In episode 294, Kestrel welcomes Jeff Garner, the designer behind Prophetik, to the show. A romantic visual artist, pioneer and unconventional designer, Jeff’s sustainably-minded label Prophetik is focused on changing our perception of luxury.
“It’s interesting how everybody in their different segment of market just want to do the cheapest ingredient because they don’t expect the buyer to buy it, cause it’s more. So, it’s this idea that if you go into a design, and just try to make it the cheapest way possible, so that you can turn around and sell it for the most money, and nobody wants to spend extra to make something better. And I’m like — where have we gone in a society that we don’t want to carve our stone for our patio, let’s say … we don’t want to carve the wood to do our door.” -Jeff
This week’s guest was the FIRST sustainability-focused designer I discovered that I got really excited about. Over the years, he has dressed notable stars including Fleetwood Mac, Miley Cyrus, Cheryl Crow and Taylor Swift, among others.
A little background – I started a blog called Make Fashion Fair back in 2010. I had just finished my internship at People Tree in London, and was trying to find my voice in this space. My 4th blog post on February 20th, 2010, was titled – “elephants, ethics, and fashion”.
It featured two creatives I was drawn to at the time – musician Trevor Hall and this week’s guest. They both had this random connection to elephants and painting. Trevor Hall had a music video where he is getting painted by elephants, and this week’s guest had a collection that featured prints painted by elephants.
So – with that in mind, getting the chance to have this week’s conversation feels very circular.
In addition to continuing to challenge what fashion can look like on the runway and at a luxury level, this week’s guest is also behind a new documentary series that uncovers the fashion industry’s toxic secrets and highlights the importance of making and wearing nontoxic clothing.
Quotes & links from the conversation:
“elephants, ethics and fashion”, Kestrel’s blog post from back in 2010 that feautures Jeff
An article from Choc & Juice that highlights more information on the Singer Studies that Jeff mentions
“My mom passed away from breast cancer, so I’m a firm believer that nylon and polyester bras are a huge part of breast cancer. Unfortunately, you cannot pinpoint and say this particular chemical in this bra caused the breast cancer, but it does have those toxins that are carcinogenic in it that have been proven, and research proves it, that do cause it.” -Jeff (23:12)
“Chemicals from textiles to skin: an in vitro permeation study of benzothiazole”, published study that backs up Jeff’s theory of toxins entering the epidermis or skin through textiles / dyes
Prophetik
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Scientist Dr. Lisa Erdle of 5 Gyres on what we know about microfiber shedding from clothing & the solutions can make an impact
Liz Spencer of Dogwood Dyer on growing organic natural dye gardens to coax color from plants & acknowledging the cultural origins of dyestuffs along the way
Researcher Anjana Baburaj on the pervasiveness of Shein & the ways in which social media and the drive to increase social status are directly fueling the overconsumption of clothing
Lizz Leral of Quilting For Community on the links between quilting and mental health, and how accessing the flow state via hand-oriented activities can help unlock answers to life's questions
Kelly Drennan of Fashion Takes Action on the importance of youth education that centers fashion's impact on people + the planet
Rayouf Alhumedhi, creator of the hijab emoji, on examining Gen Z's shopping behavior & highlighting why product designers should rethink existing product before designing new
Jenna & Jon of Revival Eyewear on what makes deadstock vintage eyewear superior in quality & how conglomerate Luxottica has created a monopoly-like hold on today's glasses industry
Denica Riadini-Flesch of SukkhaCitta on rediscovering Indigenous regenerative farming and dyeing techniques & challenging the status quo
Abby Mills (aka @abbyontheinternet) on the de-influencing *trend* & questioning whether this movement can help us combat overconsumption
Samata Pattinson, the CEO of RCGD Global on their Sustainable Style Guide, how it's being distributed to all attendees of Academy events this Oscar® season & the power of generative conversations
Amy Powney of Mother Of Pearl on the new documentary *Fashion Reimagined* and the need to reconnect to the people, the land & the process behind our clothes
Trish Langman of Sovereignty on the need for comprehensive fashion education from childhood and beyond, to help collectively shift awareness about how our clothes are made
Sage Paul of Indigenous Fashion Arts on why thinking sustainably is innately an Indigenous cultural practice & why we must see Indigenous designers on a global stage
Doen's Director Of Impact Kristine Kim on their 2030 Roadmap & the importance of welcoming discomfort when navigating value chain impact work
Kelly Lottahall on making art out of old clothes and bringing the fashion & art worlds together to tell stories about *waste culture*
Angel Chang on why listening to Indigenous knowledge & preserving textile traditions can offer solutions for a more sustainable future
Kristin Morrison of All Species asks: what if we *embodied* our garments by actually wearing the land?
Katia Dayan Vladimirova on The Hot Or Cool Institute's new report, what a 1.5 degree wardrobe could look like & questioning how much is enough
What are *healthy clothes* & understanding that our clothing actually enters and impacts our bodies
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