Ethical Fashion Podcast

Many brands have joined the UNFCC Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, and made commitments in line with the Paris agreement, but there’s a lot of work to do to reduce emissions. Textiles play a key role.

What are ‘preferred fibres’? How sustainable is cotton? Is recycled polyester the answer? What about the new innovations? And how can brands and consumers make the best choices, and avoid greenwashing? Textile Exchange is a global non-profit that seeks to positively impact climate through accelerating the use of preferred fibres across the global textile industry. They aim to get the industry to reduce emissions from fibre and material production by 35 - 45%. Can we do it? What will it take? In this info-rich interview, Simone and Clare ask the expert – Claire Bergkamp, Textile Exchange’s COO.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that every year, 3.2 billion trees are cut down to make paper packaging, or fabrics such as rayon and viscose? Many of these trees come from the world’s most ancient and endangered Forests. We're smarter than that, says this week's guest, Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy Planet. 

Canopy is on a mission to protect the world’s forests, species, and climate, and to help advance Indigenous communities’ rights. And Nicole wants fashion industry to transition to what she calls 'next generation solutions' - using waste feedstocks instead of virgin trees to make cellulosic fibres. Can we do it? Why is biodiversity such a hot topic? And how are brands, policy makers and investors stepping up? 

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Independent fashion brands are changing the sustainability conversation globally, but how can they step up their impact? Often it's smaller brands that are leading innovation, but the bigger ones get the attention. Emerging African designers are well-placed to lead the way on authentic sustainability storytelling, but they need to excite investors from the Continent, as well as the global playing field. How can they amplify their message? Who should be listening? What is the role of fashion education and accelerator programmes on moving this forward?

In this lively discussion with Nisha Kanabar, CEO and founder of curated African fashion platform Industrie Africa, Simone and Clare discuss the necessity of accurate, effective and persuasive communications around sustainability in for fashion SMEs.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can innovation and artisan craft come together in a large global brand? What is the role of design when it comes to implementing sustainability? Designers don’t not create brands’ ESG goals but they have to put them into practice when they imagine the product, particularly when it comes to materials. “We don’t have the final answer but we are all responsible to ask the questions,” says our guest today, Sophia Amanzi-Oyugah, who is Adidas’s Senior Design Director, for Originals Creative Direction. A beautiful conversation about creativity, opportunity, sustainability and inclusion, and the power of storytelling, with one the Ethical Fashion Initiative’s most exciting partners.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is no sustainability without dignified working conditions and respect for human rights, yet fashion’s supply chains are notorious for their failings on this front. This week, Simone and Clare talk with international labour rights expert Auret van Heerden about what can be done. A TED talker, with a background at the ILO, Auret is the man Bill Clinton tasked to lead a team to get to the bottom of child labour issues in the US, and he’s advised everyone from Apple and Nike to the Ethical Fashion Initiative. What’s the first question he asks brands who are serious about ESG? Find out in this information-rich, emotional discussion about what really matters – people.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fashion is Italy’s second biggest industry, so it’s got the opportunity, and the responsibility, to make a big impact. After the Ethical Fashion Initiative collaborated on the Sustainable Fashion Awards at Milan Fashion Week in September, Simone and Clare are delighted to welcome Carlo Capasa, chair of Camera Nationale della Moda Italiana (Italy’s peak fashion body) to the podcast to discuss how the industry is stepping up. How much progress has been made? What are the biggest ESG challenges today? What is the role of cross-industry collaboration? And, will legislation change the game? 

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are excited to be back for a third series of the Ethical Fashion Podcast, this time addressing ESG and how the fashion industry can be more sustainable. Explore the issues driving the biggest topic in fashion conversation today with your hosts UN officer Simone Cipriani and sustainable fashion journalist Clare Press.

Hit Subscribe or Follow in your favourite podcast app to make sure you get all the new episodes. Follow is on Instagram @ethicalfashion

The Ethical Fashion Initiative is a programme of the International Trade Centre,
a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organisation.

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest this week is the Lagos-based fashion designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal, founder of Orange Culture. This luxury label has combined fashion with activism since 2011, and is ethically produced in Nigeria. 

His work has won him accolades in international fashion circles but it's his approach to movement building and giving back that wins hearts. This is an inspiring conversation about standing up for what you believe in, challenging toxic masculinity and mentoring a new generation emerging African fashion designers.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re focused on contemporary African art. Your host is the Nigerian writer and journalist Ayodeji Rotinwa, who welcomes the renowned Ethiopian gallerist and self-taught art historian and Mesai Haileleul to be interviewed. Mr. Haileleul opened the first gallery representing Ethiopian artists in Los Angeles in the 1990s and now, with Rakeb Sile, co-runs Addis Fine Art - a leading contemporary gallery specialising in art from the Horn of Africa and its diaspora with venues in London and Addis Ababa.

This is a podcast about how the African contemporary art market is booming internationally, and what’s driving that interest. But it’s also about the importance and opportunities of focusing on home. Full of fascinating insights on the everything from the history of the art scene in Addis Ababa, to the challenges of building arts infrastructure when building roads and schools takes priority, ultimately it's a conversation about the business of culture and how to support it. 

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2020 Project X, The Opportunities Are Here arrived in Uganda, presented by the Ethical Fashion Initiative and the EU. Surely the EFI’s most fun project to date, this televised talent competition followed a nation-wide call for young creative entrepreneurs in Africa. But there’s also serious agenda - building economic opportunity.

The hit TV show’s judges included Joram Muzira Job, Uganda’s top model agent, and in this fabulous interview with your regular podcast hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press, Joram shares his career story and advice for the next generation coming through.

We talk Kampala’s thriving fashion scene, how to use to social media to get ahead, strategies for winning over investors, and the power of following you dreams.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast series was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's podcast is guest hosted by American stylist and creative director Alexander-Julian (AJ) Gibbson. In a vibrant conversation with Abrima Erwiah, co-founder and president of fashion social enterprise Studio 189, you'll hear all about creating, running and building a fashion business with purpose in Accra.

Studio 189 is an award-winning fashion label based in Ghana and the United States. Its goal is to promote African and African-inspired fashion. Abrima and AJ explore the challenges and benefits of local production, the human aspect of slow fashion and to the beauty of knowing the stories of the people behind the process.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast series was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alexander-Julian Gibbson is a Houston-based stylist and content creator known for his directional shoots for magazines (think GQ, Vogue and Flaunt) and musicians like Patoranking.

This week, Simone and Clare meet the Nigerian-American creative force to discuss Lagos style, why the world is looking to African fashion right now, and career pathways for emerging Black creatives.

They also have a frank conversation about the state of diversity and inclusion in the global fashion industry, what needs to change and what's being done.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is about fashion and art, healing and opportunities in Burrundi. Today a creative scene is blossoming in Bujumbura with artists, musicians, photographers and designers using the power of self-expression and the beauty of creativity to connect, and foster new economic opportunities.

Margaux Wong designer Margaux Rusita is one such creative. She designs sustainable and ethically produced jewellery, hand-crafted from cow horn and brass, and was part of the Ethical Fashion Initiative’s inaugural Accelerator Programme for African Designers. An artistic spirit with beautiful energy, she is also mother to five children, and passionate about female empowerment.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we meet two rising fashion design stars. Both are part of the Ethical Fashion Initiative's Accelerator Programme for Emerging African designers. 

Jennifer Mulli is the founder of Kenyan brand Jiamini - made by women for women. Known for its jewellery, in particular extravagant beaded neckpieces, bracelets and bags, they use age-old craft traditions passed down the generations and brought to life by skilled female artisans. Mulli discusses empowering women through ethical employment pathways and the beauty of using heritage fashion techniques to do so.

Lukhanyo Mdingi is a South African fashion designer based in Cape Town who is gaining accolades globally for his sophisticated men’s and womenswear collections. A textile enthusiast, Mdingi manufactures locally with a luxury aesthetic. In this conversation, we talk about how a small brand can take on the international market, the slow fashion approach and the opportunities for re-shoring garment production in South Africa.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Access to technology is changing the game for a new generation of young African entrepreneurs, and the creative economy provides exciting opportunities on the continent. But with young people making up 60% of Africa’s unemployed, how can they overcome career challenges and harness digital connectivity to get ahead? And what skills and qualities are companies looking for in potential young employees today?

Welcome to the second episode in our new series focused on Africa. Our guest host this week is Roberta Annan, impact investor and founder of Africa Fashion Fund. She is in conversation with Patricia Obo-Nai, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana. They discuss mentoring new talent, the importance of digital and financial literacy, women in leadership, their own career paths to becoming prominent female business leaders in Ghana, and strategies for emerging creative entrepreneurs across Africa in the digital era.

This podcast is brought to you by the Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virgil Abloh is one of the most interesting designers working in the global fashion industry today. He is the artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, as well as the creative force behind his own brand Off-White. A true polymath, he is a multi-media artist who moves culture forwards and describes his creative process, across multiple platforms, as “taking an idea and dreaming it aloud”.

In this, the first episode of Series 2, hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press sit down with Abloh to discuss diversity and inclusion, his latest projects, what he calls “mentoring by existence” and his personal creative journey. It’s conversation as a rollercoaster ride swooping from Andy Warhol to Miles Davis and James Baldwin to Caravaggio, fashion students, Abloh’s aims and inspirations, and the role of a designer today.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of Series 1, Simone and Clare talk with Jeanne De Kroon, the founder of Zazi Vintage - a high-end fashion social enterprise that celebrates upcycled fabrics and artisan techniques. Zazi works with the EFI in Afghanistan.

Jeanne is a free spirit who says her mission is to create: "a narrative that connects and weaves cultures together through cloth, that works with women storytellers all over the world." 

This vibrant conversation is really good fun, but, like fashion, it also engages with serious, complex issues.We discuss the deep questions shaping the sustainability discourse today: who profits and who pays the true cost, transparency, finding purpose, and seeking ways to bridge different cultures.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, our theme is Social and Environmental Sustainability Standards. Why do we need to talk about this? Standards exist. Indeed, some say there are too many. And yet problems in fashion's supply chains persist. The fashion industry is well known for it's labour issues and adverse environmental impacts. Are things improving? What is missing when it comes to compliance, collaboration and consumer input, and how might  increase transparency and accountability?

To fill out the picture and explore the solutions, your hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press interview: Paola Deda, who works for the UN Economic Commission for Europe and is active in the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, Jill Dumain, CEO of the company behind the BlueSign certification system and Biatriz Cunha, a specialist in the textiles, clothing, leather, footwear sector at the ILO.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From a lack of transparency to a business model that squeezes those at the bottom, fashion's supply chains can be a sustainability nightmare. There's a disconnect between the consumers who buy clothes, the retailers who sell them, the designers who conceive of them and all the different suppliers further down the chain, who cut and sew them, produce the textiles and the raw materials.

And while the fashion industry has been very effective in optimising shareholder wealth, it has been less so when it comes to creating wealth for other stakeholders – in particular suppliers and workers.

The current system favours ‘buy cheap, sell high’, compressing the cost of production. Suppliers find themselves competing on price and are often forced to compromise on employment standards to stay in business.

So what's the alternative? In this Episode we ask, how can we create positive sum relationships, rather than zero sum transactions in the fashion supply chain? What happens when we start to view suppliers and workers as true stakeholders rather than simple as costs?

Simone sits down with Sergio Tamborini, CEO of Italian luxury textiles leader Ratti Spa. Clare discusses transparency with Remake Our World's Ayesha Barenblat, and profit sharing with Rituraj Dewan, cofounder of the Indian social enterprise 7 Weaves Silk.

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Acting as a bridge between fashion brands and artisan producers, the Ethical Fashion Initiative carefully measures the impact of each order, to ensure that the work is positively impacting the lives of the artisans, and that each project works towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is sometimes difficult, always rewarding work - and perhaps nowhere more so than in Afghanistan.

There, the EFI's main fashion partner is Zarif Design. In this episode, your hosts Simone Cipriani and Clare Press sit down with Zarif's inspiring founder, Zolaykha Sherzad to hear how she established her social enterprise to bring beauty, harmony and hope to one corner of the city she grew up in. 

Find out more at https://ethicalfashioninitiative.org/

Our music is from the original production From Kabul to Bamako, music directed by Saïd Assadi.

This podcast was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.