Conscious Style Podcast

For our first-ever Conscious Fashion Collective Membership panel discussion, we discussed a topic that is often taboo in the slow fashion space — money! We believe that financial sustainability is essential for creating a more just, and sustainable, fashion ecosystem with thriving businesses that care about people and the planet.

💰 WE DISCUSSED:

• Taboos/misconceptions about making money in the slow fashion space,
• What alternative business models and revenue streams can be successful for slow fashion brands who don’t want to follow the traditional fast fashion trajectory,
• Slow fashion pricing and forecasting,
• How freelancers can go about finding clients, retaining clients, and creating a client rotation that allows for financial sustainability,
• How to diversify your slow fashion skills and develop alternative streams of income/business offerings,
• And SO MUCH more!

This episode was brought to you by…

Conscious Fashion Collective Membership: the global community for sustainable fashion professionals, freelancers, and entrepreneurs.

Doors will be closing to new members on Friday, March 29th as we prepare to add even more value to the membership.

When we reopen, we'll be increasing the price to account for the additional value. If you sign-up this week, you'll lock-in our current pricing for the lifetime of your membership.

Learn more + join us: consciousfashion.co/community

LINKS:

• Picnicwear
• Kismet Concept Studio
• MAHDIYYAH
• Devinto
• Jacqueline Schumann
• Picnicwear DejaVu Dress Pattern
• YouTube video: NYC Tailor Aims To Reduce Fast Fashion Waste

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/subscribe

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

Financial sustainability is essential for creating a more just, and sustainable, fashion ecosystem with thriving businesses that care about people and the planet. But how do you go about actually making money in this space, especially when you care about not overproducing? Money-making is a topic that is all-too-often taboo in the slow fashion space, but our panelists Dani Des Roches, Mahdiyyah Muhammad, Jacqueline Schumann, and Aiste Zitnikaite are unpacking their experiences, transparently, in this episode!

Note: This is a recording from a Conscious Fashion Collective Membership panel discussion, so you may hear references to the membership and “CFC". You can learn more about CFC's membership community here: consciousfashion.co/community

💰 WE DISCUSSED:

• Taboos/misconceptions about making money in the slow fashion space,
• What alternative business models and revenue streams can be successful for slow fashion brands who don’t want to follow the traditional fast fashion trajectory,
• Slow fashion pricing and forecasting,
• How freelancers can go about finding clients, retaining clients, and creating a client rotation that allows for financial sustainability,
• How to diversify your slow fashion skills and develop alternative streams of income/business offerings,
• And SO MUCH more!

LINKS:

• Conscious Fashion Collective Membership
• Picnicwear
• Kismet Concept Studio
• MAHDIYYAH
• Devinto
• Jacqueline Schumann

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/subscribe

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

How can fashion take action right now for a net positive future?

From climate and biodiversity to worker livelihoods and fair wages to overconsumption and textile waste, the gaps between where we need to be and where we are right now feel… vast.

But in this episode, we're discussing ways that fashion act right now — like tomorrow — on 5 key pillars that encompass both people and planet. These are areas where the research, and tools are readily available, even for implementing at a large scale.

Ahead you'll hear my conversation with Holly Syrett, the Impact Programmes and Sustainability Director at Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), a nonprofit organization that accelerates measurable impact in the fashion industry.

Perhaps what GFA is most known for is their Global Fashion Summits but they also drive impact through collaborative commitments, impact programs, thought leadership publications and by engaging with policy & advocacy.

Their flagship report — which is freely accessible for all — is the Fashion CEO Agenda. And this year's edition, released at the Boston Fashion Summit, is offering more specific tangible action than ever. I kind of think of it as the no-excuses actionable sustainability playbook for fashion brands.

I was excited to be able to have this conversation with Holly and be able to share it all with you for free because I know that there are so many of you that work in sustainable fashion or aspire to and want to dive deeper into these types of industry insights but they're not always accessible. So enjoy this conversation with Holly!

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PRESENTED BY...

The Conscious Fashion Collective Membership

If you are a sustainable fashion professional or aspiring to transition into this industry, check out our sister platform Conscious Fashion Collective. We have a free career newsletter with jobs and resources dedicated to supporting your conscious fashion career journey.

We also have a membership community where you can access extra jobs, attend career-focused member events and workshops, access tons of time-saving resources, and connect with a like-minded group of fashion changemakers. You can find out more about this membership at consciousfashion.co/community.

***

GFA's RESOURCES:

• Fashion CEO Agenda
• 2030 Fashion Sector Vision
• GFA Policy Matrix: Americas
• GFA Policy Matrix for EU
• GFA's Policy & Advocacy Work

OTHER LINKS MENTIONED:

• Open Supply Hub
• Article: EILEEN FISHER's New CEO Wants You To Buy Fewer Clothes
• American Circular Textiles

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CONNECT WITH HOLLY & GFA

🌐 Website: https://globalfashionagenda.org/

📸 Instagram: @globalfashionagenda

💼 LinkedIn: Global Fashion Agenda

📺 YouTube: @GlobalFashionAgenda

***

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

📹 YouTube: @consciouslifeandstyle

📌 Pinterest: @consciouslifeandstyle

We have reached the 100th episode of the podcast! For the past 100 episodes, at the end of each episode we have asked our guests the same question: What would a better future for fashion look like, to you?

This question is important, because it sums up exactly why the podcast exists in the first place — to unpack exactly what it will take to cultivate a sustainable and equitable future for fashion.

To celebrate this 100 episode milestone, we decided to mark the occasion by sharing a montage of some of our favorite answers, from guests we have had on the show, over the years. Plus, we are sharing a few listener answers to this question too. And, right at the end, we’ll share our reflections on the topic as well.

Enjoy listening to these visionary — yet practical — answers. Hopefully they’ll give you some food for thought and reflection points for your own relationship with fashion. And thank you for tuning in to celebrate 100 episodes with us!

***

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Podcast Episode: EP10: Building a Better Secondhand Fashion System with Emily Stochl
• Podcast Episode: EP82: Rana Plaza 10 Years Later: What’s Changed and What Hasn’t? With Ayesha Barenblat
• Podcast Episode: EP66: Defashioning and Creating a Pluriverse of Clothing Systems with Fashion Act Now
• Podcast Episode: EP22: Colonialism, Consumerism, and Changing the Fashion Industry with Aja Barber
• Podcast Episode: EP77: What Democratizing Fashion Is Truly About with Natalie Shehata
• Podcast Episode: EP54: Slowing Down Media with Kestrel Jenkins
• Podcast Episode: EP81: How We Can Expand the Sustainable Fashion Conversation with Samata Pattinson
• Podcast Episode: EP24: The Fascinating Psychology Behind Fashion and Consumption with Shakaila Forbes-Bell
• Podcast Episode: EP79: Sustainable Fashion Policy and Collective Action with Elizabeth Cline
• Podcast Episode: EP20: How We Can Make Mending Mainstream with Josephine Philips of Sojo
• Yuhanne Natividad’s (podcast editor) contact details: LinkedIn

***

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

📹 YouTube: @consciouslifeandstyle

📌 Pinterest: @consciouslifeandstyle

As you might have noticed, we are just one episode away from the 100th episode of the podcast! We're starting the celebrations early and changing up the usual format with this episode. Instead of interviewing a guest, this week we’re sharing 10 lessons we’ve learned from 100 episodes of the podcast that features interviews with some of the most inspiring changemakers in the fashion industry.

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Online Platform: Conscious Fashion Collective
• Online Community: Conscious Fashion Collective Membership
• Podcast Episode: EP79: Sustainable Fashion Policy and Collective Action with Elizabeth Cline
• Podcast Episode: EP96: Choosing Hope Over Climate Doomism with Isaias Hernandez
• Podcast Episode: EP50: Why Fast Fashion Is So Addictive with Zainab Mahmood
• Podcast Episode: EP24: The Fascinating Psychology Behind Fashion and Consumption with Shakaila Forbes-Bell
• Podcast Episode: EP56: Style Psychology and the Drivers of Consumption with Dr. Dion Terrelonge
• Podcast Episode: EP77: What Democratizing Fashion Is Truly About with Natalie Shehata
• Podcast Episode: EP81: How We Can Expand the Sustainable Fashion Conversation with Samata Pattinson
• Podcast Episode: EP73: How To Uncover Your Soul Style with Kerry Wilde
• Podcast Episode: EP17: More Creativity, Less Consumption: Sustainable Stylist Tips from Alyssa Beltempo
• Podcast Episode: EP51: How To Find Joy In Your Closet Again with Stylist Sam Weir
• Podcast Episode: EP80: Where Does Fashion Stand On Climate Progress? A Conversation with Stand.Earth
• Podcast Episode: EP90: Rethinking Traditional Supply Chains with Ria Ana Sejpal of Lilabare
• Podcast Episode: EP29: Compostable Clothing, Natural Dyes, and Localizing Fashion Systems with Lydia Wendt of California Cloth Foundry
• Podcast Episode: EP54: Slowing Down Media with Kestrel Jenkins
• Podcast Episode: EP94: Can Slow Fashion Businesses Scale Without Encouraging Overconsumption? With Mahdiyyah Muhammad
• Podcast Episode: EP92: From Extractive to Regenerative Fashion: Slow Growth, Climate Beneficial Fibers, and Cooperative Models with Laura Sansone of New York Textile Lab
• Podcast Episode: EP38: How Custom Collaborative is Paving the Way for a Better Fashion Future with Ngozi Okaro
• Podcast Episode: EP20: How We Can Make Mending Mainstream with Josephine Philips of Sojo
• Podcast Episode: EP57: Tips for Starting a Slow Fashion Brand with Selina Ho of Recloseted
• Podcast Episode: EP58: The History of Fast Fashion with Sara Idacavage
• Podcast Episode: EP85: A People’s History of Clothing with Sofi Thanhauser
• Podcast Episode: EP22: Colonialism, Consumerism, and Changing the Fashion Industry with Aja Barber

***

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

📹 YouTube: @consciouslifeandstyle

📌 Pinterest: @consciouslifeandstyle

Is it green... or just greenwashing?

This week, we’re sharing a recap of a few Green or Greenwashing topics we covered this season! Green or Greenwashing is a segment on the podcast where we evaluate if a certain sustainability measure is more green or whether it veers into more of the greenwashing territory. These Green or Greenwashing segments were previously published at the end of some prior episodes.

The first segment we are resharing is whether third-party resale sites should ban fast fashion after a decision from Vestiaire Collective to do so. Then we will move into a recording where we discuss whether we really need "climate adaptive clothing". Finally, we evaluate if recycled polyester is truly circular.

GET THE TRANSCRIPT

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Article: Vestiaire Has Banned Fast Fashion
• Article: Vestiaire Collective’s ‘Fight Against Fast Fashion’ steps
• Article: What Is Extended Producer Responsibility in Textiles — and What’s Missing From Current Policies?
• Article: Clothes for the “apocalypse”: How to design for a climate crisis
• Resource: Market Analysis and Insights: Global Recycled Polyester Fiber Market
• Website: Textile Exchange's 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge
• Resource: Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibres
• Article: The destructive, symbiotic relationship between the beverage and fashion industries
• Article: Are clothes made from recycled materials really more sustainable?
• Report: “It’s As If They’re Poisoning Us”: The Health Impacts of Plastic Recycling in Turkey
• Research Paper: An underestimated threat: Land-based pollution with micro-plastics

***

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

📹 YouTube: @consciouslifeandstyle

📌 Pinterest: @consciouslifeandstyle

Policy is an important lever in creating a better, more sustainable, and equitable fashion system. But if we only focus on policy that explicitly talks about the fashion industry and sustainability, we may be missing some opportunities.

In today's episode, I'm chatting with fashion policy expert Kenya Wiley.

Kenya is sharing behind the scenes on the processes behind legislation and regulation — and even explaining the difference between the two terms — and some of the current policies in the works that could involve fashion that the fashion industry isn't talking about. These could be potential needle movers to cleaning up fashion, but aren't being taken advantage of right now.

Kenya is also discussing the much-anticipated Green Guides from the Federal Trade Commission to help reduce greenwashing, what recent US Supreme Court decisions mean for the fashion industry, a funding opportunity for sustainability-minded fashion organizations, and more.

Find the transcript here.

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PRESENTED BY…

Osei-Duro

Osei-Duro is a slow, artisan-made sustainable fashion brand based in Ghana using handmade textile techniques to create contemporary garments that are true works of art.

Their colorful, bold-printed clothing is hand-dyed and sewn in Ghana by small-scale artisans and manufactured to support the local apparel industry. And they have extended sizes, with many styles going up to 4X.

Osei-Duro's clothing is made with care — and the people behind these garments treat each other with the same care and respect. The small business pays full-time wages for a 4-day work week and offers numerous benefits including full health insurance and maternity coverage.

Get 20% off site wide by using the code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20.

***

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/kenya-wiley

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Online Community: Conscious Fashion Collective Membership
• Newsletter: Fashion Law and Social Justice Newsletter
• Online course: Fashion Policy and Justice (Note: listeners can take 50% off with code JUSTICE50; contact Kenya directly for the 80% off student discount)
• Podcast Episode: EP79: Sustainable Fashion Policy and Collective Action with Elizabeth Cline
• Information Resource: 2023 Farm Bill
• Information Resource: SEC Climate Disclosures Rule
• Information Resource: The Recycling & Compostability Accountability Act

***

CONNECT WITH KENYA WILEY:

🌐 Website: https://kenyawiley.com/

📸 Instagram: @kenyanwiley

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenya-wiley-558601b6/

📱 Twitter (X): @KenyaNWiley

***

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

📹 YouTube: @consciouslifeandstyle

📌 Pinterest: @consciouslifeandstyle

After learning about climate emotions, and seeing climate doomism proliferated in the media, Stella knew she wanted to have Isaias on the show to unpack this and understand how it's connected to the fashion industry.

In this episode, Isaias Hernandez (who you might also know as @queerbrownvegan on social media) unpacks the complexity of climate emotions and the harms of climate doomism narratives, and discusses why “evidence-based hope” is essential for reorienting action and working towards equitable solutions for the fashion industry - and how we can all cultivate this hope in our own lives.

Hit play to dive in!

***

EPISODE SPONSORS:

Osei-Duro

Osei-Duro is a slow, artisan-made sustainable fashion brand based in Ghana using handmade textile techniques to create contemporary garments that are true works of art.

Their colorful, bold-printed clothing is hand-dyed and sewn in Ghana by small-scale artisans and manufactured to support the local apparel industry. And they have extended sizes, with many styles going up to 4X.

Osei-Duro's clothing is made with care — and the people behind these garments treat each other with the same care and respect. The small business pays full-time wages for a 4-day work week and offers numerous benefits including full health insurance and maternity coverage.

Get 20% off sitewide by using the code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20.

Kotn

Kotn is a slow fashion brand that's taking transparency to a new level with their fully traceable supply chain.

The brand sources the cotton for their collection directly from over 2,000 smallholder cotton farmers in the Nile Delta in Egypt and ensures living wages and fair working conditions along every step of the way, from seed to final stitch.

Each piece from Kotn is made ethically and transparently with natural materials — like long-staple Egyptian cotton, recycled cotton, and linen — by people earning living wages.

Get 15% off sitewide from June 20th to August 31st, 2023 by using the code CONSCIOUS15.

***

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/isaias-hernandez

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Online Platform: Conscious Fashion Collective
• Online Community: Conscious Fashion Collective Membership
• Video: Is it too late to save the planet? Evidence based hope vs climate doomism with Elin Kelsey
• Podcast Episode: EP88: What Is Regenerative Fashion? With Safia Minney
• Website: Desserto
• Website: The Or Foundation
• Website: Elin Kelsey
• Article: What is the Climate Scale?
• Article: New York therapists see surge in eco-anxiety as smoke fills skies: ‘Every client addresses it’
• Article: 12 Materials Of The Future That Could Change The Face Of Fashion
• Resource: The United Nations’ Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook

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CONNECT WITH ISAIAS HERNANDEZ:

🌐 Website: https://queerbrownvegan.com/

📸 Instagram: @​​queerbrownvegan

👍 Facebook: @queerbrownvegan

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaias-hernandez-79a3a5149/

📱 Tiktok: @queerbrownvegan

***

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

📹 YouTube: @consciouslifeandstyle

📌 Pinterest: @consciouslifeandstyle

Carbon neutral. Net zero. Carbon positive. You may have been seeing more and more claims like these lately from companies, including fashion brands. But in today's Green or Greenwashing episode, we’re diving deeper, beyond the surface of these claims, to see if they really can be trusted. Many of these carbon neutrality claims are asserted based on the company purchasing carbon offsets.

This episode was inspired by the UK watchdog, Advertising Standards Authority, recently banning advertisements that claim products are carbon neutral through using offsets due to a growing concern that these claims are misleading consumers.

This isn’t just about the fashion industry, but in case you missed it: many fashion brands are using these sorts of claims, especially as global awareness grows around fashion's environmental impact, including its carbon emissions.

You may have seen various estimates of fashion's contribution to global carbon emissions ranging from 2 to 10 percent. The Apparel Impact Institute’s latest report puts that number at 1.8 percent. *Note: In the audio, I misstated that it was Textile Exchange's report!

The reality is that the majority of fashion brands do not disclose their full emissions. Fashion Revolution's 2023 Transparency Index found that less than half (43 percent) of brands publish their annual value chain carbon emissions. So we're at the basics here. Over half of brands aren't even telling us what their carbon emissions are.

When Fashion Revolution says “value chain”, they mean the full supply chain. So not just the corporate offices, but how these brands make their clothes.

Many factories involved with textile production and garment and footwear production are still reliant on fossil fuels, like coal. About two-thirds of textiles are fossil fuel-derived synthetics like polyester. Brands are reliant on polluting shipping methods, and some — especially fast fashion brands — use the speedy but very carbon-intensive shipping method of air freight.

So fashion should absolutely be talking about reaching carbon neutrality and decarbonization. But the question is: should their method of using carbon offsets be celebrated?

Let’s get into the episode!

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SHOW NOTES:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/carbon-offsetting

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Celebrate with us! Record a short voice message to be included in our 100th episode by August 10, 2023.
• Join The Community: Conscious Fashion Collective Membership
• Article: Is Carbon Offsetting Fashion’s Excuse To Emit?
• Article: Adverts claiming products are carbon neutral by using offsetting face UK ban
• Article: What is the Paris Agreement?
• Article: What is a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC)?
• Podcast Episode: EP80: Where Does Fashion Stand On Climate Progress? A Conversation with Stand.Earth
• Report: Taking Stock of Progress Against the Roadmap to Net Zero
• Report: Unlocking the Trillion-Dollar Fashion Decarbonization Opportunity
• Report: Environmental Claims in Advertising Qualitative Research Report
• Website: Stand.Earth’s 2023 Fossil Free Fashion Scorecard

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CONNECT WITH US:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

📹 YouTube: @consciouslifeandstyle

📌 Pinterest: @consciouslifeandstyle

How can we reimagine the traditional role of fashion designers in a world filled with fashion waste? And how can we rethink our primary role as consumers in a way that allows us to become contributors to collective well-being instead?

It’s no secret that we live in a world with far too much clothing. If we are to work towards a more sustainable fashion industry, we need to unpack the ways that fashion brands and designers can pivot away from the mainstream business model of take-make-waste and embrace alternative sustainable fashion business models that limit waste. And our mindset as consumers plays a pivotal role in this too.

In this episode, we hear from Mahdiyyah Muhammad who is a sustainable fashion designer, circular fashion strategist, and educator. We’re talking about the realities of designing, building a business, and engaging with fashion and style in our current fashion system where all we need is less — less resource extraction, less consumption, less clothing waste, less focus on passing trends, and less exclusivity.

But, as you will hear from Mahdiyyah, to make this happen, we need more community. Cultivating community is essential for sharing resources and ideas, and creating meaningful connections, as well as making the slow fashion movement more accessible and inclusive.

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EPISODE SPONSORS:

Kotn

Kotn is a slow fashion brand that's taking transparency to a new level with their fully traceable supply chain.

The brand sources the cotton for their collection directly from over 2,000 smallholder cotton farmers in the Nile Delta in Egypt and ensures living wages and fair working conditions along every step of the way, from seed to final stitch.

Each piece from Kotn is made ethically and transparently with natural materials — like long-staple Egyptian cotton, recycled cotton, and linen — by people earning living wages.

Get 15% off sitewide from June 20th to August 31st, 2023 by using the code CONSCIOUS15.

Juliemay

Juliemay offers a natural alternative to the synthetic-heavy lingerie market. They use GOTS-certified organic pima cotton as their main fabric, line all of their products with Mulberry peace silk’ and do not use harsh chemicals in production.

The brand is accredited by AllergyUK to be friendly for people with allergic reactions to synthetic fibers and who have sensitive skin. This is something that I have become personally really interested in since I started to experience psoriasis after wearing synthetic undergarments myself a few years ago.

Additionally, Juliemay has bras for a wide range of circumstances, like post-surgery bras or bras that offer back support. Juliemay also supports several environmental and social impact nonprofits.

Use the code SOCIAL15 for 15% off at Juliemay!

***

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/mahdiyyah-muhammad

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TRANSCRIPT

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Online Platform: Conscious Fashion Collective
• Online Community: Conscious Fashion Collective Membership
• Organization: Fashion Takes Action
• Podcast Episode: EP17: More Creativity, Less Consumption: Tips from Slow Fashion Stylist Alyssa Beltempo
• Podcast Episode: EP83: What is Circular Fashion Design? With Carmen Gama
• Podcast Episode: Black Material Geographies: Colonialism’s Afterlife & Upcycling Fashion
• Database: Upcycle Web Directory
• Website: Threads of Habit
• Article: 7 Alternative Sustainable Fashion Business Models Changing the Status Quo

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CONNECT WITH MAHDIYYAH MUHAMMAD:

🌐 Website: www.mahdiyyah.co

📸 Instagram: @mahdiyyahofficial

💼 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mahdiyyah-muhammad-423942a8/

***

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

📧Newsletter: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/edit

🌐Website: consciouslifeandstyle.com

📸 Instagram: @consciousstyle

📹 YouTube: @consciouslifeandstyle

📌 Pinterest: @consciouslifeandstyle