In episode 221, Kestrel welcomes Roopa Pemmaraju, the founder of her namesake label, to the show. A slow luxury fashion brand, with an emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, Roopa Pemmaraju’s collections celebrate Indian crafting techniques that have been handed down for hundreds of years.
“We don’t buy fabrics in bulk or we don’t create the products in bulk. If we have an order today, that’s when my atelier back in India would create that product, so that’s why we ask our customers or our retailers to give us that much of a time, so that we can create this product with integrity and the right way and the right fabrication that we require to create that sustainable brand.”On this week’s show, Roopa shares more on her past story and what led her to build her own brand. She and Kestrel also dive into more of what slow fashion means to Roopa’s brand, and how she defines it in her work.
Additionally, Kestrel asks Roopa if and how she sees the Farmers Protest in India intersecting with the work she is doing, with much of her sourcing (including cotton) and manufacturing taking place throughout the country.
Roopa never uses plastic in the beading or embroidery work on her products, so often they have to specially make glass beads or other notions that are plastic-free
Manpreet Kaur Kalra, educator who has shared detailed information on India’s new agricultural bills and India’s Farmers Protest
Follow Roopa Pemmaraju on Instagram >
S02 Episode 101 | BECKY EARLEY + CIRCULAR DESIGN
S02 Episode 100 | NADINE FARAG, ONE WHO DRESSES + PERSONAL STYLE AS SUSTAINABILITY
S02 Episode 99 | PROCLAIM + THE NUDE REVOLUTION
S02 Episode 98 | SILKROLL, FASHION + THE SHARING ECONOMY
S02 Episode 97 | THE ZIRAN + XIANG YUN SHA SILK
S02 Episode 96 | BANGS SHOES, OPPORTUNITIES OVER THINGS + KIVA
S02 Episode 95 | RECESS CITY, A NEW YEAR + ETHICAL INTENTIONS
S02 Episode 94 | ZANNI, PERFORMANCE FABRIC + DESIGNING TO LAST
S02 Episode 93 | COYUCHI + THEIR CIRCULAR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE
S02 Episode 92 | THE ACCIDENTAL ICON ON FASHION, IDENTITY + PERFORMATIVE STYLE
S02 Episode 91 | PROUD MARY + ARTISAN MADE VS ETHICAL PRODUCTION
S02 Episode 90 | COTOPAXI, LLAMA WOOL + QUESTIVAL
S02 Episode 89 | FARMGIRL FLOWERS + DIRT ON THE FLORAL INDUSTRY
S02 Episode 88 | TARA + THE ERA OF CUSTOMIZATION
S02 Episode 87 | PHLUR + REIMAGINING FRAGRANCE
S02 Episode 86 | RECONSIDERED + DRIVING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE
S02 Episode 85 | THE GOOD TRADE + SOCIAL GOOD
S02 Episode 84 | SALT GYPSY + SUSTAINABILITY IN SURF CULTURE
S02 Episode 83 | NAADAM + "THE WORLD'S FAIREST CASHMERE"
S02 Episode 82 | PROJECT JUST SEAL OF APPROVAL + RIZ BOARDSHORTS
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