Advertise on podcast: Unspun

"I wanted to show people that the framing of the problem itself was problematic...I think a lot of people in powerful positions really do subscribe to this savior/empowerment narrative. And those narratives need to be 'unspun' in their heads and their decision-making. At least be honest about what you're doing." On this episode of Unspun, Bangladeshi scholar and NYU Professor Dr. Dina Siddiqi joins Danielle, Catherine, and Lauren to talk about her work undoing harmful narratives of Bangladeshi garment workers, what is missing from conversations about the Bangladesh garment industry, and the importance of structural changes. Dr. Dina Siddiqi examines topics at the intersection of gender and human rights including transnational feminist politics, women’s work in the ready-made garment industry, and the idea of “saving” the universal garment worker—a common trope of the anti-fast fashion movement.  Thanks for listening to another episode of Unspun and for joining the conversation to create a new vision for the future of fashion and home. Huge thanks to this week’s guest Dr. Dina Siddiqi for sharing her perspective on the industry.  To join the conversation, follow us on Instagram @wearepopulation or visit our website wearepopulation.com.  Tune See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Unspun, Lauren, Danielle, and Catherine sit down with recent NYU Stern School of Business graduate Kelsey Tsuchiyama, to talk about her human and women’s rights approach to the industry’s most pressing issues. Transforming garment workers into emblems of the labor movement largely ignores the complex power dynamics they experience as workers with varied identities whether it’s gender, geography, race, or class. This narrative also intensifies existing power structures in the industry, such as global hierarchies and consumer-worker hierarchies, which can inadvertently be more harmful to workers. In her last remote year at NYU, Kelsey, along with a team of NYU classmates, created a zine to explore these topics. To hear what other questions organizers, campaigners, and WE should be asking ourselves as we stand in solidarity with workers around the world, tune in to the latest episode of Unspun and check out this . Huge thanks to this week’s guest Kelsey Tsuchiyama for sharing her perspective on the industry. You can find Kelsey on Linkedin. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Unspun, Kim van der Weerd, co-founder and host of Manufactured podcast, joins Catherine, Lauren, and Danielle to discuss how the unequal distribution of financial risk shapes the relationship between brands and suppliers.  Kim describes herself as a “student of human rights turned garment factory manager turned sustainable fashion critic.” While she always had an interest in the global political economy and supply chains, she wanted to learn more about what this looks like from the manufacturer's perspective. Tune in to listen to Kim's experience @tonledesign and @pactics, and to hear about what she's doing on @manufactured_podcast. To join the conversation with Unpsun, follow us on Instagram @wearepopulation or visit our website wearepopulation.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Unspun, Kristen Gonzalez, founder of contemporary fashion label, SELVA \ NEGRA, sits down with Danielle, Catherine, and Lauren to talk about the struggles and triumphs of being a small, sustainable brand manufacturing in L.A. and why incorporating her culture into the brand was so important to her. Kristen is committed to a community-rooted approach to business, prioritizing ethical production and sustainable materials sourcing. SELVA \ NEGRA was an early supporter of the Garment Worker Protection Act or Senate Bill 62 and has worked with the Garment Worker Center to help get the recent bill passed. Huge thanks to Kristen Gonzalez for sharing her perspective on the industry. You can follow her on Instagram @selvanegra_ or @kristenita_.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Unspun, Benh Pham, founder and owner of jewelry brand Year 901, sits down with Danielle, Catherine, and Lauren to talk about everything from the origin of what she makes and her intentional sourcing, to the future growth of her small business, as well as, the maker and artisan community at large.  To hear more of Benh and her experience transitioning from a corporate career to owning her own jewelry brand, what being a small maker means to her, and her approach to sustainability, tune in to the latest episode of Unspun. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“I THINK THAT WE’RE ABLE TO SCALE WHATEVER WE WANT TO SCALE AND...IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT WE VALUE.” On this episode of Unspun, Ngozi Okaro, Founder and Executive Director of Custom Collaborative sits down with Lauren, Danielle, and Catherine to discuss her work with Custom Collaborative and her vision for a US-based sewn goods industry at large. At the heart of her work and this discussion is the disconnect between the skilled work required in the sewn goods industry and how that work is valued by society. Custom Collaborative “trains, mentors, and advocates for and with low to no-income and immigrant women to build the skills necessary to achieve economic success in the sustainable fashion industry and broader society.” Thanks for listening to another episode of Unspun and for joining the conversation to create a new vision for the future of fashion and home. Huge thanks to this week’s guest Ngozi Okaro for sharing her perspective on the industry. You can follow Ngozi on Instagram at @the.ngozi and Custom Collaborative @customcolab. To join the conversation, follow us on Instagram @wearepopulation or visit our website wearepopulation.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Unspun, Marisa Adler, Senior Consultant at Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), joins Danielle, Lauren, and Catherine for a conversation about overconsumption and textile waste, recycling, and what’s holding us back from a circular system.  From studying national resource management conservation in school to working for local solid waste departments and the NYC Department of Sanitation, Marisa Adler brings a waste and recycling perspective to textile circularity. Several years ago, Adler moved from the NYC Department of Sanitation to her current position at RRS where she primarily focuses on textiles, fashion apparel, and upholstery waste in the U.S. To hear more of Marisa Adler’s expertise regarding global waste supply chains, what is necessary to create scalable recycling systems, and solutions she has seen, tune into the latest episode of Unspun.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Unspun, Lewis Perkins, President of the Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), sits down with Lauren, Danielle, and Catherine to discuss the genesis of circularity and what needs to change for it to advance in the fashion and home industries. Perkins got his start with circularity when he worked at Mohawk Industries, where at the time the carpet industry was facing major backlash for their contribution to global landfill waste. Perkins brought this early experience into the fashion industry, leading the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute and Fashion Positive initiative. Tune in to learn more about Lewis' experience in circularity, from the obstacles he’s identified to the solutions he’s contributing to, and how he looks to the young generation (@genfseries) for inspiration. ⁠ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Catherine, Lauren and Danielle discuss the advances and limitations of a circular textiles system, the limitations to the current frameworks the industry is operating within, and the fact that there is no silver bullet and no one path to take in building circular business models. Numerous companies are exploring circularity to capitalize on the second sale of their products, reduce their production costs, as well as manage risks associated with not taking end of life responsibility of their manufactured products. Tune in to learn about major circularity milestones, the dawn of luxury recommerce and how brand's are approaching both the consumption conundrum and the fear of cannabalization. To join the conversation follow us on Instagram @wearepopulation or visit our website wearepopulation.com. This episode of Unpsun was recorded in 2020 and released at a later date. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Marzia Lanfranchi, independent sustainable fashion consultant and founder and director of Cotton Diaries, joins Danielle, Lauren and Catherine for a conversation about her personal mission to shape a healthier fashion system by breaking company siloes and building bridges across supply chains. Cotton Diaries is a global community of storytellers and professionals committed to making cotton supply chains more sustainable. She brings with her a unique experience having directly worked with and interviewed cotton farmers from all over the world. Her work spans the entire cotton value chain from seed to shelf, and focuses on how to center the voices and experiences of farmers as we work to make cotton cultivation more sustainable and equitable.  Huge thanks to this week’s guest Marzia Lanfranchi for sharing her perspective on the industry. You can follow her @cottondiaries.  To join the conversation, follow us on Instagram @wearepopulation or visit our website wearepopulation.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For almost ten years, the fashion industry focused on transparency and traceability as a tool for ensuring social progress in supply chains. Prior to this, the industry relied on social compliance to improve labor conditions. Unfortunately, the social compliance system is plagued with dysfunctions (corruption among them) and audit fatigue (an exorbitant amount of a facility’s resources, time and money being exhausted by multiple audits from different clients throughout the year).  Responsible purchasing practices most often codified in codes of conduct, are a new foundation for social and labor programs, but they’re just a start. On this episode of Unspun, Lauren, Catherine and Danielle sit down to discuss the birth of social compliance, transparency and traceability and what’s needed to create radical accountability: shifting our lens to the entire value chain. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“That’s where the paternalistic, but also the colonialism aspect comes out as well. It’s almost like you are slapping these people in the face and saying I’m sorry but you don’t know what’s good for you, so we’re going to come in and tell you, and if you don’t like it we’ll just go to another country and source our goods there.” On this episode of Unspun, Christian Smith joins Danielle, Lauren and Catherine for a conversation about the sustainable fashion industry, his thoughts on the white middle class dominance of the space, and the stakeholder engagement needed to make real progress. He reminds the industry that this should be one of the “most diverse job profiles you could ever see,” as we are ensuring sustainability for the “future generations of all people.” Furthermore, he talks about a people-centered approach that acknowledges the legacies of the past, while seeking solutions that empower garment workers today, through a living wage. Tune in to listen to our conversation with Christian Smith and follow him @inclusi_. To join the conversation, follow us on Instagram @wearepopulation or visit our website wearepopulation.com. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.