Conscious Chatter

In episode 116, Kestrel welcomes Mara Hoffman back to the show, for an update on where the company is - when it comes to sustainability - almost 2 years later. The first time Mara came to the show ( in episode 18 ), the company was just beginning to shift Mara Hoffman over toward a more sustainable direction. In this chat, we get a chance to understand the evolution of the company over the last co...

In episode 115, Kestrel welcomes Tomide Awe, the founder of Olori, to the show. A handbag line that incorporates traditional African textiles into modern designs, Olori  was built with an intention to help women become actively involved in solving women-interest issues, especially with regard to education.  "It's not about just donating money - we are not a charity organization, this is not a char...

In episode 114, Kestrel welcomes Emily Katz, the founder of Modern Macrame, to the show. An artist, designer, business owner, and teacher, Emily also just released her new book Modern Macrame , which showcases 33 stylish projects for your handmade home.  "For the most part, if you're interested in craft and you have some knowledge of it, it's pretty easy to pick up. And, I think that because there...

In episode 113, Kestrel welcomes Lawrence Lenihan, the CEO of Resonance, to the show. A venture operating company, Resonance partners with brands to enable them to build a fashion business that is as beautiful as their creative vision. "WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE RETHINKING. THIS WHOLE INDUSTRY WAS BUILT ON THE IDEA THAT YOU MAKE MANY - LOTS AND LOTS - BIG RUNS ... WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING COMPLETELY T...

In episode 112, Kestrel welcomes Sarah Holley Gonzales, the owner + creator of neo•thread, to the show. An Albuquerque-based brand, neo•thread is dedicated to transforming discarded clothing into fresh, one-of-a-kind pieces.  "It was actually my Dad that taught me how to sew when I was little. And, even greater than how to work a machine, he taught me how to find beauty in the resources available...

In episode 111, Kestrel welcomes Aditi Mayer, the creative behind ADIMAY, to the show. Aditi explores the crossroads of artistic expression and social action on ADIMAY , and has a focus on style, sustainability, and social politics. "I think the way we look at sustainable fashion now - it's been a response. So, sustainable fashion exists because the industry is inherently broken, and we could argu...

In episode 110, Kestrel welcomes Rafik Riad, the founder of the Buy Good Feel Good Expo, to the show. Canada's only show bringing together socially- and environmentally-driven businesses,  Buy Good Feel Good aspires to make ethical consumption the norm, inspiring all businesses to operate for the common good. "Social enterprises so far are not playing the role they can play towards eradicating pov...

In episode 109, Kestrel welcomes actor and model Brooklyn Decker, and former ABC & CNN anchor Whitney Casey to show. The cofounders of FINERY , Brooklyn + Whitney have built the world's first wardrobe operating system that reinvents how women view and interact with their closets, and style themselves. "Women will spend more money on their clothing than their education [in their lifetime]."   -Broo...

In episode 108, Kestrel welcomes two key players at G-Star RAW to the show - Adriana Galijasevic, their Denim and Sustainability Expert, as well as Frouke Bruinsma, corporate responsibility director at G-Star RAW. A condition for doing business at G-Star  RAW today, sustainability has been formally built into the company's framework since 2006. "SUSTAINABILITY HAS BEEN A CONDITION FOR DOING BUSINE...

In episode 107, Kestrel welcomes Leah Kirpalani, a certified holistic health coach & the founder of Shop Good, to the show. An online platform as well as freestanding store in San Diego, Shop Good offers clean beauty products for the ultimate healthy lifestyle. "We absorb 65% of what we put on our body."   -Leah Kirpalani, founder of Shop Good In this episode, Leah shares stories from her past exp...

In episode 106, Kestrel welcomes Sarah Corbett, founder of the Craftivist Collective, to the show. An inclusive group of people committed to using thoughtful, beautiful crafted works to help themselves and encourage others be the positive change they wish to see in the world, the Craftivist Collective has built a global movement.  Sarah recently released a new book, called  How To Be A Craftivist:...

In episode 105, Kestrel welcomes Steph Cordes, the Vice Chair of the Cordes Foundation, to the show. Having worked with Conde Nast and luxury fashion brands in the past, Steph now works to advance the Cordes Foundation 's ethical fashion and sustainable supply chain initiatives.  "I think my biggest takeaway was that minimum wage isn't a living wage, because they [garment workers she met in Sri La...

In episode 104, Kestrel welcomes Margaux Rousseau, the Cofounder of WOOLN, to the show. A company that brings together talented New York grandmothers and curious shoppers, WOOLN has a supply chain of senior knitters in New York, who lovingly hand-knit each piece in their collection. "We have this community of older ladies who sometimes are a bit lonely, they usually stay home, and with WOOLN, they...

In episode 103, Kestrel welcomes Paul Allard, the Founder and President of impak Finance, to the show. With the use of fintech, impak Finance has the intention of helping develop a positive social impact economy. They successfully launched the impak Coin ICO last summer, which is the 1st legal cryptocurrency in North America. "We're in 2018 - the real economy should all be about the social impact...

In episode 102, Kestrel welcomes Dominique Drakeford, the founder of Melanin & Sustainable Style, to the show. A platform that is bringing melanin to the forefront of sustainable fashion, beauty and living, MelaninASS is helping to give the ethical industry an authentic and culturally relevant voice.  "This whole community is about 'let's talk about what's wrong' - we talk about what's wrong from...

In episode 101, Kestrel welcomes trailblazing print textile designer Becky Earley to the show. A designer, researcher, educator and facilitator for circular textiles, Becky is also a key part of the research consortium work for Mistra Future Fashion, as well as the UE Horizon 2020 project Trash2Cash. "The job and role of the designer is changing radically - you're not just bringing a product to th...

In episode 100, Kestrel welcomes Nadine Farag, the writer behind One Who Dresses, to the show. A website where she slowly explores the question of 'what is style,' One Who Dresses is a digital space dedicated to understanding the intricacies of personal style. Nadine is also known for her sustainable fashion writing for Man Repeller. "Personal style is an extension of our being. It's another way t...

In episode 99, Kestrel welcomes Shobha Philips, the CEO and founder of Proclaim, to the show. An ethically-made and inclusively-designed bra collection, Proclaim is expanding the definition of nude by celebrating real women. "I think that lingerie should be marketed to the women that wear it - celebrating women's bodies of all types, all skin colors, letting women see themselves represented in the...

In episode 98, Kestrel welcomes Janet Wu and Erin Wold, the cofounders of SilkRoll, to the show. The ultimate community to trade and discover high quality fashion from style-mates around the world without spending an extra penny, SilkRoll's vision is to build the world's largest shared closet. "The way that the resale space works is that our clothes depreciate really fast in second hand ... the mi...

In episode 97, Kestrel welcomes Kelly Wang Shanahan, the founder of The Ziran, to the show. A Los Angeles-based label which offers a new line of luxury silks, The Ziran's mission is to weave tradition into the modern world, leading a new generation to live the Ziran way: natural, spontaneous, and free. "Fashion is important and it's not only a physical reflection of how you perceive yourself, but...

In episode 96, Kestrel welcomes Hannah Davis, the founder of BANGS shoes, to the show. A footwear company with a social mission and a partnership with Kiva, BANGS believes that "your adventure can help others find theirs". "I want to provide people opportunities vs things."   -Hannah of Bangs Shoes Throughout this episode, Hannah shares more insight into her experience manufacturing abroad, and th...

In episode 94, Kestrel welcomes Anna Lisa Grieve, the co-creator of Recess City, to the show. A lifestyle and travel blog, Recess City is a project by Anna Lisa and her husband Porter. Since September 2017, they have been traveling the world, living in hotels and showcasing ethical fashion brands along the way. "People suddenly realized that their food came from somewhere and that it mattered how...

In episode 94, Kestrel welcomes Suzanne Lewis, the founder & designer of Zanni to the show. By reinventing the classic little black dress, Zanni uses technical performance fabrics and manufactures in Los Angeles to create what they call, "dresses for whatever."  "As much as people made fun of the athleisure trend when it came out, I think what we're seeing is that everyone wants to be comfortable,...

In episode 93, Kestrel welcomes Eileen Mockus, the CEO of Coyuchi, and Margot Lyons, Coyuchi's Sustainability + Production Manager to the show. A home textile company that is committed to using minimally processed organic & natural fibers, Coyuchi also has a human commitment to the hands that touch each product.   "We do sense that the customer is looking for newness, and this allows them to have...

In episode 92, Kestrel welcomes Lyn Slater, the woman behind Accidental Icon, to the show. A cultural influencer, professor, model, writer, content creator and speaker, Lyn has been featured in Women's Wear Daily, Refinery29, WhoWhatWear, and more. She shares the true story of how she got the name Accidental Icon , and how it wasn't as much of an accidental story as the press has led us to think....