Women (re)inventing the future of fashion
What is the future of fashion?
This is an ongoing question at No Kill Magazine. The pandemic rocked the fashion industry as much, if not more, than anywhere else. Because of Covid-19 stores have gone out of business leading to cancellation of payments to factories which led to the creation of the #PayUp movement shining a bright spotlight on worker’s rights as an international issue and as we’re writing this garment workers are fighting not only for their livelihood but democracy in Myanmar.
The activism of Black Lives Matter continues on the streets but has moved into the boardroom with the founding of the Black in Fashion Council which will ensure brands do more about diversity than issue platitudes. And it’s not only Black designers and brands coming to the forefront but a larger look at the effect of colonization on the fashion industry –how the past brought us where we are today and what we must do to change things moving forward. And how it’s all interconnected.
The effects of global warming would not be felt so strongly if the exploitation of peoples and lands wasn’t allowed to flourish for so long. For better or worse, we are all inextricably linked and need to untangle this mess together.
In February we decided that for March, Women’s History Month we would do our version of “Fashion Influencers” -women or female self-identified persons who we see as our idea of fashion influencers –and it has ZERO to do with likes and followers on instagram. We decided to limit it to people based in the US simply to narrow the focus and tried to mix in newer names with more familiar. Still we came up with way more people than we can share in one article. So this isn’t definitive, but more like an introduction.
The women featured here range from students to CEOs and are vastly different in how they’re approaching the fashion industry but they’re all innovative and worth watching as we all continue to invent the future of fashion together.
Aditi Mayer
What she’s known for: a sustainable fashion blogger, photojournalist, labor rights activist, and frequent speaker on topics of social and environmental justice. Her work looks at fashion and culture through a lens of intersectionality and decolonization.
Our take: We called our list “fashion influencers” in a very tongue-in-cheek sort of way, and out of everyone on our list Aditi is closest to what one thinks of when they think of an influencer: a beautiful blogger/content creator who has partnerships with (select, sustainable) brands. But that “influence” can be powerful when the message is positive and on point like it is with Aditi.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is… the ways that our fashion model has been a continuation of deeply colonial systems rooted in the extraction and exploitation of planet and people– and disproportionately affecting BIPOC globally.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion. The future of fashion is one that is rooted in localized economies and the indigenous wisdom of that region. One that values all of the labor on the supply chain. One that rightfully views fashion as art (not a disposable commodity), one that works against homogeneity of culture, one that considers the environmental impact of materials used, one that is not predicated on speed and scale at all costs.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers: Vandana Shiva, the brilliant eco-feminist and advocate for small farmers globally as the tool for a sustainable, biodiverse future.
Ayesha Barenblat
What she’s known for: With over a decade of leadership to promote social justice and sustainability within the fashion industry, she is best known as the founder of Remake, a true fashion activist community that is igniting a conscious consumer movement.
Our take: Ayesha’s expertise doesn’t come from watching documentaries about the fashion industry but from making them. When Remake began Ayesha traveled to factories around the world to meet garment workers and hear about their experience directly. She didn’t go alone but brought along young design students from US fashion schools to meet their peers across the world and broaden their understanding of the fashion industry. For Remake’s latest film she didn’t have to travel far: Made in America looks at the garment workers in LA. In addition to all of this Remake has been one of the instigators of the #PayUpFashion campaign demanding brands are held accountable to their workers.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is...that Black and brown women are the backbone of our industry and must be paid living wages for a truly thriving industry.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion. I dream of a future in fashion where we buy less and better, wearing fashion that reflects our values, where renting and thrifting over disposable fashion is a reality and the makers of our clothes are well-paid and in our collective consciousness.
Who is one other woman that you think should known to our readers. Amber Valetta is both a supermodel and a super ally. During COVID-19 she has used her platform to support our #PayUp campaign and testify for the women who make our clothes in LA to no longer work in sweatshop conditions. She is truly beautiful inside and out.
Briauna Mariah
What she’s known for: Founder of We Speak Model Management. We Speak tackles beauty standards, combats tokenism, and opens important conversations with brands about how to push the industry further into this new era of advertising, marketing and promotion. We Speak champions diversity, protects models and supports healthy lifestyles. Models are paid on time and they’re not charged mysterious fees.
Our take: Briauna came to NYC as an aspiring model. Even though she fit “the mold” of a thin, cis-gender white woman, she was constantly told she wasn’t “enough.” Frustrated by this limited view of beauty, she decided to start her own agency. We Speak Model Management was born to transform the industry. With no experience on the management side and few connections in the industry she built a thriving agency where model management is more than having models of all sizes/ages/gender identities/ethnicities, but allowing everyone to contribute. To this end, she created a Pledge with her models that addresses Tokenism, The Planet and Covid19. Clients are asked to uphold the pledge while working with the models, and We Speak continues to work to make the ideas of the pledge commonplace within the industry.
In light of current protests against racism in America and in an effort to leverage this moment and move the fashion industry forward, We Speak is making a pledge to help guide partners who hire our models to implement real systemic change. Our models contributed their collective thoughts and amended this guide until it finally felt fully inclusive of how our industry should operate.
If there’s one thing people should know about fashion it is… Fashion is for everyone.
In a perfect world, what is your vision for the future of fashion? Marginalized groups being authentically represented in front of the camera–which means these groups need to be represented behind the camera as well, making decisions.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers? Quincie Zari – she did a lot of the heavy lifting on the We Speak pledge and now also works with us internally on model development and accountability.
Camilla Olson
What she’s known for: Camilla is an inventor and holds two U.S. patents with four more in process. She is the founder of Savitude, a technology which uses AI Design Intelligence as a solution for brands who want to serve a broader audience and create more inclusive design. The Savitude team has determined there are nine body types –not just the long legs/short torso body that is typically seen on the runway– and their premise is that if designers learn to design for more body shapes they will be able to serve more customers and reduce the waste from an over supply of styles designed for typical model physiques.
Our take: Savitude’s technology has the potential to really expand the availability of fashionable looks to more women by taking into account different body shapes and literally breaking the current mode.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is...
Everyone can look great, if they want to and if designers would design for all body types. We discovered that there are too many instances where women simply cannot find clothes to fit their body because no one is designing for them. Of course they can find loose fitting stuff, but nothing to enhance their appearance. And that is a line that really bothers me. Why is it acceptable that a whole industry is forgiven for ignoring a significant portion of the population simply because they don’t look a certain way? Imagine going your whole life not finding stylish clothes. How would that make you feel? It would certainly affect how I saw myself and my role in life: Limited. It is totally unacceptable, to me.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion?
I see a world where there is more variety in fashion design. More embracement of different silhouettes to serve more body types.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers?
Lisa Morales-Hellebo She has been an inspiration to me. She is taking on the supply chain.
Caroline Priebe
What she’s known for: Caroline Priebe has been practicing sustainable fashion design as a designer, production manager, stylist, consultant, and educator for 20 years. She is the founder of The Center for the Advancement of Garment Making which is rooted in her belief that we have both a responsibility and opportunity to build circular and regenerative business models that yield net positive impact for all stakeholders, including the planet.
Our take: Caroline has been a tireless advocate and educator about sustainability since the turn of the century. She shares her expertise with brands and entrepreneurs one-on-one so they can learn how to adopt business practices that are good for people and the planet, and she also offers a Sustainable Leadership Masterclass. Education is empowerment and Caroline has created an amazing resource via CAGM.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…not the same as personal style. Personal style is thoughtful, creative and communicative and has nothing to do with trends.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion?
Fashion is beautiful. The industry is ugly. I envision a total re-design.
Fossil fuels are no longer spun into fiber or trim.
We use regenerative farming practices to grow fiber while building soil health and sequestering carbon in the soil.
We work collaboratively with smallholder farms.
We produce both textiles and garments regionally.
Sewers are treated with dignity and paid a living wage.
We design for longevity and design out waste.
Brands strive to grow to scale vs. publicly traded companies with billion dollar valuation.
Brands create value vs. prey on our insecurities and fabricrate scarcity.
We establish a renewed network of locally available craftspeople that repair, alter and tailor our items.
Personal style is valued over trend.
The Global North pays reparations to Indigenous Peoples and the Global South for the centuries of exploitation of their people and environment.
Access to “Fashion” no longer dictates status in society.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers? Economist Mariana Mazzacuto
Charlotte McCurdy
What she’s known for: Charlotte McCurdy is a designer and researcher who blends science and design to reframe existential threats. Based in New York City, McCurdy is a partner of the One X One initiative with the support of Swarovski, the UN Office for Partnerships and the Slow Factory Foundation and a member of the New Museum’s cultural incubator, NEW INC. She is a 2019 PopTech Fellow and a co-founder of cofutures, a collective of futurists focused on directly impacting the world around them.
Our take: Charlotte McCurdy is like a gateway drug for fashionistas to look at climate change. While many of our fashion loving friends care about the environment, when we talk about it they admit that they’re afraid “being responsible” means solely buying secondhand or wearing clothes only from Prana or Eileen Fisher.
We use this opportunity to share with them the amazing algae dress that was a collaboration between designer Phillip Lim and Charlotte. From there we can reel them into a conversation about her raincoat made from algae and how it’s carbon-negative. This opens the conversation up wide.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is...Fashion, textiles in particular, has been there at the foundation of every major industrial revolution. The agricultural revolution was as much about the domestication of flax for fiber as it was about food crops. The industrial revolution, including mechanization and standardization, was birthed in the crucible of textile mills and computation has its origins in weaving. For good and for bad fashion is the most immediate extension of the imperfect human animal into the environment. Fashion is not only not frivolous, it is a need, it is a critical interface between humans and nature, and it is a tangible crystallization of not only who we are but who we are becoming.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion?
My vision for the future of fashion weaves together function, affirmation, and a coherent expression of place, identity, and values. How can we make fashion that renewably grows from the carbonshed of a landscape and that upholds and extends the people it adorns? How can we regain a realistic sense of our scale and speed through building a fashion that is grounded in the reality that all of the energy that drives this complexity on earth is ultimately derived from the sun? What kind of reverence would such a fashion be able to command?
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers?
Stephanie Kwolek invented Kevlar in 1964 when an experiment “failed” according to her peers. This “failure” was a fiber five times stronger than steel and has subsequently saved countless lives.
Janelle R Abbott
What she’s known for: Janelle is a textile based, multi-disciplinary artist working in Seattle, WA. She is fiercely committed to waste reduction by utilizing reclaimed materials and the zero waste methodology in order to create work that calls attention to the negative impact of the fashion industry. She is an advocate for workers rights and has received accolades for her work including the Teen Vogue 2019 Generation Next Emerging Designer award.
Our take: We love her commitment to zero waste but one thing that sets her apart from other designers is her Wardrobe Therapy project –where she creates new pieces from specific items in a person’s closet. It is a truly collaborative endeavor with amazing results.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…a lie, an illusion, a fallacy perpetuated by billionaires to destroy the human spirit and the planet for the sake of their own selfish greed.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion? A complete dismantling of extractive and exploitive methodologies that endanger human life and the planet. A reestablishment of care and stewardship for how we make and what we make, through means that respect people, especially the garment workers, by providing them with safe work environments and adequate compensation, and in addition: an increased reverence and respect the planet, through renewable resources and a focus on waste reduction, so that ultimately fashion is not about greed fueled degradation but renewal, longevity of process and material, as well as the affirmation of each individuals unique expression of self through the way they dress their sacred bocies.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers?
There’s a powerful group of womxn in Seattle who run a tattoo parlor called Bad Apple Tatoo, and I respect and admire greatly: Albie, Emma, Lolli, and Ursula are amazing artists, each with their own fantastic sense of style.
Jennifer Nnamani
What she’s known for: Multi-hyphenated creative, Jennifer is the founder of Beau Monde Society, an eco-focused creative agency dedicated to curated content and visual storytelling of multicultural creatives. Beau Monde believes in F.U.N. (Fashion.Understanding.Nature) With a nod to Afrofuturism and sustainability, they curate memorable experiences designed for you while keeping the environment in mind.
Our take: While there has been a lot of talk about increasing the number of Black creatives in the fashion industry, it’s equally important to recognize those who are already doing the work. Jennifer uses her vision and creativity to help promote people and brands that are innovative and sustainable. She also nurtures a sense of community through initiatives like her recent Beau Monde Summit that featured a multi-diverse panel of Black Womxn in the fashion/arts, mental health/wellness, and sustainability spaces.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is… fashion is an enterprise that has become a repetitive cycle. It’s playful but wasteful.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion? In a perfect world, fashion will not need to keep making clothes. We should produce what we need. The future of fashion should be biodegradable, sustainable (or long lasting) and made with clean energy.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers?
Ms. Tyler Chanel, ethical blogger, model, and speaker.
Jessica Schreiber
What she’s known for: Jess launched FABSCRAP to change the way people think about fabric waste while building infrastructure to redirect increasing quantities of it away from the landfill. Focusing on the biggest producers of domestic textile waste, today she works with 500 of New York’s 900 leading fashion and apparel brands (and is expanding to L.A.). Clients large and small pay FABSCRAP to collect their textile waste, which is then sorted at central facilities for reuse or recycling at scale. Businesses receive reports that can help make changes upstream to ensure that even more of their byproduct can be reused or recycled (by, for example, avoiding synthetic fibers, which never break down entirely). At the same time, FABSCRAP is also doing the pre-requisite work of sorting and supplying consistent streams of content for emerging innovations like “fiber-to-fiber” recycling.
Our take: Not only is FABSCRAP diverting textiles from the landfill, it is becoming a “go to” for young designers and other creatives to source fabrics. Fabric can be bought directly in person or online. Students receive a discount, and free material is provided to other nonprofits, teachers, charitable projects, and to all the volunteers who help with the sorting. This creates further awareness about the importance of not wasting textiles
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…how much influence customers have! I often hear from our new partners that they are increasing their sustainability efforts because it has become clear it’s important to their customers. Keep using your voices and asking questions and wanting the best from the brands you support!
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion?
In my version of the perfect world, fashion is slower, smaller, more regenerative. I can be a tremendous force for good. It would go beyond just “not harming” people and planet, it should be actively repairing damage done. It’s easier when the work happens locally, but even globally, the industry can properly support the people who make our clothes, create clothes to fit everyone, design pieces meant to last, choose materials that decompose or can be recycled. I hope the future of fashion is more responsible.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers? I’d love for everyone to know Ngozi Okaro. (scroll down to see her!) We started our organizations around the same time and I’m so inspired by all she’s accomplished with Custom Collaborative. I learn something new every time she speaks about her work.
Lindsay Rose Medoff
What she’s known for: Lindsay is the CEO of Suay Shop, a Los Angeles based 100% vertical sewing and production shop she founded in 2017. Pioneering the clean up economy, Suay products are created from a combination of post-consumer waste, deadstock and domestically, organically grown fibers. Operating out of a 5,000 sq. ft sew shop and retail space in Northeast L.A., Suay is cultivating a new workforce of textile recyclers within the garment industry with a team of thirty employees dedicated to eradicating the massive amount of destructive waste from the fashion industry. In 2019, Suay diverted over 250,000 lbs of garments from landfills,
Our take: Through Suay, Lindsay is creating a vibrant activist community. In addition to accepting textiles and clothing for upcycling (and creating beautiful products you can buy online), they offer garment repair services with proceeds going to support LA garment workers, fresh farm boxes which you can buy for yourself or for a garment worker family, face masks which have a donate in kind to children of tribal nations and a weekly free yoga class. (That last part feels especially LA & we can’t wait to stop by next time we’re on the west coast!)
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…the margins in fashion are destroying the planet and the quality of life for future generations of all species. This will continue as long as we allow it.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion? Community based repair, traceable recycling, post consumer goods, and respect for skilled laborers is just the beginning of where I know fashion can go.
Who is one other woman that you think should be part of this conversation/known to our readers?
To every woman, look in the mirror. If you are wearing clothes, this involves you. Your daily actions can make the positive change we need in this industry.
Ngozi Okaro
What she’s known for: Ngozi advocates for a fashion industry that honors planet and people. She founded Custom Collaborative, to support immigrant & low-income women launching sustainable fashion careers. Custom Collaborative serves US designers who want to design and produce locally, fashion-industry workers, and consumers who want ethical fashion.
Our take: By founding Custom Collaborative, Ngozi has created a community where women develop their skills and talent and can then bring these abilities into a workspace that respects them and pays them equitably. It adds not only value to the individuals but to the fashion industry as a whole.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…Fashion occupies dual roles of expression and protection. Our clothes are vehicles to express our personalities; we can tell the world who we are, disguise who we are, and sometimes share what we believe through our clothes. At the same time clothing is our most intimate form of shelter, protecting us from the cold, the sun, or other people’s judgments.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion?
In a perfect world, fashion is very significant. We all wear clothes that we love: the clothes will fit us well, they will be made from natural/biodegradable materials, and are produced without harm to people and planet. In this world, we all have favorite clothes that we cherish, wear for many years, and bequeath to our friends. Since the world is perfect, the clothes should also be easily altered to accommodate people’s bodies changing, like so many of ours did during the pandemic.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers?
Kimberly McGlonn, PhD, founder of Grant Blvd
Rachel Cernansky
What she’s known for: Sustainability editor for Vogue Business, she writes about the impacts of the apparel industry on everything from biodiversity to community-based development. She has also written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Nature, Discover and more on food/agriculture, health, science, and equity in global development.
Our take: Trying to keep up with what is or isn’t sustainable in fashion and why and how could keep us running in circles. Rachel’s articles for Vogue Business have become one of our go-to sources. Always nuanced, her articles show both the challenges and the progress made towards remaking the fashion industry more planet and people friendly.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…How clothes are produced and disposed of has global implications — for climate change, biodiversity, ocean health and water quality, global inequalities, women’s rights and human rights. Also, while consumers can make informed choices to support ethical, sustainable and equitable brands, the real problems are systemic and require government regulations (and enforcement).
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion? For it to be an industry that builds up both the people who work in it and the environments it exists in.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers?
Cannot say just one! Joyce Hu; Lynda Grose; Ayesha Barenblat; (see above) Rachel Faller; Kim Jenkins; Rebecca Burgess (see below)
Rebecca Burgess
What she’s known for:
Rebecca founded Fibershed in 2010 when she decided to see if she could create a wardrobe where everything –fibers, dyes, labor etc were sourced within 150 miles. The goal was to illuminate that regionally grown fibers, natural dyes, and local talent was still in great enough existence to provide this most basic human necessity —our clothes. Within months, the project became a movement, and the word Fibershed and the working concept behind it spread to regions across the globe.
Our take: We’re in awe of Fibershed. They’ve created a Climate Beneficial™ Verification program to support and increase adoption of carbon farming practices on fiber and dye producing landscapes, have regional fibersheds across the country and perhaps most importantly educated and created awareness of our connection to the land and how we’re all the stewards of the earth.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…that fashion embeds us into direct relationship with those who produce our clothing, all the way back to the source of the material, from soil to skin. When we view our clothing and material goods through this relational lens, we can honor all the energy and effort involved, and see ourselves as connected to the impacts and potential of fashion.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion?
Fibershed’s vision for a Soil to Soil fashion and material culture is less about perfection and more about sovereignty — we envision the emergence of a global movement of place-based communities who are supporting right livelihoods and restoring ecosystem health in their home geography.
Who is one other woman that you think should be part of this conversation/known to our readers?
Santa Puac is a garment worker, a mother of three and a labor activist with the Garment Worker Center in LA. Originally from Guatemala, organizing for justice is a family affair for Santa. She has been leading changes in the garment industry with her children for the past five years.
Readers can learn more about Santa’s work fighting for fair wages with the Garment Worker Center and sign the letter of support at http://garmentworkeract.org/
Shanthi Ramakrishna
What she’s known for: Shanthi is the founder of Taara Projects a company that makes sustainable pants working with artisans in India. What separates them from some other small companies is Taara Projects started with the goal of selling sustainable clothing with the artisans who made the clothing in mind. Their main focus is to empower and pay the artisans, who make their pants, a wage that allows them to support their families.
Our take: Still in university, Shanthi is the youngest woman on our list. We’ve included her because we think she’s a great example of how through taking initiative for the right reasons you can create a community that empowers others.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…
that it is not only an art—an art of self-expression and creation—but it also holds the capacity to be a vehicle for real empowerment and impact. Fashion represents an opportunity for producers and consumers alike to engage in a process that uplifts those it involves, benefiting both the planet and the people on it.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion?
In a perfect world, my vision for the future of fashion is that it becomes a movement driven by the collective desire to recognize and reverse the industry’s entrenched problems —problems that are rooted in broader systemic injustices. I hope that the future of fashion slows fashion down in such a way that individuals prioritize quality over quantity, impact-driven versus profit-driven models, and holistic and conscious craftsmanship over impersonal means of production/consumption.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers?
Julie Colombino who is one of the most humble yet inspirational people I’ve ever met. She is the CEO of Deux Mains and Rebuild Globally. She was one of the first individuals who made me realize how meaningful, exciting, and challenging it was to be a social entrepreneur, which made me all the more eager to strive to become one myself.
Theanne Schiros
What she’s known for:
Theanne’s a Professor of Science with a focus on Ethics and Sustainability and is involved in international development work with non-profit organizations like Engineers without Borders and There is No Limit Foundation. Her research is focused on development and characterization of advanced materials for renewable energy technology and regenerative, performance textiles. She is also the Co-founder and CSO, of Werewool.
Our take: We love our science mixed with ethics and sustainability and always have our eye on what Theanne is up to –like making hot pink protein fibers that don’t rely on petrochemicals via Werewool. Who said “good for the planet” can’t also be good for the nightclub?! 🙂 Another recent project has been microbial bio-leather sneakers in collaboration with Public School that are backyard compostable.
If there is one thing you think people should know about “fashion” it is…that fashion is not only one of most environmentally destructive industries in the world, but also a powerful vehicle for change.
In a perfect world what is your vision for the future of fashion?
In a perfect world, the not too distant future would see a fashion industry in which each facet of sustainability –environmental, social, and economic-is addressed in product’s a circular life. The supply chain is ethical, and the product is infused with meaning and quality. Materials for new garments should already exist, and be designed for easy reintegration into a circular economy over and over, or should come from rapidly replenishing organisms and be safely degradable at the end of their useful life, to become nutrients for the next generation of materials.
Who is one other woman that you think should be known to our readers?
Sarah Nsikak! Sarah is a Nigerian, Brooklyn-based textile artist and the designer behind La Réunion. Each of her hand stitched and quilted wearable art pieces are made exclusively from recycled material. You are immediately struck by the feeling that each piece holds a story, and the richness of that is palpable.
–Katya Moorman
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