Author Rachel Slade’s latest book, Making It in America, is the topic of this live recording for April Calahan’s popular podcast Dressed: The History of Fashion. Their discussion of the history of manufacturing in the United States will explore the factors behind its decline and highlight the possibilities for building stronger, more equitable “Made in the USA” businesses in the future.

How can fashion be a tool for self and societal reflection? Cult designer Hillary Taymour will talk about building her label, Collina Strada, as a platform for social issues and awareness. The discussion will focus on the importance of collaboration and local manufacturing, and the role of humor in improving fashion.

This conversation will dive deeply into how textile mills support sustainable solutions and production in the fashion industry. Gabriele Camozzi, from the Albini Textile Group, will discuss their commitment to transparency and accountability. Specific attention will be given to sourcing practices and production methods that foster environmental stewardship.

Evrnu is a textile startup that created a breakthrough process to produce engineered fibers from textile waste. They recently partnered with fashion designer Christopher Bevans on a hoodie made from their NuCycl fiber. In this session the two innovators will discuss the origins of Evrnu and the vital importance of partnership and collaboration for launching and growing a new brand.

In challenging times, it becomes more vital than ever to find and share the peace that lives inside us all. These sustainability activists will discuss the importance of cultivating inner resilience, self care, and connection to nature as a way to deepen one’s work in the climate crisis.

Spin360 helps companies in the fashion space implement lasting improvements and meet their sustainability goals. Founder Federico Brugnoli will explain the principles of ecodesign, a process that extends far beyond the studio and into the production and distribution stages.

Up-and-coming brands Submission Beauty and Cadre Style were launched with a purpose: to build sustainability into their products as well as into their business models. Explore how their commitment to sustainable guidelines is viewed not as an obstacle, but rather as a way to promote creativity and chart a roadmap toward the future, for their businesses and for the planet.

Textile innovation requires a lasting commitment to research. Developers of award-winning new biomaterials discuss their journeys from envisioning sustainable textiles to creating them.

Hear about how No. 29 Communications’ founders built a PR and brand consultancy that puts the pillars of sustainability in the forefront. The discussion will focus on the development of their business in collaboration with their brand partners to promote sustainability. The designer Mara Hoffman and her namesake label received the 2023 CFDA award for environmental sustainability, and Dana Davis will showcase the brand’s approach and how partnerships help develop and promote it.

The spaces in which we live, work, and play have an incredible impact on our health and well-being—and must not be omitted in any discussion of sustainability. Three experts on eco-inspired design in the built environment—including the designer of the High Line, one of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City—will discuss best practices for creating biophilic architecture and interiors that promote good health, respect the environment, and inspire our lives.

• 12–12:20 pm: Dr. Theanne Schiros, Associate Professor, Department of Science and Math, FIT, National Geographic Explorer Classroom, Bio-Design (Video) 
• 12:20–12:45 pm: Michael Ferraro, Executive Director, FIT Design and Technology Lab (DTech) Collaborative projects as a pathway for change
• 12:45–1:15 pm: Caroline Gordon, Adjunct Professor, Fashion Business Management and School of Art and Design, FIT
  • “Out to Launch” and ESG’s: Join professor and consultant Caroline Gordon for an intimate chat about what it takes to launch your business sustainably and successfully. Learn about key resources for companies just finding their footing in the industry. Will be an open dialogue on how sustainable companies have found production partners, funding, and longevity.
• 1:15–1:45: Lindsay Humphreys, managing director, The Rethink Lab: Standards and Transparency in the Mohair and Wool Value Chain: what we’ve discovered through global collaborative efforts.

The fashion system cannot be fixed without the passion of activists speaking up for change. Kimberly Jenkins, founder of The Fashion and Race Database, has extensively studied the link between our clothing and politics, race, psychology, and anthropology. Julie Mastrarrigo oversees the New York Chapter of Remake, a social justice organization that fights fashion’s impact on climate change. They will talk about the interconnectedness of all these issues and their goals to change the future.

The Fashion Innovation Center (FIC) is a multi-industry consortium of universities, farms, designers, and industry partners working together to solve New York State’s most pressing fashion issues. Hear from FIC members Made X Hudson, CeCe's Wool, and Dr. Theanne Schiros about the potential outcomes of this unique partnership, including state-produced crops and animal fibers, bio-manufactured materials, and local production. Schiros will share details about her bio-manufactured-fiber experiments; after which, we will move into a roundtable discussion exploring what the future of New York State fashion could be.

The partnership between design and science is forefront in the collaborations of FIT professors Susanne Goetz and Theanne Schiros. Their combined efforts have resulted in the creation of bio-materials that are now used in designs being showcased in numerous exhibitions globally. Hear more about how the professors’ ongoing collaborative projects are growing and producing innovative designs.