In episode 233, Kestrel welcomes Katherine Theobalds, the founder and creative director at Zou Xou, to the show. A slow fashion footwear brand, Zou Xou shoes are made in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“I like using the word sensible to describe our shoes because it kind of challenges the common assumption of what sensible shoes mean. I don’t mean that they’re boring, I don’t mean that they’re not exciting, and I don’t mean that they can’t express your style. To me, the sensibility aspect of it speaks to the practicality of it and how often you’re using it, and the versatility of it in your wardrobe.”
-Katherine Theobalds
On this week’s show, Katherine shares more on how an array of circumstances led her to build out Zou Xou. Also, she explains some of the ways she and her team have had to get extra creative in their business throughout COVID-19.
Katherine also dives into more of what sensible shoes mean to her, and why she thinks this is an important way to build products — and in her case, shoes that you will build deep relationships with.
Two Days Off, Kestrel and Katherine mention Gina and her brand — listen to the Conscious Chatter episode with Two Days Off here >
“The last thing we want to do is promote mindless consumption — we don’t want someone to buy something because it’s inexpensive — we want them to buy it because they really love it and they’re going to wear it … you know, I am a reformed fast fashion shopper — I remember the times I would buy things just because they were on sale, not even because I liked it that much. And so that kind of affects our decision to not do too many markdowns as well — if we’re only producing what we’re sure we’ll sell, there’s no need to mark things down to get rid of them.” -Katherine
Li Edelkoort, Katherine mentions her work as a trend forecaster and with “new materialism”
Zou Xou Spring Collection Guide >
Who Makes Zou Xou’s shoes >
About Zou Xou >
Follow Zou Xou on Instagram >
This week's episode is brought to you by OEKO-TEX® - a worldwide association of 18 independent research and test institutes that sets standards for safer textile and leather production and products. The OEKO-TEX® portfolio of independent certifications and product labels help all of us make responsible decisions to choose products that are safer, more environmentally friendly, and manufactured in a socially responsible way.
Learn more about their labels at www.oeko-tex.com.
S05 Episode 242 | Questioning the meaning behind *regenerative fashion* and building new fashion systems with Christy Dawn & Oshadi Collective
S05 Episode 241 | Reimagining waste as a resource, creativity's battle against commerce & the importance of welcoming financial sustainability into the larger conversation
S05 Episode 240 | Maxine Bédat on why circularity won't save us, how the origin of business was not to maximize profit & what that context tells us about the current fashion system
S05 Episode 239 | Ganni on the importance of action over labels & their 44 responsibility gameplan goals
S05 Episode 238 | Best friends Jazmine (@thatcurlytop) & Gabby (@gabrielasage) on reclaiming "influence" & finding balance as content creators and sustainable fashion advocates
S05 Episode 237 | OEKO-TEX®, green chemistry & navigating the nuances of product labels
S05 Episode 236 | Educator Emi Ito and Gina Stovall of Two Days Off on collaborating to honor a legacy & getting creative to infuse fashion with more accessibility, generosity and inclusivity
S05 Episode 235 | Mikaela Clark of Hansel on balance in partnerships, welcoming the evolution of your creativity, and inclusivity in upcycling
S05 Episode 234 | Rethinking upcycling, questioning trends & reimagining what "seasons" mean
S05 Episode 232 | Kara Fabella on the nuances of "influence" today, splashing color across ethical fashion + her Living In COLOR(ISM) series
S05 Episode 231 | GOODS & SERVICES ON MODERN SHOE REPAIR + REFRAMING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SNEAKER LIFESPAN — AKA SNEAKER REPAIR IS POSSIBLE!
S05 Episode 230 | KIANA KAZEMI ON THE OPPRESSIVE HISTORY OF ENGINEERING + TECH, THE NEED TO REFRAME THE "PROBLEMS" ENGINEERS ARE TRYING TO FIX, AND WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH FASHION
S05 Episode 229 | DANI DES ROCHES OF PICNICWEAR ON STATEMENT PIECES + FUTURE VINTAGE OVER FUTURE GARBAGE
S05 Episode 228 | CATHERINE MCKINLEY, AUTHOR OF THE AFRICAN LOOKBOOK, ON THE DEEP MEANING CONNECTED TO CLOTH, THE POWER OF THE CAMERA AND SEWING MACHINE + RECLAIMING VISUAL NARRATIVES
S05 Episode 227 | YESSENIA FUNES OF ATMOS ON RACE AND THE ENVIRONMENT + CENTERING FRONTLINE ORGANIZERS AS THE WRITERS OF THEIR OWN STORIES
S05 Episode 226 | MATT HICKEY OF BE KIND VIBES ON KINDNESS + PLANTING THE EARLY SEEDS FOR CONSCIOUS CHATTER
S05 Episode 225 | URBAN NATIVE ERA, "YOU ARE ON NATIVE LAND" + LEADING WITH STORYTELLING
S05 Episode 224 | TWO DAYS OFF, APPROACHING FASHION THROUGH AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LENS + HOW EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED
S05 Episode 223 | MAGGIE MARILYN ON TRANSPARENCY, RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY + THE NEED TO ALIGN VALUES WITH BUSINESS MODELS
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