Conscious Chatter With Kestrel Jenkins

In episode 311, Kestrel welcomes Julius Tillery, founder of BlackCotton, to the show.  A 5th-generation cotton farmer from North Carolina, Julius founded BlackCotton to help center and uplift the Black community closest to the cotton fields in Northampton County, North Carolina. “There’s so many demons and like bad spirits and bad tropes around cotton and the industry in general, and you know, just coming from the South, and people having these perspectives of cotton production relating to slavery — I felt like people was making these notions about cotton and not really knowing anything about cotton. And I wanted to start educating people about the cotton business, and even myself and how people like myself — how we end up in cotton. Families that work in cotton like, what was their value-in working in this type of production? And I wanted to change that outlook to make it look more stronger and prestigious than what was assumed.” -Julius About 6 episodes back, we had a chat with the brilliant leader and self

In episode 310, Kestrel and Natalie welcome Cassandra Pintro, the founder of The Consumption Project, to the show. With a focus on making impact cool, The Consumption Project serves as a catalyst for educating folks about the impact of their buying habits and nurturing a collective mindset that values quality, longevity, and the environment. “So, it was — how do I find myself in this space and how do I make space that opens up a door for other people to feel comfortable, and you’re starting from a place that is kind of like a blank slate. And I really felt that sustainability was the right vehicle to tell that story and really get back to basics if you will, cause that is really what, in my mind, consumption is about — it’s about people telling you what you need to have vs what you actually need to have or what you might even want for yourself vs what you’re thinking you want for yourself.” -Cassandra You have probably heard us talk about consumption on the show – it tends to be a recurring theme that weaves

In episode 309, Kestrel welcomes Jeanell English, the founder and CEO of ELIZABETH, to the show. An experienced facilitator and people operations leader, Jeanell has worked in an array of roles, most recently as the Executive Vice President of Impact and Inclusion at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, before she dove fully into her own company, ELIZABETH. “Because the reality is — you’re never gonna win everything you aim to win. It’s not really a competition, it’s about progress. And it’s so easy to be distracted because you’re gonna have people saying: you’re not doing enough, you’re not going fast enough, you’re not going hard enough. You’re gonna hear people saying: you’re doing too much, you’re too hard. So you’re really in this challenging intersection. So, for me, establishing very clear goals at the beginning of any role that I take on is so important because that becomes my North Star, my guiding light, the thing that grounds me and keeps me focused.”  -Jeanell What we wear is one way w

In episode 308, Kestrel welcomes Muchaneta Ten Napel, the founder of Shape Innovate and FashNerd.com, to the show. As a fashion economist, a lecturer, a writer, a consultant and the founder of Shape Innovate and FashNerd.com, Muchaneta is powering change through a multifaceted approach.  “To many people, today, to be sustainable is a way of draining money out of your company — it’s not a money-making initiative. And that’s the kind of thoughts that I would like to really change. Because for me, that merger of fashion and technology is growing and changing. It’s going beyond the wearable tech that we all were kind of excited about, and all the different devices. It’s now the idea of using innovation to make a social impact and to problem solve when it comes to sustainability — that’s where technology is now.”  -Muchaneta Fashion’s obsession with technology is something we’ve spoken about before – there’s this sentiment that often permeates the space, hyping tech to be some sort of avenue that will serendipitou

In episode 307, Kestrel welcomes Rachel Arthur, a strategist, journalist, and the Advocacy Lead for Sustainable Fashion at the United Nations Environment Programme, to the show. Rachel is the lead author of The Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook, which was published earlier this year by the United Nations Environment Programme and the UN Climate Change Fashion Charter. “Communicators themselves, on a couple of levels, have had the ability to participate and to contribute I think is what I’m looking for here, and that is the first of all. But they themselves, by being communicators, have a skill set that is missing in the sustainability space, which is around this notion of making something desirable, creative — making people fall in love with things. That is fundamentally what fashion does, and we need to redirect it toward sustainability.” -Rachel Are you a communicator in the fashion space? Whether it’s through your work or everyday life, communicating about sustainability and fashion can be challen

In episode 306, Kestrel welcomes Tameka Peoples, the founder and CEO of Seed2Shirt, to the show. A Black-woman-owned vertically integrated ethical apparel production & boutique cotton merchant firm, Seed2Shirt is focused on rebuilding equitable systems and institutions. “You’re seeing laws put into place like the 1862 Homestead Act where there were millions of acres of land just given to white families. And Black people were at the same time, being burned out of their communities. What I mean by that is — there’s elements to this thing that we call fashion — that’s connected to raw commodity that’s connected to land that is a part of the blood, sweat and tears that Black people have put and poured into this economy and poured into this country.” -Tameka When we look back at agriculture in the United States, a lot of the origins of farming in this country were built on an extractive, harmful, and extremely damaging history. So much was stolen and stripped – from lives to land to livelihoods.  We don’t talk

In episode 305, Kestrel welcomes Lisa Diegel, the Global Sustainability Director at Faherty, to the show. A family business, Faherty is focused on making high quality clothing. “They knew they wanted to do things differently and not follow that conventional way of take > make > waste in the fashion industry. They wanted to build a feel-good brand. And I think to do that, you need to be accountable and you need to take responsibility for the products you put out into the world.” -Lisa As we’ve explored on past episodes, the fashion industry has a deep history of appropriating and stealing ideas and designs. Our guest Manpreet Kaur Kalra, back on episode 203, said it so potently –  “Fashion has been built on appropriation — it has been built on basically, stealing designs and concepts from communities that have been historically marginalized, and basically, reframing them to be quote unquote minimalist or really ethnic or boho chic.” This week’s guest (who is of First Nations heritage) works with a company that

In episode 304, Kestrel welcomes Eric Liedtke, the co-founder and CEO of UNLESS, to the show. A collective of innovators, engineers, artists, and activists, UNLESS make plant-based streetwear designed to leave zero plastic waste. “I think sustainability is one of those hygiene words at this point — like everybody can talk themselves into they’re doing sustainable things. I think we need to get more specific. I think as marketers and storytellers, we need to really be very clear with our consumers what we’re doing. And you know, this crewneck that nobody can see today that I’m wearing, it’s gonna last as long as anything else, but when you’re done with it, it will go harmlessly back to earth. And I’m using some of our old product and some of our scraps actually as feed for my raised bed gardens at home. This stuff works and it makes good, nutritious soil that we can grow roses or cotton or tomatoes out of.” -Eric Have you ever heard that recurring question in the sustainability and fashion space? I’d say it’s

In episode 303, Kestrel welcomes Natalie Shehata, Conscious Chatter’s new Social Media Strategist + Storyteller, to the show. A sustainable stylist, community organizer, speaker and writer, Nat brings exceptional experience and knowledge to how we approach storytelling. “I feel as though storytelling for me has been a very powerful medium in being able to instigate change. I feel like stories really shift culture and they can shift culture on a really large scale as well. But personally for me, I’ve kind of learned so much over the years through storytelling. And I think it’s important that we kind of acknowledge that storytelling and stories in general is a vehicle for survival for a lot of people — for belonging, for connection, for hope. Stories are, especially for the BIPOC community as well, are our legacy in a lot of ways.” -Natalie Welcoming Nat to join the Conscious Chatter team is an absolute dream — I don’t even know how else to say it. Being able to work alongside someone that I admire and respect

In episode 302, Kestrel welcomes Jessie Frances (@cuppuccinosandconsignment) to the show. Highly knowledgeable on the world of preloved fashion, Jessie holds a BFA in Fashion Design and French with a Minor in Art History. Through her work, she shares ideas around luxury vintage savviness, smart travel tips, and slow-living hacks, and also consults companies on luxury resale. “It is an addiction. Even when you look on YouTube and whatever social media, you see thrifting hauls. I remember hauls were just specifically for new items — you only did hauls with your fast fashion. It was very singular. Now, there are thrifting hauls multiple times a week. And we have just replaced fast fashion with thrifting.” -Jessie I think it’s pretty undeniable that RESALE is having a moment.  If I think about the shifts in recent years, when it comes to the secondhand market, it’s overwhelming. I remember thrifting in high school, growing up in the midwest – and for me, it was always about searching for pieces that no one else h

In episode 301, Kestrel welcomes Winona Quigley, the founder and CEO of Green Matters Natural Dye Company, to the show. Based in Lancaster County PA, Green Matters is dedicated to bringing pollution-free color to the textile industry by using all-natural dye ingredients. “I think that what brands are going to have to embrace about working with more sustainable fibers and textile-making practices, is the fact that we are working with plants. Not just for the dyes, but for some of those fiber crops — they are plants. And it’s like winemaking, in that we need to think about production not as how do we make something identical a hundred thousand times, but how do we build production systems that not only account for, but embrace the organic nature of working with plants.” -Winona Something that has become a knee jerk response – whenever someone starts a business endeavor within the sustainability space – is to ask about how SCALABLE that venture is.  It’s a question that I found myself asking on a regular basis e

In episode 300, Kestrel welcomes Dr. Lisa Erdle, the Director of Science and Research at 5 Gyres, to the show. A microplastics researcher and lifelong sailor, Lisa is passionate about keeping waterways clean for wildlife and people. “A load of laundry can shed anywhere in the range of hundreds of thousands to millions of microfibers, depending on how you wash and what you wash. There can be 850 times more microfibers shed from a high-shedding item compared to a low, so the textile design really matters. And washing isn’t the only source of microfibers to the environment — we know there’s also dryers, carpets and upholstery, cigarette butts, wet wipes, there’s quite a long list. But the one that we know the most about, and one we have a solution for, is our washing machines.” -Dr. Lisa Today, we hear a lot about microfibers in our oceans and waterways, and how they are an issue we’re facing. There are consistent news articles out there about it. At the same time, the narrative is generally very much aligned wi

In episode 299, Kestrel welcomes Liz Spencer, the natural dye wizard behind Dogwood Dyer, to the show. With experience in both tending organic natural dye gardens and coaxing color from plants, Liz has devoted her artistic practice to discovering as much as possible about color that can come from plants. “That’s sort of the pathway to understanding — is having the time to be intimate with one thing in particular like indigo or any dye plant, especially if you’re growing your color, or even growing your own fiber — is spending a whole year just getting it to where you have the raw material, and then starting the process of creating the color or creating the textile. It really affords you ample time to ask many questions, and to holistically get to know it.” -Liz Something that’s super important to me within this conversation is cultural sustainability – and ensuring we are acknowledging and respecting the roots of cultural traditions and craft techniques that have origins within many Black and Brown Indigenous

In episode 298, Kestrel welcomes Anjana Baburaj to the show. An impact-focused strategist and communications specialist, Anjana works with mission-driven organizations to leverage communication platforms to increase visibility and achieve sustainability and impact goals. “No matter how much we try to control — if we keep overconsuming, we’re not getting anywhere with anything that we’re doing for sustainability. So, that is one of the reasons I wanted to know — why is this happening? And that’s how I got into my research.” -Anjana If you’ve been following along over the last couple of years, I have often brought up the links between fast fashion and fast media. In today’s world, I believe the only way to slow down fashion is to also slow down media – since fashion and media are intrinsically linked predominantly around driving consumption. This leads me to this week’s guest, who recently conducted some powerful research focused on fashion, social media, and consumption. Have you heard of the TikTok Shein haul

In episode 297, Kestrel welcomes Lizz Leral, the Executive Director of Quilting for Community, to the show. A nonprofit organization, Quilting For Community is focused on building community by teaching the art of quiltmaking. “The act of focusing on such a small area of the world — nothing else exists in that little area but that piece of fabric, and whether you’re measuring or you’re cutting or you’re pressing — and my experience has been that when you’re in that state, the answers for the other questions come to you.” -Lizz Over the last several years, I’ve been super curious about the links between activities we do with our hands and our mental health. I’ve read research about how quilting or other crafting activities can reduce overall stress and provide benefits for our mental health. There’s this idea of being in the FLOW state, or this feeling of being entirely in the moment and hyper-focused, and in a sort of zone. Amidst today’s world where speed reigns above all else in many circumstances, this is s

In episode 296, Kestrel welcomes Kelly Drennan, the founder of Fashion Takes Action, to the show. A Canada-based non-profit, Fashion Takes Action works to remove barriers to sustainability through education, awareness, research and collaboration. “We often talk about our school program, and just fashion is inherently cool, you know. And so, we’re able to really, through our school program, touch on some of these bigger, broader climate change issues, but through the lens of fashion, which for kids is relatable and cool. They get up every day and they put on clothes, but they don’t get up every day and drive a vehicle or pay the energy bills or go grocery shopping. So, for us, it’s just a really great way to reach them and we try to do it in a way that’s cool.” -Kelly Have you looked into educational programs around fashion and sustainability? Or maybe you have completed a program focused on sustainability or fashion and sustainability? The options out there are definitely growing in the higher education realm

In episode 295, Kestrel welcomes Rayouf Alhumedhi, the creator of the hijab emoji, to the show. Deeply passionate about bridging the creative space and tech, Rayouf founded the hijab emoji project to push for digital representation for Muslim women around the world. She was named one of Time’s Most Influential Teens and Forbes 30 under 30; currently, Rayouf is a senior at Stanford majoring in Product Design. “I think there needs to be more thoughtful exploration of when is it good to make new product and when is it even better to rethink existing product? Like I mentioned in my table furniture building project, I noticed my team and I were getting excited about —what if we do this and we do that and we do that. But at the end of the day, all of that requires extra junk in the world. And yes, it's an enhancement and yes, it's an add-on, but it's not necessary at all. So, I wish more design students or more product design students had that framework instilled in their minds as an educational toolkit.” -Rayouf O

In episode 294, Kestrel welcomes Jeff Garner, the designer behind Prophetik, to the show. A romantic visual artist, pioneer and unconventional designer, Jeff’s sustainably-minded label Prophetik is focused on changing our perception of luxury. “It’s interesting how everybody in their different segment of market just want to do the cheapest ingredient because they don’t expect the buyer to buy it, cause it’s more. So, it’s this idea that if you go into a design, and just try to make it the cheapest way possible, so that you can turn around and sell it for the most money, and nobody wants to spend extra to make something better. And I’m like — where have we gone in a society that we don’t want to carve our stone for our patio, let’s say … we don’t want to carve the wood to do our door.” -Jeff This week’s guest was the FIRST sustainability-focused designer I discovered that I got really excited about. Over the years, he has dressed notable stars including Fleetwood Mac, Miley Cyrus, Cheryl Crow and Taylor Swift,

In episode 293, Kestrel welcomes Jenna Hanson and Jon Hershman, the cofounders of Revival Eyewear, to the show. Offering an extensive collection of deadstock vintage glasses and sunglasses, Revival Eyewear is dedicated to reminding us that it’s possible for old things to be elevated in both quality and style.  “I fell in love with the glasses and the idea that these were vintage but brand new. I had never in my life heard of that concept — deadstock, new old stock. It was so fascinating to me. At Jon’s shop in PB, I would take them out of their cases and just be like — what is this? This is a YSL from the 1970s, it has its original packaging, I can’t believe this exists.” -Jenna Another niche (yet massive) realm of the fashion industry that we rarely discuss is the GLASSES industry. I’m talking sunglasses and eyeglasses – which I would say are a very integral part of the world of fashion and style. This week’s guests started a company where they sell unworn deadstock frames from the ‘60s to the ‘00s. If they

In episode 292, Kestrel welcomes Denica Riadini-Flesch, a development economist and the director at SukkhaCitta, to the show. A social enterprise started in 2016, SukkhaCitta works to give women in rural Indonesia fair access to education and market. “We have grown this company, this mission, these projects on the ground with that mindset that we want to build a model for change. So, we are not here to grow and make the most profits or be the best company in the market, you know, but it’s really a very different mindset. We’re here to connect consumers with the full story of how and why something was made.” -Denica One aspect of the complex and opaque fashion supply chain that is often overlooked is the number of homeworkers that are an integral part of making our clothes today. I was reaching for some sort of statistic, and that led me to Nest’s website – where they outline that upwards of 300 million people around the world work from home, engaged in primarily craft-based handwork. They are predominantly wo