Podcasts:
Today in Focus is a podcast created by The Guardian, recommended episode 'The Leicester Garment Factories Exposed By Covid-19'. Archie Bland discusses a story that goes beyond the pandemic and into workers rights, appalling factories conditions and the ethics of fast fashion. Also worth a listen 'What has four years of Trump meant for the climate change crisis?'.
Fash-ON Fash-OFF podcast, recommended episode 'Fashion and Sustainability' which speaks with London designer Bethany Williams and Sapna Brooks, Buying Director of Gap EU.
Business of Fashion podcast, recommended episode 'Women Are at the Forefront of the Sustainability Revolution'. Led by the founder and CEO, Imran Ahmed, who discusses with experts (designers, creatives, and business people) the wider impact of the industry.
Fashion Revolution is a podcast with a combination of investigations and interviews, discussing a year-long research project that focused on 540 garment workers in India, Cambodia and Bangladesh.
Sustainably Influenced 'is a platform created by influencers Bianca Foley and Charlotte Williams, guiding people through the minefield of sustainability'. Weekly podcast episodes on Apple Podcast and Spotify.
Articles:
The Racial Bias Built Into Photography: Sarah Lewis explores the relationship between racism and the camera. For The New York Times, 2019.
Luxury’s Hidden Indian Supply Chain: For many years Dior, Saint Laurent and other fashion brands have been quietly using Indian embroiderers for their goods, depending on their expertise while offering little in the way of employment protection.
How Plastic Is a Function of Colonialism Dr. Max Liboiron, an assistant professor at Memorial University and fellow at Science for the People, explains how the global plastic pollution crisis is directly tied to colonialism. Teen Vogue, 2018.
We Need To Change The Way We Think About Sustainable Fashion Activist Céline Semaan explains why we can't just buy into sustainability, we have to change the way we live. i-D, 2019.
How To Quit Fast Fashion: Making, Mending, Learning and Activism 'Fast fashion is awful for people and planet. Like with many industries post Covid-19, it’s time to build back better. And with fashion, it’s super easy to start at home'. Greenpeace, 2020.
The BBC’s Breaking Fashion documentary is a cheap, tone-deaf misfire 'The series, profiling online retailer In The Style, could have critiqued fast fashion’s damaging environmental impact – instead, it made a six-part advert for it'. Sophie Benson for Dazed, 2019.
Why We Need To Dismantle Systemic Racism In Sustainable Fashion 'Sareta Puri takes on the issue of whether the sustainable fashion industry does enough to provide equal opportunity and representation for all'. Pebble Magazine, 2020.
Mindful Buying & Up-cycling Your Wardrobe 'The global pandemic has forced many of us to reflect on what we have; it has also given us less disposable income and more time to shop online. With the growing awareness of fashions environmental impact, we need to re-think our shopping habits and move beyond our comfort zones'. Ophelia Dos Santos for Guap Magazine, 2020.
Reuse, renew, recycle! Is making new from old the future of fashion? 'Using deadstock, the leftovers from clothes manufacturing, to create something new isn’t just environmentally sound, it’s surprisingly inspiring'. The Guardian, 2020.
Don’t be fooled, ASOS’ ‘Circular collection’ does nothing more than pay lip service to sustainability 'Progress has to start somewhere, but creating one small collection that cherry picks circular principles is akin to putting a plaster on a broken leg, argues Sophie Benson'. The Independent, 2020.
Documentaries:
The True Cost is a film about the impact of clothes making on the planet and its people. The title refers to the fact that often when buying clothes, especially cheap and disposable one, the true cost is not really reflected in the retail price. Available on YouTube.
Minimalism is a documentary film that explores the many layers of minimalism, inside the lives of minimalists from all walks of life; families, entrepreneurs, architects, artists, journalists and scientists - all of whom are striving to live a meaningful life with less. Available on Netflix.
The Machinist documents the exploitation of garment workers in Bangladesh with the personal stories of three young women working in factories in Dhaka. The documentary is seen through the eyes of 3 garment workers and looks at their everyday lives, their struggles at home, the constant battles they face with their factory owners and puts a face to the men and women who make clothes for our high street. Available on YouTube.
Explained recommended episodes 'The Worlds Water Crisis' Why Women Are Paid Less' and 'The Racial Wealth Gap'. Available on Netflix.
History 101 Ep 4 Plastics follows how plastics have transformed how we live, but the progress has come at a price: 7.8 billions tons of waste. Available on Netflix.
War on Plastic with Hugh and Anita 'Every minute of every day, the equivalent of a garbage truck full of plastic is emptied into the world’s oceans. Thanks to other BBC series like Blue Planet and Drowning in Plastic, we’ve all seen the devastating effect this is having on our world’s wildlife' Available on BBC iPlayer.
Books:
Invisible Women 'shows us how, in a world largely built for and by men, we are systematically ignoring half the population. It exposes the gender data gap - a gap in our knowledge that is at the root of perpetual, systemic discrimination against women, and that has created a pervasive but invisible bias with a profound effect on women's lives'. By Caroline Criado-Perez, 2020.
Rework encourages us to rethink our working habits. 'Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs who want to get out, and artists who don't want to starve anymore will all find valuable inspiration and guidance in these pages'. By David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried, 2010.
Little Black Book 'is the modern career guide every creative woman needs, whether you're just starting out or already have years of experience. Packed with fresh ideas and no-nonsense practical advice'. By Otegha Uwagba, 2018.