Episode 157 | REMAKE + MADE IN MEXICO
In episode 157, the first show of Season 4, Kestrel welcomes Ayesha Barenblat, the founder of Remake, back to the show, along with Sajida Silva, a student at California College of the Arts, and one of the future designers who was chosen to join Remake for their Made In Mexico trip. A non-profit that believes that fashion can be a force for good, Remake makes the invisible women who power the fashion industry visible through firsthand documentary footage and stories.
“That’s the thing, you know — people don’t empower people, the women we met are plenty empowered. What they need is for the system to stop oppressing them.”
-Ayesha Barenblat, Founder of Remake
REMAKE + MADE IN MEXICO
On this week’s show, Kestrel reconnects with Sajida + Ayesha, who she joined last October on Remake’s trip to Mexico, as part of their documentary series.
Ayesha sheds light on how distinct this trip was for Remake, considering that so many of the students and influencers spoke Spanish, as well as how we had to meet with the women garment workers outside of a factory setting. Different from past trips, Remake brought the women from different parts of the country to Mexico City to meet with us in a safe house.
Sajida shares more on the layers of why this experience was so powerful to her, and how inspired she was by the fierceness of the women garment workers we connected with.
WATCH THE MADE IN MEXICO TRAILER
The below thoughts, ideas + organizations were brought up in this chat:
“Our approach is so different [from auditing processes], and there’s something the industry can really learn from that. It’s not transactional and extraction in value. We were there to bear witness and really, to listen.”
“I think Reina said it best when she said, ‘the price of what you pay for a garment reflects the exploitation.’”
“The more we center this conversation on women on either end of the supply chain — shopper + maker — rising up to ask for dignity, living wages, protections; that’s a very different conversation than sweatshop workers far away that have nothing to do with my life struggles.”
WORKER VOICES
YOU CAN NOW BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER TO CONSCIOUS CHATTER
While I’ve had small sponsors throughout the project, the content is my top priority, not regularly pitching to advertisers. So, I decided to take a tip from the listener supported radio I love + listen to, and integrate that into the Conscious Chatter experience.
If you are a regular listener and want to contribute to the future of Conscious Chatter, you can now invest in the show, monthly.
To explore the 3 subscription options + their added perks, visit the Conscious Chatter shop here >
Thanks for listening! Subscribe, download, and leave a review for Conscious Chatter on iTunes if you get a chance. I big time appreciate your support!
P.S. If you want to connect, send me a DM on Instagram @consciouschatter! <3 Kestrel