#2 Forward Fashion

The fashion industry is one of the most resource-intensive industries in the world. But some are rolling up their sleeves and moving the needle. How can we, as consumers, do better and what is the responsibility of the industry? These three voices will try to provide some answers.

Cherie Birkner

Founder of Sustainable Fashion Matterz Berlin, 🇩🇪 Germany

While she had everything in her hands for a long career in the traditional fashion world, Cherie started having doubts. Was her job in line with her personal values? She decided to become a photographer, focusing on the good guys who are moving the industry in the right direction. It was the spark for Sustainable Fashion Matterz, where she showcases and spreads knowledge about sustainable fashion.

Soraya Wancour

Fashion Designer at Studio AMA Ghent, 🇧🇪 Belgium

As a young and ambitious fashion designer, Soraya tackles the industry from three angles with Studio AMA, a lab for ethical fashion. Her clothes are made exclusively from discarded textiles, they are produced locally in sheltered workplaces, and sold directly to consumers. We went to take a look in her atelier.

Enrica Arena

CMO & Co-Founder of Orange Fiber Catania, 🇮🇹 Sicily

One of the many sustainable fabrics that have emerged in the past years, Orange Fiber is sourced from the mountains of citrus waste generated in Italy every year. Co-founder Enrica will tell you how and why this all came to be, and how they try to shape the industry from the inside out.

Additional notes & links

  • 6 years after the Rana Plaza collapse, the situation in Bangladesh is still unsatisfactory. Which is why this week (April 22-28) is Fashion Revolution week, prompting everyone to ask #whomademyclothes at events and projects in more than a hundred countries.
  • It’s hard to gauge exactly how polluting the fashion industry is. This Racked article dives deep and is filled with interesting facts and figures.
  • Here are some of the innovative materials mentioned in this episode: Lyocell from wood pulp, SeaCell and AlgiKnit from seaweed, Piñatex pineapple leather, and Muskin from mushrooms.

Credits

🎵 All music by Lennart Schoors, except:
Lee Rosevere – Start The Day
Lee Rosevere – Let That Sink In
Lee Rosevere – Thoughtful

📷 Pictures:
Picture of Cherie Birkner by Cherie Birkner
Picture of Soraya Wancour by Anyuta Snauwaert Wiazemsky

Transcript