Sustainability Changemakers in Fashion by Denim Privé: Recent Episodes
DenimPrive
Denim Privé is a sustainability-driven garment manufacturer specialising in ethical and innovative denim materials. We are a group of denim enthusiasts that share a passion for working together to redefine the future of the global denim industry.
Sustainability Changemakers In Fashion by Denim Privé is a podcast born to support this mission where we get to know industry enthusiasts and help them share their message for a more sustainable future.
We aim to create meaningful conversations around the topics of fashion, denim and sustainability.
In this episode, Harmony Herdrickx shares with us the inspiration behind her denim vintage store in Amsterdam and how she carefully curates each piece showcased within. Tune in to hear how this vision in blue hides some of the most interesting and unique denim and indigo pieces out there.Follow:https://www.instagram.com/ckxstudio/
Join the Community:https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
In this episode, Angie, one of the founders of Muna, a thrift shop in Amsterdam, dives into how they came about creating the kringloop for the people who live in the neighbourhood. Tune in to see how they have created a community space for their neighbours.
Follow:
https://www.instagram.com/kringloopmuna/
Join the community: https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
Lennaert Nijgh tells the story of how his love for raw denim in high school led to his education in traditional Japanese denim and then his company, Benzak Denim Developers in 2013. Their denim is designed to last, using no washes so that the denim creates its own natural fade throughout its long life.
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/benzakdenimdevelopers
Join the community: https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
Step into the world of denim restoration and sustainable fashion with Pey Van Der Wel. In this episode, we get a look inside his studio, where denim clothing repair is a beautiful way to keep clothing in use. The goal is to change the way consumers view their clothes by showing them how to extend the life of their clothing as much as possible. Listen in to learn more about the Sashikodenim business model and stitching methods.
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/sashikodenim
Join the community: https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
Rosette is a fashion re-designer from London whose purpose is to reduce textile waste in the fashion industry. She shares her experience in creating Revival London and how she is not only making repurposed garments accessible but also teaching others how to repurpose their own clothes.
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/revivalldn
Join the community: https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
Tuncay Kilickan from Lenzing Group brings decades of denim experience to the conversation of what cotton alternatives mean for the denim industry. Cotton alternatives are not here to eliminate cotton use, but to alleviate fashion’s dependence on it as the only way to achieve denim perfection.
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
This episode features Madison Wright, a circular economy specialist. The discussion centres around the circularity solution, Pentatonic’s role in connecting brands and sustainability solutions, and the origin of Hey Fashion, which was born out of a desire to educate for a future that isn’t lost but in need of solutions and action.
Follow:
https://www.instagram.com/wearepentatonic/
https://www.instagram.com/heyfashionorg/
https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
Mathilde Charpail, Managing Director at SANE Standard talks to us about the ins, outs, and truths of the certification industry. We also explored a topic she became well acquainted with through her educational platform for fashion consumers, Sustain Your Style: living wage payments. What are they and why are they so difficult to understand and standardize?
Follow:
https://www.instagram.com/sane.standard/
https://www.instagram.com/sustainyourstyle/
https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
Zennure Danisman is a textile engineer turned denim consultant. She shares about her passion for hemp—everything from its history, to its advantages, its limitations, and how it measures up to conventional cotton.
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/denim_theater/
Join the community: https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
Kara Hurry, the Chief Marketing Officer at Fibre Trace, dives into the technology that makes their supply chain tracing so reliable as well as the challenges that exist with a product that has several touchpoints along the supply chain. Listen in to hear how the science and the business is taking on the future for sustainability.
Follow: https://www.instagram.com/fibretrace/
Join the community: https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
This episode does a deep dive into the history of laundering in the textile and garment industry and how Tonello has changed and remained the same since its inception in the ’80s. We cover details about how exactly innovation and advancement in the machines involved in washing, dying, and finishing can play a part in the drive toward a more sustainable future.
Follow Tonello here: https://www.instagram.com/tonellosrl/
Connect with us: https://www.instagram.com/denimprive/
In this episode we speak to Anna Weber, a denim designer and artist based in Germany. She tells us about the circularity and the ethos behind working with denim in a new way. It is a celebration of the passion she’s encountered in the denim and sustainability communities.
Follow Anna and her work here: https://www.instagram.com/artworksxdenim/
Diogo Aguiar is the founder of Minority Denim, a brand that went from wash and dye developer to producer. Located in the north of Portugal, they are known for producing an all-natural, chemical-free dye called Biotint. Taking what would otherwise be waste and turning it into dye, Diogo Aguiar talks about the production process, the next phase of sustainable fashion, and the importance of changing the way things are done.
Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/minoritydenim/
Website:
https://minoritydenim.com/
Justine Aldersey-Williams founded the Northern England Fibreshed to create a more regenerative system for textile production. We talk about the Homegrown Homespun project and how she is growing, weaving, and essentially making a pair of jeans from beginning to end in a no-short-cuts kind of way.
Follow her:
https://www.instagram.com/thewilddyery/
Visit her website:
https://naturalfabricdyeing.com/
Ghana is often referred to as the gateway to Africa and is home to the biggest second-hand market in West Africa. In this episode, we talk with Amma Aburam about the history that created this culture and how the immediacy of dealing with this waste has created sustainable solutions that everyone should be listening to.
Connect here:
https://www.instagram.com/styleand.sustain/
https://www.styleandsustain.com/
In this episode, Amma Aburam talks about how she went from a fast fashion addict to a fashion and sustainability blogger. She is now being activated to turn her words into action as she tries to make the conversation less about her and more about the solutions to waste.
Connect here:
https://www.instagram.com/styleand.sustain/
https://www.styleandsustain.com/
In this episode we chat with Denim Designer and Trend Forecaster Shannon Reddy from Denim Dudes. She gives us insight into how future forecasting is actually done with a longer range of scope than what consumers see as a seasonal focus. And how overconsumption is being tackled by the bringing together of sustainability and trend forecasting.
Follow Denim Dudes on Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/denimdudes/
Check out their website: https://denimdudes.co/
Join us in this episode as we sit down with Juliane Nowakowski, Head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility at Tom Tailor. She shares her remarkable journey of spearheading structural sustainable change within a major company that initially lacked a sustainability infrastructure.Watch the Tom Tailor Portraits of Change here: https://company.tom-tailor.com/nachhaltigkeit/be-part-of-more/our-engagement/portraits-of-change
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomtailor_official/
Niki Tsukamoto is an artist and long-time student and artist of Indigo. Going back to her time spent in Japan and her knowledge of the medicinal properties of dying, Niki shows the meaning and art behind her work.
Follow her on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lookoutandwonderland/
In this episode, we get to chat with Arsal Kassim from Denim Privé to see how decisions get made about a company’s sustainable and creative direction.
The Brand Leader at Unspun, Annika Visser, shows us how technology is reinventing sustainable fashion with custom jeans using a phone application and a machine that 3-D weaves designs into reality.
Follow Unspun here:
https://www.instagram.com/unspun.io/
Ever worn a pair of jeans for 365 days? 👖Bryan Szabo encourages consumers to get excited about the beauty of denim. Listen in to find out how a consumer turned into a creator of the Indigo Invitational, the world's largest and most inclusive raw denim fading competition.
Follow his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denimstrummer/
Learn more about Indigo Invitational: https://www.instagram.com/indigoinvitational/
Buy his book: https://gestalten.com/products/the-rebels-wardrobe
In this episode, Denim Prive welcomes Mohsin Sajid, a denim designer for 20 years who started his career working for Levi's Japan and has been a consultant for the last 10 years. He is currently the owner at Endrime, Endrime Studio and Denim History. Also a Lecturer at RCA Fashion MA, London College of Fashion, Ravensbourne University London, and BA Fashion at Central Saint Martins.
Mohsin hopes to continue designing in a more sustainable way in the next 20 years. Right now his goal is to move away from petrochemicals. This means no polyester and this means reinventing dye. Often time every part of a jean can be compostable or reusable, but the dye will remain because of the petrol. Mohsin finds the challenges from sustainability to reinvigorate his design and push everyone to find the best way to manage the denim impact.
The fashion industry is changing. Here's how the producers are making it happen. Designer and consultant Leanne Jae chats about her take on sourcing, fibres, and regenerative farming.
Follow Leanne Jae on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanne_jae_design_consultant/
Visit her website: https://www.leannejae.co.uk/
How do we spot greenwashing and engage with trends sustainably? Get some insight with designer and consultant Leanne Jae on the latest podcast release.
Follow Leanne Jae on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leanne_jae_design_consultant/
Visit her website: https://www.leannejae.co.uk/
House of Denim connects and inspires the denim community around the world.
James, one of the founders, talks about how House of Denim incorporates new technologies, circularity, and sustainability components into their education of future designers.
Follow House of Denim Foundation and Jean School on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/houseofdenimfoundation/
https://www.instagram.com/jeanschoolamsterdam/
Visit the House of Denim website: https://www.houseofdenim.org/
While sometimes it seems like fashion and sustainability can't exist in the same landscape, Ani Wells shows us how they can. Progress, not perfection, is what will get us to a cleaner future.
Ani Wells is a sustainable denim consultant and the founder of a platform called Simply Suzette. While Simply Suzette has been and will continue to be an educational tool on sustainable denim issues, it is headed in a direction that applies the knowledge to brands who can take actionable steps as part of a continuous business model.
Follow Simply Suzette on IG: https://www.instagram.com/simplysuzette/
Learn more with her Supply Chain 101 information page: https://www.simplysuzette.com/supply-chain-101
Sustainability is calling on the fashion world to change. If you find a new way to be more sustainable, it is your responsibility to share it, not lock it away in a secret safe.
In this episode, we chat with Miles Johnson who is a denim consultant, designer, and artist. He has led the creative direction of companies like Patagonia and Levi's.
Follow Miles on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/milesjohnsondesign/
In this episode we chat with Lisa, founder and owner of Indigowares, as we dive deep into the world of indigo.
Follow her page on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theindigowares/
Visit her website: https://indigowares.com/
In episode 03, Denim Prive chats to Birgitta Helmersson, a zero-waste fashion designer changing the way we look at clothing. She not only spoke about less waste and less clothing but about developing your own personal style to help with this goal.
Quotes from the show:
"Zero waste pattern cutting especially for production, takes a really long time to develop it - but it does get easier." - Birgitta
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"If the garment is gonna take you 3x as long as a regular garment then its not worth it, keep the zero waste garment as simple as possible." - Birgitta
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"Less focus on trends and more focus on personal style and just building a wardrobe that you're gonna wear and love for a long time." - Birgitta
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"That classic Vivienne Westwood quote, buy well and buy less" - Birgitta
Links:
Follow Birgitta's page on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birgittahelmersson/
Check out the Birgitta Helmersson website: https://www.birgittahelmersson.com/
But why change if everyone around us isn't? This is a mentality that poses a roadblock to greater change. How do you respond to this question?
In episode 02, Denim Prive welcomes Nathalie from Lemonade Amsterdam - With years of experience in fashion and social psychology, Nathalie has created a positive inspiration platform to educate and make the complicated topic of sustainability easier for the average fashion consumer to understand.
The conversation is all about current consumer trends, consumer psychology, and how to be more sustainable as a consumer.
Quotes from the show:
"Mama, but why should I buy less and better when everyone around me isn't doing that." - Nathalie's Son
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"There are 2 nice challenges (1) not buying anything new or secondhand for 3 months (2) the 6 items challenge." - Nathalie
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"I hope that brands, retailers, and consumers become more like partners in this story." - Nathalie
Links:
Follow Nathalie's page on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemonadeamsterdam/
In episode 01, Denim Prive welcomes Polina from Good Fabric - With years of experience in the fashion and supply chain industries, Polina has created a space in the fabric world for a guilt-free shopping experience.
The conversation is all about how to start a sustainable business and how to live more sustainably. She shares the challenges and benefits of moving from big fashion companies to her self-starter small sustainable business. She tells us more about her journey and shares great sustainability tips for anyone wanting to live a more sustainable lifestyle, dress more sustainably or even start their own sustainable business.
Quotes from the show:
"Sustainability should have been a non-negotiable, but it was the thing that was always compromised on" - Polina
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"The most sustainable thing in your wardrobe is what you already own" - Polina
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"Know what you stand for. choose what's most important to you and stand by it" - Polina
Links:
Follow Polina on Instagram*
Good Fabric website*
Denim Privé is a sustainability-driven garment manufacturer specialising in ethical and innovative denim materials. We are a group of denim enthusiasts that share a passion for working together to redefine the future of the global denim industry.
Changemakers with Denim Privé is a podcast born to support this mission where we get to know industry enthusiasts and help them share their message for a more sustainable future.
We aim to create meaningful conversation around the topics of fashion, denim and sustainability.