Conscious Style Podcast

When you think of a circular economy, what do you think of? Perhaps repurposing and reusing? Restoring and renewing? Repairing and mending? Recycling and upcycling?

Well in this episode, I'm chatting with Nicole Bassett, the co-founder of the Renewal Workshop, which is a circular fashion business dedicated to doing all of those things.

In this conversation, Nicole is going to share:

• What the challenges are with transforming linear business models into circular ones;
• How the Renewal Workshop helps fashion brands reduce their waste and become more circular;
• The large-scale shifts businesses need to make to address the climate crisis;
• Why brands are not talking about slowing down production and producing less;
• How designers can start to design for circularity;
• And more!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/circular-fashion-renewal-workshop

WATCH THIS INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIKaxSd78Hqa8XA6cQf8tvg

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation: What is a Circular Economy?
• North Face Renewed
• IPCC Sixth Assessment Report
• Renewal Workshop's Store
• Become a Brand Partner with Renewal Workshop

CONNECT WITH NICOLE & THE RENEWAL WORKSHOP:

• Website
• Instagram
• Twitter

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

Have you ever struggled to feel creative with the clothes in your closet? Do you ever feel uninspired by your wardrobe?

You'll want to tune into this conversation, because Alyssa is sharing:

• Tips for ways we can maximize a piece's use and discover more outfit combinations;
• How to "get the look" of outfits we see and love using only the items already in our wardrobes;
• How to break down style elements to emulate an aesthetic without copying exact looks or having to buy new things;
• Why it's so important to get past the idea that fashion is just about shopping; and more.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/sustainable-stylist-tips

WATCH THIS INTERVIEW ON YOUTUBE:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIKaxSd78Hqa8XA6cQf8tvg

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Stylebook App
• Cladwell App
• Shop Your Closet Series Playlist
• Italian Style Playlist
• 20 Ways to Style One Pair of Jeans video

CONNECT WITH ALYSSA:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

Circularity is a big topic in sustainable fashion, and it's only getting bigger. But circularity has many layers to it, which can make it confusing for individuals and easy to be misused by brands.

That's why the second season of the Conscious Style Podcast will be all about circularity in fashion.

There's much to come on this, but before we get into the interviews with changemakers in circularity, this episode is establishing the foundations. It covers:

• What circular fashion is,
• What some of the different approaches to circularity are,
• What it will take for the linear fashion ecosystem to become circular,
• Some common greenwashing schemes going on with circular fashion,
• And more.

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Subscribe to the Conscious Edit
• Ellen MacArthur: Circular Economy
• Fibershed
• What is Zero Waste Fashion + 7 Brands Implementing It
• EP7: How to Make the Most of Your Wardrobe with Jess Atkins
• EP10: Building a Better Secondhand Fashion System with Emily Stochl
• Fashion Revolution's Event Calendar
• 18 Online Secondhand Fashion Stores
• Study: When The Option to Recycle Increases Consumption

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/circular-fashion/

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

In this bonus episode, I'm answering your questions from Instagram, from what the first step to sustainable fashion is to how to source kids clothing more consciously to how I manage the anxiety from knowing the impacts of fast fashion.

LINKS MENTIONED:

Sign up for The Conscious Edit

Conscious Fashion Brand Guides

ThredUP

Swap.com

OnceUponAChild

Poshmark

Kidizen

FreeHandMeDowns.com

Sustainable Baby & Kids Clothing Brands

Good On You Review of Modal

What is Tencel?

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

From laundering to mending, this episode will cover how to care for our clothes sustainably to make sure that they last! Because the most sustainable garments are the ones already hanging in our closets...

LINKS MENTIONED:

• How to Get Smells Out of Clothes Without Washing Them
• American Cleaning Institute's Stain Removal Guide
• WikiHow: Stain Removal
• Guppyfriend Washing Bag
• The Laundress' "Dry Clean Only" Cleaning Products
• Easy Sewing for Beginners YouTube Channel
• Fixing.Fashion
• Sojo app
• How and Where to Recycle or Donate Your Clothing

EPISODE SHOW NOTES:

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/sustainable-clothing-care/

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

This episode is going back to basics, covering some of the biggest topics in sustainable fashion.

Cynthia Dam, the content creator behind Inspiroue, is talking about ways to get started with a more conscious approach to fashion, how to curate a sustainable wardrobe affordably, how to spot greenwashing brands, what to look for from a truly sustainable fashion brand, tips for smart thrifting, and more!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:

www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/conscious-closet-consumer-activist/

LINKS MENTIONED:

• Sustainability Literacy Playlist
• How to Sustainably Build Your Wardrobe
• Sustainability Buzzwords and Greenwashing Tactics Brands Use
• How to Assess a Brand's Sustainability
• Thousand Fell
• Eileen Fisher
• Patagonia
• Lora Gene
• Aja Barber
• Depop
• Vestiaire Collective

CONNECT WITH CYNTHIA:

• Website
• Instagram
• YouTube

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

This episode with Niha Elety is highlighting an incredibly important topic in conscious fashion that doesn't get enough attention: cultural sustainability (or cultural preservation).

In this interview, Niha is shedding light on:

• How the fashion ecosystem in India — from the fiber cultivation to the production of garments — is inherently sustainable, and what we can learn from that
• The connections between cultural preservation with social and ecological sustainability
• How brands and individuals can avoid cultural appropriation
• And then what true cooperation or co-creation with artisans looks like, and more.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT:
consciouslifeandstyle.com/cultural-sustainability-fashion

CONNECT WITH NIHA:

• Website
• Instagram
• Patreon
• Tega Collective

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at making, modifying, or upcycling your own clothes? Today's guest, Sonya Philip, is dedicated to encouraging and teaching people how to do just that!

In this episode, Sonya is sharing:

• The benefits of being able to make or modify our own clothes,
• Advice for beginners who want to get started with sewing,
• How the movement to make our own clothes contributes to more conscious participation in fashion,
• What sorts of possibilities there are with making our own clothes, and how this gives us more freedom,
• The connections between sewing skills and body acceptance, and more!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

consciouslifeandstyle.com/how-why-make-modify-your-clothes

LINKS REFERENCED:

• The Act of Sewing Book
• Alabama Chanin
• Craft of Use

ABOUT SONYA PHILIP

Sonya Philip is an artist, designer and teacher. In 2012, she started a project called 100 Acts of Sewing, making dresses while documenting the process. Since then Sonya has made it her mission to convince people to sew their own clothes. When not covered in bits of thread, she can be found knitting another shawl or cardigan. Sonya lives in San Francisco with her family.

CONNECT WITH SONYA:

• 100 Acts of Sewing Website
• 100 Acts of Sewing Instagram
• Sonya Philip's Instagram
• Sonya Philip's Twitter

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

In this episode, hear Nazma Akter of the Awaj Foundation share her first-hand accounts of what it's like to work in the garment sector in Bangladesh and her perspectives on what needs to change to create a fairer, safer future for fashion.

In this episode, you'll also hear Nazma talk about:

• What brands need to do to step up and protect the people making their clothes.
• How the pandemic — and the subsequent order cancellations from brands — affected garment workers in Bangladesh
• What sorts of shifts we need for a better industry
• How Awaj Foundation is building solidarity and worker power for garment makers in Bangladesh
• and more.

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/garment-worker-rights-bangladesh/

QUICK LINKS:

• AwajFoundation.org
• GoFundMe: Direct Relief for Garment Workers
• More Info on Order Cancellations and #PayUp Campaign
• PayUp Fashion Petition

CONNECT WITH NAZMA & AWAJ FOUNDATION:

• Awaj Foundation Website
• Awaj Foundation Twitter
• Awaj Foundation Facebook
• Awaj Foundation Instagram

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter

In this episode, Ayesha Barenblat, the founder and CEO of the ethical fashion nonprofit Remake, is breaking down:

• What led to the success of the #PayUp movement and what the current status of this campaign is;
• Why fashion has for too long left out the people side of sustainability, and how harmful this is to the 'sustainable fashion' movement;
• What types of transparency we need from fashion brands to actually hold them accountable;
• How we can be allies for the people who make our clothes and center garment workers in conversations about sustainability;
• The power imbalances between workers, factories, and brands, and what can be done to fix this;
• If paying living wages is REALLY as difficult as brands say it is;
• What types of legal reforms we need to transform the industry;
• And more!

FULL SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT

https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/fashion-activism-brands-pay-up/

QUICK LINKS:

• Remake.World Website
• Remake Brand Directory
• PayUp Fashion Website
• Sign the PayUp Fashion Petition
• Direct Relief Fund for Garment Workers
• Join the Remake Ambassador Community
• Donate to Remake

CONNECT WITH AYESHA & REMAKE

• Website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Facebook

CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE:

• Conscious Life & Style Website
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Conscious Edit Newsletter