Global Garbs - A Sustainable Fashion Magazine

global garbs A SUSTAINABLE FASHION MAGAZINE Issue 2 | Winter/Spring 2021

SUSTAINABLE BLOGGERS:

THE NEW INFLUENCERS

WHAT IS AN ETHICAL PHOTOGRAPHER?

PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION

How to apply this mentality in life and in sustainable fashion

Inside global garbs 07

Editor's Letter Progress over Perfection

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Building a Brand to Solve a Problem with Everviolet and Unseam the Label

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An Ocean Lover’s Dream Brand Spotlight on Washed Ashore

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Building a Sustainable Skincare Brand

by Ada Chen of Chuan Skincare

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Sustainable Obsessions

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The New Influencer with Jessica Perkins and Bunny Yuan

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PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION An interview with Yellow Co founder Joanna Waterfall

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Yellow Co Members Progress Over Perfection Featuring Pulchritude, Imani Collective, Lot XI, Sqwishful, Vena Vena

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What is an Ethical Photographer?

An interview with Eunice Pais of PAIS Agency

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2021 Trends in Sustainable Fashion Hear from nine sustainable brands on what’s next for them

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PR Strategies for Sustainable Brands An interview with Lorraine Sanders of Spirit of 608

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Ethical Jewelry Roundup Our favorite fine jewelry brands to wear now and forever

photography courtesy of PAIS

global garbs Editor-in-chief Lauren Tanaka-Fortune

In partnership with Designer Marketing Marketing Contributors & Interviews

Yasmine Momeni Melanie Kuo Akshata Sulebhavi Keira Kotler Diana Youn Ada Chen Jessica Perkins Bunny Yan Joanna Waterfall Ericka Symonette Jenny Nuccio Krystyl Wright Jenn Tsang Lavena Lewis Eunice Pais Lorraine Sanders

SPONSORED BY

Special sponsors

Cover Photo by Photographer Model Stylist

FEB 2021 - ISSUE 02

KRNACH MAYDI WASHED ASHORE MAYDI Lucas Ricci (@_lucasricci_), Sophia Santamarina (@sophiasantamarina) Gaston Olmos (@gaston_olmos)

While small actions may seem insignificant, they not only can add up but they can help shape the discussions and demand around building greater change in this industry.

Letter from the Editor Doesn’t the year 2021 sound so futuristic?

We have partnered up with Yellow Co - a

It’s hard to believe that we are in fact living

community of women creating

in this era. And while we have managed to

meaningful work and had the opportunity

make such massive progress in many

to learn more from founder Joanna

different industries, the fashion industry

Waterfall in which she discusses her

continues to have slow yet consistent

background, why she started Yellow Co,

progress.

and all of the failures and success she’s had along the way. Her journey will definitely

If you’ve ever heard the term progress over

inspire you to take this way of thinking to

perfection you know that this phrase gets

the next level and learn that we are all a

tossed around a lot especially in the

work in progress.

entrepreneur world. Within the sustainable fashion industry specifically, we can easily

One thing I know for sure if you’re reading

get lost in the perfection phase. But the

this is that we all have the ability to make

truth is that nothing will ever be perfect

some type of progress in the world.

when it comes to sustainability in fashion.

Whether you’re looking for ways to live more sustainably, or love supporting small

However, once we can get unstuck from the

businesses, there’s an intentional thought

mentality of perfection, true progress

process around these decisions. While

begins to take the course. Hearing different

these small actions may seem small and

stories through our in-depth interviews

insignificant, they not only can add up but

with different leaders and influencers of the

they can help shape the discussions and

ways they have continued to push through

demand around building greater change in

and persevere is honestly what also keeps

this industry.

me going. It’s’ no surprise that I would create a magazine highlighting such inspiring individuals.

In our second issue, we continue to shine the light on a few entrepreneurs who are redefining what progress over perfection

Lauren Tanaka - Fortune

means to them in business and in life.

Global Garbs founder

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Building a Brand to Solve a Problem TWO VERY DIFFERENT SUSTAINABLE BRANDS SHARE THEIR STORY ON HOW THEY STARTED THEIR BRAND FROM A PLACE OF NECESSITY With new sustainable brands popping up every single day, it can be so crucial to understanding your WHY. These days it takes more than just being 'sustainable' as a selling feature. More importantly, what problem are you solving?

This month's featured designers know a thing or two about starting a brand to solve a problem. Both of their stories come from a place of struggling to find a product that they personally needed in their life. And while sustainability is always key, it's also imperative to solve problems when building a brand.

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I eventually settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I got a job at a branding agency. It was the late 90’s, and the end of the dot com bubble and the birth of ecommerce, and my job was to help bricks and mortar retailers extend their shopping experiences online in meaningful, seamless ways. I fell in love with the challenge of

From Cancer to Conception HOW KEIRA KOTLER'S EXPERIENCE WITH

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blending strategic thinking with design, finding new ways to use creativity to innovate compelling ad campaigns or website functionality to help businesses thrive. I worked in this capacity for many years, while also getting my Masters in Painting. My fine art career was burgeoning at the time, and I felt very grateful to have two vocations I loved so much.

BREAST CANCER LED HER TO STARTING

Then I was diagnosed with breast cancer. As

HER SUSTAINABLE LINGERIE BRAND

such experiences often do, this diagnosis

EVERVIOLET.

stopped me in my tracks and made me

Tell us about yourself. Who is Keira

question every aspect of my life. I soon

Kotler?

realized that the one thing missing in my

I grew up in Boston and went to college in

others. Having been raised by two

New York City. I have always been

philanthropists, service was something I

interested in communications, and all of

valued tremendously and that I wanted to

my early jobs and internships centered

be present in my professional life. In many

around writing, journalism and marketing.

ways, breast cancer provided me with that

I also had a keen interest in photography

opportunity -- a means of turning a

and fine art, so I spent much of my

challenging life experience into something

twenties delving into these two fields

good for others, the ability to give back, and

simultaneously.

ultimately, a true sense of purpose.

work at that time was a way of helping

Tell us about how you started Everviolet.

Everviolet was born out of my personal experience to find comfortable, well-fitting, and attractive intimate apparel following a double mastectomy. Thankfully, I was lucky in that my cancer was found at an early stage, and I was able to navigate my surgeries as well as could be expected.

Imagine my surprise, though, when getting dressed in the morning became one of my greatest challenges. My old pretty lingerie no longer fit, and bras designed for women post-surgery were synthetic, scratchy, and quite frankly, ugly. It felt like adding insult to injury, literally.

I suffered in silence for a while and then I started speaking with other women, only to find this issue to be universal. What I learned, though, was that it wasn’t just newly diagnosed women like myself who couldn’t find garments. Rather, 10, 20, 30-year survivors were still manually pulling wires out of bras or cutting into fabric, just to avoid pain every day.

It was in that moment when I realized just how far beyond clothing this issue went -that the inability to start each day free of pain, discomfort, or the reminder of what we had been through was a barrier to full healing on emotional and psychological levels -- the difference between feeling like a patient and feeling like a person. It was with this realization that I vowed to pay my good prognosis forward and solve this problem for other women.

On the list was a “drain pocket camisole,” which I had never heard of, but that I was told I could find at the hospital gift shop.

(Drains are incredible devices that are inserted into the body to help it eliminate fluid and reduce swelling, and I needed garments that could help me manage them.)

But all I could find were those synthetic, scratchy garments I described earlier, and I knew they wouldn’t suffice. I thought about how vulnerable I was likely going to feel when I went home, how sore and tender, and the thought of having something soft, natural, and breathable against my skin sounded so comforting. Yet, it didn’t exist.

When it came time to create the Everviolet collection, sourcing fabrics that were ethically and sustainably made became top priority. I learned which fibers were antimicrobial and moisture-wicking, which would help regulate body temperature, and which consumed the most water.

Why did you choose to create a sustainable lingerie brand?

I remember before surgery, my doctor gave me a list of clothing I was supposed to buy, items that were supposed to help my recovery go a little smoother.

Our collection today utilizes certified sustainable jerseys in all of our garments. We also use recycled packaging and shipping materials. (cont.)

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What has been your biggest struggle?

Not hailing from the apparel industry made learning how to design and manufacture garments (especially technical garments like adaptive lingerie) very challenging. And in the beginning I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and I made mistakes. However, I quickly learned from them and vowed to surround myself with Furthermore, fully aware of how toxic the apparel industry is and how much of our clothing ultimately ends up in landfills, we manufacture each style in small batches so as to eliminate waste. We also source almost entirely from a domestic supply chain, and produce our garments in the US, so as to lower our carbon footprint.

people with skill sets different than mine.

Now, our team, while still lean, is filled with experts in design, sourcing, merchandising, finance and ecommerce.

So, in many ways, the struggles paid off.

What’s been your biggest win?

Personally, the greatest part of creating Everviolet has been the people I’ve met.

Being an ethical/sustainable brand to me is

From our amazing team to our models

about having integrity and impact

(who have all faced cancer) to our medical

combined. Everviolet is a brand that

partners and incredible customers, the

promotes health and wellness across

people I have the privilege of working with

everything we do -- from our lingerie and

have profoundly improved the quality and

loungewear collection to our reusable

depth of my life.

organic cotton face masks and essential oils to the content we create and the community we support. Our mission is to be a holistically healthy brand that improves the lives of our customers and the planet.

From a business standpoint, the years we spent developing and wear-testing our products on a wide range of consumers, with a wide range of needs, resulted in incredibly successful, patented designs. We receive notes every day from happy customers, thanking us for enabling them to feel beautiful and comfortable again. This was always the mission -- to help women reclaim a sense of self and femininity following change -- and to be achieving our goal daily, is the ultimate win for all of us.

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#beautyofchange

Sustainable Fashion for the Petite Woman HOW DIANA YOUN WENT FROM IDEA TO SUCCESSFUL KICKSTARTER

So I became an advocate for sustainable fashion to help spread awareness. Instead of just sharing stylish tips, I wanted to push the conscious fashion movement forward.

This all got me thinking of another crazy reality in the fashion industry: If nearly half of U.S. women are 5'4" and under (like me), why is standard women’s clothing mostly made for women taller than that? I racked my brain and pointed out the two obvious issues I have with the industry: 1) It’s hard to find stylish clothing that fits

How did your business come about? Did you have an “ah-ha” type moment?

my petite frame, and 2) If I find a petite clothing piece that I like,

Ever since I was young, I dreamt of

it’s oftentimes not sustainably and ethically

creating my own fashion line. But as I dove

made, and vice versa.

deeper into the fashion world, I was hit with a harsh truth about the industry I

It was as I was having my tailor measure

loved — it was a nightmare for the earth,

and pin a dress (one of the many I needed

and for the workers making the clothes. I

to have altered to actually fit) when my big

was shocked to learn about how fashion, a

aha! moment hit me - Wouldn’t it be

vehicle for style and self-expression, could

game-changing to have sustainably-made

cause such damage to the world I love and

clothing for petites?

the people who inhabit it. It became a big internal struggle for me.

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And thus, Unseam the Label™ was born.

What makes your brand sustainable/ethical

Implementing our community members’

and why was this important for you to

feedback was also important, as this led to

include into your production process and

designing and producing styles that our

values?

community members were truly interested in and desired. By the time I launched, our

We use responsibly-sourced materials whenever possible. Our goods are low impact and made primarily of eco-friendly

community was extremely excited about our styles and showed their support by backing the crowdfunding campaign.

fabrics, such as TENCEL™ Lyocell and TENCEL™ Modal-Micro. We also make sure all our labels, hang-tags, and packaging

Any advice for someone wanting to start their

are eco-friendly. This includes mailers

own brand?

made from 100% recycled and compostable/biodegradable paper, certified home compostable poly-bags (made from corn starch), and hang-tags and brand labels made of 100% recycled content.

I’d like to remind new entrepreneurs that you only launch your brand once (that is, unless you’re doing a rebrand). Make sure to have your necessary brand components and an engaged community in place before

We cut-and-sew our styles at an ethical USA

launching, even if this means delaying your

factory that ensures their garment workers

timeline a bit. Also, take some time

receive competitive pay, essential rights, and

periodically to plan out your big-picture

fair working conditions. The factory owner

roadmap. This helps you get out of execution

was a sewer himself in the past, so he truly

mode and focus on what matters most.

understands the work and values his workers.

What has been your biggest struggle?

I believe in designing for sustainability, and it was important to me to create a brand

My biggest struggle to-date was and still is

only if I was able to infuse sustainable

building and growing a brand during the

practices into my brand’s DNA. This is

COVID-19 pandemic. The global apparel

because nearly 80% of a product’s eco-

industry has been hit hard, and our supply

impact is influenced by the design process

chain experienced significant delays on

and materials used, and I believe we have a

material production and shipping. This

responsibility to take care of the planet and

unfortunately led to many months of delays

the people residing on it.

on our collection development.

You recently completed a successful Kickstarter. What were some key factors in meeting your goal?

What’s been your biggest win?

The biggest win to-date was reaching 352% of our Kickstarter goal! We’re so grateful to our

It was really important to build up and

petite community for the outpour of

nurture an engaged community prior to

support, and for bringing our premier

launching, as this community provided

collection to life through our crowdfunding

valuable feedback in helping me shape my

campaign.

brand and premier collection styles.

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An Ocean Lover's Dream Brand 18

PRESERVING THE OCEAN WHILE BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE + ETHICAL FINE JEWELRY BRAND

By Lauren Tanaka- Fortune

What do you get when you study archaeology combined with art history?

In most cases you’d find yourself working at a museum or even an excavation site, but that wasn’t the case for the founder of Washed Ashore, Larada Lamsam.

The collection inspired by the treasures that come from the sea and ‘wash ashore’, is designed for the nature lover who can appreciate the beauty of the ocean. The designs are curated in a way that is both modern and timeless.

As a purpose-driven and ethically made jewelry brand Lamsam is extremely proud of their core values of being made sustainably with an environmentally conscious manufacturing process. The brand was even awarded the coveted Butterfly Mark which is a third-party sustainability award and authentication that have passed a thorough assessment.

As many sustainable entrepreneurs start their own businesses, the recurring theme is the discovery of either the working conditions or unethical practices that a product is made. This was certainly the case for Washed Ashore.

Upon entering the jewelry manufacturing space, she was appalled by the damage the industry has on people and the planet. Mining can be such an invasive process that not only affects the land and biodiversity in the area but it’s also estimated that nearly 40 million people work in unregulated small-scale mines with ⅓ of them being women who often will bring their children with them to help.

It’s definitely one of the main industries in fashion that still has a long way to go in terms of accountability and being able to make products in a sustainable and ethical way.

This is truly what sets Washed Ashore apart from many other jewelry brands.

From their 100% recycled metals, to their post consumer up-cycled stones and recycled packaging, every part of the business has been created with extreme intention and integrity when it comes to sustainability.

They have set out to create a completely circular supply chain with 100% traceability and transparency in every aspect of their production process. From investing in their production partners and making it possible for them to finance renewable energy and water recycling systems they are clearly raising the bar when it comes to not only their own sustainability initiatives but leading the way for the ethical jewelry industry.

Here’s some of their key initiatives when it comes to sourcing and manufacturing:

100% RECYCLED METALS Their decision to use recycled metals was made because they believe in limiting the amount of new and raw materials sourcing in general. Did you know that greenhouse gas emissions associated with sourcing, extracting, processing and transporting raw or “virgin” materials is far higher than when recycling them? This is another reason why they chose to use all recycled gold and silver materials.

POST-CONSUMER GEMSTONES AND DIAMONDS The process of collecting post-consumer stones extracted from vintage jewelry and upcycled into their designs is such an amazing way to limit the use of new materials and promote a more circular economy. Reducing, reusing and transforming materials has an important positive impact. It drastically minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and bypasses the negative environmental and social issues associated with sourcing, extracting, processing, transporting and cutting raw stones.

100% UPCYCLED ABALONE AND PEARLS The combination of abalone and pearls used to create unique and intricate designs are sourced from a farm in Phuket, Thailand, in which the shells are a by-product of their food industry and typically would be thrown away. The pearls used are saltwater Japanese Akoya Keshi’s which are 100% pure and natural.

Not only have they not been dyed, or bleached, but each pearl is incredibly unique in that the shape and colors are one of a kind making them very rare due to their limited quantities. In addition to these sourcing processes, the pearls are also collected from suppliers with deadstock strands of Keshi which have been around for more than 30 years which also contributes to their sustainability goal of limiting new resources.

Washed Ashore is truly a leader when it comes to sustainable and ethical manufacturing. The jewelry industry similar to the clothing industry has a long way to go in terms of perfecting all of these processes, but it’s inspiring to see brands like Washed Ashore who are leading the way and making a difference.

Building a Sustainable Skincare Brand AND THE CHALLENGES WITH SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

By Ada Chen of Chuan Skincare Like many other sustainable entrepreneurs, I started my business because I had a need.

I was under a lot of pressure as my dad’s primary caregiver, and I wasn’t sleeping well due to anxiety and midnight phone calls from the hospital he was staying in. All of this wreaked havoc on my skin. The acne I thought I had left behind in my teenage years resurfaced with a vengeance.

When I was a teenager, I used ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide to treat my acne and tried every cheap drugstore product I could find. While this

I wanted to find a product that would gently

helped, it also caused my skin to become

cleanse my skin but didn’t contain artificial

patchy and sensitive over time.

chemicals, additives, fillers, preservatives, or fragrances. I wanted it to be made from

In the decade since, I’ve learned a lot more

natural ingredients that were sourced from

about skincare, health, and wellness, and

reputable suppliers, and I wanted to make

now have the privilege to be pickier with

sure that it didn’t require single-use

what I put on my skin. When my acne

packaging or plastic containers.

came back, I knew I wanted to take a more

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natural approach this time around. This

I did a ton of research, but couldn’t find a

decision paralleled some of my dad’s

product that met all of my requirements and

previous decisions: he’s always preferred

didn’t break the bank. So, I decided to make

natural treatments over Western medicine.

my own.

My hypothesis was that a clay mask would

So, I started looking into other options.

fulfill my needs and potentially help treat

Glass jars were more aesthetically

acne and other skincare concerns, too.

appealing, but were infinitely more

Coming from the tech industry, I took a

breakable and would require more packing

pretty techy approach to develop this mask:

material for each order shipment. There

I used my research to come up with a short

were quite a few plastic options that I had

list of ingredients, ordered small batches

to rule out for sustainability reasons. Paper

from an organic apothecary, and started

tubes seemed promising for recyclability,

mixing them. I tested my mixtures on

but they ended up being a nightmare to

myself until I found a recipe that worked

keep in or near a bathroom, too.

for my breakouts.

I kept brainstorming and finally landed on Then, I asked my friends for help. I sent

rust-resistant tins. A rust-resistant tin can

samples to 15 friends as a “beta”, a type of

safely hold multiple servings of clay mask

test where an almost finished product is

powder and be stored with other skincare

sent to customers for feedback. Because I

products. It can also be shipped in a box or

was sending samples across the country, I

padded envelope, is less likely to break in

packed my clay mask powder in small kraft

transit than other materials, and can be

paper bags. I included instructions and

easily refilled. Tins can also be repurposed

asked my friends to either do the mask

as spice jars or containers for odds and

while they were on a video call with me or

ends, and if a customer doesn’t want to

to fill out a survey as they mixed the mask

keep their tin, they’re accepted by most

themselves.

local recycling programs..

From this process, I got great feedback. I

It felt like a true aha moment, and with my

was able to use this to refine my recipe,

packaging figured out, I finally felt ready to

make my instructions clearer, figure out

launch. Since I’d been inspired by my dad

how different types of skin reacted to my

throughout the process, I used his middle

mask, and see the results of my mask on

name in my brand: Chuan Skincare.

people of varying ages, races, and genders who had different skincare concerns from me.

The trickiest feedback I needed to deal with before launch was about my packaging. I had originally chosen kraft paper bags for a few reasons: I could fit multiple servings in one bag and avoid single-use packaging, bags could be shipped flat which would minimize shipping costs, and there was a low probability that the bag would break in transit. With the exception of the plastic window and sealing mechanism, most of the bag could also be recycled. But it turned out that it was difficult for my friends to get the right amount of product out of the bag, and that it was less than ideal to store with other skincare products in or near a bathroom.

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SUSTAINABLE

obsessions

1

1 Imara Twist 'On a Mission' Cuff Bracelet $98.00 www.shopsoko.com

3 2. HERA STUDS $140 www.washedashore.co

3. Cropped Palazzo Pants $145 www.neunomads.com

4. ARTESANO Nevado Hat $158 www.accompanyus.com

2

5. THE MERLY JACKET - $148 www.livefashionable.com 6. Slim Fitting Long Sleeves $58 www.almina-concept.com

4

6

5

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Wearing a Ninakuru hat with secondhand clothing

THE NEW INFLUENCERS Influencer marketing has become one of the go-to marketing strategies for brands in the past decade or so. And while the term "influencer" at times can have a negative connotation, brands are flocking to work with them. However, what about sustainablyminded influencers? With the #sustainablefashionblogger adding up to over160k posts, there's a new crop of influencers who are using their platforms for GOOD as opposed to just posting their latest #ootd.

In a new reoccurring section of the magazine, we are calling "the new influencer" we are highlighting two very different content creators to learn more about how they got started in the sustainable space and how distinguishing their brand as a place to share only ethical products has shaped whom they work with and more importantly don't work with.

JESSICA PERKINS

Wearing an Avocado dyed cardigan from Goodwill

Ecological.ly

FOUNDED IN EARLY 2016, ECOLOGICAL.LY HIGHLIGHTS SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE SWAPS AND ECO PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS. WHAT WAS YOUR “AH-HA” ”MOMENT WHEN STARTING YOUR BLOG? I don’t remember a specific “ah-ha” moment. I started blogging under the name English Lass in LA as a way to share my experience exploring a new city. Over time, it naturally evolved to include my explorations into a more sustainable lifestyle and became ecological.ly.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY? It’s been a natural progression. Throughout my life, I’ve been interested in handcrafts and shopping local. Exploring a sustainable lifestyle encompasses these past hobbies and builds on them.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? (CAREER, LIFE) I grew up in a small town in England – my grandfather was a tailor, my father a chef.

Following in my grandfather’s footsteps, I studied handcraft tailoring at the London College of Fashion. For centuries, the UK was renowned for its textiles and I wanted to preserve the tradition. After a year of study, I traded school for a job in one of the UK’s last shirt factories and eventually moved into a management role within the company.

YOU SHARE A LOT OF GREAT SUSTAINABLE TIPS BOTH GENERAL LIVING AND FASHION. HOW DO YOU LEARN ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY? I take inspiration from the thousands of other sustainability bloggers, Instagrammers, and the like including those featured in GG. On the one hand, that’s lazy but on the other hand, broadcasting and normalizing sustainable ideas are core to the movement. Occasionally, I’ll contribute my own

A couple of years later, I took a job heading a school uniform division at TESCO, the UK’s

‘OC’ (original content), like cutting hanger tags off of clothes and using them as gift-wrap ribbons. It’s a

largest corporation (akin to Wal-Mart in the US).

I was proud of my business’ growth and the direction of my career but realized that I had strayed from the ethic of local, high-quality, sustainable commerce. Instead, we were making clothing in dangerous working conditions in Asia, polluting the earth, and putting mom-and-pop uniform stores in England out of business.

silly example but the social media universe reshared it and now it’s a thing.

After relocating to LA, I took the transatlantic move as an opportunity to reground myself in what I care about most. I decided to go back to school and enrolled in community college. Now, I’m in my senior year at UCLA, studying Geography, and hope to go into sustainable city planning.

WAS IT SOMETHING YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN, WHO TAUGHT YOU? When I worked in the fashion industry, I saw firsthand the materials and labor that goes into each garment. As I learned more, I saw an industry driven by shareholder pressure to drive profitability: fast fashion with labor conditions and the environment as afterthoughts. Around that time, I was inspired by People Tree’s founder Safia Minney who wrote Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics. She inspired me to explore “restorative economics” and want to be part of the change.

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Wearing Alter, a size-inclusive

HOW HAS BEING A SUSTAINABLE INFLUENCER AFFECTED WHO YOU ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH?

Portland based brand

It has limited the set of companies that I can work with. However, I wouldn’t have it any other way and it has helped me discover some amazing alternative brands.

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT SELECTING PARTNERSHIPS? I’m very selective about who I work with. The brands I work with are either companies I’m already a fan of or I will have vetted the brand as best as I can. I will ask questions like, Are the factories (third parties or affiliate companies) involved in the making of your garments audited to ensure they’re paying a fair wage?

I’ll also check how transparent a brand on their website and look for what policies, values, and beliefs they share.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE? WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST WIN? My biggest struggle is reminding myself to celebrate progress and not aim for perfection. One of my biggest wins would be having my husband ask me where I’d recommend he buy a new hoody from. He was going to just order something from Amazon but thought to ask me for eco brands to check out instead.

Wearing a pact t-shirt dyed with acorns

“I BELIEVE THAT ONE DOESN’T HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR LIFESTYLE TOTALLY TO MAKE AN IMPACT. SMALL ACTIONS DONE

BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD.” FAVORITE JOB/BRAND TO WORK WITH? I took a 3 month ambassadorship with PACT last year and really enjoyed working with them. They put a lot of care into everything they do from their plastic-free hang tags to letting customers choose to offset the carbon footprint of their order shipment.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? Collective action starts with individual change. Don’t underestimate your individual power!

Bunny Yan Leftside of Fashion FIND BITE-SIZED EDUTAINING SERIES ABOUT SUSTAINABLE FASHION AT @SOOOBUNNY.

WHAT WAS YOUR “AH-HA” MOMENT WHEN STARTING YOUR SERIES? WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY?

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? (CAREER, LIFE)

Oh boy! This gonna be a longer answer! Ok, so I’ve been in the fashion and marketing field for

was made in China, exported to the US, and assembled in NJ. I love creating, traveling, dancing like nobody’s watching! And I love LOOOVVEEE listening to everyone’s stories! We all have different backgrounds, journeys, anecdotes yet we are all so similar. I can always learn so much from my conversations with friends and strangers, be it 5 years old or 500 years old! (Yes, I said 500, tell you that story next time).

20+ years. A trip to a Chinese clothing factory really inspired me to look into the sustainability side of things. More so than saddened by the extreme amount of fashion waste, I was excited by the potential - the transformation of something that’s unloved into something that’s highly desired! (Also..., inventing new things from misprinted garments, Offcuts, samples… is just sooo freakin’ fun!!) Shortly after, I opened China’s first sustainable design shop; gathering all the wonderful fashion & decors made from upcycled or recycled methods from independent designers! (We were named the BEST SHOP by TIMEOUT). I then started to advise well-known brands such as H&M, TOMS shoes on their eco messaging while incorporating their own production waste into their marketing campaigns.

For the longest, I didn’t want to create my own video content because I was happy to be behind the scene. Also, educating to change mindsets is THE HARDEST thing to do! (Yes, I meant for those words to be all capped, cause it’s that hard!) But so much eco content is dull, long and guilt-driven; it was really bumming me out. I just had to share the side of sustainability I see, fun, exciting, and full of potential! My “ah-ha” moment came at the beginning of last year, also my “ah-ha” moment was more like “F*ck it! I’m doing this!”

Since I’ve already covered my career path in the last question, I will tell you a bit more about me! I

YOU SHARE A LOT OF GREAT SUSTAINABLE FASHION TIPS IN A REALLY FUN WAY! HOW DO YOU LEARN OR HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT ALL THE TIPS YOU SHARE? DO YOU FIND THAT YOUR AUDIENCE RESONATES MORE WITH YOU BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU PRESENT YOUR CONTENT AS AN EDUTAINER? Because sustainability is a serious topic with many aspects, angles, and butt-load of data, it’s even more important to deliver it through relatable context.

We all have enough stress in our lives to be schooled in our leisure time. I choose to create bitesized edutaining episodes because I too am one of those stressed people (who isn’t these days, am I right?) and this is the type of content I enjoy watching. Tell me about Apple leather while baking an apple pie, tell me about plastic, if plastic was a person, tell me how to turn food waste into fabric dye through a skit and lots of memes! As I mentioned earlier, I love talking to people! That’s also how I keep my knowledge updated. Able to be my goofy, eccentric self while sharing knowledge is so liberating. (I was tired of trying to dress or act “professional” just because I’m a sustainability expert)

HOW HAS BEING A SUSTAINABLE INFLUENCER AFFECTED WHO YOU ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH? HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT SELECTING PARTNERSHIPS? Definitely more selective, but it also helps me focus on what’s important; the person or team behind the brand and their values. Not everyone is on the same level of eco-ness, but if they are willing to try, I’m there to support without shaming.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE? WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST WIN? Many awesome sustainable brands are smaller; creating branded content and effectiveness of a good marketing campaign are just not on their radar. There’s quite a bit of learning curve. So as much as I wanted to help, I collab. with the more developed brands. I do often chat with smaller brands and exchange knowledge. I mean, I have advised many household brands, spoken in conferences around the world but my biggest wins are those moments connecting with others, talking about our shared passion.

FAVORITE JOB/BRAND TO WORK WITH?

"BECAUSE SUSTAINABILITY IS A SERIOUS TOPIC WITH MANY ASPECTS, ANGLES AND BUTTLOAD OF DATA, IT’S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO DELIVER IT THROUGH RELATABLE CONTEXT."

Don’t have one yet! Everyone is different. And that is the fun part, coming up with episode ideas that fit each brand.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW PROJECT? Currently, I’ve partnered up with the founder of E! Entertainment to create a full digital version of my sustainable fashion series. Planning to air on Netflix next year! The entertainment industry is a completely different animal, so much to learn! A lot of pressure, but quite exciting. Please DM me at @sooobunny if you want to learn more about it or have collaboration ideas! Meanwhile, you can watch my current episodes under my instagram IGTV section! Let me know what you think!

Progress

Over Perfection

With Yellow Co founder Joanna Waterfall A CONVERSATION ABOUT SUCCESS, FAILURE, AND HOW BUSINESS OWNERS (ESPECIALLY SUSTAINABLE FASHION BRANDS) CAN APPLY THIS MENTALITY TO THEIR BUSINESS AND LIFE.

T

LAUREN TANAKA: When did you have your “ah-ha” moment to start Yellow Co? JOANNA WATERFALL: I remember it so clearly even though it was years ago. I was in the shower getting ready to head to an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. I was thinking about how inspired I was by women who were running social good businesses where they knew they were making an impact for good because their business was designed around that very fact.

I wanted to create a space where I could hear from women like this. Where I could sit and soak in the goodness and hear the whys and the hows.

It hit me like a lightning bolt. I have to start a conference where women like THIS are speaking! I went to the ugly Christmas sweater party and the

he phrase Progress Over Perfection is one of those statements

next day hit the ground running on this idea.

you often hear at conferences or perhaps in the form

LT: How do you feel your background has led you

of a cute graphic on Instagram. But what exactly

to start your business?

does this mean when being applied in life and business? What about in a sustainable fashion

JW: I don’t know if I’ll ever be fully aware of how my

business?

background has impacted me with starting Yellow,

Joanna Waterfall is no stranger to this phrase and

but there are definitely a few things I’m sure of.

mentality. As the founder of Yellow Co, a

Growing up my dad was a music pastor. He was

community of women creating meaningful work in

constantly putting on Christmas shows, musicals,

the world, Joanna speaks about this mindset

doing choir tours, and more. I grew up around the

regularly within Yellow Co’s weekly chats, bi-annual

world of performing and bringing people together

conferences, and more recently through Guidance

under a like-minded cause and mission. Although

Groups, a more intimate setting with six women

when I started Yellow I had zero event planning

looking for more accountability and support.

experience, I do believe growing up in this culture

Yellow Co’s mission and belief is that every person

made it feel a bit less intimidating to execute a

has something unique to bring to the world. The

conference.

more you learn about exactly who your true and

I got my degree in graphic design and digital media

authentic self is, the more goodness you can bring

and worked as a designer for years before starting

into the world. Whether you work for a social

Yellow Co. I gathered a lot of experience as a business

impact company, help women to achieve more, or

owner not only in running my own graphic design

run a sustainable fashion business, this mentality can

business, but I had an inside look at how other

be applied to any aspect of work and life.

businesses were running. I worked on their marketing, I saw what worked and what didn’t, and

We had the opportunity to partner up with Yellow

by working with so many small businesses while

Co and Joanna as the featured interview for this

running one myself, I was able to bring in that

issue’s theme Progress over Perfection. Joanna’s

experience to my new company. Not to mention my

perspective is so relatable because she’s a walking

background in graphic design made it really easy for

testimony to what she truly believes in not only in

me to look more legit that I actually was when just

business but in life as well.

starting out! A beautiful website and branding that I

We hope you’ll enjoy this interview with Joanna

knew how to make myself! Although there are so

along with the five Yellow Co members we spoke to

many tools out there now, my graphic design skills

about what Progress Over Perfection means to them.

come in handy all the time!

38

LT: How have you been coping since Covid. How

LT: Tell us more about Guidance Groups and what’s

has it impacted your business and what are daily

been your biggest learning experience throughout

practices you have been doing or any

this process?

tools/resources you can recommend?

JW: Oh man I know I just talked about this in the last JW: Pre-Covid, the main source of our revenue was

question but I’d take any chance I can get to talk

through our in-person conference ticket sales and

about Guidance Groups because I love them so

sponsorship. When everything went down with

much!

Covid and we had to turn our in-person conferences

They’re going great. Like really great. We’ve grown

virtual, we lost a lot of our 2020 budget and I had to

from 15 women meeting in a Downtown LA

lay off my team. It was a really difficult time where I

coworking space to serving over 100 women globally,

felt like I had no idea what was coming and how I was

from LA to Canada to Kenya.

going to manage 2020.

My biggest learning experience through building

Thank goodness we had started our Yellow Guidance

Guidance Groups is really to KEEP listening to your

Groups at the very beginning of 2020, as it was the

community’s needs and do not give up. Truly, if

area we pivoted into hard after canceling our in-

you’ve followed Yellow at all for the last few years,

person events.

you know that we’ve tried a lot of different ways to

Looking back on 2020, our Guidance Group

bring our community together. Some things worked-

membership took the place of our events as being the

ish, some things were good for a season, some things

highest-grossing revenue stream we have and have

totally failed. Call it stubbornness or grit, but through

consistently been growing ever since. It’s our new

it all, we kept going, pivoting and working on finding

core offering and is creating such an impact in our

a solution that would connect our community with

community!

who they are, the work that they do, and each other.

So with that, I think the advice I would give is to have

Finally, Guidance Groups really feel right and our

multiple revenue streams that you can lean into so if

community’s response to them has proven that.

one of those streams for some reason gets shut down

It’s another reminder to me that when you know

(hello pandemic!) you can lean into another stream of

deep down in your bones what your WHY is, you will

revenue. You might have to scale down as you pivot,

figure out the HOW. The how will change and fail

but multiple revenue streams mean you won’t have

and work and not work, but you keep going because

to fully shut your entire business down if the

you are so dedicated to that why. Our how has

unexpected happens!

changed, but our WHY has always stayed the same.

LT: At Yellow, we know that it’s all about “Progress

Through building this community I have learned

over Perfection”. Many creatives and entrepreneurs

about so many amazing female-owned businesses

especially can get stuck in this perfectionism phase.

that are doing good in the world. It felt like such a

What are some ways you have dealt with the

natural next step to allow our conference attendees to

perfectionist mentality to overcome any struggles

shop from these do-good brands in real life at the

around this area?

conference!

Now after really diving into this world, I’m obsessed

JW: One of the main things I see with new female

with the ethical fashion world and make about 80% of

business owners is their dedication to perfection. I

my clothing choices based on where the item was

think the only way to beat it is to first listen to it.

made, who it was made by, and how they were

What is this trying to protect us from? Where did this

treated. I’m currently working towards having a fully

perfectionism first show up in our lives and what was

ethical wardrobe. I still have those few Forever 21

its purpose then? To completely resist these

shirts in my closet from the days before I knew

protective mechanisms isn’t sustainable. So we have

better, but I’ve made a lot of progress!

to give them space in our lives and listen to them.

Then, we’ve got to move forward. I think the only way I’ve become so comfortable with making mistakes (truly, I think I’m too comfortable with it sometimes ha!) is by failing 13830-ish times. I’ve had a Kickstarter fail, I’ve tried multiple revenue streams that didn’t work, I’ve lost money, I’ve been criticized in public and private settings, I’ve sent 83390 emails with major typos, the list goes ON yall. And through it all, I’m still here. I’m still standing. And I know that the next mistake I make won’t take me down, it will just be a lesson to learn from. Mistakes don’t have to stop you. Failures are just lessons. We can’t allow ourselves to be defined by our successes or our failures. And that was a lesson I had to learn through experiencing both, then looking at myself in the mirror, and seeing the same person.

"FAILURES ARE JUST LESSONS. WE CAN’T ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE DEFINED

BY OUR SUCCESSES OR OUR FAILURES. AND THAT WAS A LESSON I HAD TO LEARN THROUGH EXPERIENCING BOTH, THEN LOOKING AT MYSELF IN THE MIRROR, AND SEEING THE SAME PERSON."

LT: At Yellow conferences, you have an ethical

LT: How can small brands - especially

marketplace in which you worked with many

sustainable/ethical ones adopt the mentality of

different brands showcasing their products. Tell us

“Progress over Perfection” when it comes to

about how this came about? How did your interest

building their brand?

in ethical brands come about personally and with Yellow?

JW: Progress over perfection is such a perfect mantra for the sustainable/ethical fashion world! It is so hard

JW: Yes! One of my favorite parts about the

to do every single thing and every single step

conferences has been our Marketplace. And I have to

perfectly. I take that back, it’s not hard- it’s

give my good friend and Yellow colleague Kathryn

impossible! So focusing on the small changes you can

Parrish credit for coming up with the idea for it.

continually make within your business and supply

When we first started Yellow Co I honestly didn’t

chain is key. Have you ever heard the phrase, “We

know a ton about ethical fashion or the social good

often overestimate what we can do in a day and

space. But through working with so many do-good

underestimate what we can do in a year.”? I think

founders, hearing from them at the conferences, and

what this is saying is that the small actions add up.

learning more about the WHYs behind what they do,

We want everything to be done at once but that’s just

I was exposed to this world and learned so much. We

not realistic. Start small and build. The big picture

realized that if we were preaching that we needed to

will complete itself when you stick to your values and

support do-good businesses, then we as a conference

take it one step at a time.

and a company needed to do that ourselves in every decision we were making.

By Lauren Tanaka-Fortune

Progress Over Perfection

Featuring Yellow Co. WE SPOKE WITH FIVE SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURS ON HOW THEY HAVE APPLIED THIS PRINCIPLE TO THEIR BUSINESS OR EVERYDAY LIFE.

HOW IS YOUR PRODUCT SUSTAINABLE OR ETHICAL? We sell pre-loved merchandise sourced from thrift stores and estate sales around the country.

HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION IN YOUR BUSINESS? CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE? When I originally started Pulchritude in 2012, I did not have a focus on sustainability or eco-friendly fashion at all. While on maternity leave in 2015, I watched the documentary True Cost, which was super eye opening and a major turning point for me and the business. I essentially scrapped everything I was doing and started over with a business model focused on sustainability. I rebranded and relaunched in 2019 and although in some ways it may have seemed like I was going back to square one, the relaunch was really a huge leap forward.

Sometimes the progress is actually taking a big step back that will propel you forward, farther than you could have envisioned. We have to stay open to the journey evolving into whatever it's supposed to be, even if it looks nothing like what we had planned.

ERICKA SYMONETTE @SHOPPULCHRITUDE SHOPPULCHRITUDE.COM FOUNDED IN 2013 Pulchritude helps fashion conscious women develop habits that promote sustainability and build planet friendlier wardrobes.

JENNY NUCCIO @IMANICOLLECTIVE IMANICOLLECTIVE.COM FOUNDED IN 2014 Imani Collective is a socioeconomic women's empowerment program that employs 110 artisans and staff in Mombasa, Kenya. They unleash greatness within artisans and their communities by crafting ethical lifestyle products that cultivate holistic empowerment and opportunity.

HOW IS YOUR PRODUCT SUSTAINABLE OR ETHICAL? Ethical is the core of who we are. We know that dignified employment is a key ingredient for economic development and poverty alleviation in developing countries around the world. Over the past 7 years, Imani Collective’s innovative model for providing women, men, and their families with consistent wages, skills training, community, and access to education has proven highly successful at improving artisan livelihoods and well-being.

HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION IN YOUR BUSINESS? CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE? This has been our whole journey. I remember our first show at NY NOW in 2016, we were so far from perfect and probably not exactly "ready" in the eyes of our buyers, but we still gave it our all. Still to this day that was the biggest financial fail for Imani Collective, but we got back up and grew from that experience. It is about putting one foot in front of the other, listening to that still small voice inside of yourself, making yourself available to opportunity and connection. Finally, it's about having the courage to keep moving and always remember - I AM ENOUGH.

KRYSTYL WRIGHT

@LOT_XI

LOTXI.COM FOUNDED IN 2015 LOT XI is a conscious urban apothecary company specializing in self-care products.

HOW IS YOUR PRODUCT SUSTAINABLE OR ETHICAL? Our ingredients are purchased through fair trade and we don’t store an excess of products in a warehouse. We purchase fresh ingredients from local farmers and pride ourselves in supporting other entrepreneurs.

HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION IN YOUR BUSINESS? CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE? The journey of progress over perfection was chosen with pure radical acceptance with my mind and heart to produce and cultivate our self-care products for our community.

JENN TSANG

@SQWISHFUL

SQWISHFUL.COM FOUNDED IN 2018 Squishful makes planet-friendly dishwashing essentials that clean and leave the world cleaner.

HOW IS YOUR PRODUCT SUSTAINABLE OR ETHICAL? Unlike most cleaning products, we use natural materials that are plantpowered, plastic-free, and carbonsaving.

HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION IN YOUR BUSINESS? CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE? When I started Sqwishful, I thought, how hard can it be to make a more sustainable sponge? I was looking at building something more sustainably in a linear way when it's more like undoing a great, big knot. At some point, I accepted that I could never undo the whole thing, and my purpose became making it as small as possible.

And that's when I realized that my approach, or the ways I pulled it apart was what made us different.

LAVENA LEWIS @VENAVENAHANDBAG

VENA VENA HANDCRAFTED VENAVENA.COM FOUNDED IN 2018 Vena Vena is a line of leather handbags and accessories with vegan products currently in the works as well.

HOW IS YOUR PRODUCT SUSTAINABLE OR ETHICAL? I purchase only overstock materials in Los Angeles, and I repurpose the scraps into things like coasters, key chains, and card holders.

HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION IN YOUR BUSINESS? CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE? I launched my business from a homeless shelter in DTLA. I'm very strong minded and love to sew, so together it's a work in progress. My goals are to stay housed and be creative.

TAKE $20 OFF

?

WHAT IS AN ETHICAL PHOTO GRAPHER We obviously know all about ethical fashion, but what is an ethical photographer?

What does this mean as opposed to a regular photographer in terms of ethics and values? We spoke with Eunice Pais, the founder of PAIS, an ethical photography agency focused on carbon neutral and socially impactful fashion productions.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN TERMS OF YOUR CAREER AND LIFE?

I think that when addressing sustainability and

I was born in Lisbon. My parents are Mozambican.

about the product ( how it’s made and who makes

I studied Psychology in London, became a teacher, lived in a few countries, and 5 years ago I became a

ethics in fashion, the conversation is very much it) and consumer responsibility. I saw a gap between those two since what attracts consumers to

photographer.

brands is, among other things, imagery.

WHAT WAS YOUR “AH-HA” MOMENT WHEN STARTING YOUR BUSINESS?

Having been an ethical fashion photographer for 5

In May 2020 I attended a crash course by The Slow

only worked with brands as a service provider, but

Factory. In one of the classes, we were asked to design a system, any system. I designed the aim and structure of the company in 20 minutes. The following class was about design justice held by the brilliant Ibada Wadud. She changed the way I think about responsibility in business and sustainability. I realized that more than an objective, it was my responsibility as a creative, artist and fashion photographer to create something that addresses both the environmental and social predicaments in

years, the reality is that for the most part, I have that wasn’t enough. Being adjacent to something doesn’t necessarily mean being what you’re adjacent to.

Whether intentionally or not, sometimes fashion productions can be exploitative: there is waste on sets that can be avoided if not eliminated altogether. Socially, cultural misrepresentation, appropriation, and inequities can go unchecked and I believe that conversations around these

fashion.

aspects in photography need to be had so that we

WHY WAS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU TO START AN ETHICAL AGENCY?

and truly add value to our partners and our

Firstly, even though sustainability implies ethics, that sometimes is overlooked in business practices, especially in fashion.

can start moving towards regenerative practices businesses.

Founding PAIS was a way to present a solution to many aspects of fashion photography and to elevate photography to the role of partner in sustainability.

HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH?

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE?

I have gained considerable knowledge about

leap of faith. With restrictions in place, managing

sustainable fashion through the many

the logistics of a production has been hard.

Starting a business during a pandemic was a giant

conversations and sharing of insight within the community. That has helped me understand the ways brands practice sustainability and how to support them.

By having clear community goals and core values, we mostly attract whom we want to work with, and we only approach brands aligned with our values.

I have made many mistakes by blindly believing that a brand was ethical just because they said so.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST WIN? A month after launching PAIS, I ran my first fashion production with three amazing brands, which I’ve been a fan of for a long time. I photographed an inspiring model and activist. The conversations we had were powerful and gave me plenty of clarity on how PAIS can be disruptive for good. This is a pretty big win, too! I’ve never been featured before and I love your work.

As a result, there is an assessment stage before accepting a job. That safeguards the agency, and the people involved to avoid acting to the detriment of anything consciously.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO TURN DOWN BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T ALIGN WITH YOUR VALUES? Yes, many times.

YOU ARE BASED IN PORTUGAL. WHAT IS THE MENTALITY AROUND SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICAL FASHION THERE? Portugal is a country of textile heritage, so there is plenty of effort being put into preserving that heritage and innovating. However, the focus is still very much on the materials and the environment, not on the people. Supply chain transparency is not addressed by various 'ethical' fashion brands, not the way it should be.

There is also a prevalent misconception that the label ‘made in Portugal’ means ethical because collectively, many think that labor practices in Europe in fashion are fair.

FAVORITE JOB/BRAND TO WORK WITH? Elementum, Tonlé, Mulxiply Greyjays , but I will be adding more to the list soon, surely.

2021

WHAT'S NEXT IN SUSTAINABLE FASHION? When you open up a “regular” fashion magazine, you might find an article listing the top trends to wear for a Night on the Town, or the Top Nail Colors for 2021 - you get the idea. But as a sustainable fashion magazine, we see that brands tend to have a much higher standard when it comes to trends.

One overarching theme we see across most sustainable brands is that their mission statement can oftentimes be such a huge part of what they are working on next.

Whether it be using new recycled materials or focusing more on natural fibers, being a sustainable brand means that you oftentimes have to forgo the typical trendy items and think bigger picture.

With that said, there are still trends within the sustainable fashion industry. Whether they are design related, values-driven, or based on new manufacturing technology, there are definitely still trends that designers take into consideration when it comes to producing new collections.

Here’s what we discovered after speaking with nine different brands about what they see trending in sustainable fashion for 2021.

NATURAL FIBERS I believe we will continue to see a move toward natural fibers and a focus on soil with regenerative agricultural practices. I look forward to a rise in networks of regional fiber systems and manufacturing. To make an impact, consuming less needs to be the trend.

– Daniel Leigh founder, FM 669

RECYLING MATERIALS "At PYRATES, we are convinced sustainable, responsible fashion, will turn even more towards the recycling of materials which are otherwise thrown away, such as agricultural or textile industry waste. We have recently released our PYRATEX® element II fabric, for example, which is made with food industry banana agri-waste.

– Pilar Tejada Lopez, PYRATES

EXCITING DESIGN Sustainable fashion doesn't have to be boring. I expect this year to include more fun, bold and colorful pieces that are comfortable and versatile enough to restyle for different looks. After a crazy year, I think we’d all like to see some fun and happy colors to lift moods and create positive energy in 2021.

– Vanni L, founder VALANI

INNOVATIVE FABRIC "We're so excited to see more hemp and innovative fibers like banana fabric being incorporated into sustainable fashion. We are really big fans of hemp textiles at Made Trade and can't wait for this durable and earth-friendly fiber to become much more mainstream in the U.S. market especially!"

– Cayley Pater, Founder Made Trade

VEGAN MATERIALS + SYNTHETIC WASTE RECYCLING Brands like us create awareness by teaching the importance of vegan materials such as cactus leather, pineapple, apple, among others. We also see the evolution of new production models for sustainable development recycling and regeneration of synthetic waste such as fishing nets and spun into a new textile product as robust as nylon.

– Laura Aguilera CEO & Creative Director VICTORIA PARIS

ORGANIC LUXURY Fascinated by the Silk Road, Camille was inspired by its craftsmanship and ancestral traditions. Her sustainable creations are meant as a praise to the past by highlighting long-standing and unique skills while also taking part in the writing of the world to come.

“Organic luxury is to make less but to tell more."

– Camille Jaillant, OLISTIC

SHIFTING THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY “ADIFF was founded on the beliefs that fashion should be responsive to global issues, which is why we created a new system to upcycle waste

materials

support

+

and

provide

opportunities

to

resettled refugees. We envision sustainability and ethics as the

SOLVING POVERTY

future

“If you are to be serious about solutions

can participate in bringing forward

to poverty, you have to do two things:

this industry shift, not just those

create jobs, and do so for women.”– ABLE

of

fashion

and

are

committed to ensuring everyone

who

can

afford

"sustainable" items.”

traditionally

– Angela Luna & Loulwa Al Saad, ADIFF

REGENERATIVE FASHION Our mission is to use fashion as a tool for environmental regeneration. To us, sustainability today can only mean regenerative. We are well past the time of trying to reduce negative impacts and we need to start thinking big about how our economies will contribute to reversing climate change. We believe that the fashion industry is in a unique position to do this, thanks to its global reach and massive volumes.

– Aroa Fernandez Alvarez Cofounder Trace Collective

PR STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE BRANDS A CONVERSATION WITH LORRAINE SANDERS OF THE SPIRIT OF 608 AND WHY SHE FULLY SUPPORTS PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION WHEN IT COMES TO THE SUSTAINABLE FASHION INDUSTRY.

Photographer: Sophia Bain, Sophia Bain Photography

By Lauren Tanaka-Fortune

I

f you’ve been in the sustainable fashion space for a while now, chances are you’ve

LORRAINE SANDERS: No. I’ve always been a little apologetic about fashion. When I was drawn to it early

listened to the Spirit of 608 podcast.

Hosted by Lorraine Sanders, a PR expert

on I felt that it was frivolous. It’s about elitism, and exclusivity. And while it’s beautiful to look at in a

and fashion journalist, Lorraine interviews brands and thought leaders surrounding the fashion, entrepreneurship,

magazine, I couldn’t get behind the values of it. So I was conflicted about it and wasn’t comfortable with a lot of what it meant. As I started to report more and more, I

sustainability and tech world. An acronym she refers to as FEST brands. She has

realized you have to be really inspired by what you’re covering because it’s SO much work (and you don’t get

interviewed various sustainable fashion founders as well as some very notable names in our industry such as author Elizabeth Cline, and also less known names (like myself lol you can check out my recent interview here.)

→

Lorraine’s podcast has always been a favorite of mine ever since I began this journey. The Spirit of 608 was one of the first podcasts I ever listened to regularly as she’s truly a leader in sustainable fashion media and now PR. Hearing her story was quite inspiring considering she started out unsure if she would ever become a journalist due to insecurities of not knowing if she could pull off being an actual reporter.

Ironically she went on to get her masters degree at Stanford University in Communications (no big deal) She then went on to write for various small publications focused on community and neighborhood issues such as homelessness in San Francisco, or gay marriage (which she covered when it was legalized in 2004 by Gavin Newsome in California).

In her early twenties, which was somewhat around the time when “retail therapy” came into play, she realized she had to curb her shopping habit a bit. It was then that she began to realize how many new independent designers were popping up everywhere. In an effort to support these small brands (and potentially justify her shopping habit), she became more and more interested in the small local independent creatives.

This was right around the time that Etsy was popping up and brands were selling at maker’s markets, craft fairs, etc. It was then that Lorraine created a blog to keep track of all the different shopping events happening throughout San Francisco.

By starting that blog she became known as a writer who wrote about emerging designers which soon parlayed into fashion jobs such as writing for SF based 7x7. From there she began getting more and more writing jobs focused around the future of fashion and fashion tech, and eventually found herself in the fashion niche after writing for over a decade.

LAUREN TANAKA: When you set out to be a journalist, was it always the route you intended to take in terms of writing about fashion?

paid very much). So for me to get rallied and hound people for content, I really needed to be into what I was doing. So I found myself pitching again and again around innovation or female founders doing something they thought they couldn’t do. They had the potential to radically change the negative elements that I saw in fashion.

LT: So how did you pivot to PR? LS: When I was starting the Spirit of 608 Podcast, I started getting more and more questions after the interview about, how do I get into the media? And they would have all these questions that they didn’t have any information about how to get into the press. They were getting led down these dubious pathways from PR people, spending all their capital. So I started working with them and eventually launched a membership called Press Dope (which I recently shut down), and is now an online course.

LT: What are some mistakes you see sustainable brands or small brands doing when it comes to their PR strategy and what advice would you give to them in terms of PR strategies?

LS: Top three mistakes that they typically make are: one, thinking it's too early to pitch. Secondly, pitching a publication but not reaching their audience. So making their decisions on the publications they want to be in and not who’s reading. They’re like I want to be in the New York Times, or Vogue. They want to be in whomever they feel is a prestigious name but they haven't thought about where their audience lives. And finally, lead by your audience, not by reach. PR should be aligned with your business goals otherwise it’s a waste of time. For example, I have a client that I’ve worked with for several years who have been featured in many major news outlets. But the publication that they receive the most converting traffic is from a niche blog that specifically targets their product. If you can get into these high-profile publications, do it, and fine that’s great you get to put that logo on your press bar. But what really ends up being a business driver are those publications that are the gatekeepers to their audience.

Photographer: Sophia Bain, Sophia Bain Photography

LT: Tell us more about Press Dope and its new version as an online course?

LS: Yeah it’s an online course, there’s video training, templates, guides, and everything you need to do your own PR. But along with that, the Facebook group is a place where we post media opportunities specifically for FEST brands. We’ve done this as a one-off service (previously) and it’s a huge huge value, which you get to be part of in the course. There are about 25 networks we look at to find various media opportunities and put them in the Facebook group so you don’t have to find them yourself.

It’s also different because you’re getting trained by someone who has sat on both sides of the pitching world. So I’ve been in the industry for 20 plus years, understand PR and it’s also specifically for FEST brands.

When I started learning more and more about the

There are guides to walk you through your story, finding

fashion industry, I was floored -- like so many people

your media moments, and everything that you need to

who've worked in it and seen the realities of its effects on

execute a professional campaign. And then also a

people and the environment -- to learn that so many

constant influx of leads to help you get press without

beautiful things had a dark underbelly that mostly went

pitching. Free Gift

unseen and ignored by the general population. At first, it

→ DIY PR Quick Start Kit

was easy to argue that brands were evil if they did not

“I DON'T WANT TO HIDE OUT UNDER THE VEIL OF COMPLEXITY, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S EASY TO JUMP ON A SOCIAL MEDIA BANDWAGON AND TAKE AN EXTREMIST VIEWPOINT WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCES OF EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO THE PRODUCTION OF APPAREL, SHOES AND ACCESSORIES ON A GLOBAL SCALE.”

immediately change their ways, that governments were

GG: This issue is all about Progress Over Perfection.

consumers be the ones in charge of changing fashion's

How do you apply this mindset to your business and in

problematic relationship with social and environmental

life? How can brands apply this mindset?

justice? No. But wait, why? While a high percentage of

failing their people by not instantly regulating corporations' business practices, and consumers acting with negligence for buying tainted goods.

As I started to learn more and talked to more and more people around the world about these issues, the complexity of the issues at play became clearer and clearer. I don't want to hide out under the veil of complexity, but I do think that it's easy to jump on a social media bandwagon and take an extremist viewpoint without understanding the nuances of everything that goes into the production of apparel, shoes, and accessories on a global scale.

Should brands pay their suppliers so workers have shelter and food? Absolutely. Will more government regulations influence better business practices -possibly. Are they worth exploring? Absolutely. Should

consumers do shop from brands that align with their LS: For me personally, perfection is an illusion and it’s

values, it is not for any of us to say how any individual

unachievable so I don’t even get close to striving for it.

should spend their money. To do so aligns what is a

When I’m worried about perfection usually it’s a

subjective morality judgment with capitalism. And while

visibility issue that comes back to how I’m being

that morality may be in the name of good and a driver

perceived. I really do applaud progress over perfection

toward the more sustainable fashion industry a lot of us

in this space because I’d rather help advocate for what

want to see, it's a devil's in the details idea that sounds

can happen now.

good, but in reality has more likelihood of

Photographer: Sophia Bain, Sophia Bain Photography

alienating and dividing people than creating meaningful

Levi's producing jeans made with less water and a

global change. Where I think consumer behavior and

million companies making yoga pants out of plastic

opinion is really important is in how it influences the

bottles as a net positive, while also acknowledging that

forces that influence brands' business behaviors, which

each is far from perfect and, in fact, may have negative

are chiefly their investors and the governments they

trade-offs in certain areas of the entire landscape. The

operate under. So while it may seem that consumer

bottom line is that we have a long way to go and more

behavior is actually changing business practices, I think

work to be done, but it's important to see steps being

it's a more indirect route, one in which citizen-

made.

consumers behavior and opinion influence investors and

Imagine a massive ravine you've got to cross. You can

political bodies to take action and demand different

see the other side. The rickety bridge across is a middle

business behavior. But those things take a long time.

that's scary and maybe even a little bit dangerous. But

It will take years before we see a massive shift in the

that's part of the journey. You can't have one without the

fashion industry's ties to social and environmental

other.

justice, but it's in progress. And while we look to that better future in the distance and advocate for the ideal scenarios we'd like to see, I also applaud imperfect signs of progress. I think it's possible to see, say, H&M having

PHOTOGRAPHY BY @SOPHIABAIN

a recycling program as a positive sign of progress,

@SOPHIABAINPHOTOGRAPHY

ethical

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