Big Closets Small Planet
59 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 months ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsFashion and apparel. It touches nearly everyone. When its at its best, fashion and apparel is not only functional, but also fun, expressive, sexy, and for some businesses, very profitable. But when it is at its worst, fashion and apparel is superficial, exploitative, polluting and extremely wasteful - in other words the essence of unsustainable consumption. And while it is argued that the industry's rapid growth has created employment opportunities for more than 300 million people worldwide, especially for women in poorer countries and those in extreme poverty, many garment workers still struggle to earn enough to pay to meet even their most basic needs. More alarming is the fact that as the industry grows - by 2030 more than 8 billion people will live on the planet, and nearly 5 billion of these will be part of the global middle class - its negative environmental impacts may become unmanageable, potentially undermining its social benefits and contributing to ecosystem degradation on local, regional and global scales.
Who would have thought garments could be so destructive?
The fashion industry must change now, but will we manage in time? Join Mike Schragger, founder of the Sustainable Fashion Academy, as he explores the challenges, incentives and disincentives and emerging solutions needed to rapidly transform the industry. Listen in as he talks with the business leaders, activists, researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs, investors, legislators, consumers and citizens - who are racing against the clock to find solutions that will transform the industry, thus ensuring it truly operates for the benefit of people and the planet.
www.sustainablefashionacademy.org/podcasts/big-closets-small-planet
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Episodes
For Ken Pucker, circularity is just another win-win fantasy & distraction for the fashion industry.
June 29, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 115 MBKen Pucker, former Timberland COO and current Professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, recently published a series of pieces critiquing the circular agenda for fashion. In this content rich interview, Ken explains the history of how market-led voluntary solutions became the norm and the rise of what he calls Sustainability Inc., how circularity in the fashion industry is just another attempt to maintain the unsustainable status quo, the seven barriers preventing circul...
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Climate & The 1 Trillion Dollar Question
April 06, 2022 12:28 - 58 minutes - 107 MBNow that climate action has rapidly moved to the top of the apparel industry's agenda, it is crucial that the industry moves from intention to action - and fast. The latest analysis indicates what we need to do, but the 1 trillion dollar question is how much capital will be required to do it. Enter the Apparel Impact Institute (AII) and Fashion for Good (FFG), who have now weighed in regarding how much financial outlay is needed. You've probably already guessed it: they arrived at 1 trillion...
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Fashion is endangering our forests. A new report from Canopy weighs in on what we need to do about it.
December 16, 2020 08:16 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBForests play a crucial role in promoting biodiversity, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and supporting livelihoods, especially in poorer countries. But because wood is the basis for so many of our products, the pressure to exploit forests, usually in unsustainable ways, continues to increase. What does this have to do with the fashion industry? A significant percentage of the fibres used in fashion come from wood, and the market for wood based textile fibres is expected to grow. ...
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Are the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and the HIGG tools making a meaningful difference? A new report weighs in.
November 25, 2020 09:37 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MBIt's been nearly a decade since Patagonia, Walmart and a number of other brands, retailers, manufacturers and NGOs established the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an innovative industry collaboration. As the coalition's website states, its vision is "an apparel, footwear, and textiles industry that produces no unnecessary environmental harm and has a positive impact on the people and communities associated with its activities". In turn, members must commit to measuring and improving th...
DEBATE: Part 2 - A proposed Swedish chemical tax on textiles - is this a case study in great government leadership or political greenwash?
November 11, 2020 08:11 - 52 minutes - 95.5 MBSweden has a reputation for being a sustainability leader in many areas, so you can imagine how curious we were to learn about a newish proposal from the current Swedish government for a chemical tax on textiles. The proposal was recently made available to stakeholders for comment, and of course, a robust debate has ensued. Is this proposal, as presented today, going to lead to a reduction in harmful chemicals in Sweden and globally? Or is it a smoke screen for a government that is looking f...
DEBATE: Part 1 - A proposed Swedish chemical tax on textiles - is this a case study in great government leadership or political greenwash?
October 28, 2020 06:54 - 1 hour - 146 MBSweden has a reputation for being a sustainability leader in many areas, so you can imagine how curious we were to learn about a newish proposal from the current Swedish government for a chemical tax on textiles. The proposal was recently made available to stakeholders for comment, and of course, a robust debate has ensued. Is this proposal, as presented today, going to lead to a reduction in harmful chemicals in Sweden and globally? Or is it a smoke screen for a government that is looking f...
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Sustainable investment expert Sasja Beslik thinks the fashion industry is a very poor performer and possibly a stranded asset.
October 14, 2020 06:49 - 56 minutes - 104 MBSasja Beslik, Head of Sustainable Finance Development at J Safra Sarasin, fled Bosnia when he was 18 to escape the war. He ended up in Sweden and today spends his time leveraging the power of the financial sector to improve the world. He is particularly interested in the fashion industry's impact on people and has recently attracted attention for his calculations showing that a well-known fashion brand could afford to pay living wages to garment workers by increasing the prices on their clot...
MAKE YOUR CASE: Phil Patterson believes the way we use chemicals in the textiles industry is broken and here is his plan to change it!
September 30, 2020 08:55 - 26 minutes - 24.3 MBPhil Patterson, Managing Director at Colour Connections, has been working at the intersection between the textile industry and influential retail brands for over twenty years, and after some recent soul-searching he had an epiphany. He has come to the conclusion that the current way we use and dispose of chemicals is extremely wasteful and will not achieve the environmental and health improvements we are aiming for. During this episode, Phil outlines his arguments for why we need to move f...
FACT OR FICTION: Alden Wicker and Sandra Roos think the fashion industry has a misinformation problem... do you agree?
September 16, 2020 08:14 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBIn this episode we continue to explore the most commonly repeated "factoids" in fashion and sustainability in order to determine whether they are substantive and useful. As a reminder, a "factoid" is information that is reported and repeated so often that it becomes accepted as fact. During Stockholm Fashion Week, Mike spoke with Alden Wicker, freelance journalist and founder of Eco-cult and Sandra Roos, Head of Sustainability at KappAhl and PhD in Environmental Systems Analysis, about comm...
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Femke Groothuis argues that tax reform is the best way to transform the apparel industry at the scale and pace required.
June 24, 2020 09:49 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBYou've heard it before: The global environmental challenges we face are daunting and time sensitive. If we want to avoid catastrophic tipping points, we need to move quickly and ambitiously. If we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we need to invest trillions of dollars. And so we scratch our heads and wonder if the actions we are currently taking are meaningful. We wonder if we must choose between economic development, job creation and the environment. And we cannot he...
LEADING CHANGE: What can a new psychology of climate action teach us about being better change agents?
June 10, 2020 07:47 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBAs a listener of Big Closets Small Planet, you are likely interested and engaged in changing the apparel industry. So for those of you who are keen to strengthen your change agent skills, we are introducing a new segment called Leading Change. In this first episode we are joined by Per Espen Stoknes who is that rare combination of thinker and doer. He is a psychologist, economist, politician, and the author of "What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming". In conversati...
INDUSTRY UPDATE: Circular business models, like clothing resale and subscription rental, are taking off - but can they ever fully replace today's retail models and deliver the radical sustainability improvements we need?
May 27, 2020 05:31 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBExperts and practitioners agree that simply improving upon today's take-make-waste linear business models will not ensure the apparel industry can operate within the planet's ecological boundaries. Instead, a new circular economy is needed and thus new circular business models. Circular business models, like resale and rental, are not actually new. But up until a few years ago, models like these were marginal, primarily employed by second hand stores and charity shops. How things have change...
FACT OR FICTION: Does the apparel industry really create more greenhouse gases than flights and shipping combined?
May 13, 2020 07:33 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBIn this new segment we will explore commonly repeated "factoids" in order to determine whether they are substantive and useful. Perhaps you have heard the statement that the production and use of clothing creates more climate impact than that of flights and shipping combined? A range of organisations - including the United Nations - have referred to this when promoting the need for climate action in the fashion and textiles industry. But is this statement true? Mike spoke with Simon Glover, ...
INDUSTRY UPDATE: COVID-19 - Are millions of workers at risk? Will Bangladesh ever be the same?
April 29, 2020 07:12 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBThe impacts of the corona virus on the apparel sector have been fast and furious. We are all affected, but millions of low-wage garment workers are facing a potentially catastrophic situation. In this episode we talk to a number of experts and union representatives to better understand what is happening on the ground, what responsibility buyers have for ensuring workers get paid, what this crisis reveals about the apparel supply chain, and if Bangladesh will ever be the same. You will hear f...
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Is digital clothing the future of fashion and a solution to overconsumption?
April 15, 2020 07:33 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MBThe Fabricant, a digital fashion house, recently sold a piece of digital clothing - clothing that is only available in digital environments - for over 9000 USD. This experience helped them realise that their expertise in 3-d digital modelling could be used for a better purpose: creating a new industry sector for digital only clothing which is very good for business and the planet. Mike speaks with Amber Slooten, Fabricant’s Creative Director and Adriana Hoppenbrouwer, Fabricant’s Commercial ...
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Pioneering Analysis Estimates 300 Billion USD Is Needed By 2030...
March 25, 2020 07:47 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MB...to develop and mainstream the sustainable apparel innovations required to meet key sustainability goals for the apparel industry. Listeners of this podcast series are familiar with our on-going focus on the crucial role finance and investment plays in enabling industry transformation. For the past two years SFA and Fashion for Good have been convening stakeholders to analyse this topic while calling for an analysis estimating how much financial investment is needed. Now we have it! A new ...
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Pioneering analysis estimates 300 billion USD is needed by 2030...
March 25, 2020 07:47 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MB...to develop and mainstream the sustainable apparel innovations required to meet key sustainability goals for the apparel industry. Listeners of this podcast series are familiar with our on-going focus on the crucial role finance and investment plays in enabling industry transformation. For the past two years SFA and Fashion for Good have been convening stakeholders to analyse this topic while calling for an analysis estimating how much financial investment is needed. Now we have it! A new ...
MAKE YOUR CASE - Lewis Perkins Warns the Industry Not to Reinvent the Wheel
March 11, 2020 09:09 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBIn this new segment - Make Your Case - Big Closets Small Planet provides industry experts and stakeholders a platform to argue for a particular position or perspective. In this episode, Lewis Perkins, President of the Apparel Impact Institute (AII), outlines his organisation’s vision and advice for accelerating change in the apparel industry. He makes a case for why the duplication of efforts will slow industry progress, and warns against starting new initiatives when existing initiatives ca...
MAKE YOUR CASE: Lewis Perkins warns the industry not to reinvent the wheel
March 11, 2020 09:09 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBIn this new segment - Make Your Case - Big Closets Small Planet provides industry experts and stakeholders a platform to argue for a particular position or perspective. In this episode, Lewis Perkins, President of the Apparel Impact Institute (AII), outlines his organisation’s vision and advice for accelerating change in the apparel industry. He makes a case for why the duplication of efforts will slow industry progress, and warns against starting new initiatives when existing initiatives ca...
INSPIRING INNOVATION BITE - Will molecular bonding of fibers mean the end of polyester?
November 27, 2019 07:50 - 9 minutes - 8.69 MBHere is a quick dose of inspiration! At Planet Textiles, Mike spoke to Spencer Null about Natural Fiber Welding's breakthrough solution: enabling natural fibers like cotton to behave like polyester. Is this a game changer? It is if it means poor quality fibers can be upgraded to premium fibers... Listen to this bite size pod to get a quick lesson on cool chemistry, and get inspired by a potentially disruptive approach. This interview was recorded in June 2019. This podcast is supported by ...
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Will molecular bonding of fibers mean the end of polyester?
November 27, 2019 07:50 - 9 minutes - 8.69 MBHere is a quick dose of inspiration! At Planet Textiles, Mike spoke to Spencer Null about Natural Fiber Welding's breakthrough solution: enabling natural fibers like cotton to behave like polyester. Is this a game changer? It is if it means poor quality fibers can be upgraded to premium fibers... Listen to this bite size pod to get a quick lesson on cool chemistry, and get inspired by a potentially disruptive approach. This interview was recorded in June 2019. This podcast is supported by ...
BUSINESS LEADERSHIP - The optimist CEO of Lenzing, Stefan Doboczky, weighs in on circular business models, short-termism & watchdogs.
November 13, 2019 09:56 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBDo you ever wonder how CEOs from some of our industry's most influential companies view the big social and environmental challenges we are facing today and the potential of business and innovation to adequately address these? TENCEL is a sponsor of this podcast series, so Michael took the chance and invited Lenzing's CEO Stefan Doboczky to discuss a wide range of topics in a recent interview. They touch upon Stefan's expectations of business leaders, the economics of sustainability investmen...
BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: The optimist CEO of Lenzing, Stefan Doboczky, weighs in on circular business models, short-termism & watchdogs.
November 13, 2019 09:56 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBDo you ever wonder how CEOs from some of our industry's most influential companies view the big social and environmental challenges we are facing today and the potential of business and innovation to adequately address these? TENCEL is a sponsor of this podcast series, so Michael took the chance and invited Lenzing's CEO Stefan Doboczky to discuss a wide range of topics in a recent interview. They touch upon Stefan's expectations of business leaders, the economics of sustainability investmen...
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Can a simple phone call make invisible workers visible?
October 30, 2019 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBDr. Lea Esterhuizen, an expert in gathering sensitive data from scared populations, believes we are unwittingly eating and wearing products that have likely been made or assembled using forced labor. Typically the apparel industry has used the "social audit" to address this problem. But social audits provide an incomplete picture of the situation. "There is a serious problem with worker invisibility". And that is why Lea started &Wider. Listen in to hear Lea describe her company’s elegant me...
INNOVATION BITE - Can a simple phone call make invisible workers visible?
October 30, 2019 10:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBDr. Lea Esterhuizen, an expert in gathering sensitive data from scared populations, believes we are unwittingly eating and wearing products that have likely been made or assembled using forced labor. Typically the apparel industry has used the "social audit" to address this problem. But social audits provide an incomplete picture of the situation. "There is a serious problem with worker invisibility". And that is why Lea started &Wider. Listen in to hear Lea describe her company’s elegant me...
INDUSTRY UPDATE: Finance & Innovation - Today’s financing models don’t cut it. We need new approaches that are structured in a way to help reduce risk for all parties involved.
October 16, 2019 05:02 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MBMike had the unique opportunity to sit down with an impact investor and a vertical manufacturer to share their real world views on what it takes to accelerate the uptake of sustainable apparel technologies in the apparel supply chain. Tanvi Karambelkar, representing the newly launched Good Fashion Fund, introduces the fund’s pioneering approach for providing financing to manufacturers who want to invest in high impact but often disruptive technologies - which are very high risk. Abhishek Ban...
FINANCE & INNOVATION - Today’s financing models don’t cut it. We need new approaches that are structured in a way to help reduce risk for all parties involved.
October 16, 2019 05:02 - 47 minutes - 43.1 MBMike had the unique opportunity to sit down with an impact investor and a vertical manufacturer to share their real world views on what it takes to accelerate the uptake of sustainable apparel technologies in the apparel supply chain. Tanvi Karambelkar, representing the newly launched Good Fashion Fund, introduces the fund’s pioneering approach for providing financing to manufacturers who want to invest in high impact but often disruptive technologies - which are very high risk. Abhishek Ban...
INDUSTRY UPDATE - Sound the alarm? Or have we overestimated the problems associated with microfibers & microplastics?!?
October 02, 2019 07:29 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBBetween 2014 and 2016, an increasing number of journalists began reporting on disturbing new research showing that microfibers from synthetic garments were making their way from our washing machines into fish and other aquatic animals. Since then the textile industry has been scrambling to understand the extent of the problem and what our industry should do about it. It's now 2019, so what more have we learned since researchers first sounded the alarm? And what is our industry currently doi...
INDUSTRY UPDATE: Sound the alarm? Or have we overestimated the problems associated with microfibers & microplastics?!?
October 02, 2019 07:29 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBBetween 2014 and 2016, an increasing number of journalists began reporting on disturbing new research showing that microfibers from synthetic garments were making their way from our washing machines into fish and other aquatic animals. Since then the textile industry has been scrambling to understand the extent of the problem and what our industry should do about it. It's now 2019, so what more have we learned since researchers first sounded the alarm? And what is our industry currently doi...
INSPIRING INNOVATION: The robots are coming! This development may be good for the environment, but is this the beginning of the end for garment workers in production countries?
September 18, 2019 07:24 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBThe United States Military is required to make their clothing in the United States. But because very little clothing is produced in the United States today, the U.S. Military needed to find alternative solutions. Enter Pete Santora, who launched SoftWear Automation 13 years ago to respond to this challenge. Today his technology, which automates sewing by using robotics, is ready to be scaled not only in the U.S., but around the world. In this fascinating, fast paced discussion Pete and Mike...
INNOVATION - The robots are coming! This development may be good for the environment, but is this the beginning of the end for garment workers in production countries?
September 18, 2019 07:24 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBThe United States Military is required to make their clothing in the United States. But because very little clothing is produced in the United States today, the U.S. Military needed to find alternative solutions. Enter Pete Santora, who launched SoftWear Automation 13 years ago to respond to this challenge. Today his technology, which automates sewing by using robotics, is ready to be scaled not only in the U.S., but around the world. In this fascinating, fast paced discussion Pete and Mike...
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - A Sexy Update on the State of Chemical Management in Textiles Today. "As consumers, we've probably never been safer. As citizens, we have probably never been more unsafe..."
September 04, 2019 07:16 - 56 minutes - 128 MBAt Planet Textiles, Mike Schragger spoke with two of his favorite chemical and textiles experts, Phil Patterson and Linda Greer, about the state of the industry regarding chemical management in textiles today. If this does not sound sexy to you, then you don't know Phil and Linda! In addition to getting a primer on chemical history and good and bad chemicals (hint: salt and starch can be bad too, in case you were wondering...), Phil and Linda get "into the weeds" by addressing some of the mo...
INDUSTRY UPDATE: A Sexy Update on the State of Chemical Management in Textiles Today. "As consumers, we've probably never been safer. As citizens, we have probably never been more unsafe..."
September 04, 2019 07:16 - 56 minutes - 128 MBAt Planet Textiles, Mike Schragger spoke with two of his favorite chemical and textiles experts, Phil Patterson and Linda Greer, about the state of the industry regarding chemical management in textiles today. If this does not sound sexy to you, then you don't know Phil and Linda! In addition to getting a primer on chemical history and good and bad chemicals (hint: salt and starch can be bad too, in case you were wondering...), Phil and Linda get "into the weeds" by addressing some of the mo...
INNOVATION – Subcritical Water… what the “!#@%” is that? And what can it do for the apparel industry?
June 05, 2019 05:21 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBThe founders of Tyton BioSciences are not personally interested in fashion, but that won’t stop them from using subcritical water to help solve the current textile-recycling conundrum. Mike Schragger talks to Luke Henning, CFO of Tyton, about their unique process for separating cellulose from polyester in blended materials. This podcast is sponsored by the C&A Foundation, the H&M Foundation, The Rylander Foundation, and Tencel. It is produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Subcritical water… what the “!#@%” is that? And what can it do for the apparel industry?
June 05, 2019 05:21 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBThe founders of Tyton BioSciences are not personally interested in fashion, but that won’t stop them from using subcritical water to help solve the current textile-recycling conundrum. Mike Schragger talks to Luke Henning, CFO of Tyton, about their unique process for separating cellulose from polyester in blended materials. This podcast is sponsored by the C&A Foundation, the H&M Foundation, The Rylander Foundation, and Tencel. It is produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.
INNOVATION – Apparel Industry = Waste.
May 29, 2019 07:18 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBNearly 6 million tons of leftover textiles - the equivalent 18 million new clothes - are wasted in South East Asia and China alone. If we could remanufacture these textiles and reuse them, or ensure we only produce what we need when we need it, we may be able to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of clothing production and support the transition to a circular fashion system. Mike Schragger talks with Nin Castle from Reverse Resources and Ian Brown and Dale Floer from Scalable Gar...
INSPIRING INNOVATION: Apparel industry = waste.
May 29, 2019 07:18 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBNearly 6 million tons of leftover textiles - the equivalent 18 million new clothes - are wasted in South East Asia and China alone. If we could remanufacture these textiles and reuse them, or ensure we only produce what we need when we need it, we may be able to significantly reduce the environmental impacts of clothing production and support the transition to a circular fashion system. Mike Schragger talks with Nin Castle from Reverse Resources and Ian Brown and Dale Floer from Scalable Gar...
INNOVATION IN CLIMATE ACTION - The H&M group boldly committed to becoming climate positive by 2040. But getting there requires unprecedented leadership and change. Is the H&M group in over its head? And what can the H&M group’s journey teach us about th
May 22, 2019 06:53 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MBIn a refreshingly candid and constructive interview, Mike spoke with the H&M group’s Kim Hällström about what has happened since the company first made their important public climate commitment and what we can learn from the H&M group’s insights and experiences in order to help the entire apparel industry reduce its emissions in line with a 1,5 degree warming pathway. Considering we are in a state of emergency when it comes to global heating, this is an interview you can’t afford to miss. ...
BUSINESS LEADERSHIP: Climate Action - The H&M group boldly committed to becoming climate positive by 2040. But getting there requires unprecedented leadership and change. Is the H&M group in over its head? And what can the H&M group’s journey teach us a
May 22, 2019 06:53 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MBIn a refreshingly candid and constructive interview, Mike spoke with the H&M group’s Kim Hällström about what has happened since the company first made their important public climate commitment and what we can learn from the H&M group’s insights and experiences in order to help the entire apparel industry reduce its emissions in line with a 1,5 degree warming pathway. Considering we are in a state of emergency when it comes to global heating, this is an interview you can’t afford to miss. ...
INSPIRING INNOVATION: What if using your credit card to purchase clothing could actually help combat global warming?
May 15, 2019 07:33 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBIf we knew the specific climate impacts of each of our purchases, such as the greenhouse gas emissions of our favourite dress or shoes, would we make more climate friendly purchases? And would the companies who make fashion and apparel products – now knowing that we know the climate impacts of our clothing purchases - offer more climate friendly options? In other words, can consumption and effective climate action go hand-in-hand or are we kidding ourselves? Mike spoke with Johan Pihl and Ja...
INNOVATION & CLIMATE ACTION - What if using your credit card to purchase clothing could actually help combat global warming?
May 15, 2019 07:33 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBIf we knew the specific climate impacts of each of our purchases, such as the greenhouse gas emissions of our favourite dress or shoes, would we make more climate friendly purchases? And would the companies who make fashion and apparel products – now knowing that we know the climate impacts of our clothing purchases - offer more climate friendly options? In other words, can consumption and effective climate action go hand-in-hand or are we kidding ourselves? Mike spoke with Johan Pihl and Ja...
INNOVATION - Edwin Keh thinks that to solve the fashion industry’s sustainability challenges we need to radically rethink R&D.
May 08, 2019 08:36 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBMike speaks with Edwin Keh, CEO of the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles & Apparel Limited, about his team's pioneering and surprising breakthrough in the area of textile recycling, his deep conviction that to accelerate the development and uptake of sustainable solutions our industry needs to do R&D very differently, and why industry innovation - for its own sake - is misguided. And if that's not interesting enough for you, the "professor," as Mike refers to him, also weighs in on th...
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Innovation - Edwin Keh thinks that to solve the fashion industry’s sustainability challenges we need to radically rethink R&D.
May 08, 2019 08:36 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBMike speaks with Edwin Keh, CEO of the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles & Apparel Limited, about his team's pioneering and surprising breakthrough in the area of textile recycling, his deep conviction that to accelerate the development and uptake of sustainable solutions our industry needs to do R&D very differently, and why industry innovation - for its own sake - is misguided. And if that's not interesting enough for you, the "professor," as Mike refers to him, also weighs in on th...
INDUSTRY UPDATE: The Innovation Ecosystem - Do you want the inside scoop about which sustainable apparel innovations are hot and which are not? Then ask two passionate, albeit a bit wacky, business development and innovation experts for advice.
May 02, 2019 06:55 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBDo you get excited when hearing about breakthrough sustainability apparel innovations - such as fibers made from fruit waste or blockchain technology being used to track and trace the origin and content of your clothing? Do you sometimes wonder if these breakthroughs are too good to be true? Greg Stillman and Rogier van Mazijk work with visionary entrepreneurs and impact investors every day. So Mike asked them for their perspectives on the hottest sustainable fashion innovations and business...
INNOVATION - Do you want the inside scoop about which sustainable apparel innovations are hot and which are not? Then ask two passionate, albeit a bit wacky, business development and innovation experts for advice.
May 02, 2019 06:55 - 45 minutes - 41.4 MBDo you get excited when hearing about breakthrough sustainability apparel innovations - such as fibers made from fruit waste or blockchain technology being used to track and trace the origin and content of your clothing? Do you sometimes wonder if these breakthroughs are too good to be true? Greg Stillman and Rogier van Mazijk work with visionary entrepreneurs and impact investors every day. So Mike asked them for their perspectives on the hottest sustainable fashion innovations and business...
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - Jason Kibbey: “Beware of the ‘Circular Fairies’!”
December 12, 2018 06:42 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBJason Kibbey, CEO of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), has been been leading one of the most important sustainability trade organizations in the apparel sector for the past 8 years. Jason joins Mike Schragger online from his office in San Francisco to chat about the progress the apparel sector is making, his assessment of the SAC to date, and his warning that a circular vision for the apparel sector can become a distraction if it prevents the industry from investing in proven solution...
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Jason Kibbey: “Beware of the ‘Circular Fairies’!”
December 12, 2018 06:42 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBJason Kibbey, CEO of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), has been been leading one of the most important sustainability trade organizations in the apparel sector for the past 8 years. Jason joins Mike Schragger online from his office in San Francisco to chat about the progress the apparel sector is making, his assessment of the SAC to date, and his warning that a circular vision for the apparel sector can become a distraction if it prevents the industry from investing in proven solution...
INDUSTRY UPDATE: Finance & Innovation - Show me the money!
November 28, 2018 09:12 - 48 minutes - 62.4 MBSustainable solutions are emerging but is there enough investment capital available to ensure they succeed? Mike Schragger talks with Fashion for Good’s Rogier van Mazijk about the innovation process, the exciting sustainable solutions that could save the fashion industry, and the need for billions, if not trillions of dollars to ensure these innovations can succeed. Investors, innovators, sustainability practitioners and nerds - you will love this, and Rogier is a joy to listen to! This p...
FINANCE & INNOVATION - Show me the money!
November 28, 2018 09:12 - 48 minutes - 62.4 MBSustainable solutions are emerging but is there enough investment capital available to ensure they succeed? Mike Schragger talks with Fashion for Good’s Rogier van Mazijk about the innovation process, the exciting sustainable solutions that could save the fashion industry, and the need for billions, if not trillions of dollars to ensure these innovations can succeed. Investors, innovators, sustainability practitioners and nerds - you will love this, and Rogier is a joy to listen to! This p...
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP: Linda Greer believes in radical transparency!
October 31, 2018 00:03 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBLinda Greer, Senior Scientist at the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) joins Mike Schragger online from her office in Washington, D.C. to share her experiences working to improve the apparel sector, her initial ideas for creating a climate roadmap for apparel and her conviction that transparency as it is practiced today is not effective enough. This lengthy interview is full of nuanced opinions and advice for you sustainability change agents, so pour yourself a cup of tea, turn off y...