A Year of Firsts, Growth and Inspiration for Ethical Fashion Nerd
Today marks Ethical Fashion Nerd’s one year anniversary. It took me two years after moving to NYC to find the mental space to start my blog. Now that I’m a year in, I am so happy that I took the plunge. I’ll admit, there are weeks where it’s hard to find the time to keep it going, but my stubbornness to keep promises to myself has kept me chugging along.
I started Ethical Fashion Nerd when there were many uncertainties in my life – I was unemployed, Trump was about to be inaugurated and I was waiting to hear back about graduate school – I wanted something that I had complete control over. I wanted to make a platform that reflected what I had been craving in the ethical fashion space. I wanted to be a part of something that was deeper than styling tips, brand guides, to take a deeper look and figure out how we can really change the industry. So many times I had heard about sustainable fashion burnout, where people throw themselves into changing the industry but see little or unsatisfying change. It became so clear to me that we needed a place for change, a place to learn, and a place to come together.
This first year has been a huge learning experience. I am grateful that you all have followed me on this journey and I look forward to a great second year of continued growth. I couldn’t have gotten this far without the support you have all shown me and the valuable feedback you have given me to keep flourishing.
In the interest of keeping this short and sweet, THANK YOU for inspiring me to keep writing. And in the spirit of the New Year, I’m including a list of resolutions for Ethical Fashion Nerd below, please keep me accountable 🙂
- Write. Every. Single. Day.
- Get outside my introvert bubble and attend more sustainable fashion events in NYC.
- Widen my network of Ethical Fashion Nerds.
- Give myself a break when I need it.
- Do my very best, and help others achieve their best.
- Try out other formats – interviews, collaborative writing, short stories, etc.
Next Chapter: Graduate School – Impacting the Global Fashion Industry
I’ve been hinting at something big on the horizon for a few weeks now. This Friday is the last day at my job and I think it’s about time to let the cat out of the bag. After two and a half years in New York City, reinventing myself and adjusting to the curve balls thrown at me, I’ll be starting a new chapter: Graduate School.
As of this Fall, I’ll be pursuing an Master’s in Public Administration at NYU, studying international human rights and environmental policies. It might be a bit crazy to get a second graduate degree, but I couldn’t think of a more natural step. My work had me feeling stunted, I was learning about the intricacies of the fashion industry, but not how to impact change in the global community.
So how exactly did my NYC journey lead me here? I left Hawaii in January 2015 hopeful that New York City would be the answer, that the city would take me in and cultivate my curiosity for sustainable fashion. I imagined a world that would be hard, yet gentle and guiding. What I found was infinite opportunity with people stepping all over each other to grab it.
To be honest, my life since landing at JFK has been filled with uncertain, anxious and overwhelming experiences, with some splashes of accomplishment and excitement. By far the most challenging part has been finding my own balance and acceptance as part of this chaos. It was a crash course in dealing with stubborn, aggressive and erratic people. That’s not to say that New Yorkers aren’t friendly when they want to be, it’s just a different kind of human interaction. Coming from Hawaiian and Japanese cultures, it was a culture shock.
I still remember my first day working in the industry, running around picking up markers, visiting sample makers and checking-in on the factory, all within a few blocks in the garment district. I thought “I’ve done it, I made it, and it will all work out”. How cute I was, thinking it was that simple. Maybe if I had moved to the city to work in fashion, but I hadn’t, I moved to the city to disrupt the fashion industry, to be a changemaker.
At the very beginning, seeing the process from design to delivery at a small Brooklyn start-up helped ease me into the industry. As my role grew and the responsibility piled on, strains in working with complex personalities were magnified. Even more revealing, my limitations were made painfully clear. We were a young team, I craved mentorship and cross industry development. Learning about the fashion industry was important, but I wanted to reach beyond to understand the complexities of community organizing, creating policies and shaping the industry both locally and abroad. So I left, even though I loved the job, the company, and the people.
I’m not entirely sure where this degree will lead me, but I’m excited at all the possibilities and opportunities it will open up. Maybe this is my ever-optimist mindset, but I’m confident that this will unlock the roles that I’ve been craving and the the jobs I’ve been dreaming of (as cliche as that sounds). I can’t wait to share this journey with you and bring you along as I find out where I can make the most impact to make the garment production more sustainable and ethical.
In the Beginning – The Start of My Conscious Fashion Journey
The beginning of my conscious fashion journey can be separated into two chapters, the dream and the mental process. The dream kickstarted my discovery of ethical fashion and kept me motivated, but it was changing my consumer mindset that transformed me into who I am today.
The Dream
Where did it all start? It started as a crazy dream, as a vision board on my wall. I imagined myself as Camille, the sustainable fashion designer. There I stood in the middle of the board next to two models wearing my elaborate designs. It was a fairy tale, but I didn’t know that yet.
My naïveté was propelling me into an industry more complex, cut-throat and nasty than I could have imagined. I moved forward into the darkness, wide-eyed and making every mistake. Decisions were made based on gut feeling not cash flows. But within the uncertainty something beautiful and unexpected began to take shape. Yes, there were some cute clothes, but most importantly, I began cultivating a community and bringing people together.
From the moment I consciously chose sustainable fashion as my life’s purpose, there seemed to be a path emerging with opportunities piling up. I started a blog, chronicling my upcycling adventures. An Etsy store was created to sell the upcycled creations. I committed to buying only thrifted (mainly Kaimuki Goodwill) clothing for a year. Started volunteering, then organizing events for Hawaii Fashion Month. This all culminated in founding a conscious fashion organization with fellow sustainable fashion nerds.
I wasn’t designing the elaborate gowns that I saw on my vision board, but I was empowering others to grow their ethical fashion brands and reaching out to people in the community who hadn’t been exposed to conscious fashion. I came to realize that although design is important to the process, my ability to see the bigger picture, and inspire through story telling made me more impactful to the cause as a writer and organizer.
I look back fondly now, proud of myself for pushing through. It allowed me to find my place in the fight against fast fashion and gave me the direction I needed before throwing myself into the New York fashion world. Even though my early sustainable fashion days in Hawaii pale in comparison to what I have faced since moving to NYC, and what I’m sure I’ll face in my next chapter, it’s comforting to know that I’ll have the strength and self-accountability to keep going.
The Process
On a more personal level, the act of changing my consumer behavior proved to be the most crucial and challenging part of my journey. If you’re going to preach it, you better practice it. This forced me to examine what sustainable fashion meant for me and how I could fit it into my broke just-out-of-grad-school budget. For me, this meant thrifting and upcycling.
The first few months of committing to a sustainable fashion lifestyle was rough, it was hard to wrap my head around spending more money on quality products or buying thrifted goods that were bold fashion statements. I had panic attacks about how to buy clothes, and what sustainable fashion really meant. I lectured my friends whenever we went shopping that they shouldn’t buy clothes from the store we walked into, and would constantly be checking tags to see what garments were made of and where they were made. It was paralyzing.
Yet, as I went deeper into the world of thrifting and learned how to tweak pieces to make them my own, and I fell in love. By giving each garment a special touch and buying unique quirky pieces, my wardrobe was completely mine. Each piece of clothing had a story and I began to feel a deeper connection to what I put on my body.
Switching from a fast fashion to a conscious mindset is an ever evolving process, one that demands patience and curiosity. I’m still on my path and am far from perfect. Tools like this blog, surrounding myself with a supportive community and inspiration from designers and change-makers help me stay accountable. It’s been four years, and I’m still excited to learn more and find new ways to express myself through ethical fashion choices.
Now More Than Ever – Life After the Paris Accord
Yesterday was one of those days where reading the news and facing the realities of a Trump presidency was unbearable. A feeling that has become all too normalized. Yet, even with this administration’s constant disappointments, this one cuts deep.
My mantra right now (courtesy of Obama) – “…even in the absence of American leadership; even as this Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I’m confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up.”
Although my heart breaks and I’m scared for what is to come, there are still shining beacons lighting the way, fearless entrepreneurs, driven activists, and committed changemakers that will not let this stop them. Our president is abandoning this planet and our future, but I choose to have faith in our society and our drive to impact change.
Instead of writing of all the horrible scenarios that could come of this, which there are several, I’d like to bring some positive energy to the table. Below is a list of commitments I am making to be a better citizen of the earth.
- Research sustainable businesses and support them, buy their products, and share their story. Project Just is a great resource to research fashion brands. To search all sorts of sustainable and ethical companies check out B Corp.
- Start my own sustainable business – hey, why not? Whether it’s organic T-shirts or recycled handbags, I want to be a part of the solution from the business owner side as well as consumer.
- Spread the word, this is the main reason I love writing this blog. I want people to understand that sustainability is a mindset and a way of life, and it’s an attainable one at that.
- Get more involved with local government. This is one that I keep telling myself I’ll do but never get around to, but I can’t afford to make excuses any more. We need to come together and make our government work for us, it starts from the ground up.
- Remember to breathe every day, and be grateful for what this planet has to offer.
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One thing I’ve learned since the election is that life will go on, we just have to keep fighting for what we believe in, now more than ever.
Conscious Running – From Mind to Shoes
Today’s post is an exercise in how I approach a clothing buying decision. I’m highlighting an area that is tough to shop sustainably, running gear. I have some go to brands, but it’s an area where there is constant innovation and I’m always looking to discover new products.
But first, a quick ode to running. I was never much of a runner when I was younger, I hated it in high school. I tried running a bit in college, but never more than a couple miles and it always felt like a chore. I didn’t fall in love with running until grad school, when I was living in Japan for a year. I made a commitment to myself to run every day for the rest of the year, this was at the beginning of December. Then January rolled around and I just kept running.
I used the time to clear my mind, listening to the sound of my breath; feeling the air fill my body and then letting go. Suddenly running wasn’t something forced and painful, it was something I could use to be with myself and let my anxiety melt away.
When I started my conscious fashion lifestyle, running gear was top on my list of items to research. I’m breaking it down by shoes and clothes, since my thought process was different for each.
Shoes
It’s been a hard fact for me to swallow the fact that no matter what I do, I have to buy new running shoes regularly otherwise I’m putting my body at risk of injury. There is nothing that I can do to make the shoe last longer after I’ve run 300+ miles on them. (If you have any ideas on how to do this, please share!)
Since I’m training for the NYC marathon, that means I have to buy new shoes every 3 to 4 months. Because of that, finding a shoe that is recyclable and low impact is important to me. You might be shocked to hear this, but I wear Nike. Nike Flyknits. I chose these due to the FlyKnit design that knits the top of the shoe with zero waste. Then, when I’m done, I just take them into a Nike store or send them in to be recycled.
There are other brands with innovative technologies as well. Adidas, for example, has created a shoe out of recycled water bottles. Newtown Running is the first running shoe B Corp brand. There are also other alternatives to Nike for shoe recycling, such as Soles 4 Souls and Shoes for Planet Earth.
Clothes
When I first started running, I would just scrounge up old T-shirts and gym shorts for my runs, I didn’t really care what I looked like. As I spent more time running and realized how a cute running outfit could motivate me to push myself harder, I started looking into sustainable (and somewhat affordable) running clothes. Generally speaking there are two types of sustainable running gear, recycled polyester/plastic or natural organic cottons/merino wool.
There’s a lot of interesting innovation and creative new brands in the world of recycled polyester/plastic. One of my favorite new pair of leggings is from Girlfriend Collective, which makes their products out of recycled water bottles in an SA8000 certified factory in Vietnam. For more of a boho chic vibe, Teeki is another great recycled water bottle legging brand, but they’re not quite as practical for running. You can also sort products on Nike by those using recycled polyester. Threads 4 Thought is another great brand using recycled polyester, and their clothes perform well for running. Once you start looking, you’ll realize that these products are popping up all over.
On the flip side there is the all natural way of merino wool and cotton products. Wool is literally a miracle fiber, it is moisture wicking and unlike polyester will not lock in bad odor. It also miraculously has the ability to keep you both warm and cool. Icebreaker has some amazing merino wool running gear that is ethically sourced in New Zealand. Cool new it activewear brand, Outdoor Voices, also has a merino wool collection, among others.
Of course you could do what I do what I first started running and wear second hand t-shirts and old running shorts. But, when you run as much as I do, it’s important to have gear that will make you feel empowered to perform your best.
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Once you discover which materials fit into your conscious fashion world, it’s easier to move forward from there. I like the idea of having an activewear brand that collects materials to recycle or will take back their products to recycled for you, in effect closing the product lifecycle loop. Patagonia is committed to making all their products renewable, but it would be great to see this extend beyond sustainable fashion’s poster child.
I’m always open to hearing about new brands and ideas if you’d like to share. Leave a comment or send a note!
My First Post – It’s About Time
I’ve been meaning to start this blog since moving to New York City almost two years ago. With my two year anniversary coming up next week, and high on New Year’s resolutions I decided to get this thing off the ground.
Why I want to write this blog:
I bought my one-way ticket to New York City with the goal of becoming an ethical fashion pioneer and revolutionize the industry, sounds easy right? Since arriving I’ve gotten caught up in the fashion start-up non-stop grind, worked temp jobs at large fashion corporations, and am about to start a production job at a menswear brand in midtown. A little bit of everything. I’d like to use this place to step back and see what others are doing in the industry and ruminate on ideas of how to move forward as a more conscious and empathetic industry, and also possibly tell some funny fashion industry stories or give some advice here and there.
A bit about me:
I have always loved clothes. Growing up in Japan, I loved to see the new and creative ways people chose to express themselves. Sadly I wasn’t always the most thoughtful shopper, my mom can attest to that. Every year I wanted a new wardrobe. Once I stopped growing, I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t just throw out everything I was bored of and get new and shiny ones. It was a shameful time.
My first real epiphany of the extant of my consumerist brainwashing came in graduate school. I studied Japanese Tantric Buddhism for three years and it forced me to be introspective on my own material driven behavior, it stopped me dead in my tracks. I wanted to learn more about the inner workings of the fashion industry and started reading books like Naked Fashion by Safia Minney, and Sustainable Fashion and Textiles by Kate Fletcher, among others. I felt guilty for even stepping into stores like H&M and Forever21. My friends thought I had lost it, and didn’t understand why I was being so picky about where my clothes were made. I became so paralyzed by how little I knew about the supply chain of the clothes I was wearing. Without a budget to afford higher quality sustainable clothing, I started my own upcycling brand and committed to buying only from Goodwill for a year – I’m sure there will be a post about this at some point 😉
This experience launched me into my ethical fashion journey, and eventually led me to where I am today in Bushwick writing this post. I’m excited to have you along on this continued celebration of well-made, conscious and inspiring design.