Episode 315 features guests Amy Denet Deal, the founder of 4Kinship, a Diné (Navajo) owned sustainable artwear brand, alongside Sha’Mira Covington, Ph.D., an interdisciplinary scholar-artist and Assistant Professor in Fashion.
“Thinking about sustainability beyond just the textiles, thinking about the land that we’re on, how we can live in reciprocity with the people, the four-legged relatives, everything, the plants, the animals here — in all the work we do. Which is why community focus is so much part of what I consider sustainability ‘cause everyone should be thriving from what we do — not just the brand, not just a couple people, everything around needs to be in that harmony.” -Amy
“I’m very much so motivated by truth. We, as a society, have gotten really deep in the business of pretending, pretending that things are ok and they are not. We, as as society, are very spiritually unwell, yet we continue to go on as business as usual. This facade of sorts keeps me up and the performative untruths we have to tell ourselves every day to function in this society is very unsettling to me. This motivates me to be a seeker of truth, to better connect to myself, to nature and to other people.” -Sha’Mira
In this week's episode, we explore the topic of INTERGENERATIONAL KNOWLEDGE IN FASHION & TEXTILES. To say this episode was healing, would be an understatement.
We talk about how we can learn from the trees, and the sky and the land that we walk on each day. What Black and Brown Indigenous cultures teach us about truth-telling, and the unlearning and relearning of traditional ways. We also explore how community circles are a solution to creating more social impact and better connections … with one another, with our four legged relatives, and the natural world around us.
This episode teaches us how to live in reciprocity, and how fashion is more than just aesthetics; it’s about the upholding of cultural practices, and the amplifying of intergenerational knowledge and traditions. In order for these to live on, we all must actively participate in honoring and respecting and appreciating them – not appropriating them.
We all have a responsibility to take part in challenging systems to better heal the planet and its Indigenous cultures who have always been the inherent teachers of these connected ways of life. We can’t wait for you to listen and learn from our guests this week who are the holders of so much wisdom, knowledge and truth.
Tune in as we contextual our February theme – Sharing Textile Knowledge Across Generations.
Quotes & links from the conversation:
Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, children’s book Kestrel mentions
Images above are from Sha’Mira’s recent installation at the Fashion for Good Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, entitled Curative: Confronting and Healing the Fashion-industrial Complex
4Kinship currently has 2 fundraisers active for their community initatives: 1) Text SKATEINBEAUTY to 707070 to help them deliver skateboards on Navajo Nation with Diné Skate Garden Project
2) Text ILLUMINATE to 707070 to help amplify and elevate Indigenous creatives with 4KINSHIP INDIGENOUS FUTURES FUND
Sha’Mira’s Website
Follow 4Kinship on Instagram
Follow Sha’Mira on Instagram
S04 Episode 180 | HUSTON TEXTILE COMPANY + BRINGING MANUFACTURING BACK TO AMERICA
S04 Episode 179 | FAIR TRADE USA + SHOPPER RECOGNITION OF THE LABEL TODAY
S04 Episode 178 | LOLI + ZERO WASTE BEAUTY FROM FOOD WASTE
S04 Episode 177 | NEW YORK TIMES STYLE + SUSTAINABILITY WITH ELIZABETH PATON
S04 Episode 176 | ANACT TOWELS + THE POWER OF HEMP
S04 Episode 175 | ELIZA SLOANE JEWELRY, SCALING AS A MAKER + ULTIMATE CREATIVE FREEDOM
S04 Episode 174 | TONLÉ, ZERO WASTE + MAKING IN CAMBODIA
S04 Episode 173 | FRANK AND OAK + LISTENING TO SHOPPERS TO DRIVE CREATION
S04 Episode 172 | NOBLE CARRIAGE + HOW SUSTAINABLE SHIFTS CAN START WITH MOMS
S04 Episode 171 | THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FASHION + WHY WE WEAR WHAT WE WEAR
S04 Episode 170 | SOURCERY THE LABEL AND SILK YOU CAN MACHINE WASH + DRY
S04 Episode 169 | TRIARCHY ON SUSTAINABLE DENIM, MINDFULNESS + BALANCE
S04 Episode 168 | THREDUP + THE MASSIVE RISE OF RESALE
S04 Episode 167 | THE LOVE IS PROJECT + PAYING IT FORWARD
S04 Episode 166 | MARIELLE ELIZABETH + SLOW FASHION FOR ALL
S04 Episode 165 | PACT + GROWING COTTON BETTER, WITHOUT THE GROSS STUFF
S04 Episode 164 | MADE TRADE + ETHICALLY ELEVATED GOODS FOR DESIGN LOVERS
S04 Episode 163 | ALICE ALEXANDER + INCLUSIVITY FOR ALL BODIES
S04 Episode 162 | SARAH SPELLINGS OF THE CUT ON GOING FAST FASHION FREE
S04 Episode 161 | THE SUSTAINABLE FASHION FORUM + BUILDING COMMUNITY
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