In episode 250, Kestrel welcomes Natalie Shehata, a stylist focused on sustainability, to the show. Natalie currently works as the Retail Trainer for The Social Outfit, a Sydney-based fashion label who provides employment and training to people from refugee and new migrant communities.
“We have these brands, and we have people kind of saying — ok, I need to tick this box and I need to do this and I need to make sure that I have women of color in our photo shoots and our editorial campaigns, and I need to make sure x, y and z. And that to me is why diversity is tokenistic, because it’s not happening from the roots, it’s not happening from the foundation, it’s not happening from a system that was built by BIPOC and for BIPOC.” -Natalie
In 2018, Natalie presented a speech at the Disposable Planet seminar for Eco Fashion Week Australia titled: “How the sustainable fashion space should focus on: representation, inclusivity and visibility.”
While this was written almost 3 years ago, it continues to resonate strongly today, and has proven to make a powerful influence on the fashion community in Australia, specifically.
One aspect Natalie highlights in this speech is why diversity can be very tokenistic. The following part of from that speech acknowledges some of the ideas we explore throughout this episode:
“The communities most affected by our sustainable industry decisions are Black and Brown communities, yet they are not afforded the right to take part in the decision making process. It is the White privileged, resourced and elite groups who dictate the climate of fashion – now and for the future. When we’re referring to the current climate of sustainable fashion and bringing the topic of visibility to media, we’re faced with the over saturation at the moment of words like diversity - now is the time to acknowledge how powerful language is in communicating messages. I think we need to consider the fact that the term diversity in its very nature can be quite tokenistic.”
Why *diversity* is tokenistic and retail training people from refugee & new migrant communities at The Social Outfit
Quotes & links from the conversation:
Tommie Magazine
The Social Outfit, social enterprise Natalie works with
Follow The Social Outfit on Instagram >
Follow Natalie on Instagram >
This week's episode is sponsored by Ana Luisa, the first direct-to-consumer jewelry brand to become carbon-neutral.
If you’re interested in checking out Ana Luisa, you can use code CHATTER to get 10% off.
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S06 Episode 279 | Jono Salfield of Afends on DIY hemp farming for textiles & why hemp rules (from both a farming & carbon-capture lens)
S06 Episode 278 | Why we must approach waste holistically & how Material Library Of India is reimagining & documenting neglected materials while advocating for systems change
S06 Episode 277 | Questioning how we *value* garments & respecting the limits of partnership across fashion with Jesus Herrera
S06 Episode 276 | Fashion psychology, contextualizing our buying behaviors amidst today's *speed* & how shopping is not equal to happiness
S06 Episode 275 | The Or Foundation's take on their recent agreement with SHEIN, how these grant funds are/will be used within the Kantamanto community & extended producer responsibility (EPR)
S06 Episode 274 | What are biosynthetic dyes & could they replace the toxic petroleum-heavy ingredients in today's predominant indigo garment dye?
S06 Episode 273 | Kesiena Onosigho on slow art as a tool for liberation and why sustainability isn't passive – it's something you live
S06 Episode 272 | Revealing lipstick's dirty little secrets & questioning the beauty industry's lack of regulation with Angela Weinberg of Kolorete
S06 Episode 271 | Anuj Sharma on button masala and questioning cut & sew as the primary way to join garments together
S06 Episode 270 | Doctoral candidate Timnit Kefela on the rise of plastic fashion & the journey of microplastics that come with it
S06 Episode 269 | Ngozi Okaro of Custom Collaborative on fashion cooperatives & how they can shift power dynamics, counter overproduction, and support local economies
S06 Episode 268 | Venetia La Manna on the need to *Remember Who Made Them* (our clothes) & whether we should buy fast fashion secondhand
S06 Episode 267 | Sally Fox on breeding naturally colored organic cotton
S06 Episode 266 | The challenges of navigating supply chain minimums while intentionally building regional systems with Leah of Wol Hide
S06 Episode 265 | Summer Dean (@ClimateDiva) on slowing down influence & building community instead of obsessing about analytics
S06 Episode 264 | Greenwashing in fashion and the need for mandatory measures & regulation
S06 Episode 263 | Dr. Sandra Niessen on *sacrifice zones* & the layers of erasure in fashion
S06 Episode 262 | Roland Geyer on why we should we be focusing on LABOR, not MATERIALS in the quest to reduce fashion's environmental impact
S06 Episode 261 | Can fashion and degrowth coexist, and specifically — do high heels exist in a degrowth world?
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