In episode 194, Kestrel welcomes Shahidha Bari, author of Dressed: A Philosophy Of Clothes, to the show. A Professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at the London College of Fashion and a fellow of the Forum for European Philosophy at London School of Economics, Shahidha is dedicated to contributing a discourse around fashion to the philosophy field.
“I feel like there has to be some sort of intellectual, cultural shift about the way that we regard our clothes— the forms of attention we give them — not just in how we buy, but how we think about them as artifacts: artifacts that have passed through many hands before they come to our own and artifacts that are expressive of our humanity.”On this week’s show, Shahidha shares more on her background and how her unique experiences with dressing throughout her childhood along with her synesthesia have influenced the work that she does today.
While Shahidha was writing her book, Dressed: A Philosophy of Clothes, the Rana Plaza disaster happened. According to her, this garment factory tragedy impacted the book was was writing. For Shahidha, she believes there must be some sort of cultural shift in the way that we regard our garments, and that they warrant dignity as well.
The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:
Synesthesia: when your sensory faculties can get muddled up — Shahidha has a unique way in which her perceptual factors and memories work where she often associates people and words with color and texture
“So I lived in a world where the way you existed and moved through the world was shaped by your clothes.”
Phenomenology: recording or thinking about the feeling of things, the feeling of existence
“I think the quintessential experience of womanhood is the failure to be a woman, which is why I’m so interested in the experience of trans women too.”
“There’s a kind of dignity that I wanted to give our clothes — I think that the people who make our clothes very often make it in such unhappy circumstances, that they warrant dignity too, and us being able to give our clothes dignity is one way that we start to recognize the kind of dignity we need to extend to the people who make our clothes too.”
“I think there’s a lot to be said for being comfortable right now.”
Buy Shahidha's book Dressed: A Philosophy Of Clothes here >This week's episode is brought to you by Fair Trade USA. Each year, Fair Trade USA honors the people who made our clothes and advocates for safer and more sustainable practices in its 'We Wear Fair Trade' campaign.
Visit https://www.fairtradecertified.org/we-wear-fair-trade to learn about the fair trade difference in fashion and to meet this year's featured activists.
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
Jeff Garner of Prophetik on how synthetic fabrics & toxic chemicals connected to our clothing are impacting our health
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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