In episode 292, Kestrel welcomes Denica Riadini-Flesch, a development economist and the director at SukkhaCitta, to the show. A social enterprise started in 2016, SukkhaCitta works to give women in rural Indonesia fair access to education and market.
“We have grown this company, this mission, these projects on the ground with that mindset that we want to build a model for change. So, we are not here to grow and make the most profits or be the best company in the market, you know, but it’s really a very different mindset. We’re here to connect consumers with the full story of how and why something was made.” -Denica
One aspect of the complex and opaque fashion supply chain that is often overlooked is the number of homeworkers that are an integral part of making our clothes today.
I was reaching for some sort of statistic, and that led me to Nest’s website – where they outline that upwards of 300 million people around the world work from home, engaged in primarily craft-based handwork. They are predominantly women, often invisible and without social protections.
This week’s guest, a trained economist, saw this firsthand when she returned to her home country of Indonesia and was working as a social development consultant. This work took her to villages across the country, where she saw women literally making things with their hands from their homes.
She even spoke to a woman who was dyeing garments in her home – she had been given toxic dyes to use and was feeling the harmful health effects of it directly, not only on her lungs but also on her surrounding environment, when the dye would be dumped in the nearby river, where her children would play.
These experiences led her to realize that it could be possible to make clothes in a different way – where regeneration is actually central to the process. And maybe the status quo could actually no longer be the status quo!
From working with women farmers to rediscover the regenerative farming techniques of their ancestors to finding ways to use natural and upcycled food waste dyes, this week’s guest is constantly asking more questions, seeking new solutions, and listening – to unearth the Indigenous knowledge that can help us reimagine what fashion can look like today.
It’s undeniable that she’s advocating – through action – to challenge the status quo.
Quotes & links from the conversation:
Episode 284 with Angel Chang (Kestrel mentions it in the intro)
“Through this work, I’ve come to realize that you can grow in a different way.” -Denica (48:16)
“The new generation of companies should think about how we can grow with less.” -Denica (50:41)
SukkhaCitta Foundation
SukkhaCitta Social Enterprise
Follow SukkhaCita on Instagram >
Follow Denica on Instagram >
S04 Episode 160 | NATHALIA JMAGNATHALIA JMAG ON MADE TO ORDER + MORE
S04 Episode 159 | POSITIVE LUXURY + THE BUTTERFLY MARK
S04 Episode 158 | BOYISH ON DOING BETTER DENIM
S04 Episode 157 | REMAKE + MADE IN MEXICO
S03 Episode 156 | CAN SUSTAINABLE BE DAPPER?
S03 Episode 155 | INFLUENCER JAYDE ARCHIVES ON PROUD OUTFIT REPEATING
S03 Episode 154 | MOHINDERS + HEIRLOOM LEATHER TRADITIONS
S03 Episode 153 | ELEVATED LAYERS + BALANCING WASTE IN THE INFLUENCER ERA
S03 Episode 152 | REWILDER + SALVAGING INDUSTRIAL TRASH FOR DESIGN
S03 Episode 151 | ORGANICUP + COMBATING MENSTRUAL WASTE
S03 Episode 150 | LISA GRALNEK + BALANCING AUTHENTICITY AMIDST A TIME OF DISRUPTION
S03 Episode 149 | IKKIVI, TWOFOLD + THE SLOW FASHION SCENE IN INDIA
S03 Episode 148 | BEL KAZAN AND THE POWER + CHALLENGES OF OWNING YOUR OWN FACTORY
S03 Episode 147 | FIREWIRE + DISRUPTING THE SURF INDUSTRY
S03 Episode 146 | RAFA + MAKING VEGAN SHOES IN LA
S03 Episode 145 | TRIBE ALIVE + THE POWER OF INVESTING IN WOMEN
S03 Episode 144 | KNIT WIT ON GOING DIGITAL + WHAT'S HOT IN THE CRAFTING SCENE
S03 Episode 143 | ABLE, LIVING WAGES + THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLISHING THEM
S03 Episode 142 | LEFT EDIT + ESSENTIALS THAT MAKE AN IMPRESSION
S03 Episode 141 | SUSTAINABLE STYLING + CURATING THE MINIMALIST WARDROBE SHOP
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