EP. 33 - Appropriation or Appreciation? Cultural Sustainability with Monica Boța-Moisin

Is it ever OK to use the designs of a community that’s not your own? Today we’re exploring the issue of cultural appropriation, and what it means for the Indigenous communities that designers and brands like to ‘take inspiration’ from. To help us digest this meaty issue we’re joined by the wonderful Monica Boța-Moisin, a cultural IP rights lawyer, and founder of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative (CIPRI). Monica chatted to us about how brands can move from ‘Ego to Eco’ when creating clothes, and why the three Cs of consent, credit, and compensation can build bridges between traditional artisans and the fashion industry. Find out more about CIPRI via their website, and on Instagram, and find out more about Monica’s Why We Craft initiative. Read about the Oma people’s journey to create their database in this Fashion Revolution article. You can also delve deeper into the implications of cultural appropriation in this Fashion Revolution Zine. Common Threads is an ethical fashion podcast from Alice Cruickshank and Ruth MacGilp. If you liked this episode and you want to support our work, you can buy us a Ko-Fi here. For more updates on the ethical fashion conversation, follow Common Threads on Instagram, like us on Facebook, and join the conversation on Twitter. You’ll find Ruth on Instagram: @ruthmacgilp_ and Twitter @ruthmacgilp You’ll find Alice on Instagram: @styledbyalicex and Twitter: @styledbyalice Common Threads artwork was created by Madeleine Welsch. Music produced by Feena McKinnell.

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A podcast about style that doesn’t sacrifice sustainability, from ethical fashion writer Ruth MacGilp and stylist Alice Cruickshank. We believe that fashion should respect both people and the planet, and we want to explore all the ways we can build a better industry, and talk to the people helping us get there. Let’s change the fashion game, one conversation at a time.