Tameka Peoples of Seed2Shirt on rebuilding equitable + just cotton systems & fostering the reclamation of cotton acreage for Black farmers
Release Date: 09/19/2023
Ben Mead of OEKO-TEX® on the what brands should be doing to mitigate toxic chemicals across fashion's supply chains amidst shifting tariffs & global policy change
Conscious Chatter
In Episode 331, Kestrel welcomes Ben Mead, the Managing Director of Hohenstein Institute America, to the show. In Ben’s role, he serves as the company’s liaison with government agencies, industry collaborations and trade associations, and he also oversees responsibilities for the U.S. “You can’t make any real good decision around chemistry or you know how a product is made, if you don’t know who’s making it and what’s going into it.” -Ben MAY THEME — HOW TOXIC CHEMICALS FROM OUR CLOTHES MOVE AROUND THE WORLD It is a tumultuous time when it comes to policy, and policy...
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Commons & the Second Nature Podcast on: what actually happens to your clothing donations?
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This episode is a little different than what you’re used to, as it’s a special swap with Commons and their Second Nature podcast. It’s an amazing listen and I’m stoked to share it with y’all! “I think this is inspiring people to move away from being passive consumers to instead becoming stewards of their belongings and have that sense of responsibility and it goes beyond this individual action…For us, democratizing repair isn't just a luxury or a trend, it's something essential to creating this future where sustainability and equity guide the way forward.” -Sumaq Alvarado del...
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Personal stylist Jennine Jacob on welcoming the multiplicity of personal style while interrogating the language we use around fashion and why that matters
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In Episode 329, Kestrel welcomes Jennine Jacob, a personal stylist and Instagram phenom, to the show. You may know from viral videos that explore the many layers of nuance connected to the power of finding your own style. “Anytime I see people quote unquote dressing for their body type, those outfits that look good, they can all be explained through style principles. The rule of thirds, contrast, proportion, texture, color theory. So why do we have to attach a value to a person's body shape when that's not even necessary? I really want to call into question why we use certain language...
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Environmental scientist and microplastics researcher Dana Zhaxylykova on the links between fast fashion, toxicity and microplastics
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In Episode 328, Kestrel welcomes Dana Zhaxylykova, an environmental scientist & microplastics researcher, to the show. Originally from Kazakhstan, is currently based in Germany — through her Instagram platform, she shares practical and actionable tips about microplastics through a scientific lens. “As a scientist, I want to assure you that every little action in avoiding plastic, it can have an impact. And as scientists and as a scientific community, we expect people, not only the governments and corporations (they have a huge responsibility, of course), but we as people, we also can...
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Sanchali Pal of Commons Commons on why they developed their own sustainable brand ratings, one way to combat fast fashion this month, & the importance of connecting data with storytelling to shift behavior
Conscious Chatter
In Episode 327, Kestrel welcomes Sanchali Pal, founder and CEO of Commons, an app that rewards you for living and spending sustainably. On app, you can get rewarded for shopping sustainable brands and for taking climate actions like thrifting, taking public transportation or eating plant-based. “When people think about the actions they can take that are sustainable, the most obvious ones are things like flying less or recycling or eating more plant-based. People don't always think about their clothing habits, but I think that's really changing with the conversation around fast fashion. I...
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Anna Bario of Bario Neal on why jewelry is integral to pushing fashion to be more sustainable, why small businesses have power to instigate change & how "investment" in jewelry can reflect economic trends
Conscious Chatter
In Episode 326, Kestrel welcomes Anna Bario, the cofounder of Bario Neal, to the show. creates stunning jewelry while being committed to respecting human rights and environmental sustainability. Anna cofounded the brand alongside Page Neal, in 2008, with an interest in bringing sustainability into the discourse surrounding creativity, fine jewelry and craft. An exceptional designer and also a specialist in responsible gold and gemstone sourcing, Anna’s work in sustainable initiatives and social impacts defines the framework for Bario Neal’s ethical jewelry roadmap. “I think [for]...
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How do you define *investment piece*, what makes you feel comfortable spending more on certain items & why is this integral to the sustainable fashion conversation?
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Motherhood, entrepreneurship & sustainability: navigating impossible expectations while caring for yourself and others, and building things that center care
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Episode 324, Kestrel welcomes Camille Forde, a mother and entrepreneur working at the intersection of business, sustainability, and community-centered solutions, to the show. With over a decade of experience, has led corporate responsibility efforts at top professional services firms, earned an MBA from UC Berkeley with a focus on sustainable business, and spearheaded seller and brand partnerships at one of the largest fashion resale platforms. As a mother of two, Camille is deeply committed to building a more equitable and sustainable future that prioritizes community care. “Vulnerability,...
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Kestrel on vulnerability, personal health, podcast evolutions & a question to sustainable fashion folks: are you OK?
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Nelson ZêPequéno of Black Men With Gardens and Cayetano Talavera of Hecho By Caye on why fashion needs to listen to nature’s lessons on slowing down, tuning in, practicing patience & cultivating creativity to better center sustainability
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Episode 322 features Nelson ZêPequéno, a Ghanaian-American Artist and the founder of Black Men With Gardens and Sustain Creative, alongside Cayetano Talavera, a fiber artist, zero waste fashion designer, and the creative force behind HECHO BY CAYE. Through ‘Black Men With Gardens’, a digital and print publication, Nelson spotlights the connection Black and Brown communities cultivate with nature through agriculture and the arts. He further exploring cultural identity and environmental stewardship through his Los Angeles-based studio 'Sustain Creative', his current body of works offer a...
info_outlineIn episode 306, Kestrel welcomes Tameka Peoples, the founder and CEO of Seed2Shirt, to the show. A Black-woman-owned vertically integrated ethical apparel production & boutique cotton merchant firm, Seed2Shirt is focused on rebuilding equitable systems and institutions.
“You’re seeing laws put into place like the 1862 Homestead Act where there were millions of acres of land just given to white families. And Black people were at the same time, being burned out of their communities. What I mean by that is — there’s elements to this thing that we call fashion — that’s connected to raw commodity that’s connected to land that is a part of the blood, sweat and tears that Black people have put and poured into this economy and poured into this country.” -Tameka
When we look back at agriculture in the United States, a lot of the origins of farming in this country were built on an extractive, harmful, and extremely damaging history. So much was stolen and stripped – from lives to land to livelihoods.
We don’t talk enough in the fashion industry about its true origins – about who helped build the cotton industry – a textile that has been deemed and marketed as: *the fabric of our lives*.
From 1765 to 1861, during the years of Chattel Slavery, $528 billion dollars worth of cotton were farmed – mind you, this happened with the use of enslaved labor.
Fast forward through layers and layers of other significant historical moments to where we are today. While the cotton industry in the United States was literally grown by Black folks, today – the numbers say there are less than 1% Black Cotton Farmers.
This week’s guest understands so much depth of this history – and when she discovered she couldn’t buy a t-shirt made by Black folks using cotton farmed by Black folks, she decided she had to make one.
This was the seed that has continued to grow and flourish into what she is doing today – while many may call it conscious fashion, for her – it’s so much more than that. As a self-proclaimed solutionist, she’s rebuilding equitable systems and institutions, with intention and care, while supporting Black farmers along the way.
Quotes & links from the conversation:
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“Yes, they love Black images and Black body and Black fashion and they use us to sell to people for industry. But what part of that industry do we own and control?” -Tameka (9:45)
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“You’re seeing laws put into place like the 1862 Homestead Act where there were millions of acres of land just given to white families. And Black people were at the same time, being burned out of their communities. What I mean by that is — there’s elements to this thing that we call fashion — that’s connected to raw commodity that’s connected to land that is a part of the blood, sweat and tears that Black people have put and poured into this economy and poured into this country. So, we are building back land elements, we’re building back equity for Black cotton farmers, we’re building an institution that portions of it we control that they can plug into, and then, we’re part of larger institutions that allow farmers that are in this space allow their cotton to move through.” (14:29) -Tameka
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“Everyone has a responsibility to figure out what their role is in doing their part. You walk around anywhere and there’s a recycling bin and they’re encouraging — hey, if that’s a plastic bottle, or if that’s paper or cardboard, put it here. So, everyone plays a role — we believe our programs really can change the world for the better.” (21:18) -Tameka
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“This is about bringing back livelihood, honor and justice into Black farming, Black cotton farming, Black production, and we can’t wait for anyone else to do it for us.” (38:04) -Tameka
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Bridgeforth Family Farms, Black owned & operated farm since 1877 (Seed2Shirt partner)