Tag Archive for: sustainable living

Start Your Sustainable Fashion Brand: The Podcast is Launching on January 5th!

podcast

This is my last post of 2021 and I have two quick things to share with you!

If you missed my announcement last week, we’re launching a new podcast in 2022!

Featuring easy-to-implement, 20-minute-or-less episodes, Start Your Sustainable Fashion Brand is the podcast for entrepreneurs who want to take action, pursue their passion and make waves in the fashion industry.

You can now listen to the trailer on Apple Podcasts here and on Spotify here.

The first two episodes will be released on Wednesday, January 5th! Make sure to click Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

podcast

The second announcement is that there won’t be any Live Shows for the next two weeks while Factory45 is closed for the holidays.

Factory45 Live, the Live Show for Fashion Entrepreneurs, will resume on Thursday, January 6th at 12:30pm ET / 9:30am PT!

Have a wonderful, restful and happy holiday, everyone!

Here’s to 2022,

 

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Celebrating 4 Plant-Based Fashion Brands on Earth Day

Earth Day

How many Earth Day emails have you gotten today? Hopefully, a lot! 

But here’s the thing, dedicating a day to the Earth doesn’t mean much without action.

And while fashion isn’t the most obvious choice to associate with “going green,” it is one of the biggest contributors to climate change… 

Which makes our sustainability efforts in the fashion industry that much more important.

Will the small indie brands single-handedly solve the fashion pollution problem? No.

But they will, and have, put pressure on bigger brands while helping to educate consumers on why their purchasing decisions matter.

So, on that note, I asked four Factory45 Alumni to share how they “restore our earth” (the theme of this year’s Earth Day) through their sustainable fashion brands:

IMBUED

Imbued’s intention from the very beginning has been to use ‘slow fashion’ to support the restoration of our Earth. By setting high standards to use only organic fabrics grown by small farms, eco-consciously sourced plant dyes for fabric coloring, and offering limited collections, Imbued has made a commitment that almost no fashion brand is making. 

Imbued’s botanically hand-dyed bandanas and Intention Setting Dye Kits are small but mighty solutions that support the Slow Fashion + Regenerative Farming movements. It’s a way to create more restorative conversations and actions that support our planet. Imbued’s bandanas and dye kits are for The Earth-Wise Human Who Knows…It’s not just a bandana, but a small act of radical change. 

— Kristin Brown, founder of Imbued

Earth Day

NOVEL SUPPLY CO.

Novel Supply Co creates comfortable, gender neutral apparel that doesn’t pollute the environment or harm the people making it.

We use all natural, organic materials and natural dyes and take our products back at the end of life to ensure they don’t end up in the landfill.

We source undyed, organic cotton and hemp fabrics from a Fairwear Foundation member mill and all apparel is manufactured ethically and locally in our hometown of Vancouver, BC. We only do small batch natural dyeing to ensure we minimize our impact on the planet as much as possible.

— Kaya Dorey, founder of Novel Supply Co.

Earth Day

REPRISE ACTIVEWEAR

Reprise makes plant-based activewear, aimed at reducing the amount of plastics in our workout clothing. Our approach for carbon neutrality is to offset our carbon footprint in our supply chain and have a mix of Reforestation, Renewable Energy and Community projects. We’re based in New York and we produce with local manufacturers. It’s really important for us to build that relationship with them and keep everything local. 

— Mary Bemis, founder of Reprise Activewear

Check out Reprise featured on NBC News this week! Click here.

Earth Day

TRUED APPAREL

We restore the Earth through sustainable fashion by using natural fibers. We ensure that our clothing doesn’t contribute to plastic pollution by relying on sustainable and low-impact fabrics like Tencel. We also like to think we lead through example and help heighten awareness around conscious consumer choices.

Many people that are drawn to our aesthetic are also very aware of workers’ rights, environmentalism, supporting small business (especially women and BIPOC-led businesses) shopping local, and are willing to go the extra mile to do the right thing.

— Melissa Woods, founder of Trued Apparel

Trued

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

 

 

 

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This Factory45 Alum Created a Sustainable, Age-Defying Pillow

Age-Defying Pillow

“I am so in LOVE with this pillow…”

I’ve said every night for the past week.

My husband is sick of hearing about it, but I’m not quite over it yet.

When Factory45 alumni Lydia Lopez-Astrov asked me if I was a side or stomach sleeper, I admitted (with my tail between my legs) that I am, in fact, both. 

Which I know is the worst, but I can’t kick the habit. 

Not only is stomach sleeping horrible for your back and side sleeping bad for your shoulders, but both styles of sleeping exacerbate every 35-year-old woman’s nightmare:

Wrinkles!

And while I’m all for the natural progression of aging, when Lydia told me she was creating an age-defying sleep-mask-style pillow I’ll admit I was intrigued.

But I knew finding truly sustainable materials for the pillow wouldn’t be easy…

If you’ve had a chance to listen to the BEDDING episode of The Clean Living Podcast, then you know there are some problematic things about everyday sheets, mattresses and pillows.

Polyester or polyfill, which are plastic materials derived from petroleum, are the main culprits.

We spend nearly a third of our lives sleeping and yet most of us don’t know what we’re sleeping on… 

A recent New York Times opinion piece from journalist Nicholas Kristoff put a spotlight on endocrine disrupting chemicals — many of which come from plastic materials — and how they’re negatively affecting sperm counts, among other things.

So, while yes, I was excited about a pillow that aims to decrease wrinkles, it was the natural latex filling, organic cotton shell and 100% silk pillowcase that not only has me sleeping easy at night but may also make this one of the most sustainable pillows on the market.

Like I said, I love it.

When Lydia joined Factory45 in 2019 she had worked on upwards of 40+ prototypes and says, “I have slept on every version over the past several years and I am no longer able to sleep on any other pillow.”

I’m so glad the world is waking up to the need for more sustainable sleep.

You can read more about Lydia’s story here and shop the Sleep Goddess Beauty Pillow here.

 

 

 

Lydia is offering the Factory45 community a 20% discount on any purchase. Use the code “Factory45” at checkout — offer expires on March 15th!

clean living podcast

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Here’s How to Enter the Clean Living Giveaway

To celebrate the launch of The Clean Living Podcast, I’m hosting a giveaway featuring four amazing eco-living brands.

There will be SIX WINNERS and here are the prizes:

On Wednesday the 21st I’ll post the details again about how to win but since you’re on my VIP list, I wanted you to hear it here first —

To enter the giveaway on Wednesday:

  1. Subscribe to The Clean Living Podcast (you can actually do this step now)
  2. Listen and leave a review!
  3. Screenshot your review and share it on your own Instagram Stories
  4. Tag @factory45co and @cleanlivingpodcast in your IG Story

*Each additional slide in your IG Story counts as another entry into the giveaway!

I know this takes a bit more effort than your average IG giveaway, but these prizes are so good that I had to make it worth it ; ) 

I’m really excited to share the first four mini-episodes of the podcast with you — 

Go ahead and start listening here!

Always so grateful for your enthusiasm & support,

 

 

 

clean living podcast

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Listen to the Trailer: The Clean Living Podcast

clean living

What’s really in the products we use and buy every day?

Is it possible to change our lives by becoming more thoughtful consumers?

For most people, it’s overwhelming to sift through research about pollutants and toxins when you’re just trying to make it through the day, put dinner on the table and get the kids to bed.

But there is so much that we don’t know about the products we use daily.

We don’t know who to trust, which ingredients to avoid, what to switch to and which companies are greenwashing a lie.

And that’s what I’ve set out to explore through The Clean Living Podcast.

With mini episodes under 10 minutes, this podcast helps busy women live more sustainably in the areas of home, food and beauty.

And with one week until the first episodes go live, you can now listen to the trailer (just click the play button below):

Listen on iTunes HERE  |  Listen on Spotify HERE  |  Listen on Google HERE

If you’re interested in learning more about clean living through this podcast, it would mean so much to me if you clicked the “Subscribe” button on your podcast platform of choice.

The success metrics of a new podcast (as determined by iTunes, Spotify, Google, etc.) are based on the number of subscribers and the number of episode downloads in the first week.

Your early support will make a huge difference in helping to spread the word about The Clean Living Podcast.

Subscribe on iTunes here.

Follow on Spotify here.

Subscribe on Google Podcasts here.

Again, thank you so much — I can’t wait to share the first three mini episodes with you next week.

More soon,

 

 

 

P.S. The Clean Living GIVEAWAY is also happening on Instagram next week! Keep an eye out for the chance to win a dress from Factory45’er Vesta, The Clean Beauty Box and more… here: @factory45co

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Coming Soon: The Clean Living Podcast

clean living

I could feel the heat rushing to my face and my voice beginning to shake.

I was on a Zoom call with a DEI consultant to discuss the blind spots and racial biases within the Factory45 program.

I had actively sought this out, but it didn’t diminish how uncomfortable I felt.

I started rambling off about how I wanted my company to be a part of the solution, instead of perpetuating the problem, with a list of all of the things I was personally doing to fight racial injustice.

The consultant stopped me and simply said, “Stay in your lane.”

She went on to explain that it’s not my place to try and single-handedly aid racial justice reform.

Instead, she asked, “How can you create impact within your industry or area of expertise?”

“Go deep,” she said. “Not wide.”

And that’s what I’ve been grappling with all summer.

So, I did what I always do when I don’t have the answers… 

I spent three months immersed in research: I took courses, I enrolled in programs, I read books, I watched webinars… 

And in mid-August, over a conversation with my sister, I figured out what I need to do next.

Will it solve racial inequality? No.

But it will be accessible and inclusive to all people, in a way that improves their lives and helps to create a more sustainable world.

In a follow-up email from the consultant I worked with, she wrote:

“We connected your DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) work to eco-living, which seems to be the area you are most confident.” 

Eco-Living. Not just eco-fashion?

It was at that moment I realized… 

This is my lane.

I can do so much more beyond fashion.

Ten years ago, sustainable fashion was the first step I took into the world of sustainable living.

But in that decade, there were other topics that I researched, learned and applied to my own life: whether it was food, or shampoo, cleaning supplies or deodorant.

While eco-fashion is niche and at times exclusive, eco-living is something that can benefit anyone and be inclusive to everyone.

It’s no secret that we are at a turning point in how we live. The pandemic has put a spotlight on the myriad issues within our healthcare system, education and yes, racial inequality.

It’s also no secret that COVID-19, as well as diseases like breast cancer and diabetes,  disproportionately affect the Black community and people of color.

While social distancing and mask-wearing are the repeated calls to action (and important to stop the spread of germs), we can protect our own health with greater access to clean living education.

I’m not talking about eating right or exercising daily. 

I’m talking about education when it comes to the ingredients in the products we use, wear and apply to our bodies daily.

There is so much that we don’t know about the products we use every day — we don’t know what brands to trust, which ingredients to avoid, what to switch to and which companies are greenwashing a lie.

For most people, it’s overwhelming to sift through research about toxins and parabens when we’re all just trying to make it through the day, put dinner on the table and get the kids to bed.

But here’s the thing: eco-living, clean living, sustainable living (whatever you want to call it) is more important than most of us know.

It’s not just about being kinder to our environment — it’s about being kinder to ourselves. 

And I want to share the easy changes I’ve made over the years that, in most cases, don’t cost more money or require that much more effort.

So, that’s what I’m working on this Fall — a passion project called The Clean Living Podcast.

I realized there wasn’t a podcast out there with easy-to-digest, no-shame tips about detoxing your home, food and beauty products. 

So the episodes will be less than 10 minutes with one quick tip that you can listen to while making dinner, folding laundry or waiting for someone to join a Zoom call ; ) 

In the coming weeks, I’ll share more about what’s gone into creating the show. 

I’ll also introduce you to the people I’ve been working with and probably ask for your input and opinions on some things.

To be honest, this has been one of the hardest projects I’ve worked on in a long time, but it’s something I know I need to do. So:

The Clean Living Podcast launches on October 21st, wherever you get your podcasts.

 

 

 

P.S. And no, I’m not abandoning sustainable fashion : ) Factory45 will open again in May 2021 and I’m still working hard with this year’s cohort of entrepreneurs. I think this new project is simply the next phase of my life’s work.

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