In episode 146, Kestrel welcomes Taghrid Zorob, the founder + creative director of Rafa, to the show. A women’s luxury footwear collection, Rafa is hand-crafted by a small group of artisans in Los Angeles.
“We have to remember that we’re all humans and that there’s more to life than just stuff that we buy, and consuming should be something that adds value to our life.”Throughout this chat, Taghrid shares more on what led her to want to build Rafa, especially a particular experience she had connecting with shoe makers in Los Angeles at her previous job. Additionally, she explains more on how she really wanted to infuse Los Angeles into her brand, as it had become a large part of her identity growing up in the city.
The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:
“When I started this company, I really wanted to create something that was quintessentially Los Angeles - I wanted to make something that was beautiful and incorporated all of the great things that we have here.”
The vegan suede Rafa used is made using recycled PET, and is made of 80% recycled materials
“I think a lot of people forget that all the things that we consume in our lives are made by humans.”
“You have to think about fashion as a part of your personality - it’s not just stuff you put on your body, it’s how you view the world.”
EVENT ALERT FROM INTRO
The Conscious Loft, powered by Mochni, will be taking place in Berlin from January 15th-17th during Berlin Fashion Week. Learn more + get tickets here >
S05 Episode 240 | Maxine Bédat on why circularity won't save us, how the origin of business was not to maximize profit & what that context tells us about the current fashion system
S05 Episode 239 | Ganni on the importance of action over labels & their 44 responsibility gameplan goals
S05 Episode 238 | Best friends Jazmine (@thatcurlytop) & Gabby (@gabrielasage) on reclaiming "influence" & finding balance as content creators and sustainable fashion advocates
S05 Episode 237 | OEKO-TEX®, green chemistry & navigating the nuances of product labels
S05 Episode 236 | Educator Emi Ito and Gina Stovall of Two Days Off on collaborating to honor a legacy & getting creative to infuse fashion with more accessibility, generosity and inclusivity
S05 Episode 235 | Mikaela Clark of Hansel on balance in partnerships, welcoming the evolution of your creativity, and inclusivity in upcycling
S05 Episode 234 | Rethinking upcycling, questioning trends & reimagining what "seasons" mean
S05 Episode 233 | Katherine Theobalds of Zou Xou on sensible shoes and resisting mindless consumption & markdowns
S05 Episode 232 | Kara Fabella on the nuances of "influence" today, splashing color across ethical fashion + her Living In COLOR(ISM) series
S05 Episode 231 | GOODS & SERVICES ON MODERN SHOE REPAIR + REFRAMING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SNEAKER LIFESPAN — AKA SNEAKER REPAIR IS POSSIBLE!
S05 Episode 230 | KIANA KAZEMI ON THE OPPRESSIVE HISTORY OF ENGINEERING + TECH, THE NEED TO REFRAME THE "PROBLEMS" ENGINEERS ARE TRYING TO FIX, AND WHAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH FASHION
S05 Episode 229 | DANI DES ROCHES OF PICNICWEAR ON STATEMENT PIECES + FUTURE VINTAGE OVER FUTURE GARBAGE
S05 Episode 228 | CATHERINE MCKINLEY, AUTHOR OF THE AFRICAN LOOKBOOK, ON THE DEEP MEANING CONNECTED TO CLOTH, THE POWER OF THE CAMERA AND SEWING MACHINE + RECLAIMING VISUAL NARRATIVES
S05 Episode 227 | YESSENIA FUNES OF ATMOS ON RACE AND THE ENVIRONMENT + CENTERING FRONTLINE ORGANIZERS AS THE WRITERS OF THEIR OWN STORIES
S05 Episode 226 | MATT HICKEY OF BE KIND VIBES ON KINDNESS + PLANTING THE EARLY SEEDS FOR CONSCIOUS CHATTER
S05 Episode 225 | URBAN NATIVE ERA, "YOU ARE ON NATIVE LAND" + LEADING WITH STORYTELLING
S05 Episode 224 | TWO DAYS OFF, APPROACHING FASHION THROUGH AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LENS + HOW EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED
S05 Episode 223 | MAGGIE MARILYN ON TRANSPARENCY, RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY + THE NEED TO ALIGN VALUES WITH BUSINESS MODELS
S05 Episode 222 | SELINA SANDERS ON UPCYCLING, HOW FASHION CREATES CULTURE + HOW HER PHILIPPINE HERITAGE INFLUENCES THE BRAND'S AESTHETIC
S05 Episode 221 | ROOPA PEMMARAJU ON HONORING ARTISANS + THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF INDIA
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