Conscious Chatter With Kestrel Jenkins

In episode 81, Kestrel welcomes Accompany founder & CEO Jason Keehn, and VP of Special Projects at Accompany, Kara Gerson, to the show. Accompany is a fashion online marketplace supporting developing communities around the world. "There is such an overwhelming amount of choice for the consumer that having an editorial point of view on what's out there and bringing it all together in one place makes it feel more inspiring and emotional, as well as just more convenient." Jason and Kara share their past experiences in fashion, and how they both saw an opening in the market for a platform that brings together styles that have more meaningful stories behind them. They also share more about their recent collaboration with Target. Below are some of the ideas, initiatives and concepts that Jason + Kara brought up in this chat: Experiential Retail Accompany Us To Target Partnership Nest: a nonprofit committed to the social and economic advancement of global artisans and homeworkers through supply chain transparen

In episode 80, Kestrel welcomes Evelyn Mora, the founder of Helsinki Fashion Week to the show. An event where international and nordic fashion meet in Finland, Helsinki Fashion Week also focuses on sustainable production and an ecological mindset. Evelyn believes that fashion, style and individualism really are trending at the moment, and will continue to do so. Below are some of the ideas, initiatives and concepts that Evelyn brought up in this chat: Infinited Fiber Company Tanya Solovey, Vogue Ukraine Finnish Environmental Institute Amos Anderson Museum, venue for 2017 Helsinki Fashion Week Uneins, brand by a German-born Finnish-based designer August, an Estonian brand Mem by Paola Malleus Makia, Helsinki-based sustainable fashion brand "Multi-local": person who is a local in more than one place ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ SUPPORT CONSCIOUS CHATTER Want to help support this conversation? I big-time appreciate it! Here ar

In episode 79, Kestrel welcomes Agnes Muljadi, a Los Angeles based vegan ballerina, actress, photographer and celebrity blogger, to the show. Agnes has been the face of an array of brands including Amazon, NFL, Starbucks, Reebok, Toms Shoes and Kind Snacks. "MY NATUROPATH TOLD ME IMMEDIATELY YOU HAVE TO BECOME VEGAN TODAY, AND I JUST BECAME VEGAN. I LITERALLY BECAME VEGAN IN A DAY."  -AGNES MULJADI In this chat, Agnes shares insight into what her life as a ballerina looks like, and how she became vegan, basically overnight.  Kestrel also asks Agnes about her position as a social media influencer. As influencers continue to take more of a headlining role for brands and their marketing platforms, Kestrel is always curious about where and when authenticity will rise to the top. If an influencer promotes a food product, and never actually eats it, can we tell that? If they push a pair of shoes that they would never actually want to wear, are we going to be able to realize that, as outside followers? AND, if an i

In episode 78, Kestrel welcomes Nellie Cohen, the Worn Wear Program Manager at Patagonia, to the show. Patagonia's Worn Wear program aims to reduce environmental impacts by encouraging people to change their relationship to stuff, through repair and reuse of what they already have, and by celebrating quality and durability. Patagonia's largest repair center is in Reno, Nevada, and they did 50,000 repairs there in 2016. Nellie shares some of the history on Worn Wear, and how it evolved from Patagonia's earlier roots with Common Threads. It's a pretty cool story how Worn Wear originated from a blog that Patagonia surf ambassador Chris Malloy and his wife Lauren had started separately.  Nellie also elaborates on the scale of Patagonia's Worn Wear, and the number of employees that are dedicated to mending and building out the company's program. For Nellie, celebrating the stories behind the pieces we wear is huge - she's especially a fan of the family heirloom stories that can be attached to Patagonia's past sty

In episode 77, Kestrel welcomes Celia Bernardo, the founder and creative visionary behind CeliaB, to the show. A Spanish brand founded in 2012, CeliaB releases seasonless collections that showcase inspiration from Celia's travels around the world and celebrate unique global talents.  "I mean it's wealth to our aesthetic diversity in the world." -Celia, on the importance of celebrating independent designers After working for fast fashion brands like Zara, Celia broke off to build her own unique brand in an effort to push for quality over quantity in the fashion world. Throughout this chat, Celia shares thoughts on how she thinks we've lost an appreciation for the true cost of beautiful, quality designs, and how she believes in bringing innovative and different garments to the world, giving people new ways to envision the idea of "dressing". Celia calls herself a "Rainbow Warrior," and she's on a mission to combat the corporate world from conquering everything with its homogeneous approach. "It's important for

In episode 76, Kestrel welcomes Anna-Mieke Anderson, the CEO of MiaDonna, to the show. An ethical and affordable bridal jewelry line, which crafts its pieces with the finest lab-grown diamonds, gemstones and recycled metals, MiaDonna is pushing to change what the diamond industry looks like by going beyond "conflict-free". "It's estimated that 30 million American women have purchased a conflict diamond." -Anna-Mieke, CEO of MiaDonna In this chat, Kestrel asks Anna-Mieke to share her insight on what conflict-free means to her, and how MiaDonna thinks about standards when it comes to diamonds and gemstones. Anna-Mieke breaks down some of the science when it comes to the differences between lab-grown diamonds, diamond hybrids and lab-grown gemstones.  Additionally, Anna-Mieke explains how she built MiaDonna and the company's sister foundation, The Greener Diamond, in conjunction so they could collaboratively work together. Some of the certifications, definitions and statistics that Anna-Mieke shared throughout

In episode 75, Kestrel welcomes Executive Director of The C&A Foundation, Leslie Johnston, to the show. The C&A Foundation is a corporate foundation pushing to transform the fashion industry. The C&A Foundation's mission is "to inspire belief that change is possible, and to support those initiatives that can drive that change." From Leslie's perspective, the big way to push the needle when it comes to the fashion industry, is through a business to business play. While customer education is key, Leslie believes that the brands, retailers and manufacturers really need to step up and act differently. And as she acknowledges, within the industry, these players have been stepping it up in recent years. Leslie shares insight on how currently, the data from supply chains is living in a collection of separate silos. One of the ways that the C&A Foundation is working to collaborate with others in the industry is by finding ways to accurately aggregate the information, so people can access it. One of t

In episode 74, Kestrel welcomes Tim Scott, the cofounder and CEO of Mitscoots Outfitters to the show. An Austin based clothing company, Mitscoots Outfitters is on a mission to outfit & employ the homeless. With every piece of American made gear you purchase, Mitscoots will give an equal quality item to someone in need and employ the transitioning homeless to package things up. Gear with a mission: Get + Give + Employ.  In this chat, Tim shares some of his story, how he learned more about the homeless population in Austin, and what really led him to launch Mitscoots. Also, Kestrel asks Tim about his thoughts on how the 1for1 model has evolved since it first gained speed through the Toms shoes approach.  For Tim, when it comes to making an impact, it's all about working together with partners that are highly knowledgable and skilled in particular areas. As he says, "I don't ever think an organization or company can entirely solve a problem on their own." For Tim, it's about collaboration, and working with o

In episode 73, Kestrel welcomes Céline Semaan Vernon, the CEO of Slow Factory to the show. Slow Factory is a mission-driven independent fashion label & lab that creates beautiful accessories, clothes and jewelry while directly supporting environmental and humanitarian causes. All work is fair-trade and manufactured with eco-friendly ink and fabrics. "Fashion activism is the practice of using fashion as a means of social change. It merges popular styles of dress, from clothing and shoes, to headwear and accessories, with efforts to implement social and political change. Fashion activism can be used as a form of protest, whether expressing dissent or support." -"Fashion Activism" by Céline, Wikipedia Throughout this chat, Céline shares insight into what fashion activism means to her, and why buzz words aren't enough in pushing for change in the fashion industry. She also shares her thoughts on the open web - unfiltered/unorganized information - and how she is an open web actovate. Kestrel asks Céline about

In episode 72, Kestrel welcomes Isadora Alvarez, the creator of Back Beat Rags, to the show. Isadora created her company as a reaction to some of the negative experiences she had working for an off-price retailer in LA. She created her business - Back Beat Rags - in a way that was the total opposite of the previous company she worked for. Isadora specializes in making what she calls: "low impact goods". Every piece in the Back Beat Rags collection is under $70 dollars. Throughout this chat, Isadora walks us through the process of creating her garments via her super local supply chain, and how much she loves having close relationships with the people who make her clothes. She also shares insight on building a sustainable fashion brand with affordability in mind. Tune in to hear tips on how to build a sustainable brand with lower price points in mind, and to hear how Isadora thinks people are "shying away from fast fashion".  Eco Warrior Princess is a media company that's pushing to change the way we perceive

In episode 71, Kestrel welcomes Gordon Seabury, the CEO of Toad&Co to the show. An outdoor industry lifestyle brand, Toad&Co has a bold mission: “To lead with integrity and weave optimism into everything they do; To create meaningful change through socially and environmentally smart business; and To inspire people to live their fullest lives”. Toad&Co has a motto: “Dirty is the new clean. Wear more. Wash less.” Studies suggest that 58% of the energy and 45% of the water that goes into a garment happens post-purchase, so we recommend that you wear your clothing multiple times before washing to save on both natural resources and prolong its life. -Toad&Co Throughout this chat, Gordon shares insight on how Toad&Co approaches the triple bottom line, when it comes to their materials and the manufacturing throughout their supply chain. In 1997, Toad&Co cofounded Planet Access Company (PAC) to positively change the lives of adults with developmental disabilities by providing them with job

In episode 70, Kestrel welcomes Linn Frisinger, cofounder of Swedish Stockings to the show. Swedish Stockings produces beautiful pantyhose from 90-98% recycled nylon yarn.  Each year, two billion pairs of tights are produced, worn a few times, and then discarded. After being inspired by the documentary The Lightbulb Conspiracy, Linn and her cofounder Nadja Forsberg set out to find a better solution for the hosiery industry. In this chat, Kestrel asks Linn about the approach Swedish Stockings has to sustainability and zero waste in their supply chain, as well as their Recycling Club, which addresses the end of life of pantyhose. Linn also acknowledges the impact that nylon has on our oceans and microplastics issue; she shares how Swedish Stockings is developing a new yarn composed of upcycled plastic from the ocean. When it comes to being able to recycle elastane, Linn believes a solution is close, and hopes we will see one in the near future. Details on material composition:  Nylon: a man-made polyamide, de

In episode 69 of Conscious Chatter, Kestrel welcomes Alex van Os, eco stylist and founder of Op Shop To Runway to the show. Alex is an Australian Red Cross Op Shop Ambassador and a fashion & TV stylist on a mission: to help people realize that having killer style doesn't mean you have to kill the earth in the process. For her, second hand doesn't mean second best! Stat from the introduction, found via Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed:  Every single minute Americans toss out 47,564 pounds of unwanted clothing and textiles (that’s enough to fill three olympic size pools). In this chat, Kestrel asks Alex about her background, and how she found herself engulfed in pushing for a less wasteful fashion industry. They also discuss the challenges / balance of working as a mainstream stylist (to make money) + partnering with influencers to bring the sustainable conversation further into the mainstream.  Tune in for Alex's key second hand shopping + styling tricks at 00:24:50 of the episode.  Another really i

What change can happen in our lives when we look at the bigger picture, especially when we look through the lens of sustainability (i.e. social, environmental & economic impacts)? When we dive into the deeper meaning[s] of life, we can, or should see how connected we all are.  #BTS(behind the scenes)  w/ Good Support + Conscious Chatter explores how our choices and actions impact our greater communities. We also discuss ways to start making changes to align ourselves more fully with our beliefs. We will explore all the ways we can get more activated and engaged through quarterly topics like finance, education, healthcare and more. Each episode will feature hosts Gretchen Jones and Kestrel Jenkins as they make connections and discuss how our actions speak louder than our words, through in-depth conversation w/ experts in the field, but more specifically - women slaying it in their chosen field. Join the collective, work the guides and explore how challenging ourselves to be the change we hope to see in the

What change can happen in our lives when we look at the bigger picture, especially when we look through the lens of sustainability (i.e. social, environmental & economic impacts)? When we dive into the deeper meaning[s] of life, we can, or should see how connected we all are. #BTS(behind the scenes)  w/ Good Support + Conscious Chatter explores how our choices and actions impact our greater communities. We also discuss ways to start making changes to align ourselves more fully with our beliefs. We will explore all the ways we can get more activated and engaged through quarterly topics like finance, education, healthcare and more. Each episode will feature hosts Gretchen Jones and Kestrel Jenkins as they make connections and discuss how our actions speak louder than our words, through in-depth conversations w/ experts in the field, but more specifically - women slaying it in their chosen field. Join the collective, work the guides and explore how challenging ourselves to be the change we hope to see in the

In episode 68, Kestrel welcomes Clare Press, the author of Wardrobe Crisis: How We Went From Sunday Best to Fast Fashion, to the show. Clare is Marie Claire Australia’s fashion editor-at-large, and Daily Life’s Sustainable Style columnist. Clare is a big-time advocate for responsible fashion and sits on the Australian advisory board of Fashion Revolution. Clare shares her story, and how she feels like what we wear says a lot about what we want to say to the world. For her, we have truly lost our connection with our clothing, and that's part of what's leading us into this "wardrobe crisis".  

In episode 67 of Conscious Chatter, Kestrel welcomes the founder of Luna Zorro, Molly Berry, to the show. As you may have heard, the below quote from Molly has come up in past episodes, when discussing the balance between working with artisans and sharing that story: It seems to me that the word 'empower' has become a marketing buzz word for many companies to pull the heart strings of the consumer, sometimes to the point of exploitation, manipulating images or stories and convincing people that their single purchase is "changing a life". I work directly with indigenous, Mayan weavers everyday. I need them as much as they need me to make this business work. We stand in a global marketplace together. This is not a charity case and I am not simply "doing them a favor". We are partners. We are creating and designing things by hand and maintaining an ancient tradition that has been all but entirely replaced by machines. Molly shares her wild and crazy adventures that eventually led her to founding Luna Zorro. Kest

In episode 66 of Conscious Chatter, Kestrel welcomes Stefan Siegel, the founder of Not Just A Label to the show. The world’s leading designer platform for showcasing and nurturing today’s pioneers in contemporary fashion, Not Just A Label has been described by Vogue Paris as: “One of the ten most essential websites of today: it inspires, to be ahead of the trends". Stefan shares his insight on how data and fashion should be collaborating more often, and the potential that exists in that space. He also elaborates on his recent decision to move Not Just A Label physically to Los Angeles. For Stefan, LA is a place that has all the ingredients to redefine what fashion and manufacturing look like by creating a new system. At the moment, Stefan sees huge power in being able to connect consumers to independent designers, and he sees the way the food industry has rebuilt itself, as inspiration for this change.

In episode 65 of Conscious Chatter, Kestrel welcome Ayesha Barenblat to the show. The founder of Remake, Ayesha is hugely passionate about the power of storytelling and human connection. Remake is a platform that builds human connections between all of us as people who shop - and the makers whose hands create the fashion we wear.   

In episode 64 of Conscious Chatter, Kestrel welcomes self-taught designer Mia Vesper to the show. While Mia may be a new name to the fashion scene, she’s turning heads left and right. From Vogue to W Magazine to Man Repeller, the big guys are taking note. A 25-year old designer, Mia brings two key elements into her eye-catching designs: reinvention and recycling. In this chat, Kestrel asks Mia about her approach to design, and how she sources the vintage tapestries that are so integral to the pieces she creates. The two discuss the idea of "having your thing" as a designer, and its importance in today's overly noisy state. Mia shares her thoughts on a conundrum she's been facing for quite some time now: to build an ethical business or to build a profitable business, and the questions she's faced with on a regular basis, when she wants to build a better brand. Also, listen to hear some entertaining stories from two fashion-driven women who have roots in Wisconsin.