Lewis & Friends: Curious Conversations with Leaders in Sustainable Fashion – Details, episodes & analysis

Guest: Gio Zenteno

Guest: Dan Xavier, Aii Product Manager

La Rhea Pepper is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the global non-profit Textile Exchange and a life-long advocate for more sustainable practices in the apparel and textile industry.  For more than 18 years, Textile Exchange has been at the forefront of driving meaningful change towards preferred, organic and regenerative fibers. After spearheading the successful growth of the organic cotton market, Textile Exchange (formerly Organic Exchange) has expanded the chain of custody standards beyond Organic Fibers, to include recycled rPET, as well as Responsible Down, Responsible Wool and Mohair.  

A 5th generation farmer and the co-founder of two successful organic cotton businesses, La Rhea’s unique perspective helps her lead Textile Exchange along with its pioneering Members to create preferred fiber and material strategies, strengthen integrity in the market place through the adoption of standards and promote deeper engagement within the supply network.

Prior to Textile Exchange, La Rhea and her late husband, Terry, were founding members of the Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative (TOCMC) in 1993.  Today, TOCMC is the largest organic cotton cooperative in the United States. Together, they built and demonstrated a sustainable business model for farmers creating strategic partnerships with various manufacturers and “value-added” programs including Cotton Plus (organic fabric) and Organic Essentials (organic personal care products). 

In 1995, La Rhea served on the Administrative Council for Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and two years later was elected to the Organic Trade Association’s Fiber Council Steering Committee. She joined the Organic Trade Association’s Board of Directors in 1998 where she supported the creation of organic fiber processing standards and chain of custody for the industry. Continuing to serve and support advocacy for family farms in the US, she more recently served as chair for RAFI – the Rural Advancement Foundation International from 2015-2018.  La Rhea is currently serving on the board of Directors for CottonConnect and the Regenerative Organic Alliance.

Ms. Pepper holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Abilene Christian University and a Master’s of Science in Organizational Leadership from Lubbock Christian University. 

www.TextileExchange.org

*************

About Apparel Impact Institute (Aii)
Aii identifies, funds, scales and measures proven quality solutions to accelerate positive impact in the fashion industry. At Aii, we look for scalable solutions and best practices that can be applied to the entire value chain. By improving upon the environmental footprint of the current industrial model we (know/recognize) the key to unlocking the future will involve new innovations of materials, manufacturing and business models. Learn more: 
Website:  http://www.apparelimpact.org
Instagram +Twitter: @apparelimpactinstitute

Amina Razvi is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC). Under Amina’s leadership, the SAC’s 250+ members develop the Higg Index, a suite of tools that measure environmental and social impacts in the apparel, footwear, and textile industry. Previously, Amina was the Vice President of Membership at the SAC. Prior to joining the SAC, Amina led environmental initiatives on Gap Inc.’s global sustainability team. She has a Master of Architecture degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 
SAC Website: https://apparelcoalition.org/

*********************
About Apparel Impact Institute (Aii)
Aii identifies, funds, scales and measures proven quality solutions to accelerate positive impact in the fashion industry. At Aii, we look for scalable solutions and best practices that can be applied to the entire value chain. By improving upon the environmental footprint of the current industrial model we (know/recognize) the key to unlocking the future will involve new innovations of materials, manufacturing and business models. Learn more: 
Website:  http://www.apparelimpact.org
Instagram +Twitter: @apparelimpactinstitute

Marci has been instrumental in driving authenticity, environmental leadership & social justice worldwide for nearly three decades. With a degree from the Haas Business School at UC Berkeley, Marci co-founded a thriving health & environmental educational center in 1990 with an organic café, AVEDA concept salon, and national magazine. Now known as The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, it is the largest professional health coach certification program in the world.

ECOFASHION
Marci coined the term “ECOfashion” in 1995 and pioneered the fusion of ecology and fashion. Her vision: to style the world of change, while changing the world of style. Today, this movement is at a tipping point.

Marci keynotes, speaks and consults internationally on sustainable fashion, organic & regenerative agriculture, strategic vision, social innovation and green business/design. She was a key driver in developing the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), as well as the world’s first Fair Trade Textile Certification with Fair Trade USA. She has spearheaded and launched first time organic/sustainable fashion initiatives in top retailers — such as Whole Foods Market, Macy’s, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and AVEDA.

Marci’s achievements have been recognized throughout her career. She is both a Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) Fellow and a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. Marci has been honored by Retail TouchPoint’s “Retail Innovator Award”, ABC News’ “Legends and Legacies”, New York Moves’ “Power Woman Award”, Fashion Group International’s “Rising Star Award” and ELLE Magazine’s “Mercury Style Award” to name a few. She is also featured in the book: “ECO AMAZONS: 20 Women Who Are Transforming the World.”

Marci is an officer on the Board of Directors of both the Organic Trade Association and the Textile Exchange as well as Fashion Revolution USA. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the Cradle to Cradle Innovation Institute’s “Fashion Positive”, Turning Green, Fair Trade USA and others. Marci’s first book—ECOrenaissance: Co-creating a Stylish, Sexy & Sustainable World—was published by Simon & Schuster in August 2018.

An artist, yoga enthusiast, and mother of two “green” Millennials, Marci lives in New York City with her #greenmoregirls daughter Jade and ecopreneur husband & twin flame soulmate, Eric Schnell.

https://marcizaroff.com/

********************

About Apparel Impact Institute (Aii)
Aii identifies, funds, scales and measures proven quality solutions to accelerate positive impact in the fashion industry. At Aii, we look for scalable solutions and best practices that can be applied to the entire value chain. By improving upon the environmental footprint of the current industrial model we (know/recognize) the key to unlocking the future will involve new innovations of materials, manufacturing and business models. Learn more: 
Website:  http://www.apparelimpact.org
Instagram +Twitter: @apparelimpactinstitute

Burak Cakmak is a strategic catalyst with extensive experience in corporate, academic and non-profit organizations building innovation driven sustainable solutions.

He is the co-founder of Thean.co, a strategic fashion consultancy and The Digital Fashion Group, a European collaboration between fashion and technology.

Most recently he served 5 years as the Dean of Fashion at Parsons School of Design where he led the implementation of a new innovative curriculum for fashion design and business programs. During his tenure, he leveraged his expertise in sustainable design to emphasize socially conscious and transformational design to formulate the educational approach and training of the next generation of creators. His experience includes directional roles at corporate and non-profit institutions including Swarovski Group, Gap Inc and Kering’s luxury brands. Under his leadership, he oversaw implementation of best-practice industry standards across all business functions, including raw material sourcing, supply chain management, manufacturing, and retail operations.

He sits on the board of ‘Nest’, a non-profit organization building a new handworker economy, and is on the expert panels for innovation focused initiatives the Global Change Award, Kering’s K-Generation Award and LVMH Prize.

He has been invited to speak at a number of prominent, globally recognized conferences including the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, WebSummit and Fashion Asia Hong Kong. He has served on expert juries including the CFDA + Lexus Fashion* Initiative, and Open Style Lab and has lectured as a visiting professor at SKEMA Business School in France and China.

***************************
About Apparel Impact Institute (Aii)
Aii identifies, funds, scales and measures proven quality solutions to accelerate positive impact in the fashion industry. At Aii, we look for scalable solutions and best practices that can be applied to the entire value chain. By improving upon the environmental footprint of the current industrial model we (know/recognize) the key to unlocking the future will involve new innovations of materials, manufacturing and business models. Learn more:
Website:  http://www.apparelimpact.org​
Instagram +Twitter: @apparelimpactinstitute

KURT KIPKA, VICE PRESIDENT at APPAREL IMPACT INSTITUTE
As Vice President of Apparel Impact Institute, Kurt manages the growth and longevity of global programs including Clean by Design – a proven platform for improving the resource efficiency of textile mills in collaboration with multinational brands. Prior to joining Aii, he spent three years at the environmental non-profit, Natural Resources Defense Council, where he focused on developing platforms and tools to measure and improve environmental performance of leading brands and retailers. Kurt also spent 10 years in retail sourcing and has served as chair and active member of several retail industry councils and steering teams.

Kurt earned a BA in International Business from St. John’s University and an MBA from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Business.

*********************
About Apparel Impact Institute (Aii)
Aii identifies, funds, scales and measures proven quality solutions to accelerate positive impact in the fashion industry. At Aii, we look for scalable solutions and best practices that can be applied to the entire value chain. By improving upon the environmental footprint of the current industrial model we (know/recognize) the key to unlocking the future will involve new innovations of materials, manufacturing and business models. Learn more:
Website:  http://www.apparelimpact.org
Instagram +Twitter: @apparelimpactinstitute

On Earth Day, Aii President, Lewis Perkins, talks about where we are in the sustainable fashion movement, how consumer/ citizens can better address their closet and make "green" choices, and what's coming next....   Join us. 

About Apparel Impact Institute (Aii)
Aii identifies, funds, scales and measures proven quality solutions to accelerate positive impact in the fashion industry. At Aii, we look for scalable solutions and best practices that can be applied to the entire value chain. By improving upon the environmental footprint of the current industrial model we (know/recognize) the key to unlocking the future will involve new innovations of materials, manufacturing and business models. 
Learn more: www.apparelimpact.org
Follow up on social:  @apparelimpactinstitute

Jasmin Malik Chua is the sourcing and labor editor at Sourcing Journal, where she writes about the apparel and footwear industry through the lens of sustainability and human rights. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Vogue Business, the Business of Fashion, Vox, The Daily Beast, Nylon and InStyle, among others.

https://jasminchua.com/
Instagram+Twitter: @jasminchua