Let's Get Started with the Fashion Industry - Andrea Reyes - A. Bernadette & NYC Fair Trade Coalition

We all know the apparel & fashion industry exploits people & the environment, but who can say no to cheap & abundant clothes. For decades, the industry has said they are improving but then comes another tragedy or revelation. We have yet to talk about the good, bad & ugly of the industry on here because we have felt the task too daunting. Until now. In this episode we dip our tows in with Andrea Reyes who explains where the water's warm, where it's cold, & where it's just an abyss.

Andrea Reyes works in, looks at, digs into, and has studied the fashion industry from a few different vantage points. She holds degrees from the Fashion Institute of Technology in both creative fields and business fields, and now teaches at Baruch College. Along with her sister, she founded A. Bernadette, a multi-faceted enterprise that creates fair trade fashion accessories and also helps others create their own fair trade fashion brands. Andrea has worked within fashion companies in both design and sourcing departments. And, lastly, she is the chair of the NYC Fair Trade Coalition which promotes fair trade businesses and retailers, and educates consumers about the importance of fair trade.

Some Interesting Info About the Things Discussed in this Episode (click on each line to be taken to article)

“The True Cost” - Great documentary about fashion industry by Andrew Morgan

“Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist” by Kate Raworth

“The Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politic of World Trade” by Pietra Rivoli

There are lots of certifications out there. Here’s a good backgrounder on what’s out there and what they mean.

The Salomon case study Doug refers to in the conclusion.