Conscious Chatter With Kestrel Jenkins

In episode 251, Kestrel welcomes Francisco Diaz of CiscoSews to the show. An upcycling designer, Francisco created CiscoSews, a slow fashion sewing studio, to experiment with garment making. “There is just so much waste right now that we’re all seeing that we need to slow it down and reuse, and focus less on having the perfect brand new piece — that’s never going to happen.” -Francisco   On the show, we’re always searching for context and looking for definitions to help support the ideas we talk about. At the same time, the more I learn - and let’s be real - the more I UNLEARN from the binary-put-everything-inside-a-box culture around us, the more I realize that in many circumstances, we must welcome a myriad of definitions. One question we ask on this week’s show is — What does nonbinary fashion mean to you? I think we often fail to welcome that myriad I mentioned, when we think about nonbinary fashion. Nonbinary does not always mean androgynous. Nonbinary fashion can look feminine, masculine, neither

In episode 250, Kestrel welcomes Natalie Shehata, a stylist focused on sustainability, to the show. Natalie currently works as the Retail Trainer for The Social Outfit, a Sydney-based fashion label who provides employment and training to people from refugee and new migrant communities. “We have these brands, and we have people kind of saying — ok, I need to tick this box and I need to do this and I need to make sure that I have women of color in our photo shoots and our editorial campaigns, and I need to make sure x, y and z. And that to me is why diversity is tokenistic, because it’s not happening from the roots, it’s not happening from the foundation, it’s not happening from a system that was built by BIPOC and for BIPOC.” -Natalie In 2018, Natalie presented a speech at the Disposable Planet seminar for Eco Fashion Week Australia titled: “How the sustainable fashion space should focus on: representation, inclusivity and visibility.”  While this was written almost 3 years ago, it continues to resonate stron

In episode 249, Kestrel welcomes Isiah Magsino, a writer based in New York City, to the show. With bylines in Vogue, GQ, W, Nylon, Architectural Digest, and more, Isiah is focused on writing about the beautiful things in life. “While it’s mainstream now, it’s important to recognize where it comes from, and the adversity that was faced from doing so back in the day. You know, we’re at a point where it’s a little more accepted, which is amazing, but before we go into marketing everything as genderless, I think it’s important to know the struggle that came from crossdressing or drag or even participating in genderless fashion to begin with.” -Isiah One of fashion’s newest words to embrace - when it comes to marketing jargon - is GENDERLESS.  As this week’s guest points out, the term genderless is currently en vogue - and it’s starting to sound like sustainability did a few months ago. Press releases that were framed around “sustainability this or sustainability that” are now shifting to language centered around

In episode 248, Kestrel welcomes Ocean Rose, a Yoruba artist, to the show. Focused on botanical dye, community, photography, & poetry, Ocean weaves beauty, thoughtfulness and the art of slowing down into their work. “Sustainability’s more of a story of how — it’s probably the history of people and the things that we acquire over time. It’s all part of passing them on: cultural, familial, and ancestral idiosyncrasies. So yes and no — sustainability, it does have a meaning, but I think when we start to break down what it actually means, we can notice that it’s woven into more of our lives than we might realize.” -Ocean *Beauty* ends up being a recurring theme woven throughout this conversation with Ocean — and through this conversation, she reminds us of something very important. We live and interact within a capitalistic society, and the world tells us that we should monetize all of the things that we love. Which, case in point — this podcast is 100% a reflection of that. It is a project that over time, I

In episode 247, Kestrel welcomes Christian Allaire, the Fashion and Style Writer at Vogue, to the show. Christian recently released his first book, titled The Power Of Style: How Fashion and Beauty Are Being Used To Reclaim Cultures. “I think of something like ribbon work in my culture — like every color of the ribbon means something, or maybe it represents someone in your life or like you said, intention is first and foremost. How it looks is important, but why it’s there is even more important. And so, I’m drawn to anyone who also approaches design that way.” -Christian As a fashion-obsessed teen, Christian grew up on the Nipissing First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada, scouring magazines or movies for style inspiration. Years later, he realized that so much of his personal aesthetic and attraction to fashion and dressing was influenced by his own community - being Indigenous Ojibwe. From the colors to the garment making process to the deep meaning that can be embedded in clothing, his love of fashion wa

In episode 246, Kestrel welcomes Nia Thomas, the founder and designer of her eponymous label, to the show. An ethically made, independent autobiographical fashion brand, Nia Thomas was created for all beings who respect Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants. “Fashion was never just about the garment or the clothes — I felt like it really is an ethos. Like fashion is about the restaurants you like to eat, the movies you like to watch, the museums you go to with your friends on the weekend, where you like to travel to on holiday. And creating this world of evolution, because as we get older, we change; we’re evolutional beings, and how our wardrobe is affected by that.” -Nia If you’ve taken any fashion businesses courses, or if you’re tapped into the marketing space, I would imagine that you’ve heard the idea that we need to focus on one thing and do it well. Or maybe you’ve heard about the importance of honing in on a hyper specific quote unquote demographic, to ensure you’re actually entering the market in

In episode 245, Kestrel welcomes Eshita Kabra-Davies, the CEO and founder of By Rotation, to the show. A UK-based social fashion rental app and platform, By Rotation is dedicated to transforming the way we consume fashion. “I think no one’s really attempted to make fashion rental about the sharing economy, to make it about women sharing with each other. It’s always been seen more as a “oh, I want to wear designer clothing” or “oh, I want to wear something new” or “oh, I have a charity gala or a ball to go to”. It’s always been for those sort of reasons — it’s never really addressed the fact that we all have enough fashion in our existing wardrobes.” -Eshita Have you heard the recent discussion about how the rental market could have a worse impact on the planet than just throwing your clothes in the trash? It’s been circulating around across the mainstream media after a new study was released in the journal - Environmental Research Letters. First of all — research within the fashion space is so important and

In episode 244, Kestrel welcomes Alyssa Beltempo, a Canadian slow fashion expert and stylist, to the show. Through her YouTube channel with over 144K subscribers to her Instagram and website, Alyssa is dedicated to reminding us that there is a power in advocating for creativity over consumption. "I wanted to fill the gap of showing that you can consume less and it can actually be fun and it doesn’t have to be a sacrifice — which, like society has made it out that way — like we have to be in this constant search of more, when in fact, the opposite can actually be a very fruitful and rewarding endeavor." -Alyssa The idea for this conversation was actually sparked when Alyssa reached out to Kestrel, after listening to episode 241 with Akilah Stewart of FATRA. In that chat, there was a lot of discussion about creativity, and Alyssa said she loved how Akilah highlighted that everyone can be creative, and that resonated a lot with her own approach to styling. So, thanks to Akilah for inspiring the seeds for this e

In episode 243, Kestrel welcomes Julia Perez, the creator of Jae and Leona, to the show. Through her company — Jae and Leona — Julia offers small batch, plant + botanical skin care products, as well as in-person facial treatments. She is also an intuitive esthetician, energy healer, and model. "Self care should be an everyday thing, and it almost should be an every moment thing — like every thing that you’re doing is with intention to support yourself, to preserve yourself, so that you can then continue to go on to live your life’s purpose, whatever that may be." -Julia Have you felt like you’re hearing a lot more about *self care* over the last year or so? I mean, let’s be real - the last year+ has been intense on so many levels - from COVID-19 to the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd to job insecurity to economic difficulties … it’s been a lot. And with all of that, there has been a heightened need to find ways to care for ourselves, in order to keep going.  But

In episode 242, Kestrel welcomes Nishanth Chopra, the founder of Oshadi Collective, to the show, alongside Mairin Wilson, the head of regenerative practices at Christy Dawn. A regenerative farm and textile production community based in Erode, India, Oshadi Collective has been working in partnership with Christy Dawn to develop and release farm-to-closet garments. "It's about connection, connecting to everything you do and having an alternative way of looking at things. Whether it be a relationship with another being or another person or a relationship with the plants or a relationship with any aspect — anything that you interact with in the supply chain. So, when we talk about agriculture, it’s about the soil, it’s about ecosystems, it’s about the biodiversity, it’s about the animals. You know, it’s not just about *not* adding chemicals — it's about recreating something which we have destroyed for years and years and years." -Nishanth The word regenerative has been popping up in mainstream fashion conversati

In episode 241, Kestrel welcomes Akilah Stewart, the founder and creative director of FATRA, to the show. A creative waste management company, FATRA makes luxury bags from recycled plastics and fabric. On this week’s show, Akilah shares stories about some of the ways her grandmothers have influenced her and her work today. She also reminds us of the importance of thinking about creativity as a tool for building solutions — and not just an aesthetics-oriented idea. Kestrel and Akilah talk about the way in which we must be reimagining waste, and truly looking at it as a resource. As Akilah highlights, when so-called “waste” is generated by other animals, they are always finding creative ways to use it in different ways — it’s not something to be simply “thrown away”. Another big topic that comes up in this conversation is financial sustainability, and some of the ways that the nuances around it have been missing from the sustainability conversation. “I just want to keep it going in that manner — you know, wo

In episode 240, Kestrel welcomes Maxine Bédat, the founder and executive director of New Standard Institute, to the show. A think-and-do-tank, New Standard Institute is dedicated to turning industries into a force for good. Maxine is also the author of Unraveled: The Life and Death Of A Garment. "The society in which we live in is very much a result of the rules of our society — in that, it is people who change the rules, who create them and can change them, I should say. And so, I think that was definitely my biggest takeaway, is like, nothing about this system that we live in right now is inevitable. You know, where women garment workers are exploited and we’re just trashing rivers and throwing up climate change-causing emissions into the air and creating this product that isn’t making us happy — that’s not an inevitability, it’s just the systems of rules that we create and have to change.” -Maxine On this week’s show, Maxine shares more on her past journey, from law to fashion, and what has culminated in

In episode 239, Kestrel welcomes Lauren Bartley, the head of sustainability and CSR for GANNI, to the show. A Danish contemporary ready-to-wear fashion brand, Ganni is known for building a cult following in the fashion space. “Nowadays, sustainable or sustainability — it means different things to different people. To you, it might mean plastics and to me, it might mean human rights or circularity or carbon. You know — it’s so broad. I just think we need to move away from this broad brush approach to the subject and I guess, be more specific with which issues actually we’re trying to tackle.” -Lauren On this week’s show, Lauren shares a bit of background on her distinct way into the fashion industry, and how she found her way to working with Ganni. We talk about the brand’s resistance to labeling themselves as “sustainable”, how their 44 responsibility gameplay is driving them, and some of the ways they are working to creatively reduce their overproduction and waste, by adjusting their business model. Soil

In episode 238, Kestrel welcomes Jazmine Rogers (AKA @thatcurlytop) and Gabby Masuda Ambata (AKA @gabrielasage) to the show. A Black + Mexican creator, Jazmine is passionate about sustainable fashion and living, and sharing about it in a fun and graceful way. A Japanese American digital creator, Gabby is focused on sustainable fashion and lifestyle, and she’s also a mental health advocate. “I’m trying to reclaim the word influence because I think the word is so special and so powerful. Like I said earlier — it’s such an honor to be able to influence others to do things. Like with all things with capitalism, it just takes it and commodifies it, but I think we can go back to the definition of what influence is, which is to have an effect on others, and I want to be a positive influence and a good influence to encourage others to think new ways and try new things and be encouraged and be empowered.” -Jazmine On this week’s show, Jazmine and Gabby share more about how they first met in college, and how valuable

On episode 237, Kestrel welcomes Ben Mead, the Managing Director of Hohenstein Institute USA, to the show. Hohenstein Institute USA is one of the founding members of the OEKO-TEX® Association, and Ben serves as the company’s liaison with government agencies, industry collaborations and trade associations. “Green chemistry has a kind of textbook definition around design of chemicals and processes really to help reduce or eliminate hazardous substances or the toxicity and those sort of hazard type characteristics — and so, I think that’s pretty well been defined by some of the organizations that really focus on green chemistry. I think one of the other things that’s important when we consider, or we do other work — is not only what goes into the actual chemical itself, but also how can that influence the impact of how it’s used as well.” -Ben Mead On this week’s show, Ben shares more on his background working in chemistry and textiles, and some of the work he does with OEKO-TEX® today. Also, he helps explains

In episode 236, Kestrel welcomes Emi Ito, a Multiracial Japanese American mother and educator, as well as Gina Stovall, the founder of Two Days Off, to the show. Emi, @littlekotoscloset on Instagram, is the founder and co-moderator of Buy From BIPOC, and Gina was featured back on episode 224. The two recently came together on a collaborative collection — The Yoko Capsule — envisaged in the spirit of Emi's late mother. “I felt acutely my own mortality and the urgent need to leave something behind for my own child, that would also honor the creative legacy of my parents, and particularly — my mother. I come from a long line of creative, powerful women who brought beauty and art into the world.” -Emi Ito On this week’s show, Emi and Gina share more on what originally brought them together, and how their relationship developed into collaborating on a capsule collection. Emi walks us through what inspired her to reach out to Gina last year around her 40th birthday — a significant decade for Emi, the one in which

In episode 235, Kestrel welcomes Mikaela Clark, a visual artist and designer, to the show. The founder of Hansel, Mikaela makes handpainted, upcycled apparel in Brooklyn, New York. “At the time, I was like hey, I’m gonna invite in whatever good is trying to worm its way into my life. And then, as we make these decisions, we grow, we learn, and we think — ok, how can I get even more nuanced, how can I make more decisions in the future that align even more with my personal ethos? What have I learned along the way that’s made me maybe want to shy away or maybe want to lean closer to the decisions I’ve made. It’s all a process and it just can’t be separated — it’s all intersectional, everything’s at play when we’re trying to have this discussion about ethical fashion.” -Mikaela Clark On this week’s show, Mikaela shares more on how she learned to sew from her mom at an early age, and how that nurtured her love of fashion and making clothing. After she pursued music in college, an infection led her to lose her abi

In episode 234, Kestrel welcomes Lottie Bertello, the founder and creative director at LOTI, to the show. An upcycling design studio recently launched in 2021, LOTI reuses materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. “We’re gonna be really vocal with our platform to show people that we don’t need to be following these trends. I think trends is what has pushed this overconsumption in massive amounts. And there’s the misconception that trends are the only fun clothes you can use — like trendy clothes equal fun and sustainable clothes equal boring, which is absolutely not the case at all.” -Lottie Bertello On this week’s show, Lottie shares more of her experience working within the conventional fashion industry, and how for her, that made her realize that building her own project was where she could make the most positive impact. Lottie highlights some amazing stories from the beginnings of building the brand — one day, she was browsing the racks at a Goodwill, and she ended up buying 300 men’s button up

In episode 233, Kestrel welcomes Katherine Theobalds, the founder and creative director at Zou Xou, to the show. A slow fashion footwear brand, Zou Xou shoes are made in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  “I like using the word sensible to describe our shoes because it kind of challenges the common assumption of what sensible shoes mean. I don’t mean that they’re boring, I don’t mean that they’re not exciting, and I don’t mean that they can’t express your style. To me, the sensibility aspect of it speaks to the practicality of it and how often you’re using it, and the versatility of it in your wardrobe.” -Katherine Theobalds On this week’s show, Katherine shares more on how an array of circumstances led her to build out Zou Xou. Also, she explains some of the ways she and her team have had to get extra creative in their business throughout COVID-19. Katherine also dives into more of what sensible shoes mean to her, and why she thinks this is an important way to build products — and in her case, shoes that you will bu

In episode 232, Kestrel welcomes Kara Fabella, an ethical fashion advocate, digital creator and stylist, to the show. Known as @theFlippside on Instagram, her Living In Color(ism) series on IGTV features discussions where she passes the mic to guests to share their experiences with colorism. On this week’s show, Kara shares more on her past explorations in blogging, and what led her to begin shifting the relationship she was building with her wardrobe. She also shares more on what influence means to her, how she vets the brands she works with, and some of the nuanced challenges that come with being a digital creator in the sustainable fashion space. Additionally, Kara shares more on the intentions behind her Living In COLOR(ISM) series, and how she’s consciously building out her ethical styling services. Aditi Mayer, mentioned when it comes to the way she leverages her paid partnerships as an educational opportunity Alder Apparel, brand Kara mentions Living In COLOR(ISM) episode that Kara mentions with