Black Material Geographies

This is the final episode of Season 1, where we explore the question: What would it look like if regional fiber initiatives became the norm? In last week's episode we started to explore how material supply chains impact our system and how to rethink them. Today, the fashion industry is experiencing a resurgence of interest in regional clothing fibers. The globalization of the fashion industry has prompted designers to look beyond the traditional suppliers of their materials and explore regional textile production. As regional producers hone their craft and grow their businesses, new regional clothing fiber opportunities are emerging that allow apparel makers to produce garments with a lower environmental impact and greater local sourcing. This week Teju gets more granular to show us why they are important, as well as what's possible with them. As the fashion industry and consumers began to prioritize the ethics and sustainability of their clothing purchases, designers need to look beyond conventional sources and explore emerging regional textile production. There are brilliant people changing the way clothes are made so that our environment benefits from it, and local economies thrive too. Learn more about this episode of Black Material Geographies at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG at @whetstoneradio, Twitter at @whetstone_radio, and YouTube at WhetstoneRadio. Read the full transcript here: https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/black-material-geographies-ep10-transcript

In the final episodes of this season of Black Material Geographies, Teju sharpens her focus on regenerative textile and fiber systems and looks at how and why redesigning our supply chains can create a more efficient and sustainable fashion industry that doesn’t rely on unsustainable and destructive practices. Redesigning supply chains starts with recognizing how they currently ignore the people who make our products and the environments they come from. Redesigning the supply chain can be a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity. She talks with her guests about creating new paths and processes with a creative mindset and an open mind. Learn more about this episode of Black Material Geographies at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG at @whetstoneradio, Twitter at @whetstone_radio, and YouTube at WhetstoneRadio. Read the full transcript here: https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/black-material-geographies-ep9-transcript

All of us have our own relationship with cotton and the way it fits into our lives. The history of cotton cultivation in the Americas is deeply linked to the history of Black people in this region. Throughout the history of the United States, cotton and the ingenuity and creativity of Black people have played a crucial role in its development as one of the most powerful countries in the world. This week on Black Material Geographies, Teju explores the relationship between humankind and the cotton plant. Learn more about this episode of Black Material Geographies at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG at @whetstoneradio, on Twitter at @whetstone_radio, and on YouTube at WhetstoneRadio. Read the full transcript here: https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/black-material-geographies-ep8

During this week's episode, Teju Adisa-Farrar discusses Oakland, natural dyeing, art, and urban farming. Fiber and plants are integral to not just the Black diaspora's history, but also human history more broadly. It is a granular exploration of the broader topic of regenerative production practices. Historically, most human products were created with local natural materials. It was a practical matter. Humans have been producing fiber and dyeing textiles in ways that we now consider "regenerative" throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas for centuries. Learn more about this episode of Black Material Geographies at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG at @whetstoneradio, on Twitter at @whetstone_radio, and on YouTube at WhetstoneRadio. Read the full transcript here: https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/black-material-geographies-ep7-transcript

Western imperialism was and still is a force to be reckoned with. Today in the fashion world, colonialism has left its mark on what we wear, how clothes are made, and who makes them. The ways that clothes are made, the aesthetics of each garment, and even the pricing can be traced back to colonial-era trade routes. Teju Adisa-Farrar continues the conversation she began last week about the afterlife of colonialism, how the modern fashion industry has been shaped by it, and how this generation of designers is working to transform their production methods in order to create more sustainable fashion systems. Learn more about this episode of Black Material Geographies at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG at @whetstoneradio, on Twitter at @whetstone_radio, and on YouTube at WhetstoneRadio.