I'm so excited to be bringing you this special edition episode featuring the recording of our LIVE panel discussion in Chicago with Chicago Fair Trade and 3 of their business members. This was such a fun event to uncover the powerful stories behind these purpose-driven founders in Chicago and what ethically-made and sustainably-made mean in practice.

We've all seen words like "sustainable" become buzzwords by Big Fashion, but what does it actually look like to do the work to ensure fair employment, responsible sourcing, and mindful production? This was an ongoing theme throughout the panel — each of these founders' ideas of sustainability was distinct and yet overlapped.

Pushpika Freitas, founder of Marketplace Handwork of India, told the story of partnering with artisans in India to create truly fair trade fashion; Jamie Hayes, founder of Production Mode, discussed what it really takes to produce ethically in the US today (hint: "made in the US" does NOT automatically equal ethical); and Vanessa Arroyo shared how her heritage and 15+ years in fashion helped her build an authentic, ethical footwear brand.

🌿 CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS:

• Pushpika | Marketplace Handwork of India: marketplaceindia.com
• Jamie | Production Mode: productionmodechicago.com
• Vanessa | SERES: seresfootwear.com
• Chicago Fair Trade: chicagofairtrade.org

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• Website
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• Pinterest

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💚 JOIN THE CFC MEMBERSHIP:

consciousfashion.co/community

Fashion is rarely focused on fixing real problems for real people. But what if slow fashion did things differently?

The thoughtfulness and attention to quality that is embedded into the slow fashion movement can be harnessed to make genuinely better products that make these options a no-brainer IF brands understand the true needs of their customer.

In this episode, you'll hear from Karen Poirier, founder of Embrago, a bra-alternative that uses a new approach to built-in bust support that can ebb and flow with our changing bodies.

Karen shares what is wrong with most undergarments today — it's not you, it's the clothes (or undergarments)! — and the potential health implications. Plus we discuss the often overlooked technicality to good fashion and how undergarments can add to the mental load for women (and how she is hoping to change that).

We cover a lot of ground in this one, so grab a cozy drink and hit play to dive in!

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🎧 LISTEN NEXT >> EP57: Tips for Starting a Slow Fashion Brand with Selina Ho

🌿 JOIN THE COMMUNITY >> Conscious Fashion Collective Membership

💌 FOR MORE >> Subscribe to Slow Fashion Saturday

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✨ CONNECT WITH KAREN >> embrago.com

Website: embrago.com

Instagram: @embragoclothing

The declining quality of sweaters has been a big discussion in the past year, but is a reality we've been witnessing for the past couple of decades.

But what exactly is so much worse about today's sweaters and what has been going on behind the scenes that's made them so bad? And importantly, how can brands do better? What should we be looking for in a high quality knitwear piece?

We're covering all of this and more in today's Conscious Style Podcast episode with expert knitwear designer and product developer Mari Medina. Mari is the founder of April Knit Studio, a design studio dedicated to creating high-quality knitwear for fashion brands. With an extensive network of trusted suppliers and artisans, April Knit Studio offers brands access to natural materials, enabling the development of knitwear that reflects each brand's unique identity.

In this episode, Mari also discusses what an ethical supplier or artisan partnership looks like, the benefits for both the customer and the brand of keeping the same styles year over year, and the value of harnessing external expertise instead of going at it alone as a brand founder.

🎧 LISTEN NEXT >> EP44: How to Identify High Quality Clothing with Zoe Hong

🌿 JOIN THE COMMUNITY >> Conscious Fashion Collective Membership

💌 FOR MORE >> Subscribe to Slow Fashion Saturday

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🧶 CONNECT WITH MARI >>

Website: aprilknitstudio.com

Instagram: @aprilknit.studio

LinkedIn: April Knit Studio