How do you feel about competition? Do you think it’s healthy? Natural? Are you that person who has to win at Scrabble or tennis or the pub quiz?

Or maybe you've read your Gaia theory and are hooked on the idea of a harmonious, post-patriarchal ecosystem that's all about balance and working together.

Many of us have come around to thinking that, at least when it comes to sustainability, it's being hyper-competitive that got into this mess. So you might be surprised to learn that competitive sustainability is the latest thing... we were!

This week on the pod, find out what else we gleaned from Australia’s first big sustainable fashion conference.

Featuring: New Era Bio, Alt Leather, Wildlife Drones and more.

Thank you to the Growth Activists for making this episode possible.

Find all the links & further reading at thewardrobecrisis.com

Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress

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Want a side of modern slavery with that?

Didn't think so.

Modern slavery is organised crime, and no one wants that lurking in their supply chain. Yet fashion and textiles are key industries implicated in this travesty that traps an estimated 50 million people worldwide in forced labour, debt bondage and human trafficking. Twelve per cent of those in forced labour are children, while women and girls are disproportionately affected. And the problem is growing, despite many countries introducing legislation to ensure large companies are taking steps to ensure their supply chains are slavery-free.

All this is intrinsically linked to low wages and wage insecurity.

As Outland Denim's James Bartle points out: "It isn't possible to make a pair pf jeans for $20, and pay people a living wage."

So, where are we at with legislation and reporting on modern slavery today? What steps can brands be taking now to ensure exploitation is part of story of their products. Why do we still have so few brands paying living wages in 2025? And finally: is it time we built the true cost of a product into its final price?

Recorded live at the Good For Business Sustainable Fashion Summit in Sydney.

With thanks to The Growth Activists, Australia's leading B Corp consultancy,

and speakers:

Dr Nga Pham, senior Research Fellow, Monash Centre for Financial Studies

Fraser Tier, Group Commercial Manager, Active Apparel Group

James Bartle - CEO & Founder, Outland Denim

Sarah Rogan - Oxfam Australia's Economic Justice & Strategic Lead

Find all the links & further reading at thewardrobecrisis.com

Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress

Got recommendations? Hit us up!

And please share these podcasts.

THANK YOU x

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Continuing our theme of fashion's crazily wasteful ways, and our focus on Latin America, this week, more Brazilian goodness, as Clare sits down with São Paolo-based industrial upcycler Agustina Comas.

We're talking fast fashion, big business, athleisure's reliance on synthetics and rethinking pattern-cutting.

BTW: how much do you know about pattern-cutting?

If you've ever done this yourself at home with paper dressmaking patterns, you'll know that you pin these onto the fabric and cut around them.

Sometimes using tailor's chalk to add markings. It's often trickier than it should be!

The scraps - or offcuts - are the wastage round the edges. And they can pile up.

On an industrial level, technicians also use paper markers. Multiple layers of fabrics are laid on the table, and many garments are being cut at a time, often using computer-controlled machines.

Of course brands try to make the most of fabric yields, even if only to save money, so if multiple styles use the same fabric, you might see these placed intricately on the marker to form a complex jigsaw puzzle.

At the end of the day, they still sweep the offcuts into the bin. Who cares? It's just scraps.

In some cases, these scraps account for 35% of the fabric.

Instant waste! Mad!

Making new stuff out of wasted old stuff is a noble idea.

But wouldn't it be better if we used less in the first place?

Agustina's got a plan for that.

Also up for discussion - Brazil's mighty craft heritage, and how women are leading the way; Shein's designs on the country (and everywhere else); and which South American designers are pushing innovation.

Find all the links & further reading at thewardrobecrisis.com

Tell us what you think? Find Clare on Instagram @mrspress

Got recommendations? Hit us up!

And please share these podcasts.

THANK YOU x

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.