Common Threads

We’re back for a special bonus episode, to give you the inside scoop from The State of Fashion Biennale 2022 in Arnhem, The Netherlands. This unique event is co-curated by Fashion Open Studio and Not Enough Collective. Every day the range of activities is different and brought to life together by creators and visitors. Think of it as a big, interactive sustainable fashion festival. This episode starts with an intro from Alice, followed by content from Ruth in Arnhem. She interviews Marina...

What does being a game changer in fashion really look like? For the final episode of series three, we’re chatting to the founders of sustainable brand Birdsong, about their social enterprise model and how fashion can be a force for good. As well as our conversation with Birdsong’s founders Susanna Wen and Sophie Slater, we also chat to their embroiderer, Mona, about what fashion social enterprises provide for local communities. Follow Birdsong on Instagram, shop the latest collection here,...

Fashion can't be truly ethical if it's not inclusive. This week we're chatting to Ngoni Chikwenengere from size-inclusive brand We Are Kin about why inclusivity matters, and what fashion’s big players can do to get there. You can read more of Ngoni’s work over on her blog, and you can keep up with We Are Kin’s latest designs on Instagram. Common Threads is an ethical fashion podcast from stylist Alice Cruickshank and writer Ruth MacGilp. If you liked this episode and you want to support...

Do you ever think about the full life cycle of your clothes? This week we’re unraveling the journey of a garment with the wonderful Maxine Bédat, author and founder of the New Standard Institute. We chat with Maxine about the lifecycle of our clothes, the cycle of trends and seasons, the fascinating research for Maxine’s new book, and what shoppers and brands need to do to build a more equitable fashion system. Buy Maxine’s book ‘Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment’ here. Follow the...

Is it ever OK to use the designs of a community that’s not your own? Today we’re exploring the issue of cultural appropriation, and what it means for the Indigenous communities that designers and brands like to ‘take inspiration’ from. To help us digest this meaty issue we’re joined by the wonderful Monica Boța-Moisin, a cultural IP rights lawyer, and founder of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative (CIPRI). Monica chatted to us about how brands can move from ‘Ego to Eco’...

If we can't see it, we can't fix it, and that's why transparency is essential for a fairer fashion system. This week's episode is a solo chat between Alice and Ruth, breaking down the Fashion Revolution Transparency Index results for 2021, and exploring what the future of fashion transparency might look like. We also touch on wokewashing, and how Covid 19 has impacted garment workers. Read the Fashion Revolution Transparency Index for yourself here. Follow Fashion Revolution on Instagram...

This week we're talking about a topic that is fundamentally transforming the way we consume fashion, and it’s called the sharing economy. We're joined by two guests helping us explore how we can make our wardrobes accessible to others, and what that means for making the industry more sustainable. First up we chat to Aisling Byrne, founder of peer-to-peer swapping and renting app, Nuw. You can sign up to Nuw here, and follow on Instagram. Next up we spoke to Kalkidan Legesse, founder of...

You'll often hear us talk about how the fashion system needs to change, but what exactly is a system? We're breaking down what a more equitable fashion landscape could look like with systems expert and Sustainable Fashion Scotland co-founder, Mairi Lowe. Listen to our conversation with Mairi to learn what the 'fashion system' is, how to fight the feeling of overwhelm when thinking about all that's wrong with fashion, and what we as individuals can do to make a difference. To learn more...

Common Threads is back for Series Three! In this solo episode, Ruth and Alice explore all their gripes with ethical fashion. From not serving everyday families to the difficulty of investing in clothes for life, this is an episode for anyone who’s felt like the world of sustainable style doesn’t quite cater for them. Common Threads is an ethical fashion podcast from stylist Alice Cruickshank and writer Ruth MacGilp. If you liked this episode and you want to support our work, you can buy us...

Welcome back for a special mini episode to mark Fashion Revolution Week 2021. Now in its eighth year, Fashion Revolution Week is designed to bring the global community together to demand change within the fashion industry. You have likely already seen the hashtags #WhoMadeMyClothes and #WhatsInMyClothes, and this year the focus is on #WhoMadeMyFabric. In this solo episode, Alice and Ruth explore why rights for workers need to extend much beyond the cutting and sewing stage of garment...

It’s the final episode of series two, and today we’re exploring the role of ethical brands in changing the fashion system. We’re asking: can an organic cotton t-shirt really save the world? We’re also joined in conversation with the brilliant Lora Nikolaeva. As the owner of the ethical brand Lora Gene for over 10 years, she has a lot to say on the state of the industry, and plenty of advice on how new brands can build a sustainable business of their own. Lora also chats to us about the need...

This week we’re joined by the co-founder of Fashion Revolution Orsola de Castro, as she releases her new book: Loved Clothes Last. Fashion Revolution has been instrumental in bringing the ethical fashion conversation into the public eye, and Orsola’s passion and knowledge for this subject is second to none. Listen to our conversation for an insight into her new book, advice on how we can all become fashion revolutionaries, and a first look into what’s coming up for Fashion Revolution Week...

What if instead of managing fashion waste, we designed it out instead? Today we’re chatting with two people working to help small-scale sewers and bigger brands alike do exactly that, by focusing on zero waste systems that incorporate the whole supply chain. Holly McQuillan is a researcher at the Swedish School of Textiles and co-author of Zero Waste Fashion Design, and Cassandra Belanger is a Glasgow School of Art graduate and founder of The Stitchery. Their partnership with fellow fashion...

Repair is revolutionary, and today we are joined by two experts in this field to explore the power of sewing in combating the fast fashion system of consumption. First we spoke to Ros Studd, the creator of the free online resource for beginner sewers, Repair What You Wear. Since launching during the first lockdown, thousands of people have used her simple, accessible videos to learn how to mend their own clothes. We find out more about this project and how it’s educating the next generation...

If you liked this episode and you want to support our work, you can buy us a Ko-Fi here. Welcome back to the second half of season two. Today we’re looking at the role of activists within the fashion industry itself, and how we can all ‘stay with the trouble’ to keep the conversation going, even when brands don't want to hear it. Our guest is Bel Jacobs, the former Metro fashion editor. She is also a founding member of Fashion Act Now, alongside Alice Wilby and Sara Arnold. Fashion Act Now...

If you enjoyed this episode and you want to support our work, you can buy us a Ko-Fi here. To round off 2020, here’s a solo episode from Ruth and Alice looking at the six biggest myths surrounding ethical fashion. Here are the misconceptions we cover: We refer to a few articles and resources in this episode, so here’s where you can read them: Mostafiz Uddin for The Daily Star: Lopsided nature of global fashion industry and why change is neededRuth’s article for The Flock: Could a hashtag...

In an ode to what should be the Christmas party season, we’re chatting all things sequins and embellishment in this episode. Most of us know that plastic sequins are a sustainability nightmare, but have you ever thought about the people who sew on those adornments? To chat about the role of these hand workers we’re joined by Uzma Bozai, whose eponymous label offers organic cotton sweatshirts with bold embellishments, crafted by artisans using traditional techniques in Pakistan. Uzma chats...

Have you ever thought about who makes your jewellery? This week we’re exploring the ethics of our necklaces, earrings, and other adornments, with Audrey Migot-Adholla. Audrey is the founder of Yala Jewellery, the only jewellery company which is a certified B-Corporation in the UK. She's incredibly passionate about social justice, circularity and sustainability, as well as the wellbeing of her artisans. Be sure to follow Yala Jewellery on Instagram, and shop the collection here. You can...

‘Tis the season to consume! As we approach Black Friday and Christmas, we’re exploring if capitalism and ethical fashion can coincide, with the help of journalist and author Tansy Hoskins. Tansy also chats about the ethics of our footwear, and why she’s quit Instagram for good. Follow Tansy on Twitter, shop her books ‘Stitched Up: The Anticapitalist Book of Fashion’ and ‘Footwork: What Your Shoes Are Doing to the World’ at all good indie booksellers, and read her latest investigative report...

Can fashion really be ethical unless it's circular? This week, we're chatting with circularity expert, Lynn Wilson, about why fashion needs to be a 'closed-loop system', and why we should value access over ownership. Lynn explains the reality of textile recycling and zero-waste design, how we as consumers can get more circular, and what fashion has in common with space exploration (yes, really!). Follow Lynn on Twitter and Instagram, and watch her TedTalk: Circular Fashion. What's your...