WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

The New York Times calls him "the poster boy for zero waste living". He's a florist, artist, restaurateur, architect, inventor and revolutionary thinker. Meet the man on a mission to convince us we can grow all the food we need where we live.In this riveting episode, we discuss everything from how wasteful the floristry industry is to the microbial power of healthy soil to boost serotonin (Yep, it can get you high apparently). What would happen if we reconnected with the natural world? How might eating seasonally change our health, happiness and impact? Could we really grow all the food we need on the roof and walls of our houses and apartment buildings? What's the future of green cities?Enjoying the show? Thank you for listening. Please help us spread the word. Rating and reviewing in iTunes can help others find us. Or share about the show on social media. Find Clare on Instagram and Twitter @mrspressTo see all the podcast info and shownotes, visit www.clarepress.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy in

Do you have any idea how much it actually costs to make your clothes? Most brands would rather you didn't.Meet the fashion disruptor who is happy to tell you exactly what it costs his company to make its products, and exactly how much profit they make on each style.Michael Preysman founded Everlane on the concept of "radical transparency" and says: “We believe our customers have a right to know how much their clothes cost to make. We reveal the true costs behind all of our products—from materials to labor to transportation—then offer them to you, minus the traditional retail markup.”Why is transparency important in the fashion industry? How does that idea apply when it comes to garment workers and factory supply chains? How did this Californian start up become a major global player, and what drives Michael Preysman? In this interview we discuss what it takes to succeed, the power of disruption, and being okay with not being perfect. Check out the shownotes on clarepress.com for li

Did you know that handwork, or craft, is the second largest employer of women in emerging economies? Since a large proportion of them work from home, this is an often hidden and unregulated sector.Post Rana Plaza, there's been more attention on garment factories, but how often do we consider outworkers - homeworkers - who are often contracted by third parties?This week's guest is Rebecca van Bergen, founder of fab New York-based NGO, Nest. They are on a mission to “build a new handworker economy to increase global workforce inclusivity, improve women's wellbeing beyond factories, and preserve important cultural traditions around the world.”In this interview, we discuss what it takes to make it as a social entrepreneur, the importance of practical plan as well as a big vision, the familiar story of women's work being values and what's being done about it. Enjoying the show? Don't forget to hit subscribe, and please tell your friends! Connect with Clare on Instagram and Twitter, @mprsressHead t

I'm sure you've heard that sustainable fashion is the thing right now. Searches on Lyst increased by 66% last year. Vogue has a sustainability editor. Slow fashion is so popular that even Zara is trying to convince us they're not a fast fashion brand. But what does it take to make it as an independent designer working in this space? To cut through the noise to become a sustainable label people talk about? And buy?Are hard work and dedication enough? Nope, says Courtney Holm, the Australian designer behind buzzy independent fashion label A.BCH. She argues that new gen designers need to rethink the whole system. Holm is on a mission to revolutionise how we buy, wear and dispose of clothing.In this interview we discuss the instinct to have a go yourself when you see something isn't being done, the importance of doing your homework and the usefulness of having a stubborn streak. And we bust the myth that size matters when it comes to being the change.Enjoying the show? Let us know via www.clarepress.com

Denim is ubiquitous. Almost 2 billion pairs of jeans were sold around the world in 2017. That's a lot of jeans. It's also a lot of jeans waste. According to The New Textiles Economy report, less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new clothing. We're landfilling and incinerating more while at the same time decreasing clothing use over time. The new Jeans Redesign Guidelines from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation seek to solve this. Can they get everyone on board? Enjoying the show? Let us know via www.clarepress.comFind Clare on Instagram and Twitter @mrspressThank you for listening. Don't forget to hit subscribe!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

By 2030, we keep going as we are, the fashion industry will manufacture 102 million tons of clothes and shoes. For comparison, that's the weight equivalent of half million blue whales!Growth is not something we like to question in the fashion industry (or indeed any industry). In our capitalist system, commercial success is measured by growth. But, how can we support infinite growth on a finite planet? “If we could live within the limits of what we've already got, we could get a glimpse of what fashion might be like beyond consumerist obsessions,” says this week's guest, Kate Fletcher.Kate is a professor at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion in London. She is a founding member of the Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion, and the author of a wonderful book called Craft of Use. In it she asks, what if we paid more attention to the tending and wearing of garments rather than their acquisition? Enjoying the show? Let us know via www.clarepress.comFind Clare on Instagram a

What drives us to consume, and what does over-consumption do to us and the planet?Twenty-five-old British poet, filmmaker and activist Wilson Oryema describes himself as “a semi-retired fashion model”. He was scouted on his lunch break when he was working a London office job, and walked his first show for Margiela in Paris in 2015. He went on to appear in ads for Calvin Klein Underwear and Hugo Boss.His first book of poetry, titled Wait, explores consumerism, contemporary culture and waste. It sprang from an art show he held in a London gallery, after he interned for his photographer friend Harley Weir.Now, as well as writing, he's making short films about the fashion industry's impacts on the environment. Wilson says poetry is just another way to communicate his ideas to his audience, and that when he began it didn't worry him one bit that he hadn't read loads of poetry - he just gave it a go and it worked.  This interview is about how we reach different people, how we story tell, and - ulti

Cameron Saul is a British social entrepreneur and the co-founder of ethical accessories brand Bottletop. For his next trick, he's teamed up with the United Nations and Project Everyone on #TOGETHERBAND - which is all about spreading awareness of the UN Sustainable Development Goals - (SDGs) - also known as the Global Goals.“We want solutions, but what most of us don't realise is that there is a roadmap for a healthy planet, and that's the Global Goals. It's an extraordinary framework for action and for scaling solutions, and helping us achieve that healthy future for ourselves, our children and our children's children.” - Cameron SaulJoin us as we decode the Goals, and discuss where we're kicking them and where we've got a long way to go. This is an inspiring and info-packed episode - essential listening, sustainability warriors!Join the conversation - follow Clare in Instagram and TwitterDon't miss the show-notes each week on clarepress.com - they're packed with links and extra info.See omnystudi

(Trigger warning: this interview contains a brief reference to suicide.)This week's interview is with brilliant writer and activist Professor Jennifer Finney Boylan. Her memoir She's Not There, A Life in Two Genders is a must-read, as are her New York Times columns.For many years, Jenny was the co-chair of GLAAD's board of directors. She was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kinsey Institute for Research on Sex, Gender and Reproduction, and she advised and appeared on the TV series I Am Cait with Caitlin Jenner. But wait - there's more: Jennifer Boylan's big TV moment was on Oprah, and you're going to hear all about that.We discuss the transgender experience, and the detail of Jennifer's journey. We talk about the role and limitations of clothes in communicating identity, how fashion represents status, the moral imagination, why Kris Jenner believes in the power of the stylist, and fighting bigotry in Trumpland. Join the conversation - follow Clare in Instagram and TwitterDon't miss the show-notes

Blue jeans were invented by Jacob Davis and Levis Strauss in the 1870s. They were worn by gold miners and cowboys, then James Dean, Marlon Brando, American teenagers and rock stars. If you want to talk about the history of cool, Levi's was there. From Debbie Harry and The Ramones to Jim Morrison - they all wore Levi's. And did you also know that Levi's introduced women's jeans in 1934, when skirts were the norm? The company has also been active raising money and awareness in the fight against AIDs since the '80s. So there's a lot to love about this brand.But how sustainable is Levi's? This week, we hear from Levi's Vice-President of Sustainability, Michael Kobori. He started out in human rights, and joined Levi's in 1995. He's seen the conversation move from sweatshops and corporate social responsibility (CSR) to new gen materials, life cycle assessments, worker wellbeing and carbon emissions. Join the conversation - follow Clare in Instagram and TwitterDon't miss the show-notes each week on clarepress.c

CHOOSE LIFE, EDUCATION NOT MISSILES, WORLDWIDE NUCLEAR BAN NOW, SAVE THE FUTURE, and more recently, CANCEL BREXIT...just a few of the iconic slogan T-shirts designed by this week's guest over the years.Designer Katharine Hamnett is one of the pioneers of modern British fashion. She invented the much copied slogan T-shirt, was the first winner of the British Fashion Council's 'Designer of the Year' award (in 1984), and championed organic cotton long before it was trendy. This year marks her 40th in the industry.In 1989, her research into fashion's environmental & social impact horrified her. She lobbied the industry to act for change, but with little success. She campaigned directly on issues such as the use of pesticides and the plight of cotton farmers, and badgered her licensees to reduce the environmental and social impact of her collections. But it was a war before its time. She took the decision to wind down her brand – ripping up licences – until production methods could meet her environ

We don't talk very much about mindfulness in fashion, but it's not like the two are mutually exclusive. If the opposite of sustainable fashion is thoughtlessly buying more and more clothes and getting rid of them after just a few wears, then mindfulness surely has a place.Fashion journalist Bandana Tewari is a former Vogue India editor who now writes for Business of Fashion, and speaks globally on India's rich tradition of fashion craftsmanship. This episode covers that but from a unique perspective: Bandana's been developing a theory around what we can learn from the great Indian activist Mohandas Gandhi (mahatma means high-souled in Sanskrit). It was Gandhi who lead the khadi movement, uniting Indians in opposition to British colonial rule around the issue of cotton production. How did he develop his sartorial integrity, and what can we learn from that in today's context of hyper-consumerism. As powerful argument as we ever heard in support of the idea that clothes do matter...Join the conversation - follow

In 2011, Arizona Muse landed a Prada contract and a 14-page story in American Vogue, with Anna Wintour comparing her to Linda Evangelista and Natalia Vodianova. She's since become a familiar face on Vogue covers everywhere (including Vogue Paris, British vogue plus she's graced 3 Australian Vogue covers). But these days Arizona has new priorities.Today she is using her platform to help the industry that she loves transition to a more sustainable future. She's been working with The Sustainable Angle, curating showcases of young sustainable designers with her friend Rebecca Corbin-Murray, and she plans to set up a consultancy.This episode is about following your dreams, diving into new worlds, reinvention, and learning. It's the story of a woman we knew for one reason, her beauty, changing the conversation around her, to focus outward. Join the conversation - follow Clare in Instagram and TwitterDon't miss the show-notes each week on clarepress.com - they're packed with links and extra info.See omnystudio.

Meet the millennial behind cult New Zealand label Maggie Marilyn. We hear a lot about how the Gens Y and Z are more woke, more into sustainability and of course more worried about climate change and the environment - why wouldn't they be? These are the generations that are going to inherit the mess that's been made. They are already inheriting it.Find out why designer Maggie Hewitt is determined to do fashion differently, how she sold her very first collection to Net-A-Porter and gets most excited about seeing her clothes worn by women she doesn't know in the street. Yep, even though Megan Markle, Kendall Jenner and Rose McGowan are fans.The brand launched in 2016, and is Made in New Zealand. Big on pink, but never simply pretty, these clothes evoke a sense of feminine strength and speak to the designer's passion for sustainable production and materials. (BTW, who wants to move to New Zealand?!)Join the conversation - follow Clare in Instagram and TwitterDon't miss the show-notes each week on clarepress.com -

The mainstream fashion production process is extremely wasteful. The whole system is built on over-ordering, taking a punt on how much will sell, and writing off over-production. This leads to shocking amounts of pre-consumer textiles and garments being landfilled or incinerated - according to some estimates, 1/3 of all the fashion ever produced it never sold.Australian made-to-order T-shirt company Citizen Wolf is using big data and algorithmic power to disrupt this. And they plan to take on the world. Can it work? How did founders Zoltan Csaki and Eric Phu build it? This thought-provoking discussion looks into the fashion crystal ball to imagine a leaner, greener, more responsive manufacturing future.For links and further reading, check out the show notes here.Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast in iTunes, and join the conversation on social media. You can find Clare on Instagram and Twitter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fashion has a long association with craft, but what about fashion activism? Could we stitch out way to a better world?Meet the author of How to be a Craftivist and founder of Craftivist Collective. Sarah Corbett believes, “If we want a world that is beautiful, kind and fair, shouldn't our activism be beautiful, kind and fair?”This Episode is a call to arms for fashion change-makers, a demonstration of the persuasive nature of gentle activism, and the wonderful idea that together we might stitch a rebellion, sweep out the status quo and usher in a fairer world in fashion and beyond.Happy Fashion Revolution Week! For links and further reading, check out the show notes here.Are you a craftivist? Would you like to be? We'd love to know what you think. Find Clare on Instagram & Twitter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As we gear up to Earth Day on April 22, we're thinking about living more lightly on the planet. This year's theme is Protect Our Species, and one of the quotes that inspired it is from Rachel Carson, who said, “In nature nothing exists alone.”This week's podcast guest is proof of that. She is Natalie Isaacs, the super-inspiring Australian movement builder behind 1 Million Women. Natalie is one-woman powerhouse who decided to harness that power of other women - heck, the whole of womankind! - to start a lifestyle revolution to fight climate change. We discuss connectivity, community and staying focused, plus the fact that the strangest routes can lead you to where you want to be. How did Natalie transition from cosmetics producer (and plastic polluter) to eco warrior? What kickstarted the process, and kept her going? How does she bring others along with her? And how can you?“We as individuals and as citizens of the world have a) and obligation and b) the power," she says. "We have g

Who's up for stopping our wasteful ways and reimagining trash as a resource? This week's guest is proving fashion can be made from entirely from recycled materials.He is Javier Goyeneche, president and founder of Ecoalf, the Spanish clothing company that pioneers high-tech new materials made from waste.If you're a sustainability nerd, you've no doubt heard of Ecoalf. It was Spain's first B-corp and Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan - a few years back she did a collab with them for Goop.They've developed fabrics from used coffee grounds, cotton waste from the cutting room floor, old fishing nets and car tyres and ocean plastic, and they've created a cult brand in the process, focused on timeless sporty pieces designed to last.We've all heard of recycled poly made from discarded PET bottles, some even collected from our shorelines and beaches. But Javier set his sights on cleaning up the open ocean. The Ecoalf Foundation has partnered with thousands of fishermen in Spain and Thailand to fish for the ocean plastic that's

Have you heard that phrase: from seed to garment? Probably, right? Because most natural textiles are grown in the Earth. Around 24% of textiles are made from cotton, while hemp, linen and wool all depend on soil. But how often does fashion get its fingernails into the actual dirt?Perhaps it ought to start, because according to the UN, globally, one third soil is degraded. If we carry on like this, we could lose all of our precious topsoil in 60 years. Fashion isn't entirely to blame, but it certainly has it's part to play. Our guest this week is Swiss-born Londoner with a Masters degree in sustainable agriculture, who is now taking on the fashion world. Nina Marenzi runs The Sustainable Angle, which stages the Future Fabrics Expo. It's all about what she calls ‘diversifying the fibre basket'  - or rethinking fashion materials.The Expo showcases 1000s of fabrics that can help lighten fashion's environmental footprint, from organic and eco-friendly versions of our staples, to recy

Is sustainable fashion elitist? Does fashion contribute to poor body image and eating disorders by perpetuating a single, unattainable beauty ideal? What can we do about fashion's diversity problem? How do we, as consumers of fashion, navigate all this? "You can't do it all at the moment,” says this week's guest. “You have to make choices based on your values and those are your personal ethics.”Sass Brown is an English designer, educator and the author of Eco Fashion. For many years, Sass taught at FIT in New York. She was the Founding Dean of the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI). She has purple hair, is a dedicated thrifter and has her shoes made by hand. But actually, this is not an interview about a life in fashion...In this conversation, we focus on how fashion shapes our collective image, and how and why we allow it to dictate culture, and often get it so wrong.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See acast.com/privacy for privac