WARDROBE CRISIS With Clare Press podcast

#Clare Press #Fashion and Beauty #Lifestyle #Arts #Fashion #Sustainability #Sustainable Fashion #Ethical Fashion #Vogue #Business Of Fashion #Design #Climate #Fashion Designer #Clothing #Fashion Revolution #Thrift #Vintage Fashion

28:39

For centuries, members of the B’doul Bedouin tribe lived in the caves around the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. Then, in the 1980s, the government forced the tribe to move in the name of preserving the geological site for tourists. But if the residents are forced to leave, and if their heritage has been permanently changed, then what exactly is being preserved? SHOW NOTES: Meet The Man Living in The Lost City Carved in Stone Jordan: Petra's tourism authority cracks down on Bedouin cave dwellers The tribes paying the brutal price of conservation “There is no future for Umm Sayhoun” Jordan’s Young Bedouins Are Documenting Their Traditions on TikTok Check out Sami's company Jordan Inspiration Tours Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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WARDROBE CRISIS is a fashion podcast about sustainability, ethical fashion and making a difference in the world. Your host is author and journalist Clare Press, who was the first ever Vogue sustainability editor. Each week, we bring you insightful interviews from the global fashion change makers, industry insiders, activists, artists, designers and scientists who are shaping fashion's future.

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241 episodes

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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updated 5 days ago

Series home•Feed

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

241 episodes

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WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Everything's Better When the Sustainability Team is in Charge - the Inspiring Tale of Lafaani 38:20

5 days ago38:20

38:20

In the third of our four-part mini series on sustainable fashion in India, Clare sits down with Drishti Modi and Rashmick Bose, the duo behind slow fashion brand Lafaani. It's focused handcraft, handloom weaves, and natural dyes, and their clothes are gorgeous - we want them all! But the founders didn't always dream of fashion careers - they're sustainability professionals who met at university studying environmental resource management. At first, it was all about biodiversity, water use in marginalised communities, and regen ag. So how does one move from observing flying lizards in the Western Ghats, or surveying toilet numbers in remote villages, to staging runway shows? And making wonderful trench coats dyed with marigolds diverted from temple waste-streams. Somewhat of a winding road, it has to be said! Was it hard? What drives them? When you haven't been to fashion school, how do you get the design right? Who do you work with? How do you figure it all out, while staying true to your purpose? A warm, inviting conversation that will help anybody with big sustainability ideas trying to do fashion differently. More info at thewardrobecrisis.com Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Got recommendations? Hit us up! And please share these podcasts. THANK YOU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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From Vintage Seller to Artisanal Manufacturer: Is Ritwik Khanna India's Most Promising New Designer? 39:17

12 days ago39:17

39:17

More from our visit to India! If you listened to the last episode with stylist Daniel Franklin, you'll have heard Clare promise more to come from India's burgeoning sustainable fashion scene. This week's chat is with one of Delhi's most promising young designers , who's just shown his collection at Lakmé Fashion Week in Mumbai, and who won last year's Circular Design Challenge (run by R/Elan and UN India). He is Ritwik Khanna, founder of the edgy menswear offering and atelier RKive City. He's created a new system of working with post-consumer textile waste (lots of denim and camouflage gear) that he de-constructs, then recuts into brilliant new garments, often embellished with embroideries. The result blends cool modernity with high craft. What's up for discussion? His process, obviously, but this is also a conversation about dignified work, what people don't realise about the second-hand and waste textile supply chain in India, and ultimately - what makes a good life. Fancy your chances winning the Circular Design Challenge? Applications for 2025 close May 8th. Info here. More info at thewardrobecrisis.com Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Got recommendations? Hit us up! And please share these podcasts. THANK YOU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Lakmé Fashion Week Special: Styling India's New Wave Designers, with Daniel Franklin 45:02

25 days ago45:02

45:02

Mumbai and New Delhi take turns to host Lakmé Fashion Week, and this season it's the former that will be exploding with creative runways and high-craft fever, starting next week. To get you in the mood, we're bringing you an Indian mini-series of the Wardrobe Crisis podcast, starting with this delightful conversation with stylist Daniel Franklin. Daniel styled five shows last season, and has seven on the go this time, and we can't think of anyone better to contextualise India's new gen talent explosion. So yes, expect to learn the new names-to-know and what makes them tick. But Daniel studied fashion history before breaking into magazines, and this is a far-ranging discussion that gallops through the myth of the Silk Route to the truth of the colonial hangover, via a tour of India's unparalleled craft heritage. Enjoy! More info at thewardrobecrisis.com Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Got recommendations? Hit us up! And please share these podcasts. THANK YOU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Woke! Anti-Woke! What's with all the Corporates Ditching DEI? 1:00:38

5 weeks ago1:00:38

1:00:38

A disturbing shift away from diversity, equity and inclusion is spreading through the corporate world. Following US President Donald Trump's lead, some of the world's most powerful companies have rushed to dismantle years of positive work that's been done in this area. Race and gender are central to this discussion, but diversity and inclusion programs concern the whole gamut of non-majority groups in any given setting, including sexual orientation, disability and class. So what does mean to be abandoning policies and initiatives designed to make our societies, organisations and businesses fairer and more equitable for everyone ? To remove unjust barriers to entry that have, for too long, locked less-privileged groups out? It’s not like, our work is done here. Take, for example, the continued lack of representation of women in the C-suite. The numbers simply don’t represent broader society - or brands’ stakeholders and customer-bases. Or educational establishments that blatantly favour upper class students from rich families. That’s where affirmative action comes in. Talking about merit-based hires and some lofty ideal of a colour/class/gender/disability-blind world is pure nonsense when some of us clearly get a head start over others. Big questions: what's driving brands to drop DEI programs? Did they ever really care in the first place? How do the culture wars play into all of this? Will what's happening in America spread to other countries? And will more big brands follow suit? Is diversity and inclusion officially dead - or just on life support? Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Got recommendations? Hit us up! And please share these podcasts. THANK YOU. In this episode, Clare gives you a masterclass on the history, context and current state of play , then revisits key messages from previous episodes on this topic, including insights from Aja Barber, Lou Croff Blake, Rahemur Rahman and Junior Bishop. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Oh Hey Ripu Daman Bevli... Meet The Plogman of India 40:37

6 weeks ago40:37

40:37

It's time for some more trashtalk, my friends. Remember plastic pollution ? Of course you do - because it's still with us. According to the UNEP, the equivalent of 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic enter the world's oceans, rivers and lakes EVERY SINGLE DAY. And while there was a great deal of excitement around the prospect of a Global Plastics Treaty last year, talks were suspended at the end of 2024 when UN member states failed to reach an agreement on what would have been the first-ever global legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. But it's not just plastic that's littering the environment. You name it; it ends up there - from paper and cardboard to aluminium cans, glass, clothing and fly-tipped furniture. We're all complicit, so we've all got a part to play. The good news is that awareness and community action is growing, and that is the focus of today's interview with the inspiring Ripu Daman Bevli - a Delhi-based environmentalist and runner, on a mission to make picking up litter cool. Meet the Plogman of India... Plog- what?! The term plogging originated in Sweden - it's a portmanteau of the Swedish verb, "plocka upp" (to pick up) and the English word "jogging". In 2019, Ripu ran 1000 km across 50 cities in India, picking up trash - and followers - along the way. As he says, if you want to spark behaviour change, forget shame and berating people - the secret is to invite them to join a fun activity. So don't stress, this is far from a dismal discussion about the waste crisis. Rather, it's a joyful, encouraging story about how to change the world with positivity, recorded on location in Delhi, with a soundtrack of beautiful birdsong. Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Got recommendations? Hit us up! And please share these podcasts. THANK YOU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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The Future of Fashion Artefacts, According to Leo Carlton (Hint! It's Printed) 47:02

7 weeks ago47:02

47:02

London fashion week spotlight: In a markedly hatless era, forward-marching British New Gen accessories designer Leo Carlton is turning their talents to digitally-printed crowns, elf ears, breast plates and mysterious sculptural masks. Some of these genre-defying fashion artefacts feel a bit witchy, with pagan undertones. Others, firmly futuristic. But how do they make them? Wouldn’t you like to know! Leo trained at Cordwainers, enjoyed a two-year residency at Alexander McQueen's Sarabande Foundation, and studied classical millinery techniques - their first job out of college was with the iconic London hatmaker Stephen Jones, and they used to make showpieces for Dilara Findikoglu, Richard Quinn and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy. But these new VR adventures step beyond the confines of the physical word with mind-bending results. From teaching themselves digital printing via Youtube to sculpting in virtual reality, the only limits are: there are no limits. Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Got recommendations? Hit us up! And please share these podcasts. THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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New Gen: Essie Kramer talks Upycling Church Cast-Offs, Mastering the Digital Printer and Nearly Dressing Julia Fox 40:16

10 weeks ago40:16

40:16

Experience matters. Everyone always tells new design graduates that it's best to work for someone else while you find your feet. But at what point do you know that you are ready to strike out on your own? While on the surface this conversation with emerging German fashion designer Essie Kramer seems to be about the joys of sourcing old ecclesiastical textiles and turning them into provocative new ensembles, or how digital printing is democratising object-making, I think it's really about confidence and finding your flow. When you know, you know! Essie is one to watch. I'm always excited to meet next gen fashion talent . Featuring young designers has been a pillar of Wardrobe Crisis from the start. I've been lucky enough to be a judge on many new gen competitions over the years, including Redress in Hong Kong, the Circular Design Challenge in India and Australia's National Designer Award. I got to write a bit for Sara Maino's Vogue Italia Talents project, and covered the BFC's New Gen for years. Every series, we've run at least one (sometimes more) Episodes focused on new designers around the world. Got recommendations? Hit us up! And please share these podcasts. Then re-listen to these treasures from our archives: Ep 61 Vogue Talents , featuring HUEMN and Sindiso Khumalo Ep 65 with Ruchika from Bodice Studio Ep 70 featuring Bethany Williams , Matthew Needham and Patrick McDowell Ep 110 with upcyclers Helen Kirkum and Duran Lantink Ep 139 with Icelandic knitter Ýr Jóhannsdóttir Ep 146 with Joao Maraschin Ep 204 Michaela Stark Happy listening! Clare x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Clare's Take: Dressing Melania - Decoding the Meaning of Big Fashion's Right Wing Power Play 37:42

11 weeks ago37:42

37:42

A note from Clare: This week, I'm experimenting with bringing you something a bit different. I'm calling it CLARE'S TAKE and it's a sort of op-ed slash invitation to start a conversation about a issue in the news. It's just me, no interview this time. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning the interview format! Normal programming will resume next week, but do let us know if you like the idea of adding these editorial takes on topical fashion criticism into the mix, as a bonus. Thank you, as ever, for listening! Clare xx From that hat as a strategic kiss-dodger to mob wife at a funeral, dark MAGA to the spectre of an American state jewellery collection, let's just say there was a lot going on with Melania's fashion optics at the inauguration. But what's the bigger picture of luxury's right wing power play? In a few short years, we've gone from leading fashion designers openly stating that, for ethical reasons, they'd never dress the Trumps - to the LVMH bosses attending the inauguration. When there's money to be made, does anyone remember that Trump is a convicted felon? And with key American corporations lining up to abandon their DEI and climate goals, how will the rest of fashion respond? And what they heck should the rest of us do about all this? Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress *Boycotting X since August. _________________ To discover our Sustainable Fashion 101 online course, click here. We're giving listeners who enrol in January 50% off. Apply the discount code - newyear - at checkout to redeem your gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Photographer Axl Jansen on the Coolness of the Berlin Fashion Scene and how “Art is Always a Kind of Danger in Itself” 53:05

12 weeks ago53:05

53:05

Ears here! Do yourself a favour and take a break from doomscrolling Trump... Berlin fashion week is about to roll around again, and we're inspired. Not least because last year Fashion Council Germany became the first to officially adopted Copenhagen Fashion Week's sustainability framework, complete with 20 minimum standards for participating designers. If you don’t live there, what’s your impression of the city's vibe? Dark, grey and dystopian?! In winter, there’s a bit of that for sure, but it also crackles with electric creativity. Largely devoid of corporate nonsense, Berlin's fashion culture fosters indie talent, DIY and sustainability innovation, all mixed up with the underground arts scene. Think fashion as dialogue, self-expression and provocation. Community over ego. And embedding political movements - including sustainability and DIEB - into the shows. Plus, of course, the legendary club scene is never far away. “It is alternative,” says this week’s guest, much-loved fashion photographer, cult magazine maker and adopted Berliner Axl Jansen. “They don’t nip on their champagne and talk about art; they live it. Life is dangerous, you know? As an artist you have to define always new ideas, you have to find new paths of thinking, so it’s always in a kind danger, art itself.” While this conversation isn't really about politics - it's about creativity, fashion, music - Clare's question to you is: Can we disassociate these things? We don't think so. Art reflects the times we live in - and these, once again, are turbulent ones. To discover our Sustainable Fashion 101 online course, click here. We're giving listeners who enrol in January 50% off. Apply the discount code - newyear - at checkout to redeem your gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Meet Mr McCall. A Chance Encounter with Count Buttons (Or, Why You Should Talk to Strangers at Fashion Shows) 45:42

13 weeks ago45:42

45:42

Happy New Year! When was the last time you admired someone's style from afar, say from across the street? Or when you found yourself sitting next to them in a public place, a cafe perhaps, at a fashion show or on the bus? Did you strike up a conversation? Because we mostly don't. Mostly we just think how fab they look and that's that. I like to think of our first Episode for series 11 as an encouragement to talk to stylish strangers , in the very best of ways, because you never know what might come out of it. At London Fashion Week last season, I spotted Beau McCall in the crowd, and thought: Oh my, what a FABULOUS OUTFIT. He was covered, you see, in buttons galore, like a Harlem version of a Pearly King. He'd topped off this look with a Vivienne Westwood Buffalo hat. Next thing I knew, he was making his way over, and sat down next to me. The rest is, if not exactly history, encapsulated in this warm and sparkling conversation. Actually, there is quite a bit of history in it - from the evolution of the button as a fastener /decoration strictly for the well-to-do, to everyman's (and woman's) closure of choice, to the fashion history of NYC in the late '80s. Also up for discussion: why every family should have a button box, the joy of hand-sewing, how fashion can help if you're shy at parties, and what happens when you try and sew hundreds of a buttons onto a bathtub... For pics and links, hop over, as usual, to: thewardrobecrisis.com Beau's website is beaumccall.com For info on The Or Foundation's Kantamanto fund, see here. To discover our Sustainable Fashion 101 online course, click here. We're giving listeners who enrol in January 50% off. Apply the discount code - newyear - at checkout to redeem your gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Now Here's a Dazzling Idea: Smell as Material, with Susan Irvine 59:33

15 weeks ago59:33

59:33

Breathe in deeply through your nose... What can you smell right now? Can you identify it? How does it make you feel? Is it fresh, bright, pleasant? Nostalgic? Disgusting? How often do think about smell? If you only tend to notice when it's something particularly lovely - your favourite dish being cooked, a preferred flower - or horrid (let's not go there); you're not alone. As this week's guest Susan Irvine explains, a couple of thousand years' of western philosophy has conditioned us to prioritise sight and sound, relegating smell to the senses' lower division. Why? Well, short of holding your nose (spoiler alert, there's some of that in this podcast!) smell isn't something we can generally choose to take in or shut out; it doesn't invite us to apply our discernment. But while the art and design worlds have long overlooked scent, that's changing. Agenda-setting creatives are using it in their storytelling - and we're not talking about perfume campaigns. Welcome to the mind-blowing world of smell as material. We'll leave it to Susan to explain. Susan Irvine is a writer of excellent books including novels, short stories and non fiction. A former Vogue beauty editor, she's a current Visiting Lecturer at London's Royal College of Art, where she teaches a course on using 'smell as material' based in the Fashion Programme. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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What's Going on in Bangladesh? A Must-Listen Convo with Fashion Manufacturer Shafiq Hassan 56:22

17 weeks ago56:22

56:22

"Bangladesh has come out of a lot of difficulty in the past. Bangladesh is a place of hope, is a place of resilience ... We could again come together as a nation, with the ertailers and the brands supporting us, and make the transformation. It's a huge, huge opportunity." Rousing words from this week's compelling interview with manufacturer Shafiq Hassan , of the Echotex manufacturing facility in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Last year Bangladesh was ranked the third-largest exporter of clothing globally (after China and the European Union) exporting USD $38.4 billion worth of garments. The nation is home to over 40K garment factories of various sizes, and over 4 million garment workers. A decade after Rana Plaza, much progress has been made, including around environmental sustainability. Bangladesh now has 186 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified factories, and, according to Reuters, lays claim to 9 of world's top 10 'green' garment factories (considering carbon, water and energy footprint, waste, logistics, and using more sustainable materials). Clare interviewed Shafiq in London, in September 2024, a little over month after peaceful students protests in Bangladesh toppled ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, then presiding over an increasingly corrupt and authoritarian regime. Her government's response to the protests - appalling violence - is well documented. This week, a new report by the current interim government, titled Unfolding the Truth, implicates Hasina in as many as 3,500 cases of forced disappearances during her time in office. Warned the Solidarity Centre in August: "The economy of Bangladesh, depends on garment factories, but producers say customers are concerned about violence and disruption." What's more, the previous government's "repression against workers seeking to form and join unions has prevented garment workers from achieving the living wages and safe working conditions they have sought to achieve." So what's next? The Nobel peace laureate and economist Muhammad Yunus (founder of the Grameen bank) is leading the interim/ caretaker government. The factories are back working. Leading facilities like Echotex continue to innovate. What's unfolding is very relevant to the fashion sector, and to all of us who care about ethical production and want to understand the role brands have to play when it comes to what we hope are long term partnerships with suppliers. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Tapestry! Embroidery! Quilting! Tailoring! Can Textiles Change the World? You Bet 44:18

18 weeks ago44:18

44:18

From Victor & Rolf's "Get Mean" frock through Jordan Gogos's radical upcycling projects to Paul McCann's "Sovereignty Never Ceded" gown, certain items of clothing speak loudly - with intention - about the times we find ourselves in. Let's not forget the long traditions of tapestry-making, quilting, embroidery, and the newer but related concepts of stitch-n-bitch craftivism. Cloth can be a radical medium. You might call it soft power, for its undeniable tactility - but don't mistake soft for weak . "Textiles galvanise communities. Through wars, pandemics and disasters, textiles have offered a way to mobilise social and cultural groups and build connections. In the late nineteenth century, British artist and designer William Morris sought to counter the mechanisation and mass-production of the Industrial Revolution by weaving tapestries on a manual loom with hand-dyed thread. Today, many artists are experimenting with the materials and techniques of textile design as a ‘slow making’ antidote to the high-speed digital age." With an introduction like that, how could we not respond? This week, Clare sits down with Rebecca Evans and Leigh Robb, curators of RADICAL TEXTILES - a major new exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Up for discussion: do textiles belong in museums? Is fashion so often dismissed as some sort of lesser art because it's considered unserious women's business? How did political movements of the last century use textiles to get their messages across? What's with Don Dunstan's pink shorts? And so much more! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Scottish New Gen Fashion Talent: Tartan, Tennent's, Tam O' Shanters - but with a Twist 31:02

21 weeks ago31:02

31:02

New York, London, Milan, Paris? So last season! It's time to spotlight less discussed design centres. This time, Dundee , which is home the two emerging menswear designers you're about to meet - both recent graduates from the Jimmy Choo Academy . First we'll hear from Sasha Clegg , whom with a wink, called her label The English Man . Despite being neither. She chose the name to call out the pale, male-dominated fashion industry. Sasha, who is of Zambian and Scottish descent, wants to " celebrate multiculturalism, heritage, diversity, and inclusivity. " Her graduate collection, titled Mother’s Tongue , blends inspiration from her Scottish upbringing with nods to English football culture, and features kilts, tartan, and '80s-to-2000s influences. Our second interview is with Robyn Green , whose work explores subcultures and challenges Scottish stereotypes, with a political twist. Too often fashion mines working class communities for their idea and creativity without giving credit - that, says Robyn, is a form cultural appropriation. Her brand, Gadgie, is inspired by "the resilience and creativity of Scotland’s working-class communities" and she's on a mission to create opportunities for underrepresented voices in fashion. How to begin? Head home. After studying in London, she's back in Dundee, setting up her new studio, working with local hand-knitters and crochet artists and championing Made in Scotland . Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Jimmy Choo - How to be Successful: Sage Advice from the Iconic Shoe Designer 40:19

23 weeks ago40:19

40:19

It's not every day you get to sit down with a proper fashion world icon and pick his brains for free! Dear listeners, you're in for a treat this week, as Clare meets the one and only Jimmy Choo. This magic name in shoe design is now professor - he runs his own fashion school, the Jimmy Choo Academy in London's Mayfair. This is a warm-hearted generous chat full over pearls of wisdom, like... "First, you must learn patience." "It all experience! Whatever happens, don't blame yourself - learn from it." "Somebody will always be better than you." "If you act like a know it all, no one will want to talk to you. If you are humble, people will want to pass on their skills and knowledge." "Trust your instincts to seize opportunities." Want more? Headphones at the ready. And don't forget to tell us what you think. Ultimately, Jimmy's message is, there's no point merely chasing fame, publicity and money. You have to stay true to your values. For him, that means craftsmanship, skill, and passing on your knowledge. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Is Fashion Ready for Ecocide Law? with Lucy Tammam and Jojo Metha 39:42

25 weeks ago39:42

39:42

If you listened to last week's interview w. Jem Bendell and wondered, "What on Earth do I do now?" And you weren't up for moving to Bali and getting collapse ready by starting a self-sufficient permaculture farm...we've got you! This week's episode is about practical action being taken right now to protect the rights of Nature. Clare is sitting down with two can-do women, fashion designer Lucy Tammam and Stop Ecocide International's Jojo Mehta to decode one of the topics of the moment, ecocide law. You might have noticed this idea gaining momentum. Ecocide refers to the mass damage and destruction of ecosystems – severe harm to nature which is widespread or long-term. The idea is to criminalise it. And it's happening! It's become national law in several countries with many more discussing it. In March, the EU passed a law that criminalises actions 'comparable to ecocide' - a revolutionary legal development; the first law of its kind to be adopted by a political entity with substantial global influence. In September, Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa submitted a proposal to the International Criminal Court for recognition of ecocide as a crime. What does all this mean for fashion? Listen to find out! Find the shownotes here Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Jem Bendell's Dangerous Ideas - What if Sustainability Is Just a Big Green Fairytale? 55:01

27 weeks ago55:01

55:01

Okay, brace yourselves... Brands love to set sustainability goals. But what if it's all nonsense? What if net zero, the obsession with carbon, and the idea that renewables are taking over from fossil fuels, are all part of a fake green fairy tale that we tell ourselves because the alternative is too difficult to imagine. Or that corporations tell us so that they can keep on with business as usual. WTAF? We know. It's... a lot. Is it true? You decide, after listening to this week's guest. Jem Bendell is an emeritus professor of sustainability leadership at the University of Cumbria, the author Breaking Together and founder of the Deep Adaptation movement, as well as Bekandze Farm school and folk band Barefoot Stars. If it sometimes feels like everything's collapsing around us, Bendell argues that's because it is. From the climate and cost of living crises to rising geopolitical tensions, and don't get us started in the widening gap between rich and poor. He says, it's not a sudden thing, like we see in Hollywood movies about the end of the world. Rather, he argues, collapse is a process, and one that's already begun. The question he's asking is: what can we do on the other side? Some people, he writes, are already: "dramatically changing their lives to prioritise creativity and social contribution. They are worrying less about their career, their financial security or following the latest trend. They are helping those in need, growing food, making music, campaigning for change and exploring spiritual paths. That is happening, because they have rejected the establishment's view of reality and no longer expect its officers to solve any of the worsening problems in their society." Others are just pretending nothing's wrong. Can cats help? Do doomsters really have more fun? Where does hope come into all this? Clare sat down with Professor Bendell after his keynote at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney to ask all this and more. Music: Mystical Cat by Barefoot Stars, launched in support of Villa Kitty, donate here. Check the shownotes for links & further reading. https://thewardrobecrisis.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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Regenerative Thinking: "What Does A Bee Want?" Carole Collet on Designing with Nature in Mind 42:27

28 weeks ago42:27

42:27

What is the role of a fashion designer today? Thinking purely about gorgeous clothes is so last season. Gone are the days when designers could consider only a collection, how it will sell and what the customer might be looking for. Forward-thinkers are already beginning to take more holistic view and adopt a living systems approach. They’re asking questions such as, Can we make like Nature makes? How might fashion create nutrients instead of waste? How can we use biomimicry in sustainable ways? Program living systems to produce bespoke products? And, how can we build a truly regenerative system in place of the current degenerative one ? “We won't have a choice in the future. We will all have to include sustainability in everything we do,” says this week’s guest Carole Collet - a bio designer, professor of textile futures and the director of LVMH’s Maison/0 incubator for emerging talent focused on regenerative luxury. Carole was raised in Burgundy, France, to respect Nature. Her mother worked in a flower shop, her father in a greenhouse. In 1991, she was in London studying for her Masters in textiles when she had a revelation: “It’s in biology that the answers will be.” Traditionally, textile design education focuses on weaving, knitting or maybe printing. “It's very craft based,” says Carole says, “and I love craft; I think it’s justified. But at Masters level, I felt like it was too restrictive.” She went on to set up the first Material Futures program at Central Saint Martins “to explore what textiles could be”. A philosophical conversation that extends way beyond fashion, encouraging us to ask the big questions about what sort of world we want to build - and our responsibilities in doing so. We might begin, suggests Carole, by challenging our anthropocentrism, and ask, " What does a bee want? How about a fish?" Thought-provoking! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Get Your Secondhand September On with Eunice Olumide 25:52

31 weeks ago25:52

25:52

Happy Secondhand September! Six years ago Oxfam UK came up with the idea of using September to encourage people to: "Shop second hand to take a stance against fast fashion and dress for a fairer world." They say it's a moment to come together “to choose a more planet-friendly way to shop, and dress for the world you want to see." How does preloved help with that? We all know that fashion waste is a problem, that new clothing and textile production is a serious contributor to the climate crisis. According to ThredUp, if every consumer bought just one this year secondhand garment instead of a new one, it would he like equal to taking 76 million cars off the road for a day. Plus by shopping with Oxfam , and other charity shops, you’re investing in the vital work in local communities. This week Clare sits down with mega multi-tasker Eunice Olumide MBE - model, environmentalist, broadcaster, DJ, author, curator now filmmaker (phew!) - ahead of Oxfam’s London Fashion Week show , to discuss thrifting, her new documentary about the history of British hip hop, moving beyond performative activism, and the challenges of championing secondhand in a world still dominated by the business model of new... Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
How to Network - First Nations Designer Liandra Gaykamangu on Living the Fashion Dream 41:20

32 weeks ago41:20

41:20

Fashion month is about to kick off again, with all eyes on New York, London, Milan and Paris . But the obsession with the so-called fashion capitals has long seemed out of touch. Yes, that's where the money is (well, Paris is anyway), but in our globalised world, there are many more fashion capitals that should not be overlooked. There are fashion weeks all over the place, all year round. But while Lagos, Melbourne, Berlin and Copenhagen deserve their place in the fashion spotlight, what happens when you're well off the beaten fashion track? East Arnhem Land, for example... These days, rising Australian fashion star Liandra Gaykamangu calls Darwin home, but that's the big smoke compared to where she grew up in Milingimbi (Yurruwi) in the Crocodile Islands - albeit with a sojourn to the Wollongong surf coast. Now her print-led namesake brand is making waves in fancy places. This mum of three used to be a high school teacher and her fashion-forward design is winning her prizes. A beautiful, far-reaching conversation the covers a lot of ground, from creative life in Australia's remote north , caring for County, and tuning into nature (what are the frogs telling you?) to mentoring nex gen Indigenous entrepreneurs, and what it takes to break through when you're outside of circles of power. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Underconsumpton Core! Rule of Five's Tiffanie Darke on What to Wear and Why 52:27

33 weeks ago52:27

52:27

#underconsumptioncore is a thing! For this episode, we’re in London visiting British journalist Tiffanie Darke to talk about her viral wardrobe challenge, The Rule of Five . She’s also got a new book coming out in the US. What to Wear and Why, Your Guilt-Free Guide to Sustainable Fashion promises to get you "rethinking what clothes we buy, wear, and toss out, knowing that we can have a positive environmental impact while still looking good and dressing well”. It was during the pandemic, when Tiffanie was working at Harrod's, as the editor of that famed luxury department store's magazine, when she had a revelation. Mindless shopping felt meaningless. Then she read a shocking report by the Hot or Cool Institute - Unfit, Unfashionable, Unfair revealed that if we're serious about climate action, those of us in the global north/rich countries are going to have to have to drastically reduce our consumption. Of everything! So how much new fashion is sustainable if we want to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees? Buying just five new garments a year. Yikes! This is the story of how one woman set out to do that, and catalysed a movement along the way. Also up for discussion, who’s to blame for the mess we find ourselves in? Could it be Gen X, those formerly hedonistic Cool Britannia types? After all, they were the first fast fashion fans… Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
A Refreshingly Honest Conversation about the Ups and Downs of the Fashion Biz with Danish Designer A. Roege Hove 32:56

34 weeks ago32:56

32:56

Welcome to the last of our Copenhagen Fashion Week interviews (if you missed the previous Eps, do go back & take a listen). This one is refreshingly honest conversation with Danish knitwear designer Amalie Røge Hove about her much-loved label, A. Roege Hove , and the ups and downs of being an independent fashion business. Widely celebrated as the next big thing, for the past few years A. Roege Hove was a CPHFW highlight. But last season, Amalie was not on the schedule, although her brilliant work was part of the Ganni NEWTALENT platform to amplify rising talents. So why no runway? Everybody loves A. Roege Hove. After launching in 2019, they were stocked by the likes of Matches and Selfridges, dressing all the It-girls and winning all the prizes, including 2023's International Woolmark Prize . That winter, however, the label went into administration. Alas, it's a depressingly common situation. With many independents going bankrupt in the last few years, or finally deciding to close their doors because of rising costs and other stresses - including, of course, those who put sustainability at the heart of what they do. How much of a problem is the wholesale model here? Can you grow too fast? Can you make it without financial backers ? What happens if you can’t keep up? Or supply chains take a hit for reasons outside of your control? We thank Amalie for sharing her story so that others might benefit. *Since this interview was recorded in February, we are happy to report that A. Roge Hove has returned in a new form and showed again at the CPHFW Spring ‘25 collections. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Share on socials! Recommend to a friend. Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress THANK YOU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Crafternoon Delight! Meet Rolf Ekroth, the Finnish Former Polka Player Dazzling the Fashion World 28:05

35 weeks ago28:05

28:05

Our Copenhagen Fashion Week special continues! Clare sits down with Finnish menswear designer Rolf Ektroth. Last season, his hand-knits , made with Finnish yarn manufacturer Novita, were made available as pattern and yarn kits, so that home knitters could recreate his runway pieces. He loves macramé and hand embroidery, yet his collections have a modern street vibe that feels very polished. Perhaps it's because he's not actually a new name - Rolf Ekroth has been celebrated before, with glowing reviews in magazines and shows at Pitti Uomo before the pandemic. His label has had its ups and downs, he lost his backers at one point, but he kept at it. So, in part this is conversation about a career as a progression and taking the long view. It's about perseverance, figuring out what really matters to you and how we are all the sum of our experiences. It's also highly amusing - Rolf is crackup funny. And brilliant! Learn his name - we predict, it's going to be everywhere. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Copenhagen Fashion Week Special: Alectra Rothschild, Masculina - Make Your Own Rules 31:10

36 weeks ago31:10

31:10

If you're not in Copenhagen for fashion week, here's your (virtual) ticket :) Last week, we talked to Ane from Alpha about studying fashion in the Nordics and how to make it as an artistic designer. Over the next three episodes, we’ve got interviews with some of the most exciting names to watch from the region. First up is Alectra Rothschild , whose show for her Masculina label was one of the most anticipated, thanks to last season's electric on-schedule debut. Vogue noted it was "probably history-making' - because Alectra was the first openly trans woman to show at Copenhagen, and because of the her iconic community casting. Listen out in this chat for the part about what a positive force that representation has been - she gets so many messages from fans around the world saying they feel seen. And want to place orders. Another big theme in this interview is sustainable business models , and what works when you're a small designer . How do you scale? Do you want to? Do you even try? Maybe you plan to go and work for an established house instead? Or, is there a way to stay independent, cater to your community and keep things bespoke? For Alectra (who trained as a tailor, worked at Mugler and did her MA at Central St Martins in London), it's about seeing herself as a "designer, but also maker, artist and costume designer" and focusing - for now at least - on commissioned pieces. Ask her to sum up her clothes and she says, “flamboyant, high femme, and quite shameless”. She’s done with being put in a box and categorised - we contain multitudes. Above all she wants to enjoy herself. She makes clothes for night life. Her runways are a party, calling to mind the 1980s when the most exciting fashion scene was DIY, driven by club culture and community. Good times ahead. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
"But Who's Gonna Wear It?" - How to Succeed as Artistic Fashion Designer, with Ane Lynge-Jorlén 50:00

37 weeks ago50:00

50:00

We hear it all the time: fashion students are overwhelmed by overproduction and the ruthless churn of creative directors at the big luxury houses. How can they forge a creative path without contributing to the problem? If they decide to operate outside the system - crafting extravagant one offs, for example, or only making to order - how will they survive financially? What is the point of fashion if you can’t wear it? Ane Lynge-Jorlén is the Danish fashion academic behind Alpha, a fashion incubator for directional design talent from the Nordics. The Alpha showcase at Copenhagen Fashion Week is always exhilarating, but as you will hear that's not all they do - they've got a big exhibition coming up in Norway's National Museum at the end of the year, and they do a bunch of industry mentorships working with the likes of The Row, Browns London and 1 Granary. But really this interview with Ane is about, as she puts it, "fashion's cultural value" - fashion is technically in the realm of applied art, as opposed to the fine one. But whatever you want to call it, fashion as artistic expression has value beyond the commercial. Can you wear it on the bus? That depends on how daring you are. Ane probably would! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Who Cares? Radical Ideas for Changing the Fashion System 58:43

38 weeks ago58:43

58:43

Empathy, kindness, wellbeing, caring, sharing, repairing - not traditionally the first words that spring to mind when I say "FASHION!" But things are changing. Are we moving towards a new paradigm where who cares, wins? If we accept that the old ways (overproduction, exploitation, rampant shareholder capitalism, waste) don't serve us, why not redesign the whole thing along radical new lines? What might that look like? If you're intro underground fabulousness pushing disruptive fashion forwards, you might have noticed that in Arnhem, the Netherlands, the State of Fashion Biennale 2024 happened over the summer. The theme was 'Ties that Bind', and it explored ideas around ‘dismantling tradition’, ‘political bodies’ and ‘the fabric of shelter’. This Episode was recorded at the previous event in 2022 - and saved up because some of these stories are in Clare’s latest book Wear Next . Says Clare: “Come back in time with us to that glorious summer. These conversations explore timeless themes. If anything, what we discuss feels even more relevant today. Also, if you've been feeling a bit blah about conventional fashion weeks and events, this should shake you up. It proves that not everything has to be about business and brands!” With the central theme Ways of Caring , the 2022 State of Fashion Biennale set out to discover ways to make the fashion industry more sustainable and caring. Participants were chosen from an open call, and over five weeks, more than 70 designers, artists and makers from all over the world, and the public bubbled with ideas on how to repair “the broken relationship between the production of fashion and the wearer”. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Regenerative? Part of the Wellbeing Economy? Imagine! Talking Future Scenarios at the UK's new National Centre for Fashion & Sustainability 47:14

40 weeks ago47:14

47:14

Complete this sentence: The future of fashion will be… Welcome to Series 10 of Wardrobe Crisis ! We're kicking off with a conversation about the future of fashion, recorded live earlier this year when Wear Next came out in the UK. Clare is in conversation Tamara Cincik, Professor of Fashion & Sustainability at Bath Spa University , at the first ever event of the UK's new National Centre for Sustainable Fashion , which is based there. A robust discussion beginning with regenerative fashion , and swooping energetically through slowing down fast fashion and what’s the point of fashion week to fibre sovereignty, the creative wellbeing economy, fashion burnout and mental health. We also talk about representation and inclusion, and ask: who gets to make the policy decisions that shape fashion's future? P.S. Intrigued by Clare’s reference to the State of Fashion Biennale in Arnhem? Tune in next week for more. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating / reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
A Provocation: You Need to Support Small Sustainable Enterprises if you Don't Want to Sink into a Boring Big Brand World - Meet High Tea with Mrs Woo 57:16

48 weeks ago57:16

57:16

What does it take to make it as an independent, small, local ethical business in a global world that favours big brands? How can we work together to ensure that our local businesses and creatives are literally sustainable - in that they thrive and stick around, and continue to give us the awesomeness that, at times, we maybe take for granted? It's not just fashion this applies to, but all the beautiful, unique, heartfelt local businesses that make our neighbourhoods sing - the cafes and family-owned restaurants, the fruiters, newsagents, hairdressers and book stores. Don't forget the circular services (like the one we featured last week - Clare's local cobbler, Roger Shoe Repairs). In the interview hot seat are Rowena and Angela Foong - two of the three sisters behind an ethically-driven, family fashion business called High Tea With Mrs Woo , based in Newcastle, Australia - which just so happens to be the world's biggest coal port BTW (listen out for a super interesting discussion on how being amongst all that fosters a special kind of community action around building alternatives). Mrs Woo (for short) is a studio of many things - natural fibre fabrics, unique designs, and the craft of pattern-making and sewing in house, but also mending workshops, community activations and collaborations with innovative textile upcyclers. As they say, you need to wear many hats to make it these days, but that's also part of the joy. Not that it's easy. In this frank interview the sisters' share their challenges and strategies - which include "co-retailing" - fun! Practical! To all those struggling with crazy rents, listen up. This episode is a love letter to all the small sustainable businesses out there. We appreciate you! But it's also a provocation to customers: if you value this stuff, you need to support it - otherwise one day you might turn around and find it gone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
This is the Real Circular Fashion Economy - Meet Roger, My Local Cobbler 28:23

50 weeks ago28:23

28:23

Forget brands for a minute, the real circular fashion economy is the repair shop on your high street… Do you have a fab local cobbler or clothing alterations service? This episode is a reminder to thank them for being here and fixing our stuff. They are cornerstones of the circular fashion economy, and not some distant future dream - they’re already here, and in many cases have been for decades. Honing skills that simply can’t be learned overnight. They’re the best! Here’s to them! Keep giving them your business, and make sure you tell them you appreciate them. Everyone loves to be appreciated. My local cobbler, Roger of the (locally) famed Roger Shoe Repairs is gold. And this classic Roger conversation is a treat. That’s all. Enjoy! Clare x P.S. Here are the links to the crowdfunder for my documentary, Urban Forest. Your support is much appreciated. https://www.pozible.com/project/urban-forest-a-documentary Got something to tell me? Find me on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Return to Sender: Buzigahill's Bobby Kolade on Fashion Waste Colonialism in Uganda 44:15

51 weeks ago44:15

44:15

Bobby Kolade is the designer behind Ugandan fashion label Buzigahill - which puts the politics of upcycling and waste colonialism at its core with the brilliant, provocative concept: Return to Sender. Buzigahill's collections are made from items of secondhand clothing donated in the global north, and increasingly being dumped on the global south in unsustainable numbers. Why “return to sender”? Because much of Buzigahill’s clientele is in Europe and North America. Like Kantamanto in Accra, Ghana; Owino Market in Kampala receives huge numbers of bales of second-hand clothing every week, from countries in Europe, from the US and Canada. As a result, in 2023 second-hand accounted for 80% of all domestic clothing sales in Uganda. But how much is too much? Who is monitoring for quality and consistency? Are we right to keep talking about "donations" in the context of this undeniably big business ? As Bobby says, it's not charity - it's a trade, and too often an unequal one with many impacts on local economies as well as the environment when it becomes textile waste. So surely it's good, right, when a receiving country finally says: "No more! We don't want your cast-offs." Or is it? As usual, there’s no simple answer... This enthralling conversation was recorded before Uganda’s government announced a ban on second-hand clothing towards the end of last year. A situation that continues to evolve. Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Lou Croff Blake Talks Pronouns, Fashion For Every Body and the Language of Belonging Beyond the Gender Binary 45:45

1 year ago45:45

45:45

What do your clothes say about you? Dear listener, I bet you've thought about this before. Fashion is a language in itself. But, what about the language we use to describe - and by extension to include, or to exclude - the people who wear it? Or don't get to wear it? The people we're marketing it to, or employing. Fashion communication isn't just about the clothes. It's about how we talk to each other. Meet Lou Croff Blake , a Berlin-based non-binary fashion practitioner, scholar, artist and community organiser. Their work merges queer theory with community-building, advocating for intersectional equity and amplifying the visibility of marginalised genders. Which sounds like a of words! Because it is. Carefully considered words chosen to challenge the dominant narrative. Open to learn? Join us on a deep dive on DIEB - diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging - as we consider the existential question: do we really want to build a more ethical fashion industry? If so, doesn't that have to be one where everyone can feel a true sense of belonging? Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Access Some Areas? Model Junior Bishop on Fashion's Disability To-Do List 51:56

1 year ago51:56

51:56

Can fashion lift its inclusivity game? When 28-year-old British model Junior Bishop - who just so happens to be a wheelchair user - spoke at the Houses of Parliament recently, she called on the fashion industry to do more to tackle its disability access issues. Levelling the playing field is integral to the wellbeing economy - what’s the point of only some of us get to have our wellbeing considered? “When looking at fashion and media today,” said Junior, diversity and representation are gradually improving. That’s important. “We hope to simply see people who look like us - our ‘imperfections’, our ‘flaws’, the little things that make us who we are.” Also, purely from the economic rationale, how do brands expect to sell to people who don’t see themselves in campaigns? As Junior acknowledged: “The excitement of being able to see someone who is a wheelchair user, a cane user despite their age, has a limb difference, has Down syndrome, has albinism, the list goes on… Having those with disabilities or their family members tearfully say ‘I didn’t know people like us could do that kind of thing’; that is why this movement needs to continue to grow." Representation is an important first step, but we can’t stop there. This inspiring conversation, packed with practical advice and emotional intelligence, comes with a call to action: want to do better on this stuff? Ask disabled people what they need! Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Are You Posh & White Enough for a Career in the Creative Arts? Rahemur Rahman on Strategies for System Change 55:10

1 year ago55:10

55:10

Rich, white and privileged - the creative arts sector has a class problem. Particularly in class-obsessed Britain, where middle-class people are twice as likely to work in creative jobs than their working class contemporaries. According to the Evening Standard , "the worlds of TV, film, music and the arts are dominated by straight, able-bodied white men living in London , despite them only accounting for 3.5% of the [UK] population." Not that this is purely a UK problem. In New York, 85% of artists represented by commercial galleries are white. In Australia, where one in four of us were born overseas, culturally and linguistically diverse creatives are still barely represented in fashion at all. And consider the global luxury brands, with their spate of recent cookie-cutter creative director hires - can anyone actually tell the difference between these men from their photos alone? But, "What about the new editor at Vogue ?" I hear you say. Too often, the celebrated hire is still the only Black or brown person in the room. I bet you can think of a thousand places where career progress is affected by your postcode, where you went to school and what your parents did. And lurking behind all that: race, gender, sexuality, difference, not to mention how much cash you've got... It's time for a power shift! Meet Rahemur Rahman , a British-Bengali artist, educator and designer who is determined to change the system, not simply tinker round the edges of representation. He made it, despite the odds. Raised in working class Tower Hamlets, he studied fashion at Central Saint MartinsHe studied fashion at Central Saint Martins, where he now teaches. Designs from his debut London Fashion Week collection menswear collection were acquired by the V&A Museum. Now, he's the director of training and development at Bari , a new incubator supporting South Asian creatives in East London as part of the British Bangladeshi Fashion Council. This is a lively conversation about what it takes to, practically, turn things around - not just talk about it. Hint: no true diversity and inclusion without addressing the class barrier! We're also talking the creative innovation meets heritage craft, social impact fashion, holidays with friends, and the joy of working on what matters. Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Caryn Franklin, Beyond The Clothes Show - Fashion, Identity, Representation and Belonging 1:01:10

1 year ago1:01:10

1:01:10

We all know clothes have meaning, beyond just looking nice. We’ve often talked on this podcast about the importance of how they are made. This week, we’re considering how fashion’s meaning stretches beyond supply chains and our wardrobes, to shape our culture and the way we see ourselves collectively. How does fashion see itself when it comes to race and privilege? How about the male gaze? Clare sits down with Caryn Franklin , journalist, style icon, fashion citizen (not consumer, please!), one-time presenter of The Clothes Show and all-time national treasure. These days her work centres on education and activism - she’s a visiting professor of diverse selfhood at Kingston School of Art, in London, and gained her MSc in applied psychology specialising in selfhood, objectification, inclusivity and gender bias. Partly, this interview is a personal one about a life in clothes but it’s also a provocation: How can we use fashion as a vehicle for positive self-esteem, rather than allowing it to make too many of us feel small, too much of the time? All up, rollocking good chat with Caryn Franklin, MBE. Enjoy! Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Irish Artist Richard Malone, Who Gets To Make It in Fashion? 1:00:17

1 year ago1:00:17

1:00:17

How much is enough? How can creatives incorporate the idea of sufficiency in their output? If you make physical objects, what does it really mean to be sustainable in your practice? And, how can you, as my guest this week, Richard Malone , puts it, "do your own thing and stick to it" in the context of fashion's relentless push for newness? Also, where does class and privilege play into all this? Does Fashion with a capital ‘F’ actually want to be more inclusive and welcoming? Or is all the talk of breaking down the barriers just lipservice? The fact is: many of the people who “make it” in fashion have an had a head start. You only have to look at the current obsession with Gen Z nepo babies. Let's not pretend the playing field is level. Richard Malone is queer London-based, Irish fashion designer, artist and maker, whose work challenges subtly a system that's built on unfair advantages. A thought-provoking conversation about everything from colonisation and the loss of Irish craft traditions, to what fashion shows are really for! Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Magnificent Michaela Stark - From Insta Bans to Victoria's Secret, Meet the Body-Morphing Couture Lingerie Maker 1:01:03

1 year ago1:01:03

1:01:03

Why does fashion have such a problem in accepting all bodies they way they are, and recognising the beauty in different shapes and sizes? I know, I know, we’ve heard it all before, yet depressingly little changes. Our guest this week has had enough! Self-described as “that body morphing b*tch”, Michaela Starck is a super-talented London-based Aussie creative director/designer/dreamboat who’s beautiful work includes her own glorious self, as well as Paris-worthy, bow-bedecked frillies. A frank convo on fat-shaming, where the body positivity movement fails, and the magical powers of backing your own vision. Even when people in your life keep telling you you’ll never make it? Especially then ! Take that, naysayers! Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
From Natural Dyes to Reading Nature's Signals, Re-Finding Knowledge Disrupted by Colonialism 43:46

1 year ago43:46

43:46

If you’re interested in natural dyes , or want to know more about hands-on textile techniques , this episode is a joy. It's also a great one if you are into ideas around seasonality and connection to Nature . Aren't we all?! Continuing our Pacific theme (don’t miss last week’s Episode with Fiji Fashion Week’s Ellen Whippy-Knight) these two stories are also from Fiji, but a long way from its capital Suva. They’re both about different aspects of Indigenous practices , and living in balance with the the land, the oceans, the skies and biodiversity. First, meet Letila Mitchell , a renowned artist, designer and performer from Rotuma . Her work in the fashion space grew out of costume, & has developed into a practice that’s all about revitalising traditional Rotuman textile making, and re-finding cultural knowledge disrupted by colonisation. Our second interview is with Noleen Billings , from Savusavu, on Fiji’s northern island of Vanua Levu. Noleen isn't famous or a fancy expert in anything other than common sense but her simple message is a powerful one: In the busy modern world, it’s easy to forget the Nature usually knows best. Indigenous wisdom is deeply connected with reading Nature’s signals, and we can all learn from that. There are universal lessons in here, as well as some thought-provoking questions. For example, what does it mean to be wise? Where does schooled knowledge, written down in books, fit in - and why do we have to so rigid about it? Knowledge that’s shared and passed down in different ways is just as important… Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word ? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Meet Fiji's Fashion Dynamo Ellen Whippy-Knight 39:30

1 year ago39:30

39:30

When Anna Wintour was introduced to Ellen Whippy-Knight as the founder of Fiji Fashion Week, the Vogue editor-in-chief exclaimed, “Fiji has a fashion week?!” Sure does, Anna. It turned 16 last year, and is an established force in a small yet burgeoning Pacific fashion scene. White sands and turquoise waters. Surf breaks. Rugby. Fiji is rightly famous for these things, it’s also an international garment-manufacturing country with an independent design community, mainly focused on the local market and the Fijian diaspora. Now Ellen, a formidable fashion force in her own right, is determined to bring sustainability and technical design education into the picture... Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Tell us what you think! Can you help us spread the word about Series 9? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Could You Buy No Clothes This Year? Jenna Flood's Wardrobe Freeze 41:03

1 year ago41:03

41:03

Addicted to thrifting? Wondering where all your money’s gone? Feeling the fashion clutter feels? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, it might be time for a fashion detox. From Slow Fashion Season to ReMake’s 90-day No New Clothes challenge to the Rule of 5, more of us are looking for ways to circuit-break bad fashion habits. There’s a real movement going on with conscious fashionistas sharing what’s worked for them when it comes to slowing down, buying and wasting less. Our first guest for 2024 is Jenna Flood , a slow fashion stylist who’s been sharing tips and tricks with her followers around what she calls her Wardrobe Freeze. It all began for Jenna after she created a spreadsheet to track where her money was disappearing to. Turns out she was over-spending on ethical brands and treating second-hand like it was fast fashion – ultra high turnover. It didn’t help that she works in a consignment store surrounded by temptation… What rules did she set for herself? How did she stick with them? And, was it worth it? Jenna says completing her challenge has left her with a thrilling sense of freedom. Now, you can’t buy that! Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Can you help us spread the word about Series 9? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Desperate Measures: Gregory Andrews' Climate Hunger Strike 1:01:18

1 year ago1:01:18

1:01:18

CONTENT WARNING. A note from Clare: "While in this Episode, we talk about creativity and hope, baking and Strictly Ballroom , and address a wide range of things from the politics of climate action to biodiversity, we also discuss the details of going on a hunger strike. Personally, I would say that bit is not suitable for children, although I suspect Gregory would disagree. I'd also like to let you know there's mention of eating disorders in this interview. It's a compelling listen - there's much to think about and learn from here, and I admire Gregory's stand and his ethics. But do exercise your own judgement with little or vulnerable/ anxious ears around. Thank you, Clare xxx" How far would you go for climate action? Changing your lifestyle? Sounds doable (to an extent!). Divesting from businesses that support the fossil fuel industry, perhaps? Would you consider getting into politics? Or more controversial actions, like risking arrest at a banned street protest, or harbour blockade, for example? Our guest this week embarked on a much more unusual - and indeed dangerous - strategy to spur the government into stronger action on climate issues. Gregory Andrews is a former diplomat, and was Australia’s first ever Threatened Species Commissioner. He worked as a public servant for more than 30 years, including for 15 years in the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Environment, Climate Change, and Indigenous Affairs. Today he's an adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Canberra's Institute for Applied Ecology. In November 2023, in the run up to COP28, he stationed himself outside Australia's federal parliament, and staged a hunger strike for climate action. His demands included that the government stop permitting the logging of native forests, and end subsidies to fossil fuels companies. He lasted 16 days before ending up in hospital. This is his story. Check the shownotes for links & further reading. Can you help us spread the word about Series 9? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Spotlight on COP28: Flora Vano - Now is the Time to Stand with Pacific Climate Activists 43:41

1 year ago43:41

43:41

It's that time of year again, when world leaders (along with marketers from brands, oil and gas industry lobbyists, celebs on their private jets) head to the UN climate conference to discuss what to do about greenhouse gas pollution and our warming world. Extreme weather! Rising sea levels! Phasing out fossil fuels! Wait, actually, maybe tone that last one down because it's a bit hard, and our mates in the extractive energy industry aren't keen ... okay, how about: Phasing down fossil fuels? That sounds more reasonable... Luckily there are also voices of reason at these events. It's time we listened more to them. As a group of Pacific Climate Activists head to COP28 in Dubai to tell the world what it's really like to live on the front line of climate change in a low-lying island nation when one-in-100 year cyclones hit back to back, Clare sits down with Ni-Vanuatu woman activist Flora Vano, to hear about her work empowering women in the climate movement. Turns out it's going pretty well. Flora is fab, and her message is one of hope and inspiration as well as hard truths. You need to hear her beautiful words about her connection to the oceans and what we can learn from Mother Nature. Plus she's a fashion fan. We start this conversation with the power of visual communications - Flora loves bright colours and often arrives at events with a statement bloom tucked behind her ear. But don't let that fool you into thinking she's not a serious player. She's travelling to COP28 with the demands of Vanuatu's 9,000-strong Women I Tok Tok Tugeta (women talking together) network, demanding gender equality and climate justice. Flora has a clear message to governments and industry: she wants them to start looking seriously at the losses faced by Pacific Island communities, and others, as a result of climate change they did not cause. Check the shownotes on wardrobecrisis.com for links on how you can help Flora and her fellow activists at COP28, and for more info. Can you help us spread the word about Series 9? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple or Spotify. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
Meriel Chamberlin - Factory Made & Fabulous? Fashion's Sustainable Re-shoring Opportunity 50:09

1 year ago50:09

50:09

“When did we decide we couldn’t make stuff anymore?” asks this week’s guest, Meriel Chamberlin , the textile technologist behind Full Circle Fibres , an Australian startup producing “paddock to product” garments on-shore. We know that the fashion industry’s climate impacts are significant , and that most of it comes down to the textile production stage. So how can we do things differently, close to home? Who needs to come together to make that happen, to share expertise, innovate, and also to fund it? How might fibre production tread more lightly on the land? Protect, or even enhance, biodiversity? These are some of the big questions driving the initiatives we’re talking about on this week’s show. We've often covered the trouble with factories on this podcast; issues around garment worker injustice and unfair conditions. Very important stuff! But we hardly ever hear about the excellent factories. This is an Episode about the opportunities to make fashion more sustainable at the factory level, and the skills and capabilities that already exist. That might mean some re-shoring, but it’s also an encouragement to value what's already in our backyards. Reports of the end of textile manufacturing in so-called consuming countries are exaggerated. We've still got it! Albeit on a smaller scale than when our parents were young. Wherever in the world you are listening, Meriel wants you to look around and recognise what you already have in terms of local skills, manufacturing & R&D capacity. Australia, for example, produces some of the world's best fibre, and there are still production facilities domestically for most stages of the supply chain. Find a gap? Might be worth working to close it. Full Circle Fibres is a recipient of the Country Road Climate Fund. Discover here. Check out the shownotes on wardrobecrisis.com Can you help us spread the word about Series 9? Wardrobe Crisis is an independent production. We don't believe in barriers to entry and are determined to keep this content free. If you value it, please help by sharing your favourite Episodes, and rating and reviewing us in Apple. Thank you! Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
SPECIAL EDITION (Part 2) Ep 197, Juno Gemes on Photographing the Australian Civil Rights Movement 1:04:26

2 years ago1:04:26

1:04:26

Our guest for this Special Edition interview is JUNO GEMES , one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary photographers. Born in Hungary, she moved to Australia as a child. In 1970, then a young artist, she spent six months living on Country with Aboriginal communities at Uluru. She went on to documents First Nations activism and the Civil Rights Movement in this country for five decades. Juno photographed many of the early protests and meetings led by Aboriginal activists in the ‘70s and ‘80s, forming lifelong friendships with key figures in the Movement. She photographed the Uluru Handback Ceremony in 1985; marches and activations around the Bicentennial in 1988, and she was one of ten photographers invited to document the National Apology in Canberra in 2008. Wherever you are listening across the world, these stories are important to discover. It’s obviously not just Australia that grapples with a legacy of colonisation, and you care about sustainability, the questions linked to all this are fundamental ones: how do we want to live, in relation in one another? How can we heal and listen and unlearn to change systems that don’t work anymore? Missed part 1? Do go back and listen. Or find it here. Can you help us share it? These podcasts are in addition to our usual programming and form a 2-PART SPECIAL EDITION ON THE VOICE REFERENDUM IN AUSTRALIA. They came about because Clare kept speaking to people who hadn’t yet read the ULURU STATEMENT FROM THE HEART. We wanted to help with that, and to be active on behalf of our deeply felt support for the YES23 campaign in this referendum. Part 1 is a mini pod on the Uluru Statement and the question of Indigenous recognition in the Australian constitution - it’s under 10 mins, ideal to share! As Juno says at the end of this interview, whatever happens with the Aussie referendum on October 14th, this is part of a long fight for social justice that continues. And there’s hope! “Don’t argue with people who don’t see it yet, because they will eventually … We can see this groundswell of good will, of kindness of wanting to know, to learn, of opening up to each other.” RESOURCES: ulurustatement.org yes23.com.au reconcilliation.org.au The Australian Fashion Council supports Yes - more here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

1
SPECIAL EDITION (Part 1) What You Need to Know About The Voice Referendum in Australia 9:56

2 years ago9:56

9:56

In this mini pod, which is Part 1 of our Special Edition on the Voice, you will hear RACHEL PERKINS read you the Uluru Statement from the Heart . Rachel is an Australian filmmaker, a proud Arrernte and Kalkadoon woman and the co-chair of the YES23 campaign. She is also co-chair of Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition, and is a signatory to the Statement from the Heart. “As the largest consensus of First Nations peoples on a proposal for substantive recognition in Australian history, the road to the Uluru Statement from the Heart is a long one even without mentioning the decades of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activism that came before it.” Discover more here. It forms the cornerstone the referendum that’s asking Australians to recognise Indigenous culture in this country’s constitution, and establish a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. “ FOR THE PAST 250 YEARS, WE HAVEN’T PROPERLY LISTENED TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 65,000. THIS IS OUR CHANCE TO FIX THAT.” Yes23 You will also hear from JUNO GEMES. One of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary photographers, she has been documenting the civil rights movement in Australia since the 1970s. What next? For the full interview with Juno, listen to Part 2. www.thewardrobecrisis.com RESOURCES: ulurustatement.org yes23.com.au reconcilliation.org.au The Australian Fashion Council supports Yes - more here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

WARDROBE CRISIS with Clare Press

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London Fashion Renegade: Dr NOKI is the O.G. Upcycler - Just Don't Call Him That 57:14

2 years ago57:14