Conscious Chatter With Kestrel Jenkins

In episode 241, Kestrel welcomes Akilah Stewart, the founder and creative director of FATRA, to the show. A creative waste management company, FATRA makes luxury bags from recycled plastics and fabric. On this week’s show, Akilah shares stories about some of the ways her grandmothers have influenced her and her work today. She also reminds us of the importance of thinking about creativity as a tool for building solutions — and not just an aesthetics-oriented idea. Kestrel and Akilah talk about the way in which we must be reimagining waste, and truly looking at it as a resource. As Akilah highlights, when so-called “waste” is generated by other animals, they are always finding creative ways to use it in different ways — it’s not something to be simply “thrown away”. Another big topic that comes up in this conversation is financial sustainability, and some of the ways that the nuances around it have been missing from the sustainability conversation. “I just want to keep it going in that manner — you know, wo

In episode 240, Kestrel welcomes Maxine Bédat, the founder and executive director of New Standard Institute, to the show. A think-and-do-tank, New Standard Institute is dedicated to turning industries into a force for good. Maxine is also the author of Unraveled: The Life and Death Of A Garment. "The society in which we live in is very much a result of the rules of our society — in that, it is people who change the rules, who create them and can change them, I should say. And so, I think that was definitely my biggest takeaway, is like, nothing about this system that we live in right now is inevitable. You know, where women garment workers are exploited and we’re just trashing rivers and throwing up climate change-causing emissions into the air and creating this product that isn’t making us happy — that’s not an inevitability, it’s just the systems of rules that we create and have to change.” -Maxine On this week’s show, Maxine shares more on her past journey, from law to fashion, and what has culminated in

In episode 239, Kestrel welcomes Lauren Bartley, the head of sustainability and CSR for GANNI, to the show. A Danish contemporary ready-to-wear fashion brand, Ganni is known for building a cult following in the fashion space. “Nowadays, sustainable or sustainability — it means different things to different people. To you, it might mean plastics and to me, it might mean human rights or circularity or carbon. You know — it’s so broad. I just think we need to move away from this broad brush approach to the subject and I guess, be more specific with which issues actually we’re trying to tackle.” -Lauren On this week’s show, Lauren shares a bit of background on her distinct way into the fashion industry, and how she found her way to working with Ganni. We talk about the brand’s resistance to labeling themselves as “sustainable”, how their 44 responsibility gameplay is driving them, and some of the ways they are working to creatively reduce their overproduction and waste, by adjusting their business model. Soil

In episode 238, Kestrel welcomes Jazmine Rogers (AKA @thatcurlytop) and Gabby Masuda Ambata (AKA @gabrielasage) to the show. A Black + Mexican creator, Jazmine is passionate about sustainable fashion and living, and sharing about it in a fun and graceful way. A Japanese American digital creator, Gabby is focused on sustainable fashion and lifestyle, and she’s also a mental health advocate. “I’m trying to reclaim the word influence because I think the word is so special and so powerful. Like I said earlier — it’s such an honor to be able to influence others to do things. Like with all things with capitalism, it just takes it and commodifies it, but I think we can go back to the definition of what influence is, which is to have an effect on others, and I want to be a positive influence and a good influence to encourage others to think new ways and try new things and be encouraged and be empowered.” -Jazmine On this week’s show, Jazmine and Gabby share more about how they first met in college, and how valuable

On episode 237, Kestrel welcomes Ben Mead, the Managing Director of Hohenstein Institute USA, to the show. Hohenstein Institute USA is one of the founding members of the OEKO-TEX® Association, and Ben serves as the company’s liaison with government agencies, industry collaborations and trade associations. “Green chemistry has a kind of textbook definition around design of chemicals and processes really to help reduce or eliminate hazardous substances or the toxicity and those sort of hazard type characteristics — and so, I think that’s pretty well been defined by some of the organizations that really focus on green chemistry. I think one of the other things that’s important when we consider, or we do other work — is not only what goes into the actual chemical itself, but also how can that influence the impact of how it’s used as well.” -Ben Mead On this week’s show, Ben shares more on his background working in chemistry and textiles, and some of the work he does with OEKO-TEX® today. Also, he helps explains

In episode 236, Kestrel welcomes Emi Ito, a Multiracial Japanese American mother and educator, as well as Gina Stovall, the founder of Two Days Off, to the show. Emi, @littlekotoscloset on Instagram, is the founder and co-moderator of Buy From BIPOC, and Gina was featured back on episode 224. The two recently came together on a collaborative collection — The Yoko Capsule — envisaged in the spirit of Emi's late mother. “I felt acutely my own mortality and the urgent need to leave something behind for my own child, that would also honor the creative legacy of my parents, and particularly — my mother. I come from a long line of creative, powerful women who brought beauty and art into the world.” -Emi Ito On this week’s show, Emi and Gina share more on what originally brought them together, and how their relationship developed into collaborating on a capsule collection. Emi walks us through what inspired her to reach out to Gina last year around her 40th birthday — a significant decade for Emi, the one in which

In episode 235, Kestrel welcomes Mikaela Clark, a visual artist and designer, to the show. The founder of Hansel, Mikaela makes handpainted, upcycled apparel in Brooklyn, New York. “At the time, I was like hey, I’m gonna invite in whatever good is trying to worm its way into my life. And then, as we make these decisions, we grow, we learn, and we think — ok, how can I get even more nuanced, how can I make more decisions in the future that align even more with my personal ethos? What have I learned along the way that’s made me maybe want to shy away or maybe want to lean closer to the decisions I’ve made. It’s all a process and it just can’t be separated — it’s all intersectional, everything’s at play when we’re trying to have this discussion about ethical fashion.” -Mikaela Clark On this week’s show, Mikaela shares more on how she learned to sew from her mom at an early age, and how that nurtured her love of fashion and making clothing. After she pursued music in college, an infection led her to lose her abi

In episode 234, Kestrel welcomes Lottie Bertello, the founder and creative director at LOTI, to the show. An upcycling design studio recently launched in 2021, LOTI reuses materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. “We’re gonna be really vocal with our platform to show people that we don’t need to be following these trends. I think trends is what has pushed this overconsumption in massive amounts. And there’s the misconception that trends are the only fun clothes you can use — like trendy clothes equal fun and sustainable clothes equal boring, which is absolutely not the case at all.” -Lottie Bertello On this week’s show, Lottie shares more of her experience working within the conventional fashion industry, and how for her, that made her realize that building her own project was where she could make the most positive impact. Lottie highlights some amazing stories from the beginnings of building the brand — one day, she was browsing the racks at a Goodwill, and she ended up buying 300 men’s button up

In episode 233, Kestrel welcomes Katherine Theobalds, the founder and creative director at Zou Xou, to the show. A slow fashion footwear brand, Zou Xou shoes are made in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  “I like using the word sensible to describe our shoes because it kind of challenges the common assumption of what sensible shoes mean. I don’t mean that they’re boring, I don’t mean that they’re not exciting, and I don’t mean that they can’t express your style. To me, the sensibility aspect of it speaks to the practicality of it and how often you’re using it, and the versatility of it in your wardrobe.” -Katherine Theobalds On this week’s show, Katherine shares more on how an array of circumstances led her to build out Zou Xou. Also, she explains some of the ways she and her team have had to get extra creative in their business throughout COVID-19. Katherine also dives into more of what sensible shoes mean to her, and why she thinks this is an important way to build products — and in her case, shoes that you will bu

In episode 232, Kestrel welcomes Kara Fabella, an ethical fashion advocate, digital creator and stylist, to the show. Known as @theFlippside on Instagram, her Living In Color(ism) series on IGTV features discussions where she passes the mic to guests to share their experiences with colorism. On this week’s show, Kara shares more on her past explorations in blogging, and what led her to begin shifting the relationship she was building with her wardrobe. She also shares more on what influence means to her, how she vets the brands she works with, and some of the nuanced challenges that come with being a digital creator in the sustainable fashion space. Additionally, Kara shares more on the intentions behind her Living In COLOR(ISM) series, and how she’s consciously building out her ethical styling services. Aditi Mayer, mentioned when it comes to the way she leverages her paid partnerships as an educational opportunity Alder Apparel, brand Kara mentions Living In COLOR(ISM) episode that Kara mentions with

In episode 231, Kestrel welcomes Lauren Tanaka-Fortune and Rory Fortune, the cofounders of Goods & Services, to the show. A modern repair shop in Los Angeles, Goods & Services specializes in sneaker repair. “I think we just have to start changing our mentality around consumption and buy things that you really love and can potentially pass down one day. I think that when you buy things that are made better, you can wear them longer — I mean, eventually they’ll be a cool vintage piece, right? We just need to get away from this need for ‘more, more more’ and get back to sort of the olden days of really buying something that you love and wearing it forever.” -Lauren Tanaka-Fortune, Co-Owner of Goods & Services On this week’s show, Rory and Lauren each share their unique experience, working within the conventional fashion industry, and what “aha moment” led them to want to reassess the way they were working in fashion. Rory explains a bit more on what led him down the path of learning more about shoe

In episode 230, Kestrel welcomes Kiana Kazemi, a current undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, studying the intersections of technology and environmental justice, to the show. The Editor in Chief of the campus environmental publication The Leaflet and the Digital and Community Operations Coordinator at Intersectional Environmentalist, Kiana is also the Co-Founder and CEO of Circularity, a soon-to-launch multi-medium environmental justice platform. “Climate change is a huge problem that we’re facing, but it’s really the symptom of capitalism, of the patriarchy, of so many other systems that have bigger histories and have been in place for such a long time. And so, if as engineers, we’re only taught to tackle those surface-level symptoms, we’re not tackling the wider systems, which is what we need to be tackling. ” -Kiana Kazemi, Intersectional Engineer On this week’s show, Kiana shares more on her backstory, what led her to pursue engineering, and what being an “intersectional engineer” means to her. Also, sh

In episode 229, Kestrel welcomes Dani Des Roches, the founder of Picnicwear, to the show. A slow fashion brand, Picnicwear is made by hand in NYC (almost) entirely from vintage and deadstock materials. “A statement piece doesn’t have to be a trendy piece per se — those descriptors can exist separately from one another. So just like a sustainable item doesn’t have to mean that it’s banal or it’s expensive, a statement piece can be special today, and still can be special 2 years from now, 3 years from now, 10 years from now.” -Dani Des Roches, Founder of Picnicwear On this week’s show, Dani shares more on how her love and appreciation for secondhand fashion started at a very young age. Not only was she influenced by her family's lifestyle, she also had this desire to always look "different" through the way she dressed, which drew her to the one-of-a-kind nature of vintage. Dani went to fashion school and ended up working in fast fashion for years. While she was grateful to have these opportunities in the indus

In episode 228, Kestrel welcomes curator and writer Catherine McKinley to the show. The author of Indigo, a journey along the ancient indigo trade routes in West Africa, and The Book of Sarahs, a memoir about growing up Black and Jewish in the 1960s-80s, Catherine has taught creative nonfiction writing at Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University. Her newest book, The African Lookbook, A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women, draws on her extensive collection of photos to tell a different visual narrative of African women. “In most of the societies, cloth is just, it’s essential, it’s considered something that contains the human spirit and it’s the layer next to the skin — you know, it has all those meanings. And cloth is essential from what you’re wound in the moment of birth to what you’re wound in at the grave.” -Catherine McKinley, Writer + Curator On this week’s show, Catherine shares more on what led her to have an interest in writing, cloth, photographs and fashion. Through our conversatio

In episode 227, Kestrel welcomes Yessenia Funes, the Climate Editor at Atmos, to the show. A new climate and culture magazine, Atmos is curated by an ecosystem of adventurers, creatives, and journalists, and dedicated to pioneering progress around the world. “So much of what we do is working with frontline organizers, so that they can tell their own stories — inviting them to come write for us, creating space so that they’re not just quoted in an article, but they’re writing the article. And I think that there’s sometimes hesitance to do that in the media industry, out of this sort of obsession with objectivity — I think is honestly what sometimes drives some of that. And we do that in a way that, we’re not here to necessarily push an agenda, but we’re here to give people space to to tell their truth, tell their stories and to educate the public about the battles that many of these people are fighting.” -Yessenia Funes, Climate Editor at Atmos On this week’s show, Yessenia shares more on what led her to writ

In episode 226, Kestrel welcomes Matty Hickey, the founder of Be Kind Vibes, to the show. A social impact brand, Be Kind Vibes creates ethically-made goods that inspire love & compassion for each other and our natural world. “Kindness is a way forward for us out of these times — it’s a chance for us to be able to reconnect with ourselves, and then, that way, we can kind of express that out into the world and to others. It’s one of the values, one of the pillars of the brand, and it’s how I guide the direction of the brand in everyday decisions — it’s a powerful thing, and I think if we can really tap into it and use it, it is a way forward and I think it’s a way that can unite all of us, really.” -Matt Hickey, Founder of Be Kind Vibes On this week’s show, we take a little journey down memory lane, as Matt was the person who suggested Kestrel start a podcast over 5 years ago now. The two discuss those early ideas, and how Matt really helped spark the early idea for Kestrel to build out this audio communit

In episode 225, Kestrel welcomes Chantel Keiko Ricks, the Distribution Manager & Sustainability Lead at Urban Native Era, to the show. Based in Los Angeles, Urban Native Era specializes in clothing design and content to increase the visibility of Indigenous Peoples. “We pride ourselves in providing tools, resources, highlighting thought leaders, sharing about changemakers and being a source for Indigenous perspective on society’s current events — and that is us providing our community with what’s needed to reclaim one’s culture, reclaim identity and reclaim Indigenous story through accurate representation.” -Chantel Keiko Ricks, Sustainability Lead at Urban Native Era On this week’s show, Chantel shares more on how until COVID-19 arrived, she had been studying film in grad school at San Diego State. But, the pandemic paired with the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement led her to explore how she could help in some way in a social activism setting — this led her to reconnecting with Joey Montoya,

In episode 224, Kestrel welcomes Gina Stovall, the founder and designer behind Two Days Off, to the show. An independently, woman-owned and operated lifestyle brand, Two Days Off makes garments designed for longevity that are ethically cut and sewn in small batches in Los Angeles, California. “In sciences, and especially the environmental sciences, we think of everything as a system. Everything is interconnected and there are ramifications for every decision made, every act that’s taken, every resource used, and even social systems play into that — which is part of the reason why I loved the environmental sciences so much, because you see how this theory or this phenomena impacts people on a day-to-day, and then you can figure out — is this a balanced system or is this co-beneficial and things like that. And so, in my business, I look at it exactly the same way.” -Gina Stovall, Founder of Two Days Off On this week’s show, Gina shares more on what led her to switch up her career from working as a scientist /

In episode 223, Kestrel welcomes Maggie Hewitt, the founder and designer behind Maggie Marilyn, to the show. Made in New Zealand, Maggie Marilyn is working toward a more transparent, circular, regenerative and inclusive fashion industry. “Really the biggest achievement of all to-date was making this sort of bold decision to pivot our business model to operate entirely direct-to-consumer, and I think really now — our values and our business model actually align.” -Maggie Hewitt, Founder + Designer of Maggie Marilyn On this week’s show, Maggie shares more on what led her to build a fashion brand that places sustainability at its core. She also explains more of how over the last five years, they realized as a brand, that in order to move forward with their focus of transparency, circularity, regeneration and inclusivity, they had to transform their business model to align with those values — which, for Maggie Marilyn, meant shifting away from wholesale and functioning entirely as a direct-to-consumer brand. Mag

In episode 222, Kestrel welcomes Selina Sanders, a slow fashion artisan who makes clothing that is always one-of-a-kind and upcycled, to the show. After over a decade of working as a designer in fashion, Selina started her eponymous label to help reduce the industry’s carbon footprint and build an environmentally responsible brand. “Fashion is in the business of creating culture — we are culture creators — that is an immense power that we have is the influence of creating communities in culture. And, the fact that we have an opportunity to shape what the next culture becomes is a tremendous privilege, yet unfortunately I constantly see that we are taking that privilege for granted — we are not using it to the best of its ability. And that is why now that I’m slowly building this brand, I want to make an impact toward the change this industry deserves.” -Selina Sanders, Founder of Selina Sanders On this week’s show, Selina explains how losing her job (with the arrival of COVID-19), actually provided her with