S05 Episode 258 | Aja Barber on how the *affordability* story is fueling a messed up narrative & why we need a culture shift

<p><img src= "https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/show/99761/Ep258-AJABARBER-libsyn.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="600" /></p> <p>In episode 258, Kestrel welcomes Aja Barber, a writer, stylist & consultant, to the show. Aja’s new book, <em><a href= "https://www.ajabarber.com/book" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">Consumed</a> - The Need For Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change & Consumerism</em> is mandatory reading for anyone who wears clothes.</p> <p><strong>“We have to ask ourselves — on a planet where there is not endless resources, is this the attitude that we want to lead ourselves into the future on? If we are really approaching planetary limits, I think it’s actually time for us to maybe have some cultural shifts in how we view what is enough and what we should want out of life.” -Aja</strong></p> <p class="">In her new book, Aja writes:<br /> “Please stop referring to this system as affordable. The planet cannot afford the environmental costs, and neither can most of its inhabitants.”</p> <p class="">This is something I noticed woven across several chapters – the idea of *affordability* and the nuanced detriment that this sentiment can have on the overall fashion conversation.</p> <p class="">When we say affordability, who are we really thinking about?<br /> Probably primarily ourselves. What can I say, we do live in a very ME-oriented society. </p> <p class="">Are we thinking about who made our clothes? Are we thinking about the impact those clothes had on the environment in which they were made? Probably not. </p> <p class="">And while privilege is absolutely wound up into this – the idea that sustainable fashion must be *affordable* is just another way that we’re trying to cut and paste a better option into an already crappy system.</p> <p class="">We can’t just replace fast fashion with sustainable fashion, and move on. We can’t expect that to remedy the absolute mess that we are living in. </p> <p class="">As Aja says, WE NEED A CULTURE SHIFT.</p> <p class="">Quotes & links from the conversat