Dear Friend,
Happy March!!
Here are some key updates from my side: I've been on a bit of hiatus from NYC events/life/networking, paused organizing Balanced Fashion events as I've been quietly working with several clients in the fashion tech & sustainability space, writing articles, and working on developing my transformational & spiritual business consulting practice. At the moment I am living in Thailand, working at this incredible project Artisia and have a feeling it would resonate with the audience of this newsletter. I'm helping them with a number of things from funding and investor relations to general project management, and events program planning.
Artisia is a safe space for visionaries and change makers to incubate the blueprints for a new reality. We are building a global collection of creative wellness locations that are home to the world’s leading creative innovators committed to advancing humankind in harmony with nature.
In conjunction, we are developing an alternative currency and blockchain-based platform, ARTIS, to power the ecosystem with a streamlined payment system, digital rights management, and crowdfunding platform for social impact projects. Through transformative experiences at holistic locations, we empower artists, entrepreneurs, and innovative thought leaders in sustainability to shape a brighter future, supported by the ARTIS network and token ecosystem.
We have completed stage 1 of construction with our first resort in Thailand, Jayien and are inviting contributors to soft-launch this Spring. Investing in this project is an opportunity to participate in an emerging and fast-growing convergence of the global tourism and wellness industries — creative wellness — combining personal development and transformation with holistic health and creative innovation. Email to contribute@artisia.io to find out more about the ways you can contribute to the foundation of Artisia and play a role in the next evolution of a shared economy and social enterprise as a way of life.
A couple of updates from the fashion tech side: back in November I interviewed Beth Esponnette, Co-founder and Chief Visionary of unspun inc., a venture-backed robotics and apparel company, building custom jeans for each consumer, on demand. This episode was recorded on location at ReMode Conference in Los Angeles. Listen to this latest episode of Fashion Is Your Business Podcast to learn about robotization and mass customization in apparel production.
Another interview I took for Fashion Is Your Business Podcast that recently came out is one with Dan Leahy, Co-founder/CEO at MakerSights . MakerSights is a product decision platform for retail, bridges the gap between what brands think consumers want and what consumers ultimately purchase. Learn all about the way they help companies to make better product decisions using the smart implementation of data. Companies like MakerSights really help the industry make the product planning process more efficient and eliminate markdowns due to excess inventories, which is one of the industry's biggest issues these days.
TOP NEWS:
High Consciousness: Where is our industry heading?
- What Fashion Can Learn from Other Industries Promoting a Circular Economy - Sustainable Brands
- This Blockchain Startup Is Partnering With Fashion Giants To Make Organic Cotton Traceable - Forbes
- Government considers clothing levy to reduce fashion industry waste - The Industry
- New York City launches project to promote fashion recycling - Fashion United
- Rebecca Minkoff partners with Yelp to support businesswomen - Fashion United
- Brands are testing augmented reality’s influence on e-commerce - Digiday
- How can new technologies help make fashion more sustainable? - Business of Fashion
- Four effective ways brands are tapping into the rental market - The Current Daily
- Future styles: Could virtual clothes reduce the damage of fast fashion? - Fashion Network
- Stitch Fix’s radical data-driven way to sell clothes–$1.2 billion last year–is reinventing retail - Fast Company
- Has Everlane ushered in a brave new world of retail? - Vogue
- Made on the inside, worn on the outside - New York Times
Zero Waste Fashion – 3D Printing With Innovative And Sustainable Materials -
- WT VOX
- "we are breathing and eating our own plastic clothing" – phoebe english on fashion's ethics - i-D
- How Fashion Brand Eileen Fisher Is Bringing Awareness to Sustainability - Robb Report
What do we need to know to prepare for the shift?
Anna Wintour: a rare face-to-face with the most important woman in fashion - The Guardian
- this report is calling on the government to demand more sustainability in the fashion industry - i-D
- Are you being scanned? How facial recognition technology follows you, even as you shop - The Guardian
- Kim Kardashian’s love-hate relationship with fast fashion, explained - Vox
- Glossier, the most-hyped makeup company on the planet, explained - Vox
TOP EVENTS:
Monday, March 4 - Sunday, March 10
Friday, March 8
12:00pm - 7:00pm NYU Social Innovation Symposium
Join professionals and speakers from an array of organizations--from law firms to policymakers to nonprofits and private enterprises--as they show how we can move towards a more sustainable future. We will be a part of New York’s Circular City Week. Price: $40 Location: Kimmel Center for University Life, 60 Washington Square South
Tuesday, March 12th
7:00pm Sustaining Sustainable: Tackle your Taxes
We’ll be sitting down with Adam Zarchasrski, CPA, to talk taxes, so you know when you should be filing taxes (is it quarterly? Is it annually? When should I be doing this?), how much to put away, when your business financially matures, and so much more. We’re here to deal with the tough stuff for this one, so bring your questions! We’ll bring the knowledge. Price: $20 Location: The Arlo SoHo 231 Hudson St.
6:30pm Content Strategy At Facebook & Instagram
With Caitlin Nitz (UX Content Strategist, Instagram), Nora Brouder (Content Strategist, Instagram), Jae Sung Soled (Product Content Strategist, Facebook), Gina Pensiero (UX Content Strategy Mgr, Facebook). Price: Free Location: Huge, 45 Main St, 3rd Fl
Thursday, March 14th
7:00pm Be The Change: Ocean Warriors Healing our Waters
All proceeds for this event with be donated to Surfrider Foundation NYC Chapter, which advocates for the protection and enjoyment of our ocean, waves and beaches through a powerful grassroots activist network. Right here in NYC they are currently opposing the Williams NESE pipeline proposed for NY Harbor and fighting to protect our coastline from the threat of offshore drilling and seismic testing. Price: Free Location: The Assemblage John Street 17 John Street
Tuesday, March 19th
6:00pm The Future of Consumption // February Futurists Forum
Our actions become the vote to determine how our economy is structured. In February’s Futurist Forum, we focus on the Future of Consumption and on envisioning a future of access over ownership. In changing paradigms from ownership and accumulation to access and participation, we can each contribute to a more sustainable and efficient world where resources are regenerated rather than depleted. Price: Free Location: 132 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Monday, March 25th
7:00pm Designing an Intentional+Intelligent Future
Join us to discuss how we design a local, global network at the intersection of technology, science, ethics, wellness, and art to design a more human-centered future. Price: Free Location: The Assemblage NoMad 114 East 25th Street
Sunday, March 31
12:00 - 6:00pm NYC Feminist Zinefest 2019
NYC's biggest & most-feminist-themed zinefest is BACK! Come join us for a jumble of magic, creativity, witchy energy, and zines zines zines. Our big list of tablers and a full day of workshops and programming will be announced very soon! Price: Free Location: 3009 Broadway @ 116th Street - Barnard College
Thursday, April 4th
8:30am - 12:00pm XRC Labs Cohort 7 Demo Day
For 14 weeks, XRC’s Cohort 7 companies have attended workshops, classes, 1-on-1 consultations, meetings with mentors and have received introductions to retailers and brands. We have challenged their assumptions, identified new business opportunities, and worked to maximize their potential partnerships. Price: Free Location: John L. Tishman Auditorium, 63 5th Avenue
Friday, April 12th
Whole day Fashion Tech Forum
The New Leadership: Defining Purpose and Driving Change in an Age of Uncertainty. This year, FTF goes to the next level. We attack the hard conversations with candor, humor and humanity. We recognize that companies and business leaders have the ability to make a difference now, more than ever before, and we celebrate the leaders that are rising to the occasion. Price: $850 Location: NYC, TBD
Tuesday, April 26th
6:00pm Global Fest - a fundraiser to support fair trade
With the help of our wonderful community and partners, we'll have live music, fashion presentations, light hors d'oeuvres, open bar (with signature fair trade cocktail), awards, and much much more. Don't miss out on this culminating event to Fashion Revolution Week! Price:$50 Location: LIM College 216 East 45th Street
COOL FINDS:
- Compare Ethics - a website that connects consumers to sustainable brands
- Contribute to a podcast on how we can make fashion more sustainable - The Guardian
Stay Inspired,