Episode Notes

This episode of Brown Girl Green is focused on sustainable fashion. We discuss if/ why sustainable fashion is the path forward away from throw-away culture and mass over-consumption of clothing in modern society. Despite the benefits of more “sustainable” or environmentally friendly fashion, there are still a lot of gaps around diversity, equity, and inclusion within the movement. A majority of sustainable fashion only caters to a small demographic that excludes many different ethnic groups and body types from partaking in its ethical benefits. Further, some sustainable fashion brands don’t necessarily prioritize racial justice or labor rights even if they are all “green” or “zero waste.” So in this episode, I examine what some of the gaps exist around sustainable fashion, but also the benefits this framework of going more “green” with your clothing habits can have on society.

The interview features Samata, a British-born Ghanaian fashion designer, author, and journalist who is best known for her role as Global Campaign Director for Red Carpet Green Dress, a campaign that is pushing to showcase ethical fashion on the Oscars red carpet. She is also an award-winning womenswear designer whose work in the fields of fashion and sustainability has received coverage from BBC Radio 1Xtra, Essence, ITV’s This Morning, E! Entertainment, Women’s Wear Daily, ELLE, InStyle, Essence, Refinery 29, and Red Magazine.

The biggest topics covered in this episode are:
-Discussing why sustainable fashion is useful and necessary
-Redefining what sustainable fashion can be- beyond just luxury goods for the privileged, how can we own actions like wearing second-hand, clothing swaps, and DIY’s to minimize our consumption?
-What a more diverse sustainable fashion world would look like and why that’s important

Sustainable Fashion brands/ initiatives mentioned in today’s episode:
Sustainable Brooklyn
Project One Eighty Nine
Sustainable Fashion Forum
Soko Kenya
Fashion Revolution
Anthill Fabrics
Pildora NYC
Mate the Label
The Front Lash

Some resources for further reading:
Fashion Takes Action- Fashion’s role in the Sustainable Development Goals

What COVID-19 means for sustainable fashion

Ethical Fashion on a budget

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