In episode 288, Kestrel welcomes designer, Trish Langman, to the show. With over 18 years of experience working with a long list of prestigious fashion brands, Trish is currently the Program Knowledge and Content Lead for the Fashion CEOs Accelerator program by Sovereignty, a partner with Argentinian NGO Hecho Por Nosotros and an advisor to the Board of Fashion Ghana, West Africa.
"Obviously, the companies need to be complicit — you know, they should stop making stuff. But the consumer, you know, because they’re uneducated, they don’t understand what they’re buying. It’s just a piece of clothing, but they’re not thinking about any consequences of how it’s made or what it does to them. Is it shedding microplastics, is it clogging the water? The consequences of you buying something that costs two dollars means that somebody’s not being paid somewhere.” -Trish
Have you ever thought about some of the basic knowledge that’s shared with us in primary school? I’m thinking about the practical information that can help us in our everyday lives.
For example – as this week’s guest mentions, the food pyramid is something most of us have probably learned about in school. (Ok, so I’ve read a plethora of concerns about the traditional food pyramid and how it was largely influenced by big business — hint, hint: grains, especially refined ones, are not necessarily the food we should eat the most of…) BUT the point here is, the idea of a balanced diet is relayed to us at an early age. It’s a basic component of the education system.
However – how often are kids learning about the ingredients used in our clothes? How often are we taught that the fabric used in our garments can come from a plant grown on a farm, or from fossil fuels that are processed into thread?
There are a lot of layers at play, when it comes to who can access which clothing options. But with that in mind … we should have the right to learn basic practical knowledge about clothing in school, beginning at a young age.
Because let’s be real – how many of us have finally been collecting pieces of this practical clothing knowledge as adults?
This week’s guest is very passionate about the power of education – for children, for everyday people, and for business owners. In one of her most recent endeavors, she’s working as the content lead for a new Fashion CEOs accelerator program that’s focused on empowering fashion entrepreneurs of color to collectively solve climate change and inclusion challenges.
The focus is on transforming entrepreneurs in a more holistic way through both access to capital and access to layers of education, with the intention of helping folks build more circular fashion brands.
As this week’s guest said in an article in Women’s Wear Daily –
“I have not seen this in the industry … I have not seen an accelerator that speaks to circularity, that speaks to sustainability and that speaks to the BIPOC community. It’s just something that’s not there.”
Quotes & links from the conversation:
“New Fashion CEOs Accelerator Set To Advance The Industry’s Sustainable Business Models and Its Racial Representation”, article in WWD that Kestrel mentions
“People have changed I think, in terms of how they see the value of their business. I think a lot of people feel like their business has to, for them, mean more to them than just making money. It’s more about what they give back to their community in some way.” -Trish (30:52)
“In order for us to sort of think about the future, science and design need to come together. You know, about a hundred years ago, science and design and arts were kind of almost interlinked — sort of the alchemy of them all together. And then we got more industrialized and technology took over, and they just seemed to separate.” -Trish (48:50)
Sovereignty’s Website >
Follow Trish on Instagram >
Follow Sovereignty on Instagram >
S05 Episode 222 | SELINA SANDERS ON UPCYCLING, HOW FASHION CREATES CULTURE + HOW HER PHILIPPINE HERITAGE INFLUENCES THE BRAND'S AESTHETIC
S05 Episode 221 | ROOPA PEMMARAJU ON HONORING ARTISANS + THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF INDIA
S05 Episode 220 | CHANELLE HARRIS OF NELLO VINTAGE ON STYLE (SELF) OVER FASHION (CONFORMITY)
S05 Episode 219 | DR. KIMBERLY MCGLONN OF GRANT BLVD ON SHIFTING FRAMEWORKS, DISRUPTION, PLEASURE + PROTECTING YOUR OPTIMISM
S05 Episode 218 | MAYA PENN, THE POWER OF HOPE + WHAT THE MAINSTREAM IS MISSING WHEN IT COMES TO LISTENING TO YOUNG ACTIVISTS
S05 Episode 217 | ETHICAL STYLE JOURNAL, DEEPENING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY + INFORMATION VS KNOWLEDGE
S05 Episode 216 | KIDS WORLDWIDE, THE POWER OF GIVING BACK TO EACH OTHER + WHAT KIDS SAY ABOUT THE PLANET AND OUR FUTURE
S05 Episode 215 | NYLAH'S NATURALS, PLANT-BASED TECH + THE IMPACT OF CONVENTIONAL HAIRCARE PRODUCTS ON BLACK WOMEN
S05 Episode 214 | ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR ISAIAS HERNANDEZ OF QUEER BROWN VEGAN ON THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING YOUR NICHE + CREATING BOUNDARIES
S05 Episode 213 | REZA CRISTIÁN OF SUSTAIN THE MAG ON THE FUTURE OF MEDIA, RESOURCEFULNESS + SHIFTING THE SUSTAINABILITY NARRATIVE
S05 Episode 212 | COMET CHUKURA, GLOW + THE WHITE GAZE IN SUSTAINABLE FASHION
S05 Episode 211 | DIANDRA MARIZET, INTERSECTIONAL ENVIRONMENTALIST + THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSPECTIVE EVOLUTION
S04 Episode 210 | THE ROOT | Episode 6 | The New Standard
S04 Episode 209 | THE ROOT | Episode 5 | Where Do We Go From Here?
S04 Episode 208 | THE ROOT | Episode 4 | The Future Of Fashion
S04 Episode 207 | THE ROOT | Episode 3 | Racism In The Fashion Industry
S04 Episode 206 | THE ROOT | Episode 2 | The Power Of Privilege
S04 Episode 205 | THE ROOT | Episode 1 | Racism As A System
S04 Episode 204 | KAMEA CHAYNE OF GREEN DREAMER PODCAST ON THE NEED TO DECOLONIZE "ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION" + BUILD REGENERATIVE ACTIONS INTO OUR COLLECTIVE SUSTAINABILITY GOALS
S04 Episode 203 | MANPREET KAUR KALRA, THE WHITE-WASHING OF SOCIAL IMPACT + BUILDING INCLUSIVE BRAND NARRATIVES
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Dairyland Frights
The Passionistas Project Podcast
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL