Imagining Regional Fiber Initiatives

Black Material Geographies

This is the final episode of Season 1, where we explore the question: What would it look like if regional fiber initiatives became the norm? In last week's episode we started to explore how material supply chains impact our system and how to rethink them. Today, the fashion industry is experiencing a resurgence of interest in regional clothing fibers. The globalization of the fashion industry has prompted designers to look beyond the traditional suppliers of their materials and explore regional textile production. As regional producers hone their craft and grow their businesses, new regional clothing fiber opportunities are emerging that allow apparel makers to produce garments with a lower environmental impact and greater local sourcing. This week Teju gets more granular to show us why they are important, as well as what's possible with them. As the fashion industry and consumers began to prioritize the ethics and sustainability of their clothing purchases, designers need to look beyond conventional sources and explore emerging regional textile production. There are brilliant people changing the way clothes are made so that our environment benefits from it, and local economies thrive too.

Black Material Geographies is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Black Material Geographies here.

Find show notes here.

And transcript here.