The Mashu Meets series aims to connect you, our community, with the people that inspire our founder and team the most. As we continue to research the innovative ways that we can drive more meaningful sustainable and social change at Mashu, we wanted to spotlight the interesting conversations that we have along the way.
These are the conversations that inform and inspire us to take on the challenges that we face in creating a more responsible fashion future. We hope they inspire you just as much!
Mashu Meets....Bianca Foley. Sustainable fashion consultant, presenter, journalist and podcaster (if you haven't already, have a listen to her podcast Sustainably Influenced, which aims to guide people through various topics within the sustainability conversation)
We put a quick fire Q&A to Bianca to understand her thoughts & predictions on fashion sustainability in 2023.
Hi Bianca! Let’s get started.
What does ‘sustainable fashion’ mean to you in 2023?
In 2023 my word of the year is “intent”, so this year, I want to be intentional with everything I do, including buying clothing that I need rather than buying things “I want”. I want to be intentional with the clothing that I buy, investing in brands whose ethos aligns with my own, those brands who are paving the way in terms of ethical production and fashion.
What sustainable fashion habit do you hope to personally adopt / improve in 2023?
I recently worked with The Seam, a repair & alterations service. I need to be better about getting my clothing fixed for sure! Last year I went through my wardrobe and looked for all the clothing that needed mending, and slowly but surely I’m getting them all fixed!
There are several incoming laws/legislations in 2023 that will force fashion brands to accelerate changes. Which are you most excited by & why?
I am very excited for things like Digital Product Passports to come into effect! These provide clarity and enable a more traceable supply chain. Generally, the growing role of AI in the sustainable fashion space is going to enable so many companies to achieve their ESG goals in a much quicker time.
Which next-gen material would you like to see more brands use in 2023?
Textile innovations are something that really excite me in the fashion space. I don’t think there has been a fashion episode of Sustainably Influenced where I haven’t geeked out over it haha! I am paying close attention to how carbon emissions are being captured and turned into next-gen materials, for me that’s one I'll be watching.
Which sustainable term/word would you like to see gone in 2023 and why?
I don’t think there is a term I would like to see gone - I would just like to see non-ethical brands using terminology correctly and not misleading their consumers by greenwashing.
Which sustainable term/word would like to see more attention around in 2023 and why?
Circularity is finally starting to become more well recognized - I love knowing that more brands are adopting more circular processes and think it’s incredible that circularity is getting notoriety in mainstream media.
Last year saw a number of sustainable fashion practices become more mainstream, such as fashion rental. What practice would you like to see mass adoption of in 2023 and why?
I have personally been an advocate for fashion rental for about 4 years now. Wardrobe sharing isn’t something that should be looked down upon, you would borrow a top from a friend, so why not rent your wardrobe? Also, this year I would really love to see more high quality clothes swaps happening!
What sustainable fashion topics are you personally interested in learning more about this year?
I have always had an interest in what comes next…for instance, how can fashion brands better themselves after achieving their “sustainability” goals. I’m personally looking into regenerative fashion more this year!
What innovation/movement are you most excited to watch develop in 2023?
I’m really excited about some of the innovations in the tech space in relation to AI and sustainability. It’s so nice to see more start ups getting involved in using AI to improve traceability and things like workers rights too.
Finally, which resources would you recommend to our community for staying as informed as possible on sustainable fashion development this year?
I’d definitely have to say to check out the new Sustainably Influenced platform, it will be a hub for all things “sustainable”. Whether that be fashion, beauty, tech, lifestyle or anything else! You can also listen to episodes of the podcast on Apple and Spotify now!
Bianca's Top Mashu Picks:
