studies had focused on the
sciences but I wanted to do something more human orientated. Most of my family
were born and some still live in Kenya. The traditional movement of South
Asians is the East Africa to England route. My cousin was born and brought up
in Kenya and was working for Action Aid there. When he talked to me about his
work it sparked an interest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were also
global moments that impact everybody, things like the Rwanda genocide and other
reports like that, that came into my periphery, at quite an influential moment
in time. All influences for my choice of my degree, International Development
and Politics which I really loved. My dissertation was on Kerala which has been
real interest for me because of the progressiveness of that state in India.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How are they progressive?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: They've got a part communists/socialist led government,
so they have really high rates of literacy and healthcare, which interested me.
One of the organisations that had kept coming up in in textbooks was Oxfam. They
were doing so much campaigning and research so it was always on my radar and one
of the places I really wanted to work. I was lucky to get an internship there after
university and then worked with them for seven years. I worked with our
ambassador liaison team which was really interesting, because it covers
campaigning, fundraising, media, the whole gambit. Being in an organisation, a
huge campaigning organisation at a time when it had made trade fair, with big
campaigns was so interesting. We were lobbying the World Trade Organisation; Make
Poverty History was around that time too and doing a lot with the Oxfam shops. From
the Global to the local.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was lucky to go on trips, I say lucky, it's not really
lucky, because you are often going to see quite hard and difficult things. One
of these trips was to Senegal to see their Frip Ethique work. Oxfam was one of
the only charity shops that doesn't put anything into landfill. Anything that
isn't sold, some of it is recycled into sofa stuffing, but one of the projects I
went to see was clothing taken to a cooperative in Senegal and how they use them
to make them useful again. There was a particular campaign on bras, a lot of
those countries don't have very good quality bras and particularly underwired
bras so were looking out for those. Obviously fresh and clean but important for
empowering women. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After quite a few years of working on different campaigns
with different high level names including Annie Lennox, Bill Nighy and others,
I then worked at UNICEF for 7 years. Again that was brilliant, being in a big
UN organisation and the UK arm it was extraordinary. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, we should probably go back a step, because Oxfam
was where The Circle was set up as a project. Annie Lennox had the idea of The
Circle in her garden and I was there at the first couple of dinners were she
brought extraordinary women together around the table and the nugget of The Circle
built and built over those years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The ethos behind it was very much about women empowering
women. Back then I remember working on a campaign with Annie and others called The
Equals campaign. One of the things we were trying to do was around International
Womens Day to make it more famous. We were ringing up journalists and editors
to see if we could do a takeover and nobody was interested. Yet now lo and
behold now International Womens Day is everywhere. Annie talks about the word
feminism at the time it wasn't everywhere, those cultural shifts that can happen,
take place overtime. At that time The Circle was unique and still continues to
be so in its own way. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Circle is very much about women empowering women. Women
coming together to form different circles within the professional sectors or in
geographically different groups to support grassroots projects and also
supporting advocacy. After a few years The Circle became an independent organisation.
Oxfam has this wonderful way of incubating; they incubated The Fair Trade Foundation
before that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Circle became and
independent organisation before I joined, but when this role came up again
about two years ago and because it's an organisation so close to my heart, to
come and help take it to the next level has been really exciting. I started as
CEO the first week of lockdown, so it has been a challenging start.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGlysAPlApwMGxKwEBpFCrEiHvAtzyyq3jOx8rEXcOkNMkBccPS4c1Jc8Hm0j9S3TbLpgnCAIjxI6MzGdCTSoMUJ0JCYe289PTUrEyLdVFtHcuLgJkuulriUGxhkAhHhnqh6llrr7-KxwduM59OhAPxgh2h71OfvbqT7XijA15QsZG0Rjwe0P3hsWs=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGlysAPlApwMGxKwEBpFCrEiHvAtzyyq3jOx8rEXcOkNMkBccPS4c1Jc8Hm0j9S3TbLpgnCAIjxI6MzGdCTSoMUJ0JCYe289PTUrEyLdVFtHcuLgJkuulriUGxhkAhHhnqh6llrr7-KxwduM59OhAPxgh2h71OfvbqT7XijA15QsZG0Rjwe0P3hsWs=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw that as part
of UNICEF you went to Vietnam for a few months. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: We went to live and work out there for just over three
months, it was an extraordinary experience, what an incredible country, like
nowhere you have ever been before. It was wonderful to be in an office with
that so many Vietnamese people who were really warm and friendly and really
diligent. We went to visit different communities in the north. We met a few
families where young children had gone to work in factories in the cities and met
a few teenagers who had just come back home after working there, it's really
challenging, because obviously they shouldn't be in those situations. But a lot
of those areas are so impoverished that there is no choice. In the cities I
went to visit a few refuges where women were sheltering after being in abusive
relationships. Then there were grandparents who had left rural areas to come
and find work. Usually it's the parents, but we met one grandmother in Ho Chi
Minh City, with her granddaughter who were selling lottery tickets every day on
the side of the street and were living on what was essentially a shelf in a
very compact tightly built type building. They literally walked up a little ladder
and were sleeping on a platform in this tiny space with nowhere to stand. They
had their little rice cooker in the corner and in a few little hangers, but that
was their home. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJdjaYVBpsxJL99CTKgWPqMbTGVCiaqiT9B1XyLJ3dfpDPgzjEYPOHrw19JvtpBHqitnqWh74BUx-hoX8nwD9kOh-khN3h3G6Dhp4TxbSFMvzfD7IkHQGsB0rooUQQTllcJlPBVrwcYlda-fbxz8z3JvOeP-NiFU4XXgOiQ6n_PwDmbtdfcTVzcGcd=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJdjaYVBpsxJL99CTKgWPqMbTGVCiaqiT9B1XyLJ3dfpDPgzjEYPOHrw19JvtpBHqitnqWh74BUx-hoX8nwD9kOh-khN3h3G6Dhp4TxbSFMvzfD7IkHQGsB0rooUQQTllcJlPBVrwcYlda-fbxz8z3JvOeP-NiFU4XXgOiQ6n_PwDmbtdfcTVzcGcd=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: As you said The Circle advocates for the rights of women
and girls. Looking at garment workers can you tell us what you do and how that,
as a starting point radiates out into all the other work you do and campaigns
you're involved in, like the living wage campaign? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: <a href="https://www.thecircle.ngo/" target="_blank">The Circle</a> focuses on economic empowerment and ending
violence against women and girls. Within our work we are doing three things,
one is advocacy as we want to create structural change. Another is supporting
grassroots organisations and the women who are on the front lines. The third is
to amplify the voices of those with lived experience. We do that by bringing
extraordinary women from all walks of life together. It is about collective
power and the different skills and resources we can all bring.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With economic empowerment one of the advocacy projects we are
working on is the Living Wage Project. That came about quite a few years ago,
particularly from Livia Firth and Lucy Segal travelling to Bangladesh on one of
the first The Circle trips to meet garment workers. They came back (as you do
from these trips) invigorated to make change. They started talking to our Lawyer
Circle, (we have different Circles: Lawyers Circle, Healthcare Circle, Media Circle)
and they started to discuss the question of what legislative changes could be
made to really guarantee a living wage for millions of women. A number of
reports over the years have been released, the most recent in April 2021, our
third report, which was a legal framework for how this change could be
implemented. It was launched with webinars, and as a film called Fashionscapes which
shows people like <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Kalpona Akter,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span>talking
about their experiences working as garment workers and then for the rights of
the workers. It also includes some of the lawyers we have been working with to make
it happen. To do that it means going to the EU Commission and working with the
EU to implement those changes. The potential is to lift the 60 to 80 million
women working in the garment industries out of poverty, which is an extraordinary
amount of women. The minimum wage is set far too low or doesn’t exist at all in
those countries, they are essentially poverty wages. At the start these jobs
were supposed to support women and lift them out of poverty, when in fact it's
the opposite, it’s entrenching them. It also means that their families, young
people and children are going to work too. If the parents were paid proper
living wages, decent wages you would not see that. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As an organisation when the Covid pandemic hit we had to
pivot quickly to tell the stories of how fast fashion companies were pulling
their contracts and not paying for the work already completed. One of the
things we did, (not only for the garment workers,) was to launch a Covid 19
appeal for the women and girls, a solidarity fund, to really support some of
our grassroots partners.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have a partner
organisation in South Africa that we support which is a womens refuge. They
were seeing an increased number of cases of abuse. They also needed to increase
space to be able to quarantine women before they came into the main main
shelter. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We were supporting girls and women in Uganda with a campaign
to raise awareness about gender based violence and also to support girls who
were out of school because the longer they were out of school the less likely
they would be, to be able to come back.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In garment producing countries we supported, by providing
emergency food and hygiene parcels and legal aid. The countries we were
supporting were Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have a bottom up and top down approach, the advocacy can
create structural change at the same time supporting grassroots partners and enabling
the women we support to advocate for themselves. If we are able to provide funds
for legal aid to fight those companies well that's great. Women here are more
than happy to support their sisters and to stand shoulder to shoulder with them
across the world. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBi7bNogdUTvxzTbWy8O3OEyI62z19GN01HWCPYMUBcfsnjq3OykXlEQ6mSSbDeA7QlC4eIkheiRyP_mqrlOlV3tQJSLIQZ1MG6yT4epQ8RvwsdfS82vMaJVTQp3W5X4mlaFskRxj-R3O49VObr0fv6SbFV0NecQwjGiqRz4hkhFXk05R6iPtIdGbN=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBi7bNogdUTvxzTbWy8O3OEyI62z19GN01HWCPYMUBcfsnjq3OykXlEQ6mSSbDeA7QlC4eIkheiRyP_mqrlOlV3tQJSLIQZ1MG6yT4epQ8RvwsdfS82vMaJVTQp3W5X4mlaFskRxj-R3O49VObr0fv6SbFV0NecQwjGiqRz4hkhFXk05R6iPtIdGbN=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: This a much stronger way of doing things than wearing a t
shirt with a ‘supporting slogan’ that’s made by the women effected. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: This is what we have been doing over the last year since
I joined. The living wage project is long standing, the next phase we go into is:
who's coming on board to get behind it, to talk to us about it more and about
how they can really start to implement it which means talking to people in
government and to the brands who I'm sure will be wary about it. So, the next
phase is double headed.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: In 2019 there was a push to put a 1p tax put on or
clothing that would have would have created the living wage in the UK but was
rejected. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: We are also working in coalition with others which is
really important, the Clean Clothes campaign, Business Human Rights centre and
moments such as COP 26 (27?) are really important to galvanise momentum. The G7
wasn't forthcoming, and we were let down. Annie (Lennox)did a wonderful opinion
piece around ending violence in the shadow of the pandemic. I joined a march
with Jess Phillips and other CEOs from women's rights organisations, from
parliament square to Downing St to hand in a petition. Then there was the
gender equality summit in Paris with the largest gathering in 25 years and over
£40 billion committed to support change. We hope everyone follows through as
there has been so little funding on gender equality, a statistic I have seen
states that 1% of funding goes to gender equality and our strategy for that is
to support those on the front line.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How can you ‘build back better’ without including women
who are 50% of the population for which Covid has pushed back gender equality again.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: Then one in three women are going to experience violence
in their lifetime, one in three! When we launched our appeals, we estimated
that 15 million more women where likely to face domestic violence, for every
three months of lockdown. The percentage of calls were increasing and the police
were being called out every 6 minutes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That's why those two pillars is so important for us, safety
and equality. Safety or economic empowerment on their own are not enough, both go
hand in hand. We know that when women are economically empowered the whole
family can build better lives. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It’s back to what you said about the children, if girls
go to school then you're continually building and lifting up the community.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>R: One of the things
we always talk about and there's a lot in the press around the fashion industry
and the environment and how it can be more environmentally friendly and sustainable
which is incredibly important, but let's not lose the conversation about human
rights for the millions of women who are making our clothes.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: That’s where the term intersectionality comes into play
and it's a huge concept to get your head around.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: The big thing for The Circle going forward which Annie
has been talking about for a couple of years is around global feminism. To see
feminism from multiple perspectives, and changing western feminism thinking of ‘women
over there’, we are all in this together. The things that affect us here are affecting
all of us. In some countries because of endemic poverty there are no safety nets,
there are no resources to turn to like help lines. It's about us standing
shoulder to shoulder with each other, global feminism and bringing everybody
together from all diverse groups of life is really, really important.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqFNjTO8G2fVyOEQsoM9l3gvc4ZrnJgZB3z7A-zd0Qss-n9rTFlpZxXezEaogNXOWgrJJM-1oJhxzNfTgfImWSXeZO7LcppWu0AjuiWAN0-q-489Ymp9dC4jUJZ0TK1JiVG2UoBRRbXwEvKE68-EDwe8wgAiWmHh0SPJR07lydJ8VcgUrh5T0yinAV=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiqFNjTO8G2fVyOEQsoM9l3gvc4ZrnJgZB3z7A-zd0Qss-n9rTFlpZxXezEaogNXOWgrJJM-1oJhxzNfTgfImWSXeZO7LcppWu0AjuiWAN0-q-489Ymp9dC4jUJZ0TK1JiVG2UoBRRbXwEvKE68-EDwe8wgAiWmHh0SPJR07lydJ8VcgUrh5T0yinAV=s16000" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Of course, how can you be feminist in the West without
also uplifting the lives of women across the globe.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: That’s why it’s wonderful to bring people like Livia
Firth, <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Kalpona
Akter,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span>Annie Lennox and all our
extraordinary members from teachers, to office workers together. When you come
to The Circle events there's a special feeling with this conversation, between
different women which opens up new horizons and new thought’s. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I like the fact that you welcome women from all walks of
life and that there are no barriers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: It’s really important to bring everyone on this journey.
It’s building communities, in one sense you are meeting like-minded women but
you're also opening up to other women that you might not have the chance to
come across in other parts of your life. Inspiring and learning from each other
and also challenging to some extent, different points of view. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We did a couple of events last year: a panel discussion on
ending violence with different journalists and women who run centres coming
together, we've had women from our projects come and talk to The Circle members,
we've had activists talk about how to become more of an activist and how do you
start that journey. If you join The Circle what you will find is an amazing
community and inspiration from the different events we run. We are very open
when people have ideas, and a lot of our events are run by the different Circles
which is really interesting.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggh9uiXo-UGu5Y7T9XGzgeR0qGJt6h4Nk885wkcyafPw9H62enAjKyfYGgy_RriQyAcaA1-nnC1nZUu1zuETyZla18cqXJwQyLGwcP5FB1wyzmxa_WyPA3GlTPFBmN-kEpTSAvWPHdjux1Q0KqzGdHE5VRW-uLiB2Fm03EzOt__4tpTM-nkO0oBlGB=s1279" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggh9uiXo-UGu5Y7T9XGzgeR0qGJt6h4Nk885wkcyafPw9H62enAjKyfYGgy_RriQyAcaA1-nnC1nZUu1zuETyZla18cqXJwQyLGwcP5FB1wyzmxa_WyPA3GlTPFBmN-kEpTSAvWPHdjux1Q0KqzGdHE5VRW-uLiB2Fm03EzOt__4tpTM-nkO0oBlGB=s16000" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What would you say drives you Raakhi? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: It is injustice. It really, really, really is. It's very
much a mix of those early formative years when you see things on the screen or
read about them then going to see it in real life. Once you've done that
there's no there's no turning back, you can't switch that off. One of the last
trips I did was to the refugee camps in Bangladesh, where the <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Rohingya </span>refugees
had fled. I went twice in quick succession and people were still coming across
the waters, that emergency setting of seeing something that's literally happened
to the people hours ago, seeing the women and children arriving. Their husbands
had been shot in front of them, that terror in their eyes, and coming to this,
the world's largest refugee camp. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When we talk about the garment workers in extraordinary
countries like Bangladesh that are welcoming in millions refugees and yet we
can't give them the curtesy of supporting them with a decent living wage.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I am speechless because it's shocking and overwhelming
and the fact that during the pandemic one of the things to come out of this, is
that our country cut aid.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: We've we talked about that a lot, we talked about the
rates of girls dropping out of school, rates of child marriage potentially
increasing, soaring rates of gender-based violence. The impact on women, it was
estimated that gains made over 25 years would be rolled back within 25 weeks. The
cutting of aid to countries in conflict zones or in an emergency, cutting water
and sanitation programmes in the midst of a pandemic when they are telling us
all to wash your hands more. We've been quite vocal about it, but we will
double down and do what we can as a small and mighty organisation and advocate
for others to come on that journey as well. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBTjsqTBvr4mo1qNLMDE7urfOYx5AmhAoAUkMG_fsjYYwgAKzuycdnILzMIJHuxbXEhtOxLLmb2oemqOeYGwnh8avGfIsCxODSiVzRY-CkykVtiBn0hcoB27t3QVvVL7sy82aBFN5XI5ihPTWxPbE2RRn-SI1bhEGeUS-NOIhkFhpsxQLvB3fLSFtO=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBTjsqTBvr4mo1qNLMDE7urfOYx5AmhAoAUkMG_fsjYYwgAKzuycdnILzMIJHuxbXEhtOxLLmb2oemqOeYGwnh8avGfIsCxODSiVzRY-CkykVtiBn0hcoB27t3QVvVL7sy82aBFN5XI5ihPTWxPbE2RRn-SI1bhEGeUS-NOIhkFhpsxQLvB3fLSFtO=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: One more thing that I want to touch on before I ask you
the next question, is that you are a trustee of The Reclaim Project here in the
UK, can you talk a little bit about that please?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: I have been a trustee for a year or so now and I'm very,
very passionate about (having come from a working class background myself,)
empowering the next generation from that background. Reclaim are doing amazing
things. Their main focus is around skills and leadership skills to bring that
next generation on. I also love building campaigns with these young people for
change, bringing them into big movements that might not necessarily have any
people from working class backgrounds involved. Whether it's the climate
movement or the gender movement. It's been a really tough over the past two
years for today's young people and I feel for that generation overall and what
they have missing out on. I don't think we're really going to know effects of
this for a long time. I feel it builds on from my work at UNICEF, typically
around those early childhood years, when you're brains are hard wired. So I'm
seeing that through, to these extraordinary young people who are going to be
taking on the mantle next. Give them the power now I say. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At The Circle we did an extraordinary project last year with
young feminists for International Day of the girl, some young feminists joined
one of our panel discussions and wanted to get more involved and whilst we
don't have a Youth Circle as yet, we connected them with some of the young
women in Uganda. Between them, they came up this brilliant idea of a girls
global dance hour. The power of dance is transcending they had an amazing
conversation about what it's like to be girl here and in Uganda, the
similarities and differences.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Introducing them to different kinds of music as well.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: Yeah and they loved it, you can see that power of the
next generation, its extraordinary.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiegPUlOP_sWAS_VOvSc9mFZGqnVZZ3HS0QZbo3tj0cTa1Qp__c6XPl70juVUNE54mfsxT0AwYIYUd4hc-BEyyGK1ZDTVQlMHgm9KmVP90o_-6dRmxcbLWPVGAGSIcRwV70SrTPz310qrR6bbLM1nnQFVJVzxX3KQCNBywf47n6AwRIJumdGBxwW04H=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiegPUlOP_sWAS_VOvSc9mFZGqnVZZ3HS0QZbo3tj0cTa1Qp__c6XPl70juVUNE54mfsxT0AwYIYUd4hc-BEyyGK1ZDTVQlMHgm9KmVP90o_-6dRmxcbLWPVGAGSIcRwV70SrTPz310qrR6bbLM1nnQFVJVzxX3KQCNBywf47n6AwRIJumdGBxwW04H=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Finally, how do you see the future?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: For The Circle, it is a really exciting time of new
strategies, building on global feminism and inviting more women to get involved
and come on that journey. I think it's about being vocal and brave about
advocating for the changes that need to happen. We are not going to be shy
about that.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: How are we going to be vocal whenever the government here
would like to pass a law that means that we can't protest? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">R: It's not only the UK, I think our voices can transcend
that and bring together a community across nations when we've got that
commonality of what women and girls face.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.thecircle.ngo/join-us/" target="_blank">Come and join us</a>.</p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><br /> </p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-56062027146598358162022-02-15T11:08:00.001+00:002022-02-15T11:14:05.926+00:00Focus on Amy Powney, Mother of Pearl Founder - Doing The Right Thing<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgo6fs-uf1X9bxSFpBGoQ94fZuv0XRFkh9wBIl_RJKXTaI3ils0CAXjfCIIrB-cHphQ6X23HR21w3GA4JQuA109ooPOTB-QJkPk7WXUBRvKl3c8-DgJ5bb9wHtfrOUSmB6YnVIAcOBVW4lAsw7zvY2lxPts9PSzJi_BGJpD4lz4jU3nAP46koJTvx9f=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgo6fs-uf1X9bxSFpBGoQ94fZuv0XRFkh9wBIl_RJKXTaI3ils0CAXjfCIIrB-cHphQ6X23HR21w3GA4JQuA109ooPOTB-QJkPk7WXUBRvKl3c8-DgJ5bb9wHtfrOUSmB6YnVIAcOBVW4lAsw7zvY2lxPts9PSzJi_BGJpD4lz4jU3nAP46koJTvx9f=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In a world where we are told it is difficult to change how the fashion
industry works, in steps fashion designer Amy Powney owner of the contemporary sustainable fashion brand <a href="https://motherofpearl.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mother of Pearl</a><a href="https://motherofpearl.co.uk/collections/the-edit" target="_blank"> </a>to show us how it’s done. Here she tells us
how in 3 years she has turned the brand around and the positive changes she is
making going forward to continue to grow her business by doing 'the right thing’.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdXSau0CbMHC8RolL5XZva4HQfWVk6NY--t6Q7eO4aGR3qsl-8VdxsRteW58nbRzTYtU0YIlC-ELhU4VJpiZLgfXXa_f4pG-d5OIyXn9l8_-K69DGLO_xYVTm6-d45Hze9zYpRVPpu_sk9-n89OdeNBrXFIXTAk-XS3L_AC2S3HXLizRVQ6J_GKhxV=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdXSau0CbMHC8RolL5XZva4HQfWVk6NY--t6Q7eO4aGR3qsl-8VdxsRteW58nbRzTYtU0YIlC-ELhU4VJpiZLgfXXa_f4pG-d5OIyXn9l8_-K69DGLO_xYVTm6-d45Hze9zYpRVPpu_sk9-n89OdeNBrXFIXTAk-XS3L_AC2S3HXLizRVQ6J_GKhxV=s16000" /></a></div><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">
</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Amy where did you grow up and do you
have any memories before you were living in the caravan?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: Yes, lots as we only moved to the
caravan when I was around 10, before that I lived in a house in the village, I
had a more classic normal childhood. The house in the village was in a
cul-de-sac and then my parents had the idea, I think from watching The Good
Life and decided they were going to sell up, build their own place and live off
grid, that happened when I was about 10.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: How did it feel to move to the
caravan? When you were ten it probably didn't have such a big impact but as you
grew up did that change?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: About 13ish it became more obvious
that we were different, I think my sister probably realised it sooner because
she was a bit older. Looking back I wouldn’t change anything, I'm really happy
I had that. As a child I probably wanted to live in a house with electricity
and water like all the other kids at school. Living in a caravan up North it
rains a lot, that's the truth, the weather is not great and when you live like
that it's not always easy. We didn't have in house entertainment, we couldn't
just have the TV on whenever we wanted because we were off grid. But really I
wouldn't change it for the world now, because it taught me so many things that
have made me who I am today and that's part of the reason I'm doing what I do
too. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Because when you're a kid you want
to be like everybody else, it’s more difficult to be individual.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: Exactly, I wanted to wear logos and
brands and not be living on the farm.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: You see people on Grand
Designs building the dream, did your parents eventually finish the house?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: No not really but they live in it
and it works for them. Building the house was never about them, it was very
much about what was around them. Dad’s passionate about how the grounds look,
but he's not really bothered about the house. Mum would probably wish it was
more finished, nicer but dad is a very functional person, as long as it works
he's happy. So no, I think it will never be finished.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: As you said he's more connected to
the soil, to the earth. Looking back do you feel it was an adventure and now
that you have your daughter do you think you could do it with her?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: I am so torn between the city girl
and the country girl, I really have both parts deeply rooted. I can't leave
London because I love the diversity, I love the culture and everything you see,
the visual impact and the creative impact it has on you, the people that you
meet here. I'm not suggesting that people in the country aren’t wonderful at
all but it's very diverse here and I really struggle with the concept of moving
back out to village life. That being said my ultimate dream is to do a grand
design, off grid grow my own food and get back to soil. So I want all of that,
my dream would be to have two properties but that's unrealistic and also feels
indulgent, should we even be thinking like that? My dream life would balance
culture and the ground. My way to do that at the moment is to get a van and
renovate it into a camper, so that at least on the weekends we can get out of
the city. We have never owned a car, neither myself nor my husband, but now we
have Niamh,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I really want her to experience the countryside. We
have battled with the whole sustainability of getting a car but we decided as
we don’t fly and we don’t go on holidays, if we have the van then we could use
it on the weekend. If we eliminate flying and stay local it will be more
sustainable. That's our thought at the moment to get a bit of both.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: I'd love one as well, we had a
caravan when I was growing up, family holidays campsites, and the sound of the
rain on the roof, I really love that. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: I really love the idea of renovating
my own van rather than buying a camper because then we can make it like our
home in mini form. I don't think I could do the classic camping without a van.
If it's raining, I really need somewhere I can sit in, make a cup of tea and
maybe watch a movie. I have become slightly fair weathered having lived in
London for a really long time. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style> <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiXgWjDqXfodV8st_2ge6MGn4lDBNWmR-WRPUk36edVoiB_IhIgxznfsDQARI-xEd7W0I-pgiZR6XQIQ4gr-073N3f6gM6Ua15CmpMlmJHEiCexcPPM7Cs_0tGLb73tHBMSW6RiDprXMGEskN5GWqs7NJBSzCKSYlxLpY6drHW0fm8IPC-nfRzdNBn=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiXgWjDqXfodV8st_2ge6MGn4lDBNWmR-WRPUk36edVoiB_IhIgxznfsDQARI-xEd7W0I-pgiZR6XQIQ4gr-073N3f6gM6Ua15CmpMlmJHEiCexcPPM7Cs_0tGLb73tHBMSW6RiDprXMGEskN5GWqs7NJBSzCKSYlxLpY6drHW0fm8IPC-nfRzdNBn=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: What were your early fashion
influences? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: My number one muse was the Spice
Girls, back then when you lived outside cities you only got the mainstream,
there were only channels one to five, there was an HMV and it was tiny. Music
came from The Charts (Top 40), as a kid I didn’t learn what music could be, or
what art could be. It was very much what was on Top Of The Pops which was boy
bands and the Spice Girls and music really influenced back then, still does
but, as kids you were either into indie pop, or rock, or pop stars. I was with
the pop star group of kids so it was Spice Girls all the way. Which meant
fashion was tracksuits and for my first outing to an nightclub I wore a suit
with just a bra, wonderbra underneath as that is what they used to wear and I
thought that was totally acceptable and fabulous. Now if my daughter did that I
would be asking what are you doing? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Did you go to Uni?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: I always knew I wanted to do art of
some kind and went to Kingston to do fashion design as a degree. I landed there
because I was too frightened to come into central London. I had looked at the
schools but it felt too big a jump from the caravan to the centre of London and
I panicked a little bit. Kingston was good because it was on the outskirts and
I could easily get the train in. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: When you were at Uni you were
already interested in sustainability, your final collection was based on
sustainability. You could have come to university and not done a sustainability
line, you could have turned your back on that after escaping the country, what
kept you interested?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: I wasn't sustainable when I was a
kid, I lived that way because it was the choice my parents made and in a way I
was anti that, I wanted to go shopping, I wanted to move to London, I wanted
the opposite of what I’d had. But I guess somewhere deep rooted inside me it
was still very much part of who I was. Most of Uni I wasn’t thinking about that
so much, but towards the end of my degree I started thinking, what is this
industry I'm about to get into and happened to pick up the book ‘No Logo’ by
Naomi Klein and was like ‘what the hell’. Back then it was all about social
responsibility not sustainability. At that point I think I'd had enough of
being anti everything I’d learnt living growing up. I realised that I needed to
make sure I was doing the right thing. For me it was always about if there's a
better or right way to do something then that's what I have to do. Back then it
was more about social responsibility, fair trade was a big conversation,
sustainability in terms of the environment wasn’t a big part of the
conversation, a lot has changed in the past 15 years. Our consumption in the
last 10, 15, 20 years has gone through the roof. That all changed so rapidly
and now, most of us have access to everything we need in this country. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: I love that you worked your way up
through Mother of Pearl from sweeping the floor. Tell us how that happened.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: Fresh out of Uni I realised
that it was hard to get a job, I had done internships and had loved doing them,
but no one was paying and I needed somebody to pay me. On the whole I disagree
with internships, people say only the privileged can afford it, but I did all
my internships by working in bars in the evening and working weekends.
Everything I learnt by doing them was completely invaluable. I worked from
morning till evening for years, but I was young and you can do that then. Yes,
some people in this world are more privileged than others, but that doesn't
change when you get out of Uni, and I would do it again in a heartbeat, without
pay. Once I graduated though it was, OK now it’s time to be paid. As luck would
have it I stumbled across the job at Mother of Pearl, it was three days a week
so I took it and on the other days I was interning with Giles Deacon. At the time
he was in his heyday, so I was getting my creative fashion fix there and was
paid by Mother of Pearl<a href="https://www.instagram.com/amy_powney/?hl=en" target="_blank">.</a> I saw a lot of potential in <a href="https://motherofpearl.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mother of Pearl </a>starting
as an assistant, then studio management, it was a long time before I took over
the creative. More responsibility came with time and eventually I was given the
responsibility of running the whole thing on my own. Now the majority of the
businesses is mine. It's been a very organic process and I was fortunate the
opportunity was there. It has been hard because I didn't have a mentor, I had
to learn everything myself. It would have been nice to have had a mentor. Still
everyone has their own path and now 15 years later I have learnt everything and
in a way when you learn it for yourself is ingrained.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgskF5-ARBSg7a_7Q8FRHvQylI2wi2t9rj21Ac28L0-gRzjVUrjCl9SrRnGT56DBtyLn5eViZdlkbH7cnUOOrvXzOt7iiG9wQgpfVxstPlIOCpPLWSq1i7hgang9Jbk3vu7W6A1VhOnF6YGGhC1tjh59SljWBpf_gWYxiokU-r5sG_g9EeBB3j2yE12=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgskF5-ARBSg7a_7Q8FRHvQylI2wi2t9rj21Ac28L0-gRzjVUrjCl9SrRnGT56DBtyLn5eViZdlkbH7cnUOOrvXzOt7iiG9wQgpfVxstPlIOCpPLWSq1i7hgang9Jbk3vu7W6A1VhOnF6YGGhC1tjh59SljWBpf_gWYxiokU-r5sG_g9EeBB3j2yE12=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: When you took over the reins you
started to make changes, for example reducing the collections from four to two.
How did it feel to start putting your own vision in place? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: This wasn’t an overnight story, it
was an organic growth, I took over bit by bit. It took a long time to feel
confident enough to say OK this is what I'm doing. When we won the Vogue awards
that really was my moment. They asked a lot of questions and I was interviewed
as part of the competition a few times. You have to stand up in front of a
panel, and the panel is made up of famous people from inside the industry or
important editors or editors of Vogue et cetera. You really have to stop and
think about what you're saying, and think about your brand. It is a really good
process like going onto Dragons Den. It made me step up and own my vision,
otherwise they weren't going to believe in me and give me the award. From then
on I felt OK, this is my time and sustainability is going to be at the
forefront of everything we do. From that moment we changed. We do four
collections a year now but back then it was two. We create the same amount of
looks now as when it was 2 collections. Only now it's spread over 4 drops so it
hits the shops four times a year. I don't make more stuff but sell it four
times instead and our collections are tiny. The core part of the brand is a
huge section, it never goes into markdown and we rerun those styles. Ideally
we'd have the whole brand like that but that doesn't really work in fashion.
The best selling products are those that don’t go into markdown, that’s at the
core collection, that’s what people want to wear anyway. Which means they don’t
wait to buy it. You can see how customers’ habits work, they know certain
things will go to markdown and we only really sell them when in the sale so
it's a whole false economy. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzUkrejNlubdxJOHHzAV3cBXqSi33Ak1M4e41nnGUh2id_laozzJFy9HB6rxt588txgu8xix0MqSH-fBBVzoInHNFfxFoIofBb5GrsSb78Fl4dqxASXgo9AJZZQEF6i7qnhTtUrrZ2nZhi3foSn82-nnl7-LJydWsuJIhw3UTZujko_OnuSRUhlMcm=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzUkrejNlubdxJOHHzAV3cBXqSi33Ak1M4e41nnGUh2id_laozzJFy9HB6rxt588txgu8xix0MqSH-fBBVzoInHNFfxFoIofBb5GrsSb78Fl4dqxASXgo9AJZZQEF6i7qnhTtUrrZ2nZhi3foSn82-nnl7-LJydWsuJIhw3UTZujko_OnuSRUhlMcm=s16000" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">
</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: After you won the designer fund
prize it gave you the freedom to research what you wanted to do and look
properly at the supply chain. I love that you say that it was easy, as a lot of
people say it's not and three years is no time at all to put everything in
place have transparency and have the brand in the place where it is now. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: We have 5 pillars: environment,
transparency, animal welfare, social responsibility and circularity. Then each
garment is also tagged with our sustainable attributes, that's how we share
what we've achieved per garment.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Can you tell us a bit about
each of these and why they're so important to you?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: The biggest fear I had after winning
the Vogue award was the environmental damage we are doing. Of course the social
aspect is huge, it always has been and that's never changed over all these
years. But what was changing drastically was the speed at which we are
consuming and the amount of pollution. Fashion’s number as one of the worst
polluting industries in the world was getting higher and higher and higher so I
realised this has got to be our focus. We wanted to understand everything, we
wanted to know the truth. As a designer you go to a supplier and you say I’m
going to buy this fabric from you and that's it. You ask no more questions.
When we started asking questions: where does your fabric come from? Where do
your fibres come from? No one knew anything, they bought it from someone else,
who bought it from somewhere else, the whole thing was untraceable. So we
started on a huge mission, to find out more by asking: where does the cotton
grow, where does the silk come from, where does the Tencel come from, those
types of questions, so we could piece it all together. Once we’d worked out
which countries do what, we then tried to work out how we could work with
suppliers directly rather than using say, an Italian supplier who was actually
buying cotton from a Chinese supplier, but the Chinese supplier was actually
buying from Turkey. By going direct we cut out a load of middlemen and
everything became more affordable. You have to want to find a solution, and we
wanted to do the right thing. It’s easy in that there's a few things everybody
could do tomorrow that would make a massive change. It’s harder if you want to
go further, you won’t find the field the cotton or flax was grown in but you
can find the country of origin and you can buy under certification. But for now
it's impossible to go back to a specific field, to a specific picker and lots
of people don't want to do all of that either. When you ask your factories and your
suppliers to get the certificates of origins most of them say ‘what do you even
mean?’ Then you have to educate people as no one else has been asking these
questions. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">For us it was about the environmental
aspect of the fibres we use and what the best fibres are to use. What’s the
carbon emission, what’s the water usage, how does it work? Then if we use them,
how can we get to that final garment in as few stages as possible? We don't
want to transport all this stuff around the world. Usually most things are
grown in one country, spun in another country, woven in another country, made
into a garment in another country and that's just one fabric. If the garments
got X amount of fabrics in it, it's all coming from everywhere else, so we try
to and use only one fabric in each garment, maximum two. We try not to line
things as we don't want to deal with linings. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">It boils down to: what are we using? What’s
the best version of that? if it's cotton then we use organic not normal cotton
and Tencel is better than cotton, it's one of the best fibres. Then how can we
then get to the final garment with the geography being as close as possible, so
we're not shipping it all over the world. Then what are we making? If we're
making something that's only seasonal and fashionable and unwearable, well that
defeats the whole point. Within all of that is social responsibility and animal
welfare, as well as the environment. These were our original main pillars.
Since then, we have learned so much on the journey: we’ve sorted the supply
chains, now we're focusing on circularity and have launched rental, next we
want to launch resale and then repair. That will cover field to final, then we
will look at circularity. It is ongoing and the truth is we don't use polyester
right now, or recycled polyester because I don't really want to touch that
industry. There might come a time where they've managed to sort out recycling
well enough, where it does work and we can start using it, because it is more
circular and it uses less resources. But there's no real data on that out there
and we are doing the best we can with the information we have now. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Every time we design a garment we think
about everything, if there is a chip in the chain that doesn't work we might
not make it. If you want to design say a dress in a certain fabric, but the
only way to do that sustainably is with one factory, but that factory can't
cope with that type of dress, then we have to say ‘well do we make that dress
or not’? No one else is doing that, everyone else says I want that dress, I
want it in that fabric, I don't really care about the rest of it. We question
everything and there are ways that make it super easy, you can buy Tencel with
Lenzing certification from suppliers, there are lots of easy fixes people can
do but still don't. No one should be buying cotton that's not organic, it's the
same as food, we shouldn't be making food that's not biodynamic or organic, because
we're killing the soil and killing the soil affects climate change even more.
People forget, or don’t even know, that fashion comes from agriculture,
fundamentally we haven't connected the two. If you say to a child here is a
cartoon pig on TV or here's a fluffy toy pig and when eating pork it's a pig. I
don't think they realise it's the same thing. In a supermarket you don't see
the pig you don't watch somebody slaughter the pig there is a disconnect. It’s
the same when people pick up a dress they don't say, this comes from a farm.
The ‘Kiss The Ground’ documentary highlights that more and more research shows
that by tilling the soil and pouring chemicals into it we are killing the very
ground that we need. Not only does it grow stuff for us but it also absorbs
carbon. I think 2/3rds of the planet is dead now, the soil is dead. On the
remaining 1/3 we should be bio dynamic farming for food, for fashion, for
everything. All agriculture has to be like that and that's <u>really</u> what
we have to change.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">That’s why I would love to own my own
land so that I can protect at least a portion of it. Imagine if we were all
guardians of the soil.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgure6cEp6sWamAqTbc-Yzlf7qZhkktU6eqoI2cwdmnVjDgN1mXj8vi740Rv0QF8CzEzjA8hHF9s6oSGG3M2KUpmIvDwj8PeTROR62zorIe-FkadTpZwBftLotL2K3w-V5j2ilZm1dfCwiCmmki8BwT1F5NSoGrfStZhgOEIVV6LYifYBnWeDyuxgTX=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgure6cEp6sWamAqTbc-Yzlf7qZhkktU6eqoI2cwdmnVjDgN1mXj8vi740Rv0QF8CzEzjA8hHF9s6oSGG3M2KUpmIvDwj8PeTROR62zorIe-FkadTpZwBftLotL2K3w-V5j2ilZm1dfCwiCmmki8BwT1F5NSoGrfStZhgOEIVV6LYifYBnWeDyuxgTX=s16000" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Soil is the foundation of
everything.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: It's all coming to light now and all
governments have to pass laws to increase biodynamic farming. All
pesticides have to go, all chemicals have to go, they have to change farming
rules and laws. But everybody has to pay more money for food and not waste as
much food.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> D: How important are the
collaborations you do with others to you? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: Collaborations have sat both
really well and really confusing for me because there's part of me that thinks
I don't want to touch any other business unless they're committed to change the
way I am, and if they are not then I shouldn't be partnering with them. I
shouldn't advocate for these companies. But at the same time you think we have
to get the message out. I always look at Jamie Oliver as an example and what he
did for school dinners. You can be the most sustainable chef on the planet but
if you're not educating the wider audience then what's the point. It was the
same for me when it came to collaborations, I thought ‘well I can carry on with
my brand and do everything the right way, but how am I going to grow that?’ How
am I going to increase my audience and I don't even mean increase my audience
to sell more clothes, I mean increase my audience to help educate people. So
it's been really conflicting. The way I see it is knowledge is power and the
more people I can educate the better. When I collaborated with the BBC they
really wanted me to make stuff, but I said no, let's talk to people about it.
In the end I did create something because they, were obsessed with the idea of
creating stuff, but I made it so specific and niche and tiny, I don't want to
make more T shirts with animals printed on them, nobody needs that stuff, so it
became an educational short documentary.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">With John Lewis we created clothing,
but there was a big marketing campaign around it about sustainable fashion,
unfortunately it coincided with Covid which was such a shame. We had whole sections
set up in store to talk about it the collection, but because of Covid it
became more about the products and less about the and education which was what
I really wanted to do. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">I want to grow the business to have a
bigger voice, because the bigger the business the more powerful the voice. In
some aspects I want to carry on doing my small things and not collaborate, yet
on the other hand I want to make my voice more powerful so I can help teach
more people. Jamie Oliver's a great example, he became a mainstream
conversation, he didn't do everything perfectly at all, but he could move the
needle for the nation. It’s such a battle making small compromises along the
way but the aim is to be able to help on a much bigger scale. The great thing
about collaboration is the ability to share your knowledge with another
business or another company and they also teach you things that you hadn't even
thought about. It’s a good way to share knowledge and I like to think,
especially with companies like John Lewis, I've worked to change the way
they think. I guess it's infecting the world in a good way, you grow your roots
and plant seeds with more people, in the hope that more people take it on board
and change. That's the whole point of interviews, the more people read them
maybe they'll make a change too. Everything has its pros and cons and I do
think knowledge is power.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigpXnG6usU5Nqs2ZVeroeob8RTFsP0WMSC8qs4_NBnUWP0F0BUcvx2z0_CoaPF_FdiV93sHOUQQxklw2EZ_VdXohj2uRCwamWgt34jgWIWjwFVuW9cPvxoRur4LGOiZwA1YEqzh4mMK92JKcObN_60dEAMgMhO5EAFlyqQ2Hq0KKF6vOI1a0XCXYm-=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigpXnG6usU5Nqs2ZVeroeob8RTFsP0WMSC8qs4_NBnUWP0F0BUcvx2z0_CoaPF_FdiV93sHOUQQxklw2EZ_VdXohj2uRCwamWgt34jgWIWjwFVuW9cPvxoRur4LGOiZwA1YEqzh4mMK92JKcObN_60dEAMgMhO5EAFlyqQ2Hq0KKF6vOI1a0XCXYm-=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Recently I saw you have also turned your
hand to homewares.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: It's my creative outlet that’s not
to do with work in a way. My home is my sanctuary, it's where everything is
rooted. It's my happiest place. It's somewhere that's so important as I lead
such a busy life, so I have a real passion for space. I prefer the concept of
not having things but having the right space to live in. If we all invested
more of our money into the environment we lived in and decluttered our lives of
stuff and ate well but lived more basically, I think we would be a happier
nation, l ready do. More and more the love of how an environment affects your
mood and how you feel, has become a passion of mine. When John Lewis approached
me about doing homeware it felt like such a natural fit. They don't work in a
fashion calendar way, they don't have this seasonal product, they launch the
product and if it works they keep selling it. It's a nicer way to work. It's a
slower approach which I think is nice. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Has the arrival of Niamh changed
your perspective again?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: On sleep yes. It has changed my
perspective, but I thought really long and hard before I had Niamh. There were
many times when I thought I shouldn't do this. How could you have a child, I
know this is really dramatic, but, at the beginning of the end of the world? It
really does feel like that. It was a really big decision for me to make, yet at
the same time I think if I didn't have a child it would have made me feel more
angry at the people that weren't changing. I felt if I didn't have her then I
didn't have hope and didn't believe things could change. So I've had her with
hope in mind. I feel more frightened than I did, because she's here now and I
love her. Eco anxiety becomes stronger I guess. At the same time she is a great
distraction too, before maybe I had more time to worry, now I don't really have
the time to worry so, maybe it's quite a good thing.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG580neFgaVlI8YWDyrGYu15rF81__qKr9StMYwg7tWPNhkoI1HsD0Cn2aXanIUnBqb_SAhw5DtvX4vlZRc7sz9deCZxdsn-3F1jtq7_yPNfjXl_6BUvudVp3tXKm6JGFSe1Nm06y-qHtDIZwQVH_lBUzx9AzXWAXfTFgTXj6v52eSIhOIA0r1i2GV=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjG580neFgaVlI8YWDyrGYu15rF81__qKr9StMYwg7tWPNhkoI1HsD0Cn2aXanIUnBqb_SAhw5DtvX4vlZRc7sz9deCZxdsn-3F1jtq7_yPNfjXl_6BUvudVp3tXKm6JGFSe1Nm06y-qHtDIZwQVH_lBUzx9AzXWAXfTFgTXj6v52eSIhOIA0r1i2GV=s16000" /></a></div><br /><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">
</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: I feel you have answered this
question already, but what drives you? </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: I am asked that question a lot and I
honestly think it is something innate in me. I don't know where it comes from
and I don't know why, but I have to pick the right way. If I see information in
front of me for example if you don't buy renewable energy then you're
supporting fossil fuels, if you buy renewable energy then you are not so that’s
the right thing to do. It's more expensive, so how am I gonna make that work? I
do that by finding a way to save money somewhere else. I own a company, I have
to do things the right way or I couldn't go into work everyday. I employ
people, and I feel such a duty to make their working life right too. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: You're staying true to your word in
your values and are leading from the front.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: It comes from knowledge too but it
really comes from an innate need to do the right thing. Obviously you combine
that with knowledge and the impulse to do right is a reaction. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: Finally what next?</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: A camper van. Get back to nature,
get my hands in the soil a little bit. Then for Mother of Pearl its
circularity. Thinking about and growing the business, but also giving the
customers the tools to do the right thing once they own it. There's a
documentary on the horizon, someone's been following me around for a long time,
so I think that should come out this year and it will be the proof of what
we've been doing behind the scenes. Often a lot of people talk about this
sustainable fabric, or my sustainable brand, or whatever, obviously we do that
too and have our website which is our shop front where we tell everyone. But
this will be footage proof of everything we've been doing and how we are
working.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">D: That's fantastic because I always
feel that that's missing on television. There's documentaries on Boohoo and
PrettyLittleThing and all that stuff and I think can we have documentaries that
show a better way? So it’s great that this is coming.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">A: It’s a fly on the wall documentary,
from me saying, ‘okay I wanna make sustainable fashion how am I gonna do it?’
Then someone's following me on that learning curve. So I think it will feel
very honest, obviously it's edited, but is a very fly on the wall kind of
following, not a curated film. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Links:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://motherofpearl.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Mother of Pearl </span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/amy_powney/?hl=en" target="_blank">Amy Powney </a><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><style>@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-80235568891159168732022-02-01T06:00:00.002+00:002022-02-01T06:00:00.206+00:00Focus on Emily Rea - Co-Founder of The Restory<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz4uovORc2MFXKyi1rQkV5FMpGUOnvULtM2cd97U9lXtHMtyzQyyiN4oxZiUGxmAtT8YYKFlkL2xTqvbyPGoz6lbXOYTp7JUGVK4bvYQ4FOakxQ--OlEAiRnf2HB6poCpnIpjI0P1dpDxEZRC9fyGu0qpBIkDXEOsKvsi_q2lswL83xi80oaXtub6L=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz4uovORc2MFXKyi1rQkV5FMpGUOnvULtM2cd97U9lXtHMtyzQyyiN4oxZiUGxmAtT8YYKFlkL2xTqvbyPGoz6lbXOYTp7JUGVK4bvYQ4FOakxQ--OlEAiRnf2HB6poCpnIpjI0P1dpDxEZRC9fyGu0qpBIkDXEOsKvsi_q2lswL83xi80oaXtub6L=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">In a world where the degrowth of the fashion industry is vital, the
longevity of your clothes, bags and shoes becomes increasingly important. Emily
Rea along with her co-founders of <a href="https://www.the-restory.com/" target="_blank">The Restory</a>, </span><span style="color: #0e101a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Vanessa Jacobs and Thaìs
Cipolletta, have created a unique way of having all the repair needs of your
most treasured items met under one roof. What’s more, they will pick everything
up from your home and bring them back in pristine condition, ready for you to
continue to love and enjoy. Here is Emilys story.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0e101a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0e101a; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJjUcHN3ZO4rOEpEBb-wetTmLL1zHdAV7BeqQvF5aHKMcFdxFoGqoH1HzPQlIXmlsveHl6lYjNixpr7ZIkVI_TRbAu_eu0CsFnxlvi31E4Fd25vgv04ivGI_-Y0Z6MVVhFXUeyo10ore5SuAVPET4BBjKqCYx08mlOOdWpM59PbLkY8dTGkdkKOz0g=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJjUcHN3ZO4rOEpEBb-wetTmLL1zHdAV7BeqQvF5aHKMcFdxFoGqoH1HzPQlIXmlsveHl6lYjNixpr7ZIkVI_TRbAu_eu0CsFnxlvi31E4Fd25vgv04ivGI_-Y0Z6MVVhFXUeyo10ore5SuAVPET4BBjKqCYx08mlOOdWpM59PbLkY8dTGkdkKOz0g=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Where did you grow up Emily?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: This sounds like the easiest question but is a hard one for
me. Both of my parents are British but left the UK when mum was in her late
teens and dad early 20s, all they wanted to do was travel. Because of that I
grew up abroad and lived and went to school in a few different countries. When
I was a teenager I came back to England for secondary school. All my childhood
memories are of other cultures and languages, it was incredible. As we moved we
learned to live and adapt to each culture, we lived in amazing countries.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My youngest memories are of Egypt and Cairo. After Egypt, we
moved to Singapore which was a bit more Americanised. Then, the majority, for
which I feel incredibly lucky, was for 9 years in Mauritius, it has the most
amazing culture and people. It’s probably why I love to travel so much
still. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: I really love travel too, I believe it really changes your
outlook, and think everybody should travel but it's not very good for the
environment.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: My husband and I were having this conversation, it is the one
thing I find hard to reduce. Everything else I can look at different ways of
reducing but travel, I feel I have gained so much from it and in so many
different ways, I would find it hard to live without travel.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: It looks as though all your early influences set you on the
path you are on today.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: It's made me very open, my parents taught us that if you want
something, then you save for it. I’ve found it means you also recognise the
value and are more conscious of what you're buying. My parents are very focused
on how to care for things that I didn't notice when I was younger. Mum has so
many talents, one is that she is amazing at sewing. She could make our clothes,
our quilts, if something was damaged she would always repair it. Dad was the
person who when anything stopped working such as a coffee machine, would take
the whole thing apart, fix it and put it back together again. We kept things
for a long time. When I look back on it now, particularly with what I'm doing,
I realise the impact this has had on me. I buy for the long term, I've never
been someone to buy to throw away, I make things last, which I don't think I
was fully aware of until I started with <a href="https://www.the-restory.com/" target="_blank">The Restory</a> and realised how much it
aligns with my values.</span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-KNDFZFvJdrL7XtT_a0aWd0PE-0BPypMo50UfvHwU0JmvvcPZJ6Oazk1V9CJsfPGAYsEhKbwE12RWnvUMZBhDBjAhN2oLFVX7rlsRqju9_JhDKPWLqgp09EOSokp008Mc1izsvpkWtjrOLyZXV808zkH-N3Te7YyCOQXz2P1GIkBSvs2Jbpk1Ao-P=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-KNDFZFvJdrL7XtT_a0aWd0PE-0BPypMo50UfvHwU0JmvvcPZJ6Oazk1V9CJsfPGAYsEhKbwE12RWnvUMZBhDBjAhN2oLFVX7rlsRqju9_JhDKPWLqgp09EOSokp008Mc1izsvpkWtjrOLyZXV808zkH-N3Te7YyCOQXz2P1GIkBSvs2Jbpk1Ao-P=s16000" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><p></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You worked for an artist management company for a decade, how
was that, do you think it helped with what you do now?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: I never had a life plan and I decided not to go to
university, I wanted to work to figure out what it was that I wanted to do. As
fate would have it while waiting for an interview, I met someone who worked in
artist management which intrigued me as I had never heard of this as a job. We
had a nice chat, and he took a chance on me, gaving me his card saying “if you
don't get this job why didn't give me a call” so I did, I was 19 at the time,
had just come back from travelling and was ready to start something new. I worked
at 19 Entertainment for four years and in the industry for 10. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In Artist management you touch absolutely everything, you are
responsible for artists and are essentially working with them to build their
brand and career. From what the creative is for the shoots, contract
negotiations, commercial partnerships, touring, promotion, everything. It’s
gruelling and you sacrifice a lot but it's the most diverse experience. Ten
years was exhausting, and I felt ready to take that knowledge and apply it to
something new. I wanted to work with a Start-Up with a purpose and was keen to
build something in from the ground up.</span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5DulGE27OYSb5CehW35O5RVjoE4pCdcK0a7k1CB6h6PEMfy8v6vnBMZKQ8GpLYvhs7wdXtY3XrCheYmms2CkqKDMWHmCL9vLPpQeBMKAlfr5g2VBg3xr8iCQje1b_hPzqwYfnKKjA9afWGqri_bcW2Xsbgp-DJm01XFStyFETXw52r2ZbNs0zBBvs=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5DulGE27OYSb5CehW35O5RVjoE4pCdcK0a7k1CB6h6PEMfy8v6vnBMZKQ8GpLYvhs7wdXtY3XrCheYmms2CkqKDMWHmCL9vLPpQeBMKAlfr5g2VBg3xr8iCQje1b_hPzqwYfnKKjA9afWGqri_bcW2Xsbgp-DJm01XFStyFETXw52r2ZbNs0zBBvs=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You joined The Restory as a co-founder in 2017. Can you tell
us a bit about The Restory and what your aims are? </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: When the opportunity arose to be a co-founder of <a href="https://www.the-restory.com/" target="_blank">The Restory</a>
it felt like the perfect fit for me. We are a 3 female co-founder team Vanessa
Jacobs, Thaìs Cipolletta and myself.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Vanessa is a New Yorker, Thaìs is Brazilian and as you now know
I have had a nomadic life so we have a whole world view and we all have our own
particular strengths that we bring to the business.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Vanessa is the CEO and came from a management consulting,
finance analyst background. She’s focused on the bigger picture, the next few
years of growth, strategy, the investors and fundraising.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Thaìs heads up our atelier and is also a designer, for her, it
is all about the innovation, the craft and finding new techniques you can work
with. She is creative and inventive in her approach to aftercare.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My role is marketing and business development, how we tell our
story, engage our clients and enable our partners to offer aftercare. It's been
rewarding bringing to life our vision and creative direction. I am across all
our growth and partnerships, marketing, creative direction, and content. Every
time I walk downstairs into our atelier I see someone doing something amazing
and am inspired to tell each part of the story unfolding in front of me. What’s
important in sustainability is to inspire people to want to be part of the
change. One of our favourites is when we show a video on our Instagram and the
client message’s us excitedly saying that’s my piece. Then they share it and
tell the story from their perspective what the item means to them and the history
of it. It's been inspiring to see that excitement for repair, and that is
something that's never happened before.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Historically repair in fashion has been hidden away and not
reflective of high quality and we've proven that is no longer true. If you consider
purchases like your car or your watch that require maintenance and servicing it
is not because they are of poor quality. You are taught, that you maintain them
to make them last. Our vision was to bring that, in an inspirational and
luxurious way to fashion and that hadn't been done before. </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEix0yZv7cxl-Tbh0k6MnX58WACdBSn50TGoV_rOUctEbDjAM3kvK4g9MUlQXJCxeRTPErf6kHr3mnWyPlYU2pXDkE7GHlVGVP5x1MPc1roP_S8fLjkB5iZCVZePRXIs3dUt-Ijqhran0LrrF7pXUSqKKfJD7n38w5Xi9204ithvDqCuwPJjUEK_kFHZ=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEix0yZv7cxl-Tbh0k6MnX58WACdBSn50TGoV_rOUctEbDjAM3kvK4g9MUlQXJCxeRTPErf6kHr3mnWyPlYU2pXDkE7GHlVGVP5x1MPc1roP_S8fLjkB5iZCVZePRXIs3dUt-Ijqhran0LrrF7pXUSqKKfJD7n38w5Xi9204ithvDqCuwPJjUEK_kFHZ=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Are your teams under one roof or in different locations?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: The customer experience, quality and trust are crucial
particularly in luxury so we manage the full end to end experience for the
customer. We have vetted and managed external trade partners as well as an
internal atelier. Our atelier provides cleaning and care, restoration,
stitching and bespoke shoe repair - solutions that were not readily available
in the market. We provide an easy to use service to our customers so they can
access trusted aftercare all in one place whether for their shoes, clothes or
bags. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You touched on the fact that you are restoring and renovating
luxury items.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: We started with shoes, then due to demand launched handbags
quickly and this year again through demand we launched our clothing services.
We can be limited by the material, for example, PVC leathers do not restore
well. With natural products such as animal skins, or mushroom leather, we have
solutions to repair, restore and increase longevity. We like to educate our
clients on the services, and the process. Before I worked here I didn’t know
how many parts to a shoe there were, or that the construction of a bag will
impact a repair needed. There is a lot to learn if you're willing and it
changes the way you look at aftercare. It's an incredible skill and craft, when
I look at what our teams are doing, hand mixing and matching colour, or
deconstructing the whole bag to restructure it, restitching through existing holes,
cleaning techniques for each material and finish. When you recognise the skill
and the craft it makes you value your investment more.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At <a href="https://www.the-restory.com/" target="_blank">The Restory</a> we've removed all barriers to access aftercare,
no need for a receipt, proof of purchase, warranty, which is all usually a
requirement for any post-purchase services through brands and retailers. We've
built operations and technology for brands to leverage and enable access to
aftercare.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We have various ways we can partner depending on your needs,
either licensing our technology to manage your own aftercare fulfilment, a
white label solution or official partnerships like we have with Manolo Blahnik
and Nicholas Kirkwood. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: I guess you are enabling the owner to love their possessions
and clothing as if new again.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: Absolutely and alongside that is to shift the view and
approach to consumption and the move away from being a throw-away society. As a
brand agnostic business, we offer aftercare for any item and empower our
customers to invest in the brands they love, knowing aftercare is available.
Save up to buy the item you really want and then wear it, don't just save it
for a special occasion! We try to educate our clients that little repairs done
often are more affordable, quicker and it will make the original piece last
longer.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: It’s like the old saying, ‘a stitch in time saves nine.’ What
you do really plays into circularity. From cradle to cradle, keeping things
here, that so your loved items will last.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: Totally, one of our favourite things to say is that ‘we want
you to fall in love with your favourite all over again'. We're not offering a
quick fix but returning it to you repaired, cleaned and desirable too. We
package it beautifully in recycled paper and tie it with a ribbon so when you
open it up you have that exciting new feeling again, it brings it all back. I
believe repair hasn't had the spotlight it deserves yet. I think it's because
it existed before in some form and is not seen as 'new' unlike resell and
rental. People tend to underestimate how integral repair is, it underpins the
circular economy and directly reduces waste. Rental items require aftercare
whether cleaning or repair or they won't be desirable to rent, and you can't
resell something without caring for it either or again, no one else will want
to own it. So whether you consider ownership, rental or resell, repair underpins
the whole opportunity to increase longevity. </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxhlBtOaiHsbia1DVIHeESIwT0vc4_FJajZUdPGqyrHzAjertFO9PNGexRdRllhIkr8ARCM5ho_eraKZU2K84BDqOXtLUEtyHctnqSDyeglPsjJUyCY05XT_h16l2ocFNc9Z0CyK_IPWxkR4Vr_i769DNfGGaOKmDd39M_BLCAbDhPFj9fH4KdCPH-=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxhlBtOaiHsbia1DVIHeESIwT0vc4_FJajZUdPGqyrHzAjertFO9PNGexRdRllhIkr8ARCM5ho_eraKZU2K84BDqOXtLUEtyHctnqSDyeglPsjJUyCY05XT_h16l2ocFNc9Z0CyK_IPWxkR4Vr_i769DNfGGaOKmDd39M_BLCAbDhPFj9fH4KdCPH-=s16000" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span><p></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Repair is a craft. Like your dad’s ability to take apart the
coffee machine and fix it.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: It is and every item is different! Initially, when I was
talking to partners and brands there was a concern that repair could
cannibalise sales, but that has changed and it is now recognised how crucial
aftercare is for sustainability and an added opportunity to engage with
clients. However, aftercare at scale is disruptive to production and a
different process to creating and selling new products. The customer journey
requires reverse logistics which means, collecting items from the customers
home - the communication of services, risks and managing expectation. In-house -
each order has multiple items and each item has multiple services all completed
by different trade partners or departments. All of this has created barriers to
scale and we've spent the last 4 years breaking those barriers down. As a team
we have the solutions<u>, this is our core business</u>.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Our unique operating expertise and our proprietary technology
means we deliver the service with e-commerce simplicity. Aftercare at scale
creates the challenge of quality control and our experience has enabled us to
build the technology needed for those requirements. Our solutions are available
for brands and retailers to leverage for their own needs to power aftercare for
the fashion industry for the first time. The service can be delivered through
boutiques and retail stores or directly through their website. Brands and
retailers can deepen those customer relationships, have that engagement, that
touchpoint, we all know how it feels when you want to go back for help and
someone provides outstanding customer service, and how frustrating it is when
someone says ‘nothing I can do’. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Is it true that 80% of your investors started as clients?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: In the beginning, many of our investors started as clients
and since then many investors have become clients. It's all about experiencing
it for yourself and receiving your favourite item back repaired and restored.
We love the pride our clients have in showing off repairs. It has been a real
shift for retailers, brands and businesses to think about outsourcing or
partnering for their aftercare and to recognise the demand and engagement it
drives. It is about understanding the huge opportunity it is and being able to
do it at scale. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: You have been in business for 4 years, but 2 years of that
has been during a pandemic? Did that help you grow?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: Growth has been strong. Awareness of sustainability means
that brands appreciate that customers understand it, demand it and expect it.
It puts the onus on the brands and the more it puts the onus on the brands the
more the media cover it so that has helped us. I genuinely think that every
single person has something in their wardrobe that they would want to fix, the
demand is there.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lockdown was awful especially when it first happened and before
they announced furlough. As a start-up you're faced with some very difficult
choices, you look at your company and think, ‘how are we going to survive
this?’. It's a whole new layer of learning and late into the night, we would be
figuring out what to do. In the UK we have been so fortunate with furlough, as
a company it helped us, it meant we could furlough and ultimately keep the
majority of our team. We spent that time working on operations and engaging our
customers through marketing. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Of course, during lockdown people took the time to reassess
their wardrobes.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: They were and we've always been passionate about providing
education features with tips and tricks which had high engagement in lockdown.
How to do a wardrobe detox, how to care for suede, leather, pack, store, remove
odour from trainers, there's a lot you can do at home! At the time Harpers
featured our wardrobe detox and it was great to see everyone engaging with it.
Our client services continued to work and the demand for collections was great
even though we were unable to provide services until lockdown lifted. </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE99a49k42kbqzUfulxQd4N2JoSS8v0Z_tvf4FKykpyOsB_f12MUFu_DDCrfZpi7YEJIDZYOVuEmVWHHepueo44QVZJ-vROD-Vv2g6zs5iLADccWKpVq3itzkSyhnKAbidMeSUOMOzPIiQJa_yby7ZU59Clq2hnfeDZ_91yyriqF7Qbbw13bR9rYI-=s1083" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE99a49k42kbqzUfulxQd4N2JoSS8v0Z_tvf4FKykpyOsB_f12MUFu_DDCrfZpi7YEJIDZYOVuEmVWHHepueo44QVZJ-vROD-Vv2g6zs5iLADccWKpVq3itzkSyhnKAbidMeSUOMOzPIiQJa_yby7ZU59Clq2hnfeDZ_91yyriqF7Qbbw13bR9rYI-=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><br /><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><br /><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
</span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: Where can we find The Restory?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: The business has been international since day one, so you can
pretty much find us anywhere. Head to our website <a href="http://www.the-restory.com">www.the-restory.com</a> and book
a collection direct from home. Alternatively, you can drop in-store with our
retail partners; Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Manolo Blahnik. Or you
can book online through Farfetch and Browns Fashion. Once booked we take care
of the rest and following a physical assessment of your items we will provide
you with a quote. The quote is broken down by item and services so you can
select which services you want to go ahead with and then we get started with
the repair. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: What drives you as a company?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: Increasing longevity of fashion products and keeping them
desirable to ultimately power aftercare for the global fashion industry. When
we started, as much as we are focused on repair and the knowledge we are
reducing waste, the passion was always about making items last longer. Across
the team when you look at who we employ and the conversations we have
internally, there is an incredible understanding, passion and knowledge about
it. At the same, time pretty much everyone in our atelier came from production
companies where they were making products and made the decision that they
didn't want to make anymore. They want to repair. The same for client services,
they've come from retailers & etailers and they didn't want to do that
anymore. We have a shared passion for aftercare whether it's around the craft,
the service, being able to make that item last longer and have the customer
fall in love with it all over again. Ultimately it's driving longevity. </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdxYirWC4OB4WT3a6PpU0utKy2n-9eAq1H9A6wj9IlcVWLoqu6Hh1ixOQUH1Cm7SHfBZvwcPCe_SWnLvtBMc3HBqjnSuA0IvEzCoVtXXmkCaewfWIj29SBTiAAX7KzxGoobEtZCkCmbxEZjhQpWSC2qPZ6_ym_qif0YxKK1Luj2J6GnA8i-b-lhkLu=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdxYirWC4OB4WT3a6PpU0utKy2n-9eAq1H9A6wj9IlcVWLoqu6Hh1ixOQUH1Cm7SHfBZvwcPCe_SWnLvtBMc3HBqjnSuA0IvEzCoVtXXmkCaewfWIj29SBTiAAX7KzxGoobEtZCkCmbxEZjhQpWSC2qPZ6_ym_qif0YxKK1Luj2J6GnA8i-b-lhkLu=s16000" /></a></div><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /> </span>
<p></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: What drives you personally?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: Deep down my drive is to better myself and grow. I'm very
curious and I will question myself, not only question other people. It could be
for example, ‘why do we do use kitchen roll for everything, what can we do
instead?’ So we found a bamboo alternative that is re-washable. I do this with
everything big or small I think that's what drives me. I'm open to change. With
sustainability, we are continuously learning and I love that and innovation
sits in there, with reducing impact. Those two things, sustainability and
innovation make me the most excited. Before <a href="https://www.the-restory.com/" target="_blank">The Restory</a> I would not have been
able to articulate that. Looking back I realise, yes that's how I ended up
here.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">D: What's next?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E: It's time for aftercare to be in the spotlight. That doesn't
mean only us, it’s the recognition and the understanding of how integral
aftercare is to everything we do. A couple of years ago a law in the EU
stipulated that the suppliers of White Goods had to keep parts for the products
for 10 years so they could repair them. Even though it is a different industry
that was a huge celebration because it was a recognition of the importance of
repair. We're after world domination! Our ambition is to power aftercare for
the global fashion industry. Just a small plan (laughs). </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p style="margin: 0cm;"><span style="color: #0e101a; font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">You can find The Restory <a href="https://www.the-restory.com/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/therestory_/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-47117972378237818262022-01-18T06:00:00.002+00:002022-01-18T11:48:25.404+00:00Focus on Cyndi Rhoades Founder of Worn Again Technologies<p> <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1wVIlMaYl-D-z5YWBkBDfbLoD_4q_cp22S8I_zj3XK4m0wwAuP6wCu7rBaIcp78Lsx9n9s4upukIJ_V1KdLEnQY91YS3hJkbNgpBJNV5QBbyrKiyETmUusKbzFvS4UUQg__fo5_ZgjFRI_uJ5kBIwg4y_3cnvEUF_7GyqV7SnHQblStKAm5TAE4vF=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1wVIlMaYl-D-z5YWBkBDfbLoD_4q_cp22S8I_zj3XK4m0wwAuP6wCu7rBaIcp78Lsx9n9s4upukIJ_V1KdLEnQY91YS3hJkbNgpBJNV5QBbyrKiyETmUusKbzFvS4UUQg__fo5_ZgjFRI_uJ5kBIwg4y_3cnvEUF_7GyqV7SnHQblStKAm5TAE4vF=s16000" /></a></div><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Inspirational Woman Cyndi Rhoades founded <a href="https://wornagain.co.uk/" target="_blank">Worn Again Technologies</a> with the goal of eradicating textile waste. In the world we live in
today 85% of the clothing we discard goes straight to landfill. Obviously, this
must change and as part of doing that within the fashion industry, recycling is
vital but not easy. The fabrics we use for clothing are mostly made from a mix
of fibres like polyester and cotton together, how do we break them apart so
they can be used again? This is where Cyndi steps in, read on to find out how.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRwY6_2HfI4TOS-ob1tr5LZiLimYjAZfNwIu2i43SNiBxWfMS4EFsgR8XAZ3kFwQMVMdCCIuMDJlGftRNsMtmDbiX9k8rqXntGZLVW7rFn7ZUKGtd29DrJhPjB7FZu3CrcuaHYNEZ2LuKLuc9xKRXEpVB7MLxhWLM_7EVeu8SaFv1FsCxnM9ex3nG7=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRwY6_2HfI4TOS-ob1tr5LZiLimYjAZfNwIu2i43SNiBxWfMS4EFsgR8XAZ3kFwQMVMdCCIuMDJlGftRNsMtmDbiX9k8rqXntGZLVW7rFn7ZUKGtd29DrJhPjB7FZu3CrcuaHYNEZ2LuKLuc9xKRXEpVB7MLxhWLM_7EVeu8SaFv1FsCxnM9ex3nG7=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: Tell me about you yourself, where are you from?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: I was born in Columbus Ohio in the USA and moved to the
UK in 1993. In a very short amount of time I had moved from, Ohio to
Minneapolis to start University and study psychology, before moving to San
Francisco and then LA, where I had switched to film making. During college I
started getting work in production in LA, as a runner, (PA as its known in US),
on music videos and commercials. I then went on what I thought would be a three
month trip to the UK, but ended up staying. It took me a year to break into the
film industry here, again as a runner to get my foot in the door and eventually
moving up the ladder from production manager, to producer and eventually
directing. During my time in production<span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the 90’s worked with acts like Oasis and Tina
Turner, as a director for small indie bands that were up and coming, fairly
unheard of, very tiny budgets, but it was fun. I realised in my mid 20’s that
my personal interests had started to shift and I wanted to understand what made
the world tick. It was actually Naomi Klein's initial book ‘No Logo’ and David Korten’s
book ‘When Corporations Rule the World’ which fuelled the fire of change for me
and I started to make the shift to documentary film making. In the 90’s it was
very hard to make a breakthrough into mainstream documentary making but I
enjoyed creating short films on interesting topics, like woodland burials and
paganism at Stonehenge, for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in a video
series promoting the UK abroad. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was a series of events over years that led me create Worn
Again, always focusing on social and environmental issues. The first thing that
helped the shift in this direction, was a series of evening events I set up called
Anti-Apathy. I had started going to lectures and talks on global issues hosted
by the New Economics Foundation that really got me excited about a new way of
doing economics, where society and environment were considered on an equal par
with money. I would go to their events and film them, but at that time there
weren’t the same platforms for sharing as there are now, so it was a case of what
do I do with all this footage? That’s when I decided to create my own night’s,
to bring these issue based debates into a nightclub, to interest my friends and
that’s how Anti Apathy started in the early 2000’s. We held the first couple of
events at The Spitz in East London (which doesn't exist anymore) in
Spitalfields market. The Libertines played at the first event, this was before
they were famous, then KT Tunstall happened to be a friend of a friend and she
played at an early event too. It was really great because we had live music,
really interesting speakers, poetry, films, all sorts, all in a nightclub which
created an incredible energy and buzz. It was my way of merging issues with
lifestyle. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhORq89AiFK1SlimgHukCuIaJ1daWUyRhQtaM2yu39CzH3npkRMsn9expPvVdnWtMY9fxG4XS44wO-1qTVdoFkxnfO_n952yvXem1XMLkCRbYXKTzIK8cs0h2yqLbCuujqAy9IQ9Xh_gPdLAnXUlaA5M8-R0lGoTylA63j9WNfL40aC3hjMDFu-PZ2S=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhORq89AiFK1SlimgHukCuIaJ1daWUyRhQtaM2yu39CzH3npkRMsn9expPvVdnWtMY9fxG4XS44wO-1qTVdoFkxnfO_n952yvXem1XMLkCRbYXKTzIK8cs0h2yqLbCuujqAy9IQ9Xh_gPdLAnXUlaA5M8-R0lGoTylA63j9WNfL40aC3hjMDFu-PZ2S=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Worn Again grew out of that. I think that merging two worlds
is incredible, magical things come out of it, it created new ideas and fresh
new ways of approaching things. They were fun, but hard to fund and to keep
going. I knew it was leading somewhere when we held an event in Camden in 2004
with political economist, Ann Pettifor, who at the time had a premonition of
the oncoming Debt Crisis that happened in 2008. It was an electric night - we
were in a nightclub in Camden talking about debt, drinking beer, music was
playing. A pivotal part of that evening was that Galahad Clark, one of the 7th
generation Clark shoe family was there. He loved what we were doing and asked
if he could do a line of footwear and give us the proceeds. I told him I had just
created a brand called Worn Again; at that point we had only created a couple
of jackets for an upcoming Anti-Apathy event on ethical fashion, but said ‘if we
could do a line of trainers made out of fully recycled materials and call it Worn
Again why don't we give it a go’. With Galahad and his team we made trainers
out of any disused materials we could find like prison blankets, leather from
old cars that had broken down, that sort of thing. For the first couple of
years Galahad's company ran it and looked after all the design, manufacturing
and distribution and I shaped the brand, identity and the vision of what we
were trying to do. After a couple of years of upcycling, the business had grown
and had worked with Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Balloon Flights and Eurostar. With
Eurostar we repurposed their old uniforms and created a bag that their train
managers then used again as part of their uniform. This was a good
communication for companies to show their interest in sustainability and good
storytelling but it wasn't cracking the problem of textile waste, which was my
goal for <a href="https://wornagain.co.uk/" target="_blank">Worn Again</a>. Eradicating textile waste has been my mission since 2005. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This was the start of years and years of experimentation and
learning the problems behind textile waste which led to a fateful meeting with
our now Chief Scientific Officer, Dr Adam Walker who brought his brains and
scientific know how to the vision. Adam’s experience is in polymer dissolution
technology and the ability to recycle, polyethylene, polypropylene and other polys,
which is what we were aiming to do with textiles, as they are primarily made up
of polyester and cotton, both of which are polymers. So in 2012, along with my
colleague Nick Ryan, we collaborated with Adam on a lab based proof of concept
project to do just that, prove the initial concept. Since then, it's been a really long journey of
discovery, finance raising, partnership raising and contributing to the vision
for a circular ecosystem for textiles; we are still pre-commercial and are in
year nine of technology development.
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In 2013, we were fortunate to partner with early
pioneer investors, H&M, and R&D supporters Kering. This eventually led
to new strategic partnerships and investors, including Sulzer Chemtech - also
our chemical engineering partner - and two supply chain companies operating in
Mexico, Himes and Directex. We’ve also brought in other circular partnerships,
including Dibella, Sympatex, Asics and Dhana. In 2018, we became a Fashion For
Good innovator on their Acceleration Programme. All of these partnerships are
key in shaping the new circular marketplace in prep for our tech. </span>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style>The technology we are creating enables us
to take pure polyester and blended polyester and cotton blends, break them down
and then recapture and restore the polyester and the cellulose from the cotton
to go back into supply chains as new. The ambition with this is that we will eventually
have a world where we can replace the use of the majority of virgin resources
to make new textiles. We will be able to use existing textiles as inputs to
make new textiles, as part of a continual cycle. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2EOfwjWZSUjZagCMJRWFbkU_SSCRFxZTtxk93ZkQuvmTtAMtGHKMLM5qUTeoTH0vIKAZAawS9uV7xahK7W6q07hPaLkExn8vB08ooGSXKe9EVUtIXrRgyMJYMGOpe0LUONqOaPt8T2bVTUt5Gx9IKhzvm4s1J4ktqnFW01CafVklPi9ZnMmZ5ssKC=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2EOfwjWZSUjZagCMJRWFbkU_SSCRFxZTtxk93ZkQuvmTtAMtGHKMLM5qUTeoTH0vIKAZAawS9uV7xahK7W6q07hPaLkExn8vB08ooGSXKe9EVUtIXrRgyMJYMGOpe0LUONqOaPt8T2bVTUt5Gx9IKhzvm4s1J4ktqnFW01CafVklPi9ZnMmZ5ssKC=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: How do we ramp up textile recycling? Less than 1% is
recycled at the moment and you said that you're still in development. How far
off do you think you are? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: When we started creating the technology in 2012 no one
was asking that question, no one. Now the entire industry is waking up to the
need for it and they are keen to go from under 1% recycling to 100% as soon as
possible. What’s important here is that the technology alone will not solve the
less than 1% issue. Beyond the tech, it’s also about systems change. Today’s system
is based primarily on fossil fuels, not only to make polyester but also to
power production and agricultural systems. To shift from sourcing raw materials
in the way we do today, growing cotton, using trees for cellulose and oil derived
polyester to a system of making new textiles from old ones is going to take
time, investment and mindset change. Of course some plastic bottles are being
used today for recycled polyester but that still represents a small amount, <i>and</i>
it's not textile to textile yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
essentially downcycling bottles to textiles, which aren’t necessarily
recyclable with today’s recycling methods. To shift from virgin production to processes
like ours, one plant at a time, is still going to represent small volumes
compared to the 60 million plus tonnes of virgin polyester, cotton and
cellulose materials produced every year for textiles. Of course it's not only
us, there will be other technologies, like Renewcell, Gr3n, Infinited Fiber,
Evrnu and other technologies that are at various stages in development. But if
we fast forward and imagine 2025 and imagine there are a handful of companies
that have optimised and industrialised their processes, it's still going take a
good decade or two, where these processes and plants are replicated to a point that
the volumes and percentages start becoming significant. As an industry, we've still
got a long way to go and a huge amount of systems development before we achieve
full circularity. I don't like saying this though, as we should not be
disheartened by it, instead there's a hell of a lot to be done to get us to
that point and that's exciting, because it gives everyone something to focus on,
to work towards and build together.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It's really difficult to separate fabrics out, what's
your process for that?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: On the website, on the homepage there is an illustration
of a simplified textile supply chain loop. We play a small but important role
of being able to take in textiles which have been collected, sorted and
pre-processed to suit our specification - stripped of buttons, zips and metals
– before entering the process which is able to separate the polyester and
cotton, decontaminate them from dyes, finishes and other contaminants before
extracting and restoring the polyester polymer and cellulose from cotton. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The output is polyester pellets and cellulose
as a pulp that will then go back into supply chains to fibre spinners to become
new textiles and products all over again. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That's our part in the circular system, but in terms of what
needs to happen and how we will source textiles, that will require further
evolution of existing collection systems for textiles and more widespread
across industry collaboration. The existing post-consumer textile supply chain
already exists, the textile banks, the private collectors and the charity
collectors. In the UK, for example, we are collecting high volumes of used
textiles and that's great, but if you look at the US only 15% of textiles are
being collected, the other 85% are still going to landfill and incineration. So
the opportunity in the US is massive you could have hundreds of regenerative
recycling plants out there and suddenly we've gone from building mountains of
textile waste to actually producing circular raw materials – the basis for an
entirely circular system. Meaning that once you collect textiles it won’t make
sense to export them to lower cost labour regions for sorting, it will make
sense to sort them close to home, put them through the <a href="https://wornagain.co.uk/" target="_blank">Worn Again</a> process to
become fibre and textiles all over again. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have been working within the existing post consumer
textile supply chain for many years. Collected textiles, today, aren’t sorted
in the way that we will need them to be. Today they are primarily sorted by
hand which means it is virtually impossible to know the fibre content at a
garment by garment level, whether it’s made of polyester, poly-cotton, nylon or
cotton. We need new technology that is able to sort high volumes of
non-rewearable textiles in highly automated systems. There are new innovations
happening in this space, including fibre detecting technologies like Fibresort
in the Netherlands and a project called SypTex in Sweden, Soex, Texaid and the
Boer Group in Europe are some of the other big collectors actively involved in
innovation to prepare for circularity. </p><p class="MsoNormal">In the UK there is definitely a huge
movement in this area with industry projects, like Textiles 2030 led by WRAP,
and the British Fashion Council’s Circular Fashion Ecosystem initiative, which
is helping to bring together the different stakeholders to map out what's
needed today and where we're going to be in 2 years, 5 years time. I think it’s
crucial to have that bird's eye view, especially when there are so many
different components and stakeholders in the eco system. It’s vital that these
wider stakeholder groups work together to identify what's needed to accelerate
change while making sure that the technologies, the timelines and legislation
are all aligned to support each other. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNtiKlqmAS3TnQ2er_Yk9UE_wc7eRvA71z8VAdkM9cuj7VlZkxLzU4iqdwp01uBxq-m4XVBQ733VaBYula0sWkVdJoxdfk8nvx0qQ8WuTLpOeEjHUFR2kgk_9M9xMH9mblsrKHQW3TteKkvlM69GwOsUr9-05uORnSEjeb-VhM4ceD6EG-R2GOh2d5=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNtiKlqmAS3TnQ2er_Yk9UE_wc7eRvA71z8VAdkM9cuj7VlZkxLzU4iqdwp01uBxq-m4XVBQ733VaBYula0sWkVdJoxdfk8nvx0qQ8WuTLpOeEjHUFR2kgk_9M9xMH9mblsrKHQW3TteKkvlM69GwOsUr9-05uORnSEjeb-VhM4ceD6EG-R2GOh2d5=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: This is really interesting; I had been wondering how you
would source the fabrics. With that in mind shouldn’t we be collecting and
storing fabric now because that's going to be a hugely important resource going
forward. We could have warehouses of fabrics sitting ready. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: Exactly, because there's going be a fight for it. Storage
is a topic that keeps coming up, but I am not sure the economics of that work
for now, even though the logical side of it does. Also, by 2025, when EU
legislation comes into play which will require the separation of textiles from
general waste, it’s likely that volumes of non-rewerable textiles for processes
like ours won’t be an issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Europe is
an ideal testing ground for bringing circularity into reality at a systems
level. There’s a growing recognition that advanced textile sorting facilities
are going to be needed, with Euratex’s ambitions for Re:Hubs. The brands and
retailers are making commitments to circular sourcing. Technologies are
reaching maturity. And policy is changing to support new flows of materials.
The perfect storm for a shift to circularity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Because of this it would be good to have plants out there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: Absolutely. That is the vision. And we see the likelihood
of regional models for reprocessing textiles, once they’ve gone through
multiple reuse cycles, and how this would naturally lead to an era of regional fibre
spinning and textile and garment manufacturing. There is so much technology with
3D printing, stitchless manufacturing and made to order, you can really see
this being at the core of enabling a very strong sustainable system where we're
producing a lot less, yet engaging with clothing and textiles in a more
intelligent, exciting and experiential way. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: When you're creating your pulp and pellets how do you
breakdown the fibres, what is the process? Do you use chemicals, do you recycle
your water supply how do you do all of that? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: We are currently scaling up from the pilot plant phase. The
next stage will be a demonstration plant and that will be a miniature version
of the industrial process. The industrial process is based on a closed loop solvent
system, that's not only environmentally friendly, in comparison to virgin
production, but is also economic. We have an ambition for the industrial plants
to be run on renewable energy, helping the industry get to a zero carbon
footprint by 2050. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: As we know microplastics shred from our clothing, can you
see a solution for that?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: It's one of those questions we must embrace and
understand, because it is complex. And it’s not just a polyester issue, as further
research is revealing, most fibres are being found in our oceans and rivers.
For sure, it’s not as simple as banning polyester because the reality is,
millions of tonnes of polyester already exist in the form of clothing today.
Rather than banning the use of polyester per se, wouldn’t it make more sense to
ban the use of virgin polyester production, once circular recycling processes
like ours are able to continue recirculating the resources we already have?
Regardless, solutions to the microfibre issue are vitally needed and it’s an
issue that we as a society and industry need to tackle at all angles, whether
it’s via innovation in fibre spinning techniques, which won’t prevent
microfibres altogether, or with advanced filtering at water treatment plants and
domestic washing machine levels. One of my go to sources to understand more
about this topic is The Microfibre Consortium, a group that marries research
with the reality of commercial supply chains, and works with the industry for
the greater good of ecosystems. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDQZYfrpd7vaiUJLlbsR8xv7cd5C1Kr5GPY4SgIipyJ898wDAEaOIK3ZpexpQqhXiHcncWYlwAjGfGRfgLb0o0fQR4xEmupJyZB3V3uLMZGX5GerrxsAPZjsLNpVbgeKSxjGhS60SybYiJ-txHh1eIiprtIWO_YNSFtpGTEFv840JGg6c7FkMHbi9K=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDQZYfrpd7vaiUJLlbsR8xv7cd5C1Kr5GPY4SgIipyJ898wDAEaOIK3ZpexpQqhXiHcncWYlwAjGfGRfgLb0o0fQR4xEmupJyZB3V3uLMZGX5GerrxsAPZjsLNpVbgeKSxjGhS60SybYiJ-txHh1eIiprtIWO_YNSFtpGTEFv840JGg6c7FkMHbi9K=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I read recently that textiles need that Blue Planet
moment, the wake up call that worked for reducing the consumption of plastic
bags. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: It doesn't feel like there's been one moment yet. But
what David Attenborough did with the oceans, Greta has done for climate change
and there are loads of people working just as tirelessly to bring about change
in the textiles industry. I am very heartened by the groundswell of industry
commitments and collaborative initiatives taking place to overcome the negative
social and environmental impacts caused by the fashion industry. There is a lot
more data available today and a growing number of solutions, so a lot more to
talk about. The more solutions that become available the more the industry will
want to implement them and lead the change.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm really enthused about what's happened over the last
couple of years in terms of transparency, innovation, and the growing demand
for improving the negative impacts of the industry. But definitely during Covid,
and maybe we're trapped in our bubbles, but it does feel like it's starting to
infiltrate wider society, in that people are really requestioning how we use
and relate to clothing. We really have to reappraise this and find more
intelligent ways of doing it. I have a lot of hope and a lot of sadness about
what it's taken to get us to this point, but at last the world is waking up. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It is great that you're working cradle to cradle, to keep
what we already have. Do you have other projects happening too? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: We recently initiated a project, in collaboration with Circle
Economy in the Netherlands and Centre for Circular Design, part of University
Arts London, called World Circular Textiles Day on October 8th 2020. The
project takes a long term view of achieving circularity, provocating that
realistically it’s going to take the industry a whole 30 years to achieve
widespread circularity. One of our central aims with WCTD is to support,
celebrate and chart annual progress as the industry drives forward to this end
goal. <u>Change is happening</u>, it could happen quicker, but it's happening
and it’s important to celebrate and recognise those who are driving it. We have
over 100 industry signatories on board and are expanding this every year, with
the aim of reaching new audiences. What we’d like to see is circularity
becoming a cultural movement with widespread appeal and engagement. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Hope is always good when telling the story, so that you
bring people along with you rather than switch them off.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: Going back to your last question you asked about some of
the other things I have worked on: recently I have been involved with the Textiles
2030 initiative, hosted by WRAP. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Textiles 2030 is a really grounded solid project in the UK, bringing
together key stakeholders – brands, collectors/sorters and recyclers - to
develop a regional circular system, to link into global supply chains as a
first step. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There's another initiative which I’ve been advising on with
the British Fashion Council and their Institute of Positive Fashion - a project
that was recently launched called the Circular Fashion Ecosystem. The first
output from this is a blueprint for creating a circular textiles ecosystem in
the UK. I get a lot of energy out of imagining where we could be, then building
a plan to get there. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It's been good to see them championing Bethany Williams,
she works a lot with upcycling and doing it beautifully with a social
conscience and profits going to women's groups that need help.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: Circularity has many facets and all aspects of it need to
be promoted to spread awareness and to move circularity from a concept to a
reality. Organisations like the BFC can help, by making it front and centre and
encouraging it to be central to every company’s strategy. The same with the
fashion colleges it's got to be at the core of curriculum and embrace the whole
spectrum in that fashion is no longer about cradle to grave for products, but
instead a living and breathing system where everyone plays a role in keeping
resources in circulation and improving the lives of those making and handling
our clothes. That’s what circularity is all about. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibJvT5XTh25owWqL3Us7v-lwfhd6v6pPJ5lGFCt6umZV4PokBIWZ4pTo41ASl1K0YpOVwTOiddMvRgmngJqe-4y262wla8oIzVz5wiH3zmMCQkBUmb3c9tJEINRYBp5bgQYl-wBvxOy4e7xfM272RU08rX2rbQtiYVTykeuhyNLWAVxPWmMpB9VZ3F=s1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibJvT5XTh25owWqL3Us7v-lwfhd6v6pPJ5lGFCt6umZV4PokBIWZ4pTo41ASl1K0YpOVwTOiddMvRgmngJqe-4y262wla8oIzVz5wiH3zmMCQkBUmb3c9tJEINRYBp5bgQYl-wBvxOy4e7xfM272RU08rX2rbQtiYVTykeuhyNLWAVxPWmMpB9VZ3F=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: With education making sure teaching is about the whole supply
chain, about being transparent in the whole industry, especially the human
element.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: The human component of circularity another area that is
set to skyrocket because at the moment it's all about supply chain transparency.
As more and more textile to textile recycling processes become industrialised
the industry is going to require strict standards around how the inputs were
sourced. Wanting to know are they second hand, are they non re-wearables, where
were they sorted, what were the Labour standards like in the sorting
facilities. The idea of building in product material ID, traceability,
transparency and certification means all of the data and information about
resources and production will be visible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This can only be a good thing in cleaning up and improving the impacts
of the industry. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: The new technologies like Blockchain allow for that and
Crypto currencies can tag that along the way too.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: It's exciting to see the brands that are embracing this
rather than being scared of it, it's an opportunity. You're still going to make
money, you're still going to flourish, but in a slightly different way. It’s
taken a while for many to catch up and maybe we're still at the centre of the
curve but it doesn't have to be a scary undertaking.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Is there any anything you would like to add?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: It's really interesting to see some of the other people
you've been interviewing and engaging with, the multifaceted perspectives
around circularity and sustainability I think it's really fascinating, because
we're all attracted to and pulled by certain things, some people by social
standards, others by environment, but there's always crossover and it's all
about keeping an open mind and knowing that we're all in the same boat. There
are going to be multiple paths to getting there. I think we all have an
understanding in bringing those together, that is where the magic happens and
it's happening in a way that we haven't seen before. A lot of us have been talking
and moving in similar circles for over 15 years, feeling like the outcasts and
now all the cool kids want to be a part of this, so it gives you hope.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: They like us they are fighting for their future.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C: Once you know some of the realities and downsides of what
goes into making textiles and fashion you can't go back to the old ways. It's
education, its information, its awareness. It's definitely a generational thing,
you meet people and feel they know far too much for their age, but it's also great
to see, because people in their 20’s have knowledge that has taken us years,
decades, to learn and that too is part of the technological revolution. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">To learn more click <a href="https://wornagain.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6842687113034899331.post-74112511339832536792022-01-04T16:39:00.001+00:002022-01-04T16:39:20.583+00:00Focus on Sustainable and Ethical Fashion Designer Anyango Mpinga<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqTVhJqMRlxsr94lTt-wo9bicdXWvY0qcUDE_25O3LqZGZjmRLPViwC-1dAEQnXIZ-GGB_v-wB_3eu3ywrI8G2mmggSGu18YCi49u734NEJC4LVEt_pkL6ox_NpuM_beJrTIEcxlAVebP01lgP4_hWRahJqusjCdphJ0SaNZAy2jSZf89TldN1xenN=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqTVhJqMRlxsr94lTt-wo9bicdXWvY0qcUDE_25O3LqZGZjmRLPViwC-1dAEQnXIZ-GGB_v-wB_3eu3ywrI8G2mmggSGu18YCi49u734NEJC4LVEt_pkL6ox_NpuM_beJrTIEcxlAVebP01lgP4_hWRahJqusjCdphJ0SaNZAy2jSZf89TldN1xenN=s16000" /></a></div>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://anyangompinga.com/" target="_blank">Anyango Mpinga</a> is a contempory sustainable fashion designer
and social entrepreneur. I was introduced to Anyango through Clare Press when I
asked her ‘who next’. Anyango’s navigation through fashion has taken guts and determination
and demonstrates the power of going for it. She is a ‘cultural innovator championing
intersectionality as a guiding principle in circular fashion’. Her work
embraces her heritage, culture and traditions of Africa and Kenya. At the same
time she is uplifting the voices of women and her upbringing gives us a unique view
on equity. Anyango’s interest in fashion
goes way beyond design, she set up Free as A Human in 2018 which raises
awareness of human trafficking and forced labour in fashions supply chain. At the moment she is
living and producing in London. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8k0S2Z2BTDrJTIGquynadSL1zeL8lUFAMWK4dfNb6mRxNkbzW9ouZ_FJTxK7SXzggFwd4QPsO-Gjs_F19oUpYOBBicPNZt-MdLIuB_NAI1nu2x0hsx2-EQRJMAtsoTZU_XGtkZaEYUVeBeBmPn17rqjrawE4B0pmccVXn2soeQc4Icu0WvZBiTs7E=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8k0S2Z2BTDrJTIGquynadSL1zeL8lUFAMWK4dfNb6mRxNkbzW9ouZ_FJTxK7SXzggFwd4QPsO-Gjs_F19oUpYOBBicPNZt-MdLIuB_NAI1nu2x0hsx2-EQRJMAtsoTZU_XGtkZaEYUVeBeBmPn17rqjrawE4B0pmccVXn2soeQc4Icu0WvZBiTs7E=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: When did you start coming to London?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: I started coming to London in 2017. My first major visit,
I was for Pure London. At the time as doing a programme with the ITC and they
were working with female entrepreneurs and I was one of the brands selected to
come to Pure London. They covered the cost of everything and I brought my new
collection. When I was there, I was approached a manufacturer who had seen the collection
and sent an email though saying “we run a small studio in London and we really
loved your work if you're ever in town let's discuss”. I looked at the email
and thought yeah manufacturing in London as if. However as luck would have it,
it was possible.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I like to start from your beginnings, what your
influences are and all the influences that brought you together to be the
person you are today. There is a beautiful Bahai quote that I have heard you
mention, about two wings…..</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: On equality.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Yes on equality: “The world of humanity has two wings –
one is women the other men. Not until both are equally developed can the bird
fly. Should one remain weak, flight is impossible.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It would be nice in the future to have the bird fly.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Exactly, exactly we want the wings to be functional
always and to always be soaring. If we think about equity that way and if every
leader thought about it that way we wouldn’t have injustice and wouldn't think
about each other as other. Otherness is a constant occurrence in our society
and it guides how we do everything. The most interesting thing is that we are
all a reflection of each other.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: True.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Everything you do to someone you're doing to yourself. This
is how connected we all are and I wish, I'm not perfect I make mistakes don't
get me wrong, but I wish we actually woke up and thought about it that way
because it would really guide our principles. It would guide how we conduct
like ourselves and how we treat each other. Whether it's ideas around equality,
justice, ethical manufacturing, paying fair wages, if you saw yourself in
someone else then you would know that, you couldn’t you to live on $1 day so
how can they?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is how systems oppress people rather than elevate them.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Also the minimum wage is oppressive.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: It’s an oppressive thing, because you're deciding for
someone else how much they should live on rather than factoring in, <i><u>how
much do you live on?</u></i> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: The minimum wage means people are turning to food banks
to eat which is crazy. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: If I knew that any of the workers at the factories I work
with in London, considering how much I pay for production, were not being paid
fairly and were not able to survive with their families without having to
resort to food banks I would be very very concerned. There's a reason I am willing
to pay 80 or 100 pounds for producing one dress, that’s because I know a good
chunk of it is going to the person who's making the dress. It's too easy to
take shortcuts if you're not willing to be your own keeper. In the Bible it says
you have to be your brother's keeper and it has so many meanings. You can say
everybody should do ABC D but, what did you do? You can lead by example. You
have to hold yourself accountable, before you start holding other people
accountable. You have to hold yourself, learn from mistakes, and be willing to
improve and be better. That's the only way we see transformation. It's not even
about a quick change. When something transforms it becomes something else. It
becomes something new and I feel we should all want our industry to transform. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhejlx7nFPn7L86xdFZm68Idllops6aogO3Ps2i7UOgWEYxHjK3grSXSMcs92WuuS57p_UdZyfp-MaoZ37nQsqT73RUAMUe_KAWvE0ErSHwCJPPb941BqnRwsq1XVeZO0b0SQrmVZFl8Qr85D6Pd8hZfnvf4_gyA8t7v2TuV7j3UKdatoFyBABnThyv=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhejlx7nFPn7L86xdFZm68Idllops6aogO3Ps2i7UOgWEYxHjK3grSXSMcs92WuuS57p_UdZyfp-MaoZ37nQsqT73RUAMUe_KAWvE0ErSHwCJPPb941BqnRwsq1XVeZO0b0SQrmVZFl8Qr85D6Pd8hZfnvf4_gyA8t7v2TuV7j3UKdatoFyBABnThyv=s16000" /></a></div><br />
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What was what was it like growing up in Kenya?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: My upbringing was pretty normal. My mom is a single
parent and we lived a normal middle class life. Growing up was fun for me, because
my two older siblings are 12 years older and as the baby of the family, I got
away with a lot.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I loved playing with dolls, loved it. I loved it so much
that I liked my dolls to have a change of clothes. I suppose that's how I
started experimenting with knitting and stitching. We had a home science class
in primary school and were taught how to knit and how to stitch by hand. Which
meant I could sew dresses for my dolls. I also knew how to make small sweaters
for them, because as they were teaching us they would give us patterns to
follow and show us how to do different stitches. I learnt to crochet and knit
and that was very interesting for me. I was also really good at art, so much so
that I won the district art competition. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Art has always been with me since I was little, art and
music. I wanted to learn <i>everything</i>. I think it’s that curiosity that has
a lot to do with how I am today, because I can definitely see how it shaped my
personality, I had a curiosity for <i>everything</i> creative and artistic. The
kids around me weren't the same. Growing up Bahai, we had children's classes on
Sundays, there were so many things that we did creatively that kept me going
and kept inspiring me to dive to that world. At the Bahai centre I was
surrounded by kids from all cultures, and all backgrounds so the interaction was
different. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The influences where so diverse that, for me the question of
inferiority from a cultural perspective never became an issue. I saw how some
of my friends elevated different people or felt inferior around others. We are
all informed by television and when you’re sitting watching TV you're seeing a
completely different world and the messaging is showing you that the rest of
the world is better than your own existence and that does make some people feel
a bit inferior. Luckily I didn't have that because a my mom is one of those
people who is such a go getter and travelled. She was of the few in the
neighbourhood who did.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does your mum
do?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: At the time mum was a travel agent. Then as a side-line
during certain seasons she and my aunt would get together and buy handcrafts,
carved animals and soapstone plates. Then together they would take them to
Germany, London and the US. Her office had posters of different places one I'll
never forget was Notre Dame, nice posters from different destinations, it was a
colourful upbringing. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course the teachings coming from my Bahai background
influenced me, because there was an understanding of the importance of
education. We were taught from a young age from the Bahai principles that if a
family had a son and a daughter and they could only educate one child it was
preferred that they educated the girl and not the boy, because the woman
carries the family and she carries humanity. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everywhere else the teaching is boys are
better than girls and I'm like ‘no, no actually girls are way more superior.’ It
made me curious, we were taught to investigate truth for ourselves, so I grew
up with that mentality. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: When you went to University your mum suggested you do any
degree other than an arts degree.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: She had one question, ‘so when you go to art school what
are you going to specialise in?’ </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I didn't have an answer. So she said ‘why don't you do a
degree that still has a creative aspect? then later on you can pursue something
artistically. Get a degree where there are actual job openings. For me, because
I idolised my dad, he's a journalist and his well known in East Africa, I thought
okay, communications but instead of print journalism I will go into broadcast journalism.
So I studied radio and TV and did a course called social communication and
studied different aspects of communication which had sociology elements,
psychology of communication, critical thinking and human rights, we touched on
so many different topics that really informed my own understanding of the power
of communication it was an eye opening experience for me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So she said no to art, even when I became a designer she thought,
you mean that you want to be a tailor, a tailor for clothes? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I'm sure that changed with all the amazing things you've
done over the last few years. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: When she saw the press coverage I was getting, she started
saying ‘oh so this actually is this a job.’ as she realised it was serious and
you can be successful. She was saying to me ‘ohh it's serious enough that the
newspapers are talking about it. Being of that old school mentality, if it's on
TV and if it's in the paper it's a very, very big deal.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first time I had a Vogue interview I took a screenshot
and I sent it to her. It clearly had my name on it, but also says Vogue. Mom
writes back and says ‘wow Vogue whose work is that?’ This was so far from like
her own realm of thinking. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJs4RI4Y3lc1ji4iJBSy2nECQ2sf14RixVeYlfVt6O3faGAbunq8Rwv2vcBGnB4X52wfZnQbKpw_huJvr0cjB-4LEAlBuegcLdXe_5bkgEAu1KHlFOS6o-e0QitjadbUxVUMpTsy7U--Pak88hEYwZeSsgPqdXrQXiyA-mOhI66Hhvoy9HUPskXzju=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJs4RI4Y3lc1ji4iJBSy2nECQ2sf14RixVeYlfVt6O3faGAbunq8Rwv2vcBGnB4X52wfZnQbKpw_huJvr0cjB-4LEAlBuegcLdXe_5bkgEAu1KHlFOS6o-e0QitjadbUxVUMpTsy7U--Pak88hEYwZeSsgPqdXrQXiyA-mOhI66Hhvoy9HUPskXzju=s16000" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: When did you set up your fashion brand?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: After University I got a job to work in advertising and
moved to Ethiopia for that. I was working as an account manager and events
manager. I enjoyed my job, <i>so much</i>, that fashion wasn't even on the
radar. It was something I enjoyed, I enjoyed thrift shopping, I enjoyed styling
my clothes and the first thing I did when I got to Ethiopia was look for a good
tailor so he could adjust some of the things for me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Was tailoring mostly done by men in Africa?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: A lot of the time the tailoring was done by men. I
remember even as a child the good tailors are mostly men. So it was normal. I
went home to Kenya once a year for my vacation and would come back with Kangas
style fabric which is very very Kenyan very East African. I would design
something for myself and then wear it to events, my friends started asking me
where did you get that dress from I want one. At first I didn’t take any notice,
it was only until one of my friends actually forced me to make a dress for her and
paid for it that it actually became a thing. At the end of my time in Ethiopia I
helped organise the first ever Ethopian Fashion Week. We brought in speakers to
talk about sustainable fashion and sustainable sourcing, touching on ethical
manufacturing, sourcing and manufacturing in Africa, this is 2010. A lot of
people came, it was a really successful Fashion Week. I remember saying to my
friend ‘okay so maybe it's time I took this fashion thing a bit more seriously’.
It was only at that point that I understood the kind of industry it is, versus
fashion being about fun. It was the first time I saw fashion as an industry. From
a communications point of view, my job was to make sure the event went smoothly.
But thinking about the fashion industry itself, production, sourcing etc, that
spark hadn't been lit until I listened to the workshops and the conversations
that were happening around sustainability. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back in Kenya I decided to explorie more. I knew I wanted to
be as sustainable as possible even if I don't know as much as I would like to
know about the industry. When I moved back to Kenya, I worked as a consultant
then as an on air radio presenter. During that time I was experimenting, making
samples, trying to figure out who to work with and friends were starting to get
even more interested in what I was making. The first time I went to a music festival,
someone from the newspaper stopped me and asked to take my picture and asked
what are you wearing, what's the brand? I didn’t have a brand name yet so I
gave him the first thing that came to my mind was the word Kipusa, it's Swahili
and means beautiful young lady. The following Friday my mom sent me a photo saying
‘do you know you in the newspaper in the style section and they said your name is
Kipusa. This was the start of my first brand which became really popular, much
faster than I thought it would. It was popular because I was adventurous in the
way I designed the clothes using local textiles and prints. The brand was so
successful I was invited to represent Kenya at a show for African brands in
Paris. Slowly things were growing and I was getting a lot more coverage in
newspapers and magazines. I learnt a lot in those three years from 2012 to 2015.
Then in 2015, I rebranded.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I read that people were stealing your brand name.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: It was so popular that two things happened, firstly people
were stealing the brand name and using it to sell their own product. Then
people were using my photos on their platforms to sell a product that was mine,
but selling it cheaper. Because I was using local fabrics it was easy to find
the same print in the market, so even if my designs were different, people were
still able to say ‘ohh yeah I can make that dress for you.’ </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I paused as I needed to change how I was sourcing my fabrics
and time to develop my aesthetic. I was experimenting with construction and
white shirts because that was the style I really loved and it still struck
people when I made samples for myself, they were very different. It gave me
time to develop my style. After that brief hiatus, it was time to relaunch and
this time using my own name and to stop looking at myself as a simple Kenyan
designer and look at myself as a global brand. Right before I rebranded, I entered
a competition called African designers for tomorrow. Until that point I had always
felt that there were so many designers who are better than me, who all had had a
UK education. So I thought there's no way I'm going to be chosen but to my surprise
I was one of the finalists. My work had the African element but was so modern
with small accents of print here and there and were very intricate. I loved
working with lace and satin and there's one particular dress that was black
lace that I lined with one of the printed fabrics and the result was great. Everybody
bugged me about that dress, so I made a limited run of nine dresses which sold
out. To this day I still have customers who tell me ‘I still have my dress’. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>D: I love how you use
the white shirt as your blank canvas as your starting point when developing a
new collection.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A: I start with a
white shirt like a clean palette, so I can think about what structure, messaging
and silhouettes I want to dictate this season. Someone taught me this and it
has helped me really make sure my collection is cohesive. It helps me focus and
maintain a aesthetic that is also size inclusive and has my signature. I realised
producing even in small quantities that cohesiveness also saves you money. When
you're producing and you have patterns that are similar it makes it more cost
effective when you're grading and manufacturing. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, 2015 is the answer to the beginning of my brand as it is
today.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVgf9bPtq5cRNwPybyyVruCztelgEP2ssmxoge2KHWShg4ucDTxe6GhQkbO3LZ1AdbNmi7GYDCGx5zd58sEuQDmevFmuUBBSqFdXX5zeus8B5N-9DiFnqYOisKmKB19gxqxWz8Oj-LoozAJwCKH0PYT5LZVcN4977evRwXVKbspWgOD-QjjkGHZPIO=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVgf9bPtq5cRNwPybyyVruCztelgEP2ssmxoge2KHWShg4ucDTxe6GhQkbO3LZ1AdbNmi7GYDCGx5zd58sEuQDmevFmuUBBSqFdXX5zeus8B5N-9DiFnqYOisKmKB19gxqxWz8Oj-LoozAJwCKH0PYT5LZVcN4977evRwXVKbspWgOD-QjjkGHZPIO=s16000" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">D: I like how you've always used your brand to represent all
women. When you had your first catwalk you only had five professional models all
the rest were women you knew. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: This was my first proper runway show at Ethiopian Fashion
Week. When they saw I was serious about fashion they invited me back to showcase.
Of course I still had friends there and said to them let's have fun with this.
I'm going have five models to start off the show and then I want ten of you to
come in and takeover. People will not be expecting it if you come in, in the
middle. That was a lot of fun. The first woman to walk was a friend of mine who’s
African American, very vivacious, curves to the nines and busty so very, very
sexy. I put her in a coat which she opened it up just a little so it was
suggestive enough to get attention but not vulgar, when she walked out people
lost it, it was like everybody ‘was woah what happened’. Even when I look back
now, I know people liked the designs but the women took them by surprise. The
fact that the pieces were very wearable meant that even after the show finished
people were asking ‘where can we buy the collection?’ So we had an afternoon
tea on the Sunday after the show and 30 women showed up, each one of them
bought something or ordered multiple things. I think I had $10.00 left after all
the sampling and putting on the show. But I left with deposits of about $3000
and for the first time I felt like I was in business. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">The more I did it the more
confident I got in my abilities, yes I had people who loved my designs and were
wearing them. I loved how different my collections were. Yet there was always
that part of me that was insecure about the fact that I hadn't had a formal
education. I had asked people to mentor me or work with me and show me the
ropes, but they kept rejecting me saying ‘we can't teach you anything because
you haven't been to fashion school.’ That hung over my head for a while. It’s a
very different industry in Kenya, it’s not like the UK where there's a lot of
access to information and there are so many courses, even free online courses
that you can tap into. However by the time I launched Anyango Mpingo the brand I
felt ‘okay world this is who I am take it or leave it I'm unapologetic.’ </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I can see from your different collections that you are a
storyteller. Telling the story of your country Kenya and of Africa. You design
your own fabric which are your own take on Kenyan and African traditions. What
is the inspiration behind your designs?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: When I launched my brand the most important thing for me
was to be able to communicate my heritage in colour and print in a way that
everybody around the world would resonate. That meant that storytelling,
researching and going back into history and looking at the history behind
certain traditions then translating that into textile prints. I've also looked
at architecture in African culture as inspiration too, a part of me always
wants to stay true to my cultural heritage, but also to explore my own
understanding of how humanity is progressing. Here are three examples:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dragonfly</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I created a dragonfly print which represents freedom. When
researching dragonfly's I came across this fact: female dragonfly's will fake
their own death to avoid mating with a male. If a dragonfly can fake its’ own
death and pretend to be dead to avoid assault, imagine if our society was even
half as respectful of women. We have all heard of situations where women have
passed out, or are incapacitated and taken advantage of, but when it comes to
the male dragonfly he thinks OK she's not moving, so I'm going to leave her
alone. Parallels from nature I tie into the stories those are things that
inspire me. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Feather </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first time I started creating my own prints I took
inspiration from the feather of the Kondo Udo. They are warriors and dancers
and it is rare to see them now because it's a dying tradition and it has to be
a very special event for you to even see them. The first time I saw them
dancing it was amazing. It was incredible, when mom and I saw them, we stopped
in our tracks. I loved the experience of being there and seeing them in action and
really understanding, then redesigning the feather print. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I'm a big believer in revisiting prints that you've created
before and using them again in different ways. As one source of inspiration can
give you so many different paths to explore. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Love</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I had been really questioning ‘what is love?’ At the time I
had been developing a print that was mainly text like a newsprint. I already had
the text and newsprint with quotes on love, justice and compassion and from
that I started to explore the different ways of capturing the words I love you.
Initially I made recordings of the words ‘I love you’ on my phone and recorded
about 25 different languages. Some of them feature languages from Kenyan
tribes, we have 42 tribes I picked the main ones. Then there are others from
places I have visited in Europe and Asia and places I lived that have been part
of my journey in fashion. I then used the sound waves from the recordings to
make the print for the fabric. This is my interpretation of the sound of love
and what it looks like.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This is one of my favourite’s I know for a fact I'll bring
it back in different colours for different seasons and explore it a bit more. If
there's one thing I know it is that love is one of those things that is never
going to go away. It is how the universe was created and our world was created,
it was created from love so there's no escaping it. However we want to we want
to look at life, whether it's love for nature, love for the environment, love
for our family, it is always there. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcLh7txijVUa6EqfbUAWzahJzO31cLvq6Dcm40MQO8l5GtIJJwYcCsFS0lYADrn0m2gr6qEzqxn1La5P2s2hRya5xs4FN4SiRwgG0iYSf002JNL29wxbDqr0WJRMGMzsQI-jx47r0_jV3T8-8A3IwfgAm1YAIWW3f6mUXQHAOgCeYvrTd_xlYSWOj6=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcLh7txijVUa6EqfbUAWzahJzO31cLvq6Dcm40MQO8l5GtIJJwYcCsFS0lYADrn0m2gr6qEzqxn1La5P2s2hRya5xs4FN4SiRwgG0iYSf002JNL29wxbDqr0WJRMGMzsQI-jx47r0_jV3T8-8A3IwfgAm1YAIWW3f6mUXQHAOgCeYvrTd_xlYSWOj6=s16000" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: What's your favourite fabric? What do you like to work in
the most?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Silk because it feels so good on your skin. The first
time I wore a silk dress it was a shirt dress I had bought from a thrift store beautiful,
beautiful shirt dress, I'll never forget it. It was incredible and I promised
myself I'd always work with silk. When you print on silk the colours are so
vibrant the colours are so much more beautiful, so I love silk. Also broderie
anglaise which is timeless. Recently I started using a fabric called Refibra by
Tencel, which a combination of recycled materials including old scraps of
materials that have been created into a new fabric with organic cotton, making
it a very circular material.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I heard about a town in Italy recently that has been recycling
fabric for generations.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: When I've used deadstock a lot of it comes from Italy,
there's a supplier in the UK who sells deadstock and when it's gone, it’s gone.
With a lot of that at the end of the roll it says it comes from Italy. The
amount of textiles you find in these warehouses are left over from when a big
factory has cancelled an order, or left behind say 2 rolls. There are some gems
to be found there.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: I am guessing you have to have enough to be able to print
your beautiful prints onto the fabric.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Yes, but if I want to make a nice coat which I've done in
one or two seasons and I wanted to use wool for instance, the quality has to be
really good so the best source for me is to go and get some deadstock. Because A.
nobody is going to have that exact coat and B. I can do it in a limited
quantity.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: You only create one collection a year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: When you look at some of the biggest prizes in fashion the
criteria for application is that you have to have created fall/winter and
spring/summer collection’s and I question that. How are we going to move
forward and be more sustainable if the system punishes brands who are being
more sustainable? They still say yes, we support sustainability, but supporting
sustainability through and through also means they should look at things within
their own criteria and adjust. We really need to move away from the old system
of doing things and embrace transforming the industry. If I have a solid
collection that is clearly trans-seasonal that can be worn throughout the year,
by layering it up, if I have created a collection that is timeless then there
is absolutely no reason to do three or four collections. However if I'm doing a
special capsule collection that I'm collaborating on with a store that's a completely
different story. I have a surplus of sketches, designs and patterns that I
haven't developed so it's not that I can't design consistently. Designing four
collections a year crates a lot of waste: take prototyping for example, that alone,
in the sampling stage creates so much waste and for what? to have five
collections where maybe only six or seven pieces from the collection are bought
and all the others are discarded. That doesn't make sense to me. If I'm working
with the BFC for instance and am on their platform and am showcasing one
collection per year they should not penalise me from ever having any support
from them for doing that. It's a more sustainable way for me to work and for
the planet. If you penalise me that means you are saying that we only want you if
you produce more and more and more and keeps you on a treadmill which is unsustainable.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Also the cost is significant, by the time you've finished one
collection and delivered it, it's time for you start a new collection, yet the chances
are you haven't even recovered your money from the last one. It’s endless. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">When I look at some of the brands that have been there for
years, like DVF for example, she still makes her wrap dresses every season and
nobody complains. She makes a long one, a short one, long sleeves, ¾ sleeves, there
are a few things she'll introduce, but otherwise it's all wrap dresses. I’m all
for that, that's how it should be. Now obviously she's established enough that
she doesn't have to rely on York Fashion Week to sell products, but this is how
it should be for everyone. Last year showed me how showing during a particular
Fashion Week is overrated and is not sustainable. Honestly if you're buying
product at a certain price point, if you like it, you like it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is so necessary to have a system overhaul and it needs to
happen <u>now</u>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_VKqvc8q51008dR92tJQINa-q7OGVy_uma80nHq8IB_0sljWIGdzmP1i_5AtGIRV0BfK6kxIiWqdnnLVApDTe-Bx-muaccGq8Eu3doZfyEnOVz2WQdtxVoY16LdCvnGMZx3uAEvJjkCwa1Vut2wsa9cmRMrlJgF1rWW3kfwMSpNHlb1hRGxcyKw3f=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="851" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_VKqvc8q51008dR92tJQINa-q7OGVy_uma80nHq8IB_0sljWIGdzmP1i_5AtGIRV0BfK6kxIiWqdnnLVApDTe-Bx-muaccGq8Eu3doZfyEnOVz2WQdtxVoY16LdCvnGMZx3uAEvJjkCwa1Vut2wsa9cmRMrlJgF1rWW3kfwMSpNHlb1hRGxcyKw3f=s16000" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">D: For your latest collection The Pupil, it must have been refreshing
to create the collection digitally.To know what people are liking the most and
asking for the most, before you even start cutting the fabric.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: It is, as technology is advancing, let's advance with it.
I still have to make paper patterns for the pieces but then those paper patterns
will be used for production. It was refreshing to understand the possibilities
around 3D design. I got to experience it first in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2019 when I was invited to Helsinki Fashion
Week. When I started my residency there I met the 3D artist that ended up
collaborating with me for The Pupil. I was designing at a time when I was
feeling beaten by life, I had been designing since the April and I was feeling
defeated, we were a month into Covid and I suddenly found myself in a position
where I was financially unstable. Yet there was this voice in my head that kept
telling me, ‘you have to keep creating, you have to keep creating, you have to
keep creating, don't stop creating, you need something to keep you inspired. Around
us there was a lot of injustice, and talk of injustice on social media, as the
months wore on the air was heavy in a way that I hadn't experienced in a long
time. The pandemic, Black Lives Matter, looking at relationships around me and
how they were changing because of Black Lives Matter. Also bringing up
situations where I felt that there was a bit of injustice personally, that I
had experienced, and I understood it was because of race, especially in our
industry. Now maybe it's a bit different because a few people know my band name.
I did an exercise where I'd have a friend who has a very European name, or
English name, send an email on my behalf and would get an immediate response. If
however I sent the email it was ignored but that's just one example. It is
constant, if you are applying for jobs it happens, when you're looking for any opportunities
it’s the same. Also coming from Africa, the attitude is, ‘but you guys are so backward’:
you can’t make a judgement like that on an entire continent. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: Africa is one of the richest continents on the planet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: Exactly, why do you think everybody is clamouring to get there.
This whole time has brought up so many different experiences for me, how do I
channel what I'm feeling and turn it into something positive? so that when I
look back I can feel better about how I reacted to the situation. My first thought
was what do we need and what can we do to improve our history and our society? The
answer is to be more inclusive and to open up dialogue in a way that allows
people to communicate. The communication won't always be loving for instance,
but if it's something that I am directly involved in then I'm the one who gets
to decide the tone. I can either calm the fire, or I can fan it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: It’s hard to be the person that people turn to for solutions
because you don't always have the answer. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: If you had the solution then everything would be solved and
I would wake up and the ideals that I have or believe that we should all collectively
aspire to would be easier to navigate. When thinking about the campaign for The
Pupil, I wanted to make sure that while I interviewed women I would ask them to
talk about inclusivity and to touch on social justice to get them to talk about
their own experiences of navigating the industry and how that's reflected in
society today. The point was not to fan the fire, the point was to say, this is
how much has been achieved and this is how much more we have to do, this is how
we can improve. I was so proud when reading all their responses, because
everybody was so focused on, how we're moving ahead and the things that we need
to do to move forward. Showing the clothes on the women I interviewed was important
for me, it allowed me to showcase women of different sizes, because that's who
I cater to. All black women aren't grouped into one little box, so it was
important to show that black women exist in a diverse community and there's so
much to learn from what everybody has experienced. Also we were in a pandemic,
social distancing was a thing and asking women to send me photos of themselves
in their swimsuits so that we could dress them virtually was an adventure in
itself. They put a lot of trust in us. I'm so happy with the outcome, I love it.
I'm really happy with it is and the media reaction was only the beginning
because we still had a whole year to explore everything. It’s brought a lot of
people and opportunities my way. Even as I make samples the opportunity is
there for press coverage as people ask to use the images for features. It has
definitely had the right attention, I love that people resonate with the
message as they to get to know the collection and as they understand the story
behind it they stay connected. That for me is me serving my purpose.</p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5BXQAkOnDvIQCWyoQdDAt9XPAMvQ0j-ndZ-3vPMpARdg2U26K7L0J5K3jAUElZ31beJ9aYgNjUas0qhicMAiaCjXcxbXLfV899I6MVKwJbW7njN1JoKkp8zBzGExy0W_W4arxOrEZAT92efPhjJaHuHLaCL1LtGpEZod0UT9YalpgMRVMcBzHxHkj=s1277" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="1277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5BXQAkOnDvIQCWyoQdDAt9XPAMvQ0j-ndZ-3vPMpARdg2U26K7L0J5K3jAUElZ31beJ9aYgNjUas0qhicMAiaCjXcxbXLfV899I6MVKwJbW7njN1JoKkp8zBzGExy0W_W4arxOrEZAT92efPhjJaHuHLaCL1LtGpEZod0UT9YalpgMRVMcBzHxHkj=s16000" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal">D: In 2018 you set up <a href="https://anyangompinga.com/free-as-a-human/" target="_blank">Free As A Human</a>, so not only are you
designing and creating in a sustainable way, you also have this not-for-profit
side of you that is giving back.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: I like to think of myself as a social entrepreneur. Even with
giving back, I look at it as impact investing, because that money goes back
into investing in the women's education and well being. I started it as an
initiative, more to raise awareness and get people to know about the work my
partners are doing in Kenya which is non-profit. As it evolved I registered it
as a foundation and I realised that there was a big gap in terms of what
happens for the women after they've been rescued. After they've been at the
shelter for a few months they need to be reintegrated into society. If they are
younger, chances are there's no money to send them back to school. If they are older,
chances are that these women will be looking at ways to make a living, which is
how they found themselves being trafficked in the first place. So we are
developing a programme that takes care of that and invests in girls education
and is purely exclusively for female survivors of trafficking. The average age’s
are from 6 to 30. When they're in primary school it's identifying the girls that
have gone through the programme and rehabilitation and then working side by
side with Heart Kenya to send them back to school, paying the school fees,
buying books and making sure their necessities are taken care of until they're
ready to go to university. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then exploring what opportunities are there for the women
who are above 18 and that is skills training. Not limiting it to tailoring or only
one specific thing. For example, maybe we find a girl who is really interested
in photography, how do we develop that for her, how do we get her into working
in photography and matching her with someone who she can shadow and learn from
in a very holistic way that will make an impact. If they are girls who are
really driven to go to university, it's getting scholarships to make that
available for them. Then as an organisation partnering with companies that can
give them jobs. Or for those who want to set up a business, it's giving them
enough training to set up a business, getting them set up and giving that
support. <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">We have to
consciously and intentionally invest in young girls and women</span>. If my
family hadn't invested in me I wouldn't even be speaking to you. You educate. There
were times that if my mom was unwell and hadn't been working for a while, my sister
stepped in and paid the school fees for university. The women in my life have
invested in me, my mother and my sister. So the best way for me to pay it
forward is to invest in other women.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: That's so strong and so powerful, so good.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D: What’s next? How do you see the next 5 years?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A: The next five years, I definitely want to have developed
my own textile, it's something that has been on my mind. I started research on
it and then shelved it for a while. I was looking into developing textiles from
invasive species’ like the water hyacinth. I picked the water hyacinth in
particular because it's it grows in Lake Victoria which is the rural area I'm
from. On my last visit I noticed it was still a problem. So I got into thinking.
There are a lot of artisans who weave baskets from the water hyacinth and this
got me curious. What would it be like to develop textiles from it? So I started
some of my own research and eventually want to partner consciously with some labs
to explore further. Apply for funding for the project, to really explore it and
look at what materials and resources can be can be mixed with it to make it into
a really soft textile. There could be so many different products you can make
from it. We keep talking about how we need to use more sustainable fabrics and
if we need to use more sustainable fabrics, then we need to create more
sustainable fabrics. So that is my initial aim. If it is successful then the
production can help the community. They will be able to harvest it and use it
to their advantage, that’s if it can be harvested in a sustainable way it will
give them jobs and mean more money goes back into the community. </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Fashionistablehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01858005121004766934noreply@blogger.com0