Hot Buttons
Post Script Media
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Hot Buttons is a show about the future of fashion and culture on a changing planet. Each week, Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker unwind the breaking news, industry moves, cultural trends, and tech breakthroughs that are shaping sustainable fashion. The fashion industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters. Can we change it?
Available episodes
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Jan 30, 2023
Synthetic biology, clean chemistry, and beauty, oh my!
This week we look at the role of biotech in the beauty industry. It promises the ability to program and design molecules that can be less toxic, more sustainable, and customizable in everything from moisturizer to perfume. Our guest this episode is Dr. Sunil Chandran, chief science officer and head of R&D at Amyris, a company using the tools of synthetic biology to build molecules for beauty products.
We ask Sunil about that pivot, dig in on business models for biotech in the beauty industry, and wonder what the future holds for fashion and beauty when ingredients and materials can be “designed” in a lab.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
WWD interview with Amyris CEO Jon Melo
Oprah Daily on Clean Beauty
Info on Bonsucro
CNN covers Doja Cat on Schiaparelli's latest runway show
New York Times on the Schiaparelli’s controversial show
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Jan 23, 2023
Gisele Fetterman to the rescue! Mom, founder, firefighter and thrifter
We wanted a minute of Gisele Fetterman’s time to hear about her advocacy work, how she champions thrifting and vintage, and what she learned from last year’s bruising campaign on behalf of her husband, Senator John Fetterman. But we got so much more!
Gisele gave us the inside scoop on the culture of Capitol Hill, her work on behalf of those in need in Pennsylvania, and the racism she’s experienced as a Brazilian-born activist who married into U.S. politics (let’s just say she’s been mistaken for the hired help more than once…). Plus, the wild card we never saw coming – she’s currently training to become a volunteer firefighter!
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Full transcript here.
Resources:
Vogue on the Fettermans’ political power dressing
Gisele Fetterman on her childhood and her advocacy, in Teen Vogue
Washington Post profile of Gisele Fetterman
A list of Gisele’s favorite thrift shops in the Washington, DC area
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Jan 12, 2023
The truth about vegan leather, organic cotton, and cow farts
This week, we’ve decided the best way to understand claims of sustainable textiles and leather is to step outside the fashion universe and go straight to someone who lives at the source: in food, agriculture and climate. Tamar Haspel is the host of our sister podcast here at Post Script Media, Climavores, and is one of the more delightful people you’ll ever hear on the subjects of how our food system and our personal choices within it just evolve in the face of climate change. She’ll help us think about vegan leather, organic textiles, fast fashion, GMO cotton, land and water use, and even sheep farming.
We also take a look at the news, which included a big win for the environment in a landmark law in New York banning PFAS, and Amazon’s “greenwashing on a grotesque scale.”
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Click here for a complete transcript
Resources:
WWD on New York PFAs ban
Sourcing Journal on Amazon’s greenwashing
Climavores podcast
Tamar Haspel
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Jan 5, 2023
Finding hope for sustainable fashion in 2023
Happy New Year! We’re back with our review of 2022, and predictions for 2023. But first, we have to say goodbye to Dame Vivienne Westwood, and take a few more shots at Balenciaga for what can only be described as a rather cowardly approach to repairing their brand.
There was a lot to like about climate and sustainability progress in 2022, and we’re coming into this year hopeful we’ll see more of it in action, not just words. We talk about climate bills, progress at COPs, taking on greenwashing, new policies addressing fair labor, and new technologies that take us closer to a circular economy. But skepticism abounds, so we’ll talk about that, too.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
A lightly edited transcript of the episode can be found here.
Resources:
Vogue Business on the life of Vivienne Westwood
Hypebeast on the potential for a year of “Nothingcore”
New York Times on the industry’s struggle with the concept of degrowth
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dec 22, 2022
It’s beginning to look a lot like over-consumption season; the predatory side of women’s fashion; and… compostable underwear?
It’s the end of the year, and our listeners have been asking questions: What does it mean that menswear is often made with better materials than womenswear? How do we kick the overconsumption habit when it’s so baked into our culture? And is underwear compostable? Lizzo blows up Twitter wanting to know.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
New York Times on the 30 x 30 biodiversity pledge coming out of COP15
Vogue Business on Dolce & Gabbana’s sustainability plan
The Fashion Law talks through the FTC’s plan to update their Green Guides
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dec 15, 2022
Charles Conn, Board Chair of Patagonia, on the company’s past and future
This week, Charles Conn, Chair of the Board of Directors at Patagonia joins us to share his story of how the company made the landmark decision to “make Earth its only shareholder.” This was news not just in the apparel industry, but everywhere. Patagonia had been private its entire existence, and as its founder Yvon Chouinard looked to step away, he opted for something entirely unique: give all the company to a 501(c)(4) and a perpetual purpose trust designed to put the profits to work exclusively for the planet.
The market is still digesting this move: will it signal a new path for purpose-driven companies? Will it alter the course of late-stage capitalism? Charles Conn had an insider’s view on the process of coming to the decision to embrace this unique model, and continues to be actively involved in bringing it to fruition.
Patagonia is an apparel company, too, so we talk about how they approach sustainability, from measuring their emissions throughout their supply chain, sourcing all their textiles and materials, and participating in resale and circularity.
And finally, Yvon Chouinard was recently given the outstanding achievement award at the British Fashion Awards, and Charles was there to accept it on his behalf. So, we had to ask what he wore.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
Charles Conn in Fortune Magazine on Patagonia’s evolution
WWD on Patagonia’s transformation
Inc. naming Patagonia company of the year
WWD on Yvon Chouinard receiving the outstanding achievement award at the Fashion Awards in London
Full transcript of this podcast here
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dec 8, 2022
DressX has designs on fashion's digital future
We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card.
This week, we’re setting our news feeds aside and spending our time with Natalia Modenova of DressX, a multi-brand retailer and innovator for Web3. If you’ve followed digital fashion at all lately, you’ve definitely heard of DressX. Since 2019 they’ve been in every conversation about what fashion in the metaverse could be. They’ve created a retail ecosystem for digital fashion that works as well as any e-commerce platform. And they’ve partnered with brands, designers, influencers and bloggers to bring digital fashion to the masses.
We have so many questions!!
What are the business models? What keeps brands from competing versus collaborating? Are digital fashion items usable across all metaverse platforms? How is the digital design ecosystem different from traditional ones? Is there evidence that this reduces demand from real clothes and leads to sustainable consumption? Will users always feel a bit seasick wearing digital fashion in the metaverse?? Natalia brings us the answers.
And....we're still talking about Denma.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
DressX official website
L’Officiel interview with DressX
WWD on DressX fundraise
Vogue Business on Meta, Avatars, and DressX
Click here for a full transcript.
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Dec 1, 2022
Balenciaga makes a bad move worse, Raf ends his label’s run, and COP27 mostly disappoints
We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card.
First, we have to talk about Balenciaga. If you type “Balenciaga child porn” into Google right now, you get 2.6 million hits. That is not good and they have only themselves to blame for an ad campaign that posed toddlers with bondage-themed plushie bear handbags and booze glasses, like they’d walked in on the tail end of of a sex-fueled all-nighter. For the time being, the CEO, Cedric Charbis, and designer Demna Gvasalia have managed to avoid taking direct responsibility for this blunder, which is a real mess. The brand issued an apology using the royal “we.”
We also take a look back on Raf Simons’ career as he shutters his label after a 27-year run, and then wonder what happened behind the scenes at Gucci that led to them parting ways with Alessandro Michele.
COP27 ended with a whimper, so we brought on our Executive Producer, Scott Clavenna, to give us his takes on what was accomplished and what was left to next year’s delegates to address.
Then we take a quick look at the holiday season for retail this year, and it’s not all bad. There are some bright spots for resale, and hopefully less bright for fast fashion. And speaking of fast fashion, luxury resale powerhouse Vestiaire Collective announced they’re banning fast fashion from their platform. And H&M released an ambitious carbon reduction plan.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
WWD on Raf Simons
Vogue Business on COP27 and fashion
The Fashion Law on the rise of resale this holiday season
Vogue Business on Balenciaga making a series of “grievous errors”
Sourcing Journal on H&M’s decarbonization plan
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 17, 2022
Fashion’s having a metaverse moment
We want your feedback! Fill out our listener survey for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card.
Join us on November 30 for a live, virtual episode of Climavores. Come ask a question about food, nutrition, and eating for the climate.
We’re checking back in on the metaverse this week with Vogue Business’ senior innovation editor Maghan McDowell. For many, the hype surrounding NFTs, Web3, and the metaverse is beginning to feel overblown. Crypto is still firmly in its winter, and the stock price over at Meta continues to fall as Zuckerberg’s big bet on the metaverse isn’t delivering yet. But in the fashion industry there are signs of real disruption and innovation, with nearly every major luxury brand continuing to invest and partner to establish a presence in the digital realm. Does this mean fashion has just fallen harder for the metaverse?
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
Maghan McDowell’s articles for Vogue Business
WWD on how the metaverse may not be the panacea for sustainable fashion
McKinsey on the metaverse and fashion in 2022
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 10, 2022
“Fast furniture” is clogging up landfills, Leo likes vegan shoes, and fashion is a bummer at COP27
It’s COP27 week, so we look at how well the fashion industry is doing keeping its promise to dramatically reduce emissions. A recent report from Stand.earth gives most major brands a failing grade and shows how much work they still have to do to clean up their supply chains. We also look at how some luxury brands are embracing the digital ID as a way to show where their materials are sourced and improve resale value.
Then, we take a walk outside the world of fashion and find the scourge of disposability has come for furniture. We have lots to say about that, particularly the parallels with fast fashion. Finally, vegan shoe startup Loci has raised money, and Leonardo DiCaprio is on the cap table. We have some thoughts on vegan leather we’d love to share with him.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
Stand.Earth on fashion industry emissions
New York Times on “fast furniture”
Vogue Business on digital IDs
Sourcing Journal on Leonardo DiCaprio’s investment in vegan footwear brand Loci
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Nov 3, 2022
The latest food group is the micro plastics we’re wearing — and digesting
This week, we’re talking about microplastics and what they’re doing to the environment and our bodies. We’ve heard plenty about the giant plastic trash island out in the Pacific and beaches across the globe littered with plastic bottles and bags. But we’re talking about plastic microfibers, the ones that make up the majority of apparel produced today. These nearly invisible fibers have been found at nearly every depth of the ocean, and they’re showing up in the food chain and our bodies. They are commonly found in apples and carrots, lettuce and broccoli, and they’ve recently been found in 24 of 36 samples of human breast milk. Dr. Alexis Jackson from the Nature Conservancy joins the pod to help us understand the enormity of the challenge ahead.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
The Guardian on the first study to quantify the microfibers problem
The…
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Oct 28, 2022
Made In the USA: American Giant’s Immortal Hoodies; Canceling Ye; Amazon Does Resale
This week, we’re talking with Bayard Winthrop, CEO of American Giant. Bayard’s journey as the founder of an apparel company obsessively committed to sourcing domestically has resonated with the industry and with us. We talk with him about his journey over the past 11 years, what he’s learned about sustainability in this market, and where he sees opportunities for further impact.
And, as always, we look at the week’s news. Everyone is dumping Kanye and we love it. But we also want to talk about the dangers brands face when they align with celebrities and influencers.
The luxury resale market gets another shakeup with the entry of Amazon, through a partnership with What Goes Around Comes Around. It’s bags and accessories for now, but all signs point to this expanding. When Amazon comes for a market, they come to win.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
Th…
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Oct 21, 2022
Treet CEO Jake Disraeli joins to talk Shein Exchange; and Shein's labor practices exposed
It was a busy news week in sustainable fashion, and Shein once again sucked all the oxygen out of the room. From being fined for a data breach to suffering a damaging investigation into its treatment of workers to announcing a peer-to-peer resale platform powered by Treet, the fast fashion powerhouse popped up everywhere.
We talk with Jake Disraeli, the co-founder and CEO of Treet, about its work powering the Shein resale marketplace called Shein Exchange, and how it works with brands. Then we look at Goodwill’s new luxury e-commerce efforts and its new site goodwillfinds.com, and we like it!
We also answer a listener question about all the packaging she sees from brands claiming to be sustainable.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail in an upcoming episode.
Resources:
Sourcing Journal on Shein’s worker problem
Sourcing Journal on Worn Again’s fundraise
Fast Company on new moves by No…
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Oct 13, 2022
Walmart is getting serious about apparel made in USA
We don’t always talk about haute couture; this week we’re taking a look at the new deal between Classic Fashion and Walmart, which will exclusively supply Walmart with cut-and-sewn apparel from a new production facility outside of Los Angeles. It’s a positive sign in a market that has spent too much energy offshoring garment work. We also take yet another look at Shein; not at its fast-fashion practices, but its value. Where not long ago it was raising capital at a valuation of $100 billion, reporting lately suggests its recent fundraising has been at valuations from $65 to $85 billion. Does this signal a turn for the worse at Shein? We doubt it, and we talk it through.
We know we need to keep fashion out of landfills, and we’ve talked a lot about resale in the past month, but this episode we’re getting back to basics, and going deep on caring for the clothes we already have. From how to wash our clothes for longevity, to mending, repairing, and yes, even darning, how we care…
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Oct 6, 2022
Is sustainability in menswear any different?
Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.
This week we’re responding to listener questions, and the first ones are from men: how is sustainable fashion different in men’s and women’s apparel? How has men’s fashion evolved over the years, and is it more or less sustainable today than decades ago? And what about wool? Is something as innocuous seeming as a natural textile as sustainable as it may seem, and how do we trust the brands to tell us?
In the news, Korea’s internet giant Naver has announced they’ll buy Poshmark for $1.2 billion, making a huge move into the US resale market, and Shein has a little money for the Apparel Impact Institute, and we’re yawning. We also have to talk about Kanye West, and we’re not happy at all.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail…
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Sep 29, 2022
Ultra-luxury resale is part investment, part sustainability
This week, Secondhand September takes us all the way to the top of the fashion resale market: ultra-luxury. And we have questions. Is it a sustainability play? Is it an investment market akin to fine art? How do you police fraud?
We talk with Sarah Davis, founder and president of Fashionphile, a re-commerce platform for high-end accessories to get her take. With more than 20 years in the luxury resale business, Sarah helps us understand what’s working and what’s needed to keep this market thriving and sustainable.
And, of course, Christina has stories from Milan Fashion Week!
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail on an upcoming episode of the show.
Resources:
Fashionphile
Sourcing Journal on PVH Corporation joining Aii’s fashion climate fund
The Guardian on Lululemon’s dirty supply chain
WWD on Balenciaga’s new resale market, with Reflaunt
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script M…
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Sep 22, 2022
Patagonia’s radical business move for climate
Secondhand September is going strong here on Hot Buttons. And this week, we’re talking with social media activist and slow-fashion advocate, Venetia La Manna. She’s a prominent voice of the slow fashion movement, and has lots to say about how we interact with fashion, whether celebrity partnerships with fast fashion brands can ever have a sustainable impact, and where she likes to shop for resale.
First, we’ll kick the show off by talking about Patagonia. The founder has given the company away to a special trust and a non-profit, with a special mission to take the profits and combat climate change. The move has brought enthusiasm and some criticism. We love it – and hope it’s a signal to others to do the same.
Have a question for Christina, Rachel and Shilla? Give us a call at (508) 622-5361. We might feature your voicemail on an upcoming episode of the show.
Resources:
The New York Times on Patagonia’s founder giving the company away
Venetia La Manna channel o…
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Sep 16, 2022
Big brands are entering the resale market with “pre-loved” merchandise
Don’t miss our live episode of Climavores in New York City on October 20! Sign up here for a night of live audio and networking with top voices in climate journalism.
It’s Secondhand September, and we’re here to dive in. All this month we’re talking with experts and offering up some of our own insights into how the resale market is evolving. This week, we talk with Andy Ruben, founder of Trove, a re-commerce platform for brands to enter the resale market on their own terms. Trove is one of a number of companies that work with brands to create white-label resale solutions that let them take back their used clothing, clean it, prepare it for resale, and sell it again as a “pre-loved.” Trove’s latest partner is On sportswear in a bold move into athletic shoe resale.
We also cast a cold eye on Pretty Little Thing’s new resale marketplace, Kourtney Kardashian’s “sustainable fashion journey” with Boohoo, and applaud Rachel Comey’s breakup with Uline packaging. And i…
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Sep 1, 2022
Can fashion weeks ever be sustainable?
In this episode, we’re loving on fashion weeks. And not just the Fab Four of New York, London, Paris and Milan. Before these even kick off, Copenhagen fashion week had everyone talking earlier this summer. The combination of Scandinavian designers, a focus on sustainability, and a mix of digital and live events made it a contender to join the big European weeks forever.
We’ll preview the upcoming fashion weeks – where sustainability may have an impact, which designers to watch, and whether these fashion weeks can ever truly be sustainable.
Resources:
Vogue on fashion weeks and sustainability
Vogue Business on Copenhagen fashion week
WWD on NFTs and fashion weeks
Sustainability Magazine on Stella McCartney’s new fund
The Fashion Law on the YNAP and Farfetch deal
Hot Buttons is a production of Post Script Media. The show is hosted by Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker. Follow the show on Twitter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.…
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Aug 25, 2022
How we got so addicted to fast fashion
Gen Z is driving the fast fashion machine. Seventy-two percent of college students say they have shopped fast fashion in the past year, and 40% say they scroll fast fashion sites and apps at least once a day. For many, it’s an addiction. But this generation of 20-somethings is also more concerned about sustainability, climate change, and workers’ rights than any other. So how do they reconcile the two?
In this episode, Christina, Shilla and Rachel look at the problem of fast fashion addiction and how we got here. Plus, ThredUP has a new fast fashion confessional hotline. Is it just a marketing ploy? Or can it really help Gen Z kick the habit? We also take a quick look at how the unprecedented heat wave in China is impacting the fashion industry, and call out celebrities in LA for being water hogs.
And we want to tell you about our new call-in line! We want to hear from you - what you'd like us to talk about, subjects you think we're missing, sustainable fashion shopping advice…
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Aug 18, 2022
Using policy and law to hold brands accountable
In this episode, we’re talking about the policies behind sustainable fashion with fashion law expert Betina Baumgarten. Betina’s career has included years as a civil litigation attorney, a fashion stylist, a specialist in fashion law, and now a consultant to companies looking to advance their sustainability goals with real action. She’s also a tireless advocate for policy change in the industry and has authored important journal articles on critical topics in fashion law.
We cover a lot in this episode, including:
Labeling, and how it can underpin a level of transparency necessary to hold brands accountable to their sustainable claims
The resale market, and how it can be better supported with new regulations and a legal framework to better support a sustainable fashion mission
Resources:
GQ: on Issey Miyake
Vogue Business: on Burberry
Betina Baumgarten: Tag: You Are It. Revising labels as a first step towards transparency in the fashion industry
Hot Buttons is a prod…
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Aug 11, 2022
Repairing our way to sustainability
One way to curb overproduction of clothing is to keep the clothes we have longer. It’s an old-fashioned solution but a simple one: instead of tossing worn and torn clothes in the trash, repair them. Major outdoor apparel brands have embraced repairs as a way to stay close to their customers, and luxury brands have long offered repairs as a service to their clients. But with fast fashion jumping in on the trend, is this just sustainable theater or can it move the culture toward caring for clothes?
Then, Rachel, Shilla and Christina dig into a new technology from Swedish company Renewcell. Circulose is made from 100% textile waste and is used as a raw material to make things like viscose and lyocell. Zara announced they’re using it in a capsule line of clothing, including dresses and sweaters in natural colors. H&M is an investor in the company, as well. Does this signal an important step forward in recycling technology? And is it scalable enough to have an impact?
Resources:…
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Aug 4, 2022
The planet is awash in returns
This week, we’re talking about returns. The more we shop, the more we return. And the more we shop online, the worse it gets.
Retailers have embraced easy, free returns as a way to grab market share, but it’s coming at a cost to the companies and the planet. We’ll look at just how bad the data is, talk about what can be done to manage returns, and hopefully find some companies who are getting it right. This won’t be the only time we talk about returns, but we’re starting out today with a look at just how bad the problem has gotten.
Then, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is getting serious about holding fashion brands accountable for their sustainability claims. They announced an investigation into Asos, Boohoo, and Asda after a preliminary look at the brands’ claims in January. Will other countries follow suit? And how are brands responding?
Resources:
New York Times: Retail’s “Dark Side”
McKinsey: Improving returns management for apparel compa…
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Jul 28, 2022
Putting beauty products under the microscope
This week, we take our first look at the beauty industry – skin care, cosmetics, hair care, and wellness supplements – and find it wanting.
Kim Kardashian’s line of skincare, SKKN, got off to a bumpy start with lots of social media backlash around its packaging. And many others make claims around sustainable ingredients that don’t hold up to scrutiny.
Then, Gucci has an environmental impact report out, and has partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to embrace circularity in its business. A classic luxury brand sending a powerful message to the industry around sustainable practices. Will it stick?
Finally, we turn to biotech, where innovators are building nylon out of plants. This gets us excited, as it goes beyond the challenges of recycling plastic to avoiding fossil fuels altogether. Science!
Resources:
Cosmetics Business: Kim Kardashian in hot water over SKKN ‘greenwashing’ claims
Gucci’s Impact Report
Vogue: Gucci Wants To Go Circular – Here’s Ho…
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Jul 21, 2022
H&M’s sustainability deception
H&M has an uphill battle to be taken seriously as a sustainable fashion brand, and last week it got even worse. Quartz published an investigation into H&M’s use of an environmental impact scorecard to misrepresent the sustainability of its clothing lines, finding the company used faulty data to make claims that were patently false. Not a good look for a brand trying to remake its image.
We’re delighted to have the author of that article, Amanda Shendruk, as a guest this week. She’ll talk us through the details of H&M’s missteps.
Then we take another look at the industry’s challenges around transparency, and talk through the Fashion Transparency Index for 2021, which ranks fashion brands by “what information they disclose about their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts, in their operations and supply chain.” The results aren’t encouraging. Brands have a long way to go in wages and worker conditions, supply chain carbon emissions, purchasing practices…
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Jul 14, 2022
Metaverse fashion is framed as a sustainability play. Is it?
The metaverse became a household term after Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook as Meta, and Fortnite gamers started attending virtual concerts wearing Balenciaga hoodies. And now the utopian web3 vision has come for fashion.
Brands are framing their digital clothes, shoes, and accessories as a sustainability play. This week, Christina, Rachel, and Shilla look past the marketing hype and think through the long-term impact.
Then, has fast fashion ruined thrifting? Second-hand retailers are being flooded with donated clothes from the likes of Shein, H&M, and Zara, and seasoned thrifters are despondent. It’s driving up prices and making those desirable vintage and unique items harder to find. What is the future of thrifting?
We’ll finish with a dose of optimism by sharing some of the trends and companies that are keeping us feeling positive about the fashion industry.
Resources:
Wired: The metaverse could radically reshape fashion
WWD: Metaverse as a magic sustainability bullet? Th…
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Jun 30, 2022
Is recycled plastic clothing a lie?
This week, we’re talking about plastic fashion. Your Instagram and TikTok feed are probably littered with feel-good ads for clothes and shoes made from recycled bottles. But they aren’t the solution you think.
Then, it’s a new world for brands doing business with China. America’s crackdown on forced labor is twisting supply chains putting brands in an uncomfortable position. How will fashion reorient itself?
And we’ll finish with a reality-TV breakup with fast fashion. Can ‘Love Island’ push pre-loved clothing into the zeitgeist?
Resources:
Vogue Business: Recycled plastic swimsuits aren’t as green as you think
NPR/Frontline investigation: How big oil misled the public on recycled plastic
New York Times: Global brands seek clarity on Xinjiang
BBC: H&M seems China sales plummet after Xinjiang boycott
Vox: how your favorite jeans may be fueling a human rights crisis
Reuters: 'Love Island' dumps fast fashion for second-hand eBay partnership
Hot Buttons is a pr…
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Jun 23, 2022
The trillion-dollar climate gap in fashion
Last fall, the Apparel Impact Institute and Fashion for Good mapped out what it would take to cut fashion’s carbon emissions by half by 2030, and hit net-zero by 2050. Those are goals identified by the UN fashion charter in 2018.
Their conclusion: we’ll need $1 trillion to get there. This week, we’ll ask: where will that money come from?
Then, as shoppers are heading back to stores, high-end brands are adding circular services to try to draw them in. Is this an indication of a bigger movement for in-person retail?
Finally, we end with European raids of top design brands’ headquarters. Did a movement to rewire fashion more sustainably somehow turn anticompetitive?
Stories discussed in this episode:
Sourcing Journal: H&M and Lululemon back $250M climate fund
Euronews: The trillion dollar question over how to fix the fashion industry
Aii/Fashion for Good report on decarbonizing fashion
Vogue Business: sustainability comes to physical retail
Vogue: Rewiring fashion group…
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Jun 16, 2022
Unpacking fashion’s complicated impact on the planet
For the first topic of our first episode, we are asking a simple question: what is fashion’s actual impact on the environment?
We know the environmental impact of fashion is vast. But has it been properly quantified? It turns out, no. And that’s a problem for figuring out how to fix it.
Then, we turn to the most visible problem in the fashion industry: textile waste.
Rachel and Shilla are both involved in an effort to bring more transparency and regulatory scrutiny to the textiles industry. We’ll dig into some possible solutions for textile waste.
We’ll finish with one of the hottest stories in fashion: Shein.
In April, the Wall Street Journal revealed the Chinese mega-retailer had raised over $1 billion at a $100 billion valuation. Shein is now one of the most valuable private companies in the world — built off an ultra-fast fashion model that pumps out thousands of new styles per week.
What does Shein’s rise tell us about the tension between consumer desires for sustain…
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Jun 7, 2022
Trailer: Is fashion fit for the future? We need to talk about it.
There’s no turning away from today’s reality: the demand for sustainability has come for the fashion industry.
Christina Binkley, Rachel Kibbe, and Shilla Kim-Parker are here to talk about it.
Hot Buttons features weekly observations and lively debate about the future of the fashion industry as it reckons with its impact on the climate, natural resources, and worker rights. The show is not just about reducing emissions in the supply chain – it’s about the culture of fashion, the high-stakes decisions inside the industry, and how we rethink the very idea of growth.
Subscribe to Hot Buttons everywhere you get podcasts. Episodes drop every Thursday starting June 16.
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