Lisa Diegel, Global Sustainability Director, on Faherty's Native Initiatives, what mutually beneficial relationships can look like in practice, and the nuanced ways brands must take responsibility for the products they put out into the world

<p class="" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">In episode 305, Kestrel welcomes Lisa Diegel, the Global Sustainability Director at Faherty, to the show. A family business, <a href="https://fahertybrand.com" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Faherty</a> is focused on making high quality clothing.</p> <p><strong>“They knew they wanted to do things differently and not follow that conventional way of take > make > waste in the fashion industry. They wanted to build a feel-good brand. And I think to do that, you need to be accountable and you need to take responsibility for the products you put out into the world.” -Lisa</strong></p> <p class="" data-pm-slice="1 1 []">As we’ve explored on past episodes, the fashion industry has a deep history of appropriating and stealing ideas and designs.</p> <p class="">Our guest Manpreet Kaur Kalra, back on <a href= "https://consciouschatter.com/podcast/2020/07/29/episode-203-manpreet-kaur-kalra-art-of-citizenry-white-washing-social-impact-inclusive-brand-narratives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">episode 203</a>, said it so potently –  “Fashion has been built on appropriation — it has been built on basically, stealing designs and concepts from communities that have been historically marginalized, and basically, reframing them to be quote unquote minimalist or really ethnic or boho chic.”</p> <p class="">This week’s guest (who is of First Nations heritage) works with a company that used to be one of those so-called appropriating offenders. And this is something they acknowledge blatantly on their website, stating –</p> <p class="">“For years, the fashion industry has exploited and appropriated Native prints — and for years, so did Faherty. Now that we know better, we must do better.”</p> <p class="">This is not something you typically see a fashion brand acknowledge in such an upfront way to their shoppers. It feels like an important and meaningful step forward in healing some of the extensive damage that comes from these extractive histories.</p> <p class="">You may be asking – what does *doin