Apr 3, 2019

8 min read

Conscious Fashion Tech News & Events in NYC | 4.3.19–5.2.19 | Mindful Mending: How to connect to your clothing on an emotional level + save the planet

Dear Friend,

I wrote an article on clothing mending, as I haven’t seen enough conversations (and actions) in sustainable fashion circles going on about mending our old garments and I believe the movement of mindful, visible mending needs to be spread further in our industry. This is quite an unusual topic for my blog as, frankly, my attention has always been more focused on the business and technology solutions for creating a more sustainable future of our industry. Only during my deep dive into the circular economy and as I’ve significantly lowered my new fashion consumption in the past 2 years, mending became an unquestionable practice for me. During my first visible mending experience since a while, I remembered why I studied fashion design in the first place. I’ve always loved the emotional connection created while working on a garment with my own hands. There is something magical happens — a combination of creative expression, healing of a loved piece of wardrobe and customization of a mass-produced garment that makes it absolutely one of a kind piece. Plus mending a great meditative process that completely calms my mind once I know what I’m doing.

After reading this article on Vox, I dived deeper in researching about the movement of visible clothing mending and was satisfied to see that there is a growing community of conscious fashion consumers actively promoting this movement through social media, workshops, and even fashion exhibitions.

Read the full article here.

I’ve also launched a #BalancedFashionMovement hashtag campaign focused on conspicuous consumption and the mending initiative to kick it off with. Each couple of months, I’ll be launching new ways of making conscious fashion movement more visible to the public and spread the word about it via social media and beyond. It’s time to inspire people beyond our community to follow sustainable fashion practices!

Fresh Fashion is Your Business podcast episode alert: this one is with Nicole Mossman, the Founder and CEO of EverThread, an enterprise proprietary visualization technology platform that improves online consumer engagement with e-commerce sites, while simultaneously lowering marketing and operational costs. Her company is facilitating the on-demand commerce movement, not having to produce samples, but giving consumers the ability to see thousands of products, a huge impact on waste. Listen to it here.

TOP EVENTS:

Wednesday, April 3rd + Thursday, April 4th

Sustainable Business and Design Conference at FIT

The Sustainability Council at FIT hosts a Sustainable Business and Design Conference each spring. The event provides a platform for collaboration and discussion throughout the creative industries, highlighting advances in sustainable design and thought leadership. Environmental and social challenges and potential solutions are explored through innovative student projects, cross-institutional research, and industry partnerships. In recent years, breakout sessions have included topics such as farm-to-fashion, textile development, sustainable fashion supply chain, mindfulness in design, and packaging materials and recycling. The wide-ranging program features keynote speakers, panels, and projects that delve into pressing issues and exciting developments in the industry. Price: $150 or Free for students & alumni Location: FIT, Seventh Avenue at 27th Street

Thursday, April 4th

8:30am — 12:00pm XRC Labs Cohort 7 Demo Day

For 14 weeks, XRC’s Cohort 7 companies have attended workshops, classes, 1-on-1 consultations, meetings with mentors and have received introductions to retailers and brands. We have challenged their assumptions, identified new business opportunities, and worked to maximize their potential partnerships. Price: Free Location: John L. Tishman Auditorium, 63 5th Avenue

Tuesday, April 9th

Rent the Runway CTO, Josh Builder, on: Building the Closet in the Cloud

Josh Builder, Rent the Runway CTO, will share insights into the technology system and tools that organizes and dispatches more than 100k items every day. Learn how RTR uses data to personalize offers for their customers and how they scale their infrastructure to manage large influx of traffic after major events — like New York Fashion Week. Josh will also share best practices on how to launch a successful subscription platform and how founders can build and rally a team of skilled technologist to build products and solutions for future growth. Price: Free Location: Amazon AWS Loft, 350 W Broadway

Wednesday, April 10th

6:30pm Stand Up For Passion — AI & The Future Of Humans

Artificial Intelligence is the new path forward well on its way to changing the way we work. Already, machines outperform and have replaced humans across a wide range of disciplines. Many fear that AI will change the very landscape of our lives through widespread job loss, surveillance, and non-human interactions. But is AI and can AI be created to improve our lives? Can we shape the future of AI to prioritize ethical outcomes and human well-being? Price: Free Location: Google, 111 8th Ave

Thursday, April 11th

6:00pm — 8:00pm The Death of Fast Fashion: A disruptive business model workshop

The proliferation of fast fashion brands has been… problematic. That’s why we’re bringing together top minds from the apparel industry to take a first step at creating a new type of business model. Our participants will include a mix of industry veterans, entrepreneurs, and creative consultants working together in an intimate workshop format. Price: $15 — 50% off from the original price with promo code“BalancedFashion” for the readers of this blog. Location: WeWork, 609 Greenwich Street

Friday, April 12th

11:00 AM — 8:30 PM Fashion Tech Forum

The New Leadership: Defining Purpose and Driving Change in an Age of Uncertainty. This year, FTF goes to the next level. We attack the hard conversations with candor, humor and humanity. We recognize that companies and business leaders have the ability to make a difference now, more than ever before, and we celebrate the leaders that are rising to the occasion. Price: $850 Location: NYC, TBD

Wednesday, April 17th

6:30pm Regenerative Tech

With Becky Morrison (Founder, Globetops), Kate Frucher (President, New Energy Nexus), Rachel Steinberg (Sustainability Product Mgr, Sidewalk Labs), Henry Sztul (Head of BoweryOS & R&D, Bowery Farming). Price: Free Location: WeWork, 175 Varick St

Saturday, April 20th

11:00am — 8:30pm Sustainable Lifestyle Brand Showcase

You are cordially invited to the Sustainable Lifestyle Brand Showcase, a curated showcase of six beautiful labels that are creating a positive impact with products for everyday life. Try on exquisite womenswear made by artisans in India and America and sample earth-friendly skincare handcrafted in Brooklyn. Discover 100% upcycled leather goods made by talented Brazilian makers, along with one-of-a-kind mother of pearl jewelry and home decor handmade in the Philippines. Price: Free Location: Pop up space, 198 Allen Street

Tuesday, April 23

12pm — 6:30pm Earth Day NYC Fair

This annual outdoor Earth Day celebration is free and open to the public and it’s also the most highly-attended Earth Day happening in the country. The special day will feature a live art installation where artists will paint large-scale canvases with environmental themes relating to the Green New Deal. There will also be an Earth Day Action Center where guests will learn simple ways to make a positive green impact in their lives and they’ll be invited to share their own sustainability stories. Price: Free Location: Union Sq, E. 17th and Broadway

6:30–9:30pm Fashion Revolution USA Roundtable Discussions

Hear from key leaders in the human rights, environment and governance spaces about how the fashion industry impacts these fields. More info is coming soon. Price: $15 Location: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge 60 Furman Street Brooklyn

Thursday, April 25th

6:00pm — 9:00pm Building a Better Fashion Industry | Fashion Revolution Week

Come join THR3EFOLD for our 3rd annual panel and pop up party to connect with other fashion industry professionals, shop new conscious fashion brands and learn practical ways we can create a more ethical and sustainable fashion industry in 2019. Price: $20 Location: Centre for Social Innovation 601 West 26th Street #325

Friday, April 26th

6:00pm Global Fest — a fundraiser to support fair trade

With the help of our wonderful community and partners, we’ll have live music, fashion presentations, light hors d’oeuvres, open bar (with signature fair trade cocktail), awards, and much much more. Don’t miss out on this culminating event to Fashion Revolution Week! Price: $50 Location: LIM College 216 East 45th Street.

Thursday, May 2nd

10am — 5pm NYC TechDay

The largest startup event in the US. Experience the latest technologies and discover revolutionary new startups. Listen to startup founders present live demos of their newest products and technologies. Gain insights from leading tech brands through Fireside Chats. Get unprecedented in-person access to the directors of top accelerator programs. Join a community of like-minded individuals with an interest in the tech ecosystem. Price: Free Location: Javits Center, Hall 1B — Enter on 11th Avenue between 37th and 38th Streets

COOL FINDS:

Fashion Craft Revolution — Bi-annual collectible fanzines by Fashion Revolution, this issue is focused on craft culture
Tulerie, lets customers rent individual items but is aimed at those who find Rent the Runway’s options a little too “mass-market.”

Stay Inspired,

Nataliya Makulova
Founder of Balanced Fashion, Conscious Fashion Tech Consulting Agency

Follow Nataliya on Instagram