Ethical Fashion Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Many brands have joined the UNFCC Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, and made commitments in line with the Paris agreement, but there’s a lot of work to do to reduce emissions. Textiles play a key role.

What are ‘preferred fibres’? How sustainable is cotton? Is recycled polyester the answer? What about the new innovations? And how can brands and consumers make the best choices, and avoid greenwashing? Textile Exchange is a global non-profit that seeks to positively impact climate through accelerating the use of preferred fibres across the global textile industry. They aim to get the industry to reduce emissions from fibre and material production by 35 - 45%. Can we do it? What will it take? In this info-rich interview, Simone and Clare ask the expert – Claire Bergkamp, Textile Exchange’s COO.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that every year, 3.2 billion trees are cut down to make paper packaging, or fabrics such as rayon and viscose? Many of these trees come from the world’s most ancient and endangered Forests. We're smarter than that, says this week's guest, Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy Planet. 

Canopy is on a mission to protect the world’s forests, species, and climate, and to help advance Indigenous communities’ rights. And Nicole wants fashion industry to transition to what she calls 'next generation solutions' - using waste feedstocks instead of virgin trees to make cellulosic fibres. Can we do it? Why is biodiversity such a hot topic? And how are brands, policy makers and investors stepping up? 

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's podcast is guest hosted by American stylist and creative director Alexander-Julian (AJ) Gibbson. In a vibrant conversation with Abrima Erwiah, co-founder and president of fashion social enterprise Studio 189, you'll hear all about creating, running and building a fashion business with purpose in Accra.

Studio 189 is an award-winning fashion label based in Ghana and the United States. Its goal is to promote African and African-inspired fashion. Abrima and AJ explore the challenges and benefits of local production, the human aspect of slow fashion and to the beauty of knowing the stories of the people behind the process.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast series was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexander-Julian Gibbson is a Houston-based stylist and content creator known for his directional shoots for magazines (think GQ, Vogue and Flaunt) and musicians like Patoranking.

This week, Simone and Clare meet the Nigerian-American creative force to discuss Lagos style, why the world is looking to African fashion right now, and career pathways for emerging Black creatives.

They also have a frank conversation about the state of diversity and inclusion in the global fashion industry, what needs to change and what's being done.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is about fashion and art, healing and opportunities in Burrundi. Today a creative scene is blossoming in Bujumbura with artists, musicians, photographers and designers using the power of self-expression and the beauty of creativity to connect, and foster new economic opportunities.

Margaux Wong designer Margaux Rusita is one such creative. She designs sustainable and ethically produced jewellery, hand-crafted from cow horn and brass, and was part of the Ethical Fashion Initiative’s inaugural Accelerator Programme for African Designers. An artistic spirit with beautiful energy, she is also mother to five children, and passionate about female empowerment.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we meet two rising fashion design stars. Both are part of the Ethical Fashion Initiative's Accelerator Programme for Emerging African designers. 

Jennifer Mulli is the founder of Kenyan brand Jiamini - made by women for women. Known for its jewellery, in particular extravagant beaded neckpieces, bracelets and bags, they use age-old craft traditions passed down the generations and brought to life by skilled female artisans. Mulli discusses empowering women through ethical employment pathways and the beauty of using heritage fashion techniques to do so.

Lukhanyo Mdingi is a South African fashion designer based in Cape Town who is gaining accolades globally for his sophisticated men’s and womenswear collections. A textile enthusiast, Mdingi manufactures locally with a luxury aesthetic. In this conversation, we talk about how a small brand can take on the international market, the slow fashion approach and the opportunities for re-shoring garment production in South Africa.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Access to technology is changing the game for a new generation of young African entrepreneurs, and the creative economy provides exciting opportunities on the continent. But with young people making up 60% of Africa’s unemployed, how can they overcome career challenges and harness digital connectivity to get ahead? And what skills and qualities are companies looking for in potential young employees today?

Welcome to the second episode in our new series focused on Africa. Our guest host this week is Roberta Annan, impact investor and founder of Africa Fashion Fund. She is in conversation with Patricia Obo-Nai, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana. They discuss mentoring new talent, the importance of digital and financial literacy, women in leadership, their own career paths to becoming prominent female business leaders in Ghana, and strategies for emerging creative entrepreneurs across Africa in the digital era.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virgil Abloh is one of the most interesting designers working in the global fashion industry today. He is the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, as well as the creative force behind his own brand Off-White. A true polymath, he is a multi-media artist who moves culture forwards and describes his creative process, across multiple platforms, as “taking an idea and dreaming it aloud”.

In this, the first episode of Series 2, hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press sit down with Abloh to discuss diversity and inclusion, his latest projects, what he calls “mentoring by existence” and his personal creative journey. It’s conversation as a rollercoaster ride swooping from Andy Warhol to Miles Davis and James Baldwin to Caravaggio, fashion students, Abloh’s aims and inspirations, and the role of a designer today.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of Series 1, Simone and Clare talk with Jeanne De Kroon, the founder of Zazi Vintage - a high-end fashion social enterprise that celebrates upcycled fabrics and artisan techniques. Zazi works with the EFI in Afghanistan.

Jeanne is a free spirit who says her mission is to create: "a narrative that connects and weaves cultures together through cloth, that works with women storytellers all over the world." 

This vibrant conversation is really good fun, but, like fashion, it also engages with serious, complex issues.We discuss the deep questions shaping the sustainability discourse today: who profits and who pays the true cost, transparency, finding purpose, and seeking ways to bridge different cultures.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, our theme is Social and Environmental Sustainability Standards. Why do we need to talk about this? Standards exist. Indeed, some say there are too many. And yet problems in fashion's supply chains persist. The fashion industry is well known for it's labour issues and adverse environmental impacts. Are things improving? What is missing when it comes to compliance, collaboration and consumer input, and how might  increase transparency and accountability?

To fill out the picture and explore the solutions, your hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press interview: Paola Deda, who works for the UN Economic Commission for Europe and is active in the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, Jill Dumain, CEO of the company behind the BlueSign certification system and Biatriz Cunha, a specialist in the textiles, clothing, leather, footwear sector at the ILO.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.