March Forum: Sustainable Apparel 101

It takes over 700 gallons of water to manufacture one cotton t-shirt and one-third of a pound of pesticides to grow the cotton used for its production. The manufacturing process for a pair of jeans uses approximately 400 mega joules of energy and emits as much carbon dioxide as driving 78 miles. And that is only the beginning, since almost half of the environmental impact of an apparel item comes from consumer use and “end of life,” resulting in 14.3 million tons of textile waste generated every year in the United States alone. Curious to know what all this means and what we can do to limit the environmental and social impacts of the clothing we wear every day?  

This month, our forum will explore the subject of eco and ethical fashion. We will discuss the current state of the industry and introduce designers and manufactures working to build a greener future for the apparel sector. Don’t miss this intimate conversation and have your questions answered by thought leaders in the field of sustainable apparel.   Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 Time: 6:30-8:00pm Place: Bard MBA Classroom 1150 6th Avenue, 5th Floor New York, NY 10036. Click here to register!   Our panelists will include:   Kate Black, Editor-in-Chief at Magnifeco.com, Creator of EcoSessions Kate Black is the founder and editor-in-chief of Magnifeco.com, the digital source for eco-fashion and sustainable living. Kate is also the founder of EcoSessions, a global platform bringing together designers, industry, and consumers to discuss change. She is regularly featured on the Huffington Post and is highly in demand as a speaker on ethical fashion at regional and national green living events. Her book Magnifeco: Your Head-to Toe Guide to Ethical Fashion and Non-toxic Beauty, will be released in August.   Melissa Cantor, Co-Founder & Editor at Ethica Melissa Cantor is the co-founder of shopethica.com, an online ethical and sustainable fashion boutique. Prior to launching shopethica.com, she was a lifestyle writer journalist whose work was published by New York magazine, CNN and NBC. She also created digital and social content for brands including Tiffany & Co., L’Oréal and Ralph Lauren Fragrances.   Francisca Pineda, Creative Director of BHAVA, Founder of Ethical Fashion Academy Francisca Pineda is an award winning fashion designer with over 15 years of experience in apparel and accesory design. She is creative director of BHAVA, a cruelty-free footwear and accessory brand. An advocate for ethical practices in the fashion industry, Francisca launched the Ethical Fashion Academy in 2012, a community-focused initiative that organizes educational events featuring industry leaders and a yearly hands-on educational Sustainable Design Workshop in Costa Rica. As an adjunct professor of sustainable design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, she is passionate about inspiring the next generation of designers and entrepreneurs to incorporate a holistic approach to sustainability.   moderated by Harmony Eberhardt, GreenHomeNYC Harmony Eberhardt is a GreenHomeNYC volunteer and views the GHNYC Monthly Forums as an excellent place to engage with leaders in the field of sustainability. She works in Creative Services at Macys.com where she designs and implements systems and trainings that have streamlined creative workflow as well as strengthened relationships with hundreds of vendors. She is a member of the Macys.com sustainability team.   The discussion will be followed by a presentation from A Clean Future think tank on Sustainable Labels and Certification Systems for Apparel and Textiles.  

co-hosted by Net Impact Bard MBA