Conscious Style Podcast

Fashion industry players — like big brands and their billionaire owners — have to be held accountable for their impact on our environment and on the people involved with making their clothes. Independent journalists can play a crucial role in this accountability, since they can provide a critical outsider's look on what's happening in the industry, such as ascertaining if a fashion brand's sustain...

When we talk about sustainable and ethical fashion, we often think about the future — at least I do: we ask every guest that comes onto this show what a better future for fashion looks like to them!  But I also see immense value in looking to the past. To see where we came from so we understand how we got here and what solutions could actually be effective in bringing about change. So I was intrig...

Want to work in sustainable fashion but not sure how to begin or how to transition from what you do now? Or maybe you work in sustainable fashion now, but you're ready for a bit of a change. In this episode, I'm sharing my sustainable fashion career and entrepreneurial journey and the lessons I learned along the way.  FIND JOBS IN SUSTAINABLE FASHION: Conscious Fashion Collective Job Board   HIRE...

Fashion has a major waste crisis. Circularity — along with slowing down production — can be an antidote, if done right. But what does real circular fashion look like in practice? What would it look like to have a true systems approach to circular design and circular fashion? Today Stella is interviewing Carmen Gama, the Director of Circular Design at Eileen Fisher, which is a company that has been...

Elizabeth speaks with Ayesha Barenblat, CEO of the global advocacy nonprofit organization Remake about the 10th Anniversary of the Rana Plaza Factory Collapse in Bangladesh to discuss what has changed in fashion since — and what has not. They talk about the impact of the Bangladesh Accord on Fire & Building Safety, what's next for the Accord 10 years on, and how Remake is continuing to hold brands...

How can we make sustainable fashion more culturally and politically relevant? Fashion's environmental and social impact often gets overlooked by the climate movement and by governments, though this is slowly starting to change. Similarly, the conversations around sustainable fashion don't often feel aligned with mainstream media and culture. But there is a massive opportunity to harness the power...

The fashion industry has an outsized carbon footprint. But many fashion brands have been making promising statements about their carbon emissions reduction or carbon neutrality goals.  How does the actual progress and supply chain action match up to these goals, though? It can, frankly, be difficult to discern.  But in today's episode, we're going to unravel the tangled web of confusing greenwashi...

In recent years, there's been an exciting increase in sustainable fashion legislation and reforms working to clean up this industry — from garment worker protections against wage theft to supply chain due diligence to greenwashing enforcement. In today's episode, Stella interviews author, educator and activist Elizabeth Cline to dive into all things fashion legislation : historical context, what's...

Right now, are you dressing for the person you are, the person you were, or the person you want to be?  Not even sure how to answer that question?  Today's guest — fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell — is breaking it all down for us. Shakaila wrote the book Big Dress Energy and in this episode she's talking about how you can harness your own big dress energy and dress for your best self.  We...

How can we cultivate our authentic personal style in a trend-focused, overconsumption-driven world? What would it mean to truly democratize fashion — as in not the fast fashion co-opted use of the term, but genuine style democracy?  And how can fashion move beyond using diversity as a buzzword to create a holistically inclusive and intersectional sustainable fashion future? In this episode, Stella...

Have you ever felt like you're stuck on a fashion trend-mill? That the process of getting dressed is more frustrating than it is creative or joyful? That you're unsure what to wear so you just default to what's trending? I've been there! But in this episode, Nina Gbor of Eco Styles is sharing: The process of self knowledge when it comes to personal style, Her personal style formula for finally get...

In this episode, Stella Hertantyo interviews fashion analyst and trend forecaster Mandy Lee (who you might know as @oldloserinbrooklyn on social media) to explore:   + Fashion trends and the trend cycle, + The role of trend forecasters,  + What microtrends and niche trends are,  + How to find amazing secondhand gems,  + The dynamic between following trends and finding your personal style,  and so...

Sustainably-minded stylist Sophie Strauss shares advice on how to do a responsible closet audit. Plus Sophie and I discuss: What even is personal style in the first place? Do you need to have a go-to personal uniform? Can we (and should we) still participate in trends if we're dressing for our personal style? How can we balance experimentation with understanding our personal style? *** EPISODE SPO...

You've heard of personal style, but what about soul style?  In this interview with soul stylist Kerry Wilde, we're exploring topics like: What embodiment is and how it relates to what we wear How we can determine our soul style and start dressing for our soul style The interconnections between beauty, body image, and the fashion industry Hit play to uncover what soul style is all about!   ***** Si...

This is your sneak peak into Season 5 of the Conscious Style Podcast! Hit subscribe so that you don't miss any of the upcoming episodes. *** LINKS MENTIONED: Newsletter: The Conscious Edit Event: Intro To Visible Mending Virtual Workshop *use code "podcast" for 50% off tickets to the workshop! Career Interview with Fashion Psychologists Career Interview with Slow Fashion Stylists Conscious Fashion...

In this special short series, Conscious Questions, Stella and Elizabeth dive into some of the most talked about and ask questions in the sustainable fashion space. Today, we're talking about a big one: overconsumption. There were 100 billion items of clothing produced in 2014, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. But that was before the rise of ultra fast fashion giants like Shein. So that...

Is slow fashion always more expensive? Do you really have to spend more money to be part of the slow fashion movement?  What goes into the price of a responsibly made garment? And are expensive, luxury fashion brands more sustainable or ethical?  There is a lot to unpack in part 4 of our Conscious Question Series, so hit play and dive in!   ***** READ THE TRANSCRIPT https://conscious-style-podcast...

So you've learned about the issues in the fashion industry, become passionate about slow fashion, and want your friends and family to join the movement too.   But how do you talk to your friends or family or anyone in your life about slow fashion without feeling like you're sounding judgmental or critical?   It's a tough balance — but in today's episode Stella and I are sharing some tips and talki...

In this Conscious Question episode, Stella and I dive into if fast fashion resale programs are really circular or just greenwashing (and why we think so), how can we tell if a fashion brand's resale program is a genuinely sustainable effort, and what some red flags are to look out for.  Hit play to dive in!   *** ARTICLE VERSION: https://www.consciouslifeandstyle.com/fast-fashion-resale/   TRANSCR...

Can fast fashion brands ever be sustainable? If someone is going to buy from fast fashion, is it better to shop from these conscious or eco-capsule collections? And what is the deal with fast fashion's sustainability ambassadors?  Should minor improvements from Big Fashion brands still be celebrated since these brands have such a large impact, footprint, and huge buying power? And when we're tryin...

The more the sustainability market grows, the more we see greenwashing. Greenwashing is basically, when a company puts forth a false or exaggerated impression or completely misleading impression about how their products or their practices are environmentally friendly. We know fast fashion brands are notorious for greenwashing. But today's episode with Milos Vranes of Green Eco Dream is a broader t...

Can Big Fashion — fashion with a capital F — ever exist without exploitation of the planet and the humans and other living beings on it? The more we dive into Fashion's perils, and how deep rooted these issues are, the more unlikely this seems. In this episode, four members of Fashion Act Now — Sara Arnold, Sandra Niessen, Sam Weir, and Cindi Clark — are joining us to explain why they believe that...

We know that we need to dramatically slow down fashion. And this season of the podcast has been dedicated to exploring just how we might do that. But what happens to the people who make our clothes?  Stella Hertantyo is back in the host seat to explore this topic with Mousumi Sarangi, Fair Wear Foundation's Country Manager in India and the Regional Coordinator of Gender.  Fair Wear Foundation is a...

Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing and Labor Editor at Sourcing Journal, joins us to discuss the role that journalists can play a role in sorting out the greenwashing and moving the needle forward on the sustainable fashion conversation. Jasmin also shares how the narrative around sustainability in fashion has shifted dramatically in recent years, if recycled polyester is truly "circular", how the rapid...

Know that it's okay to grow slow — in fact in might even be better for you or your business in the long term. Here's why.   *This was a last minute episode so we didn't have time to put together the transcript before publishing as we normally do! Please contact us if you would like a transcription of this episode.   CONNECT WITH CONSCIOUS STYLE: Website Instagram Pinterest   SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONSC...