S02 Episode 59 | PATAGONIA, FAIR TRADE + THE FASHION REVOLUTION

In episode 59, Kestrel had the opportunity to visit the Patagonia Headquarters in Ventura, CA to record an in-person interview with 2 key players in the Patagonia game. Helena Barbour is the Senior Director of Global Sportswear at Patagonia, and Thuy Nguyen is the Manager of Social Responsibility and Special Programs. The two have played a large role in building out Patagonia's Fair Trade initiative - in conjunction with Fair Trade USA - in recent years.  In light of Fashion Revolution Day this year, and a continued hope to instigate more respect for the people who make our clothes, this chat is focused heavily on the concept and implementation of Fair Trade initiatives in the garment supply chain. Kestrel asks Thuy and Helena to share more about the evolution of the program at Patagonia, including their thoughts on where they started and where they have come. In addition, they discuss the logistics of how the Fair Trade program works, and how it has the potential to help support local communities around the world. Kestrel brings "scalability" to the table again, and Thuy and Helena provide their insight on the scalability of fair trade manufacturing, and how collaboration is key to the future success of this program. When it comes to storytelling, the three discuss how complicated it still is to bring up the sustainable fashion conversation with an inclusive, nonjudgemental approach. To close, Thuy and Helena each share their ideas on how we can continue to work on small ways of bringing a more conscious approach to what we wear.