Conscious Fashion Tech News & Events in NYC | 1.8.19 - 2.24.19 | 5 Ways to Apply Spiritual Wisdom for your Brand Development

Dear Friend,

Happy New Year, my dear reader! 

May 2019 be the year of joy, creation and a loving presence of each moment of your life. May it bring harmony between exciting adventures and peaceful states of mind for you, your work and your family. I love you and acknowledge you for taking the time to read this newsletter. 

During the very first days of 2019, I wrote this article on how to navigate through the collective shift in consciousness to grow your fashion business, which is my authentic expression and an embrace of who I truly am in 2019. A hybrid between a deeply spiritual being, a healer, a community leader and a conscious business development consultant who cares about the future of the fashion industry, because every industry will have to shift to co-create a more balanced, peaceful and loving world. Curious to hear your thoughts on this article - I poured out my heart into it. Email me with your comments!

This article organically came out after a podcast interview with me by the wonderful Lorraine Sanders, for one of my favorite business of fashion podcasts, Spirit of 608. In this episode, I shared vulnerably and shown my true nature for the public to see, as I do on my Instagram. Lorraine asked me about my journey from fashion business to technology to sustainability, my practice of Law of Attraction and mindfulness meditation, then we dived into my consulting business, Balanced Fashion, and went even deeper into the way I consult companies nowadays and incorporate spiritual wisdom in my work with fashion brands and tech startups. Read this article to hear me unfold the 5 ways to use spiritual wisdom for your brand's development.

You can listen to the full podcast episode here and subscribe to Spirit of 608 on iTunes to stay updated with the purpose-driven fashion business inspiration.

This interview is a reminder for us all that the shift in consciousness and mass spiritual awakening is happening now and we as businesses need to know how to ride this wave smoothly and alter our work to serve the changing customer and the world as a whole.For our next Balanced Fashion event in January, we are collaborating with Jessica Couch, a fit technology expert at Luxor + Finch on an event focused on fit technology for sustainable fashion. Get your ticket now and use the discount code BFFriends50off for a 50% off the ticket price! 

TOP NEWS:

Sustainability & Ethics

  • How brands, retailers and resellers are combating overproduction - Glossy
  • High-Tech Sustainability - WWD
  • Consumers Are Ready for Full Sustainability, Brands Aren't - WWD
  • Will 2019 be the Year Fashion Finally Cleans up Its Act? - FLAR
  • 'Pineapple Leather' Offers Vegan Fashion Alternative - The Business of Fashion
  • How Sustainable Apparel Gained Momentum in 2018 - Environmental Leader
  • Is It Time to Rethink Those Claims About Fashion's Dirty Little Secret?- Sourcing Journal
  • Why These Fashion Companies Are Taking Sustainability Seriously - Fortune
  • We Wear-Tested This Industry-Leading Sustainable Winter Coat - Highsnobiety
  • Should apparel retailers conduct their own factory audits? - Just-Style
  • Why 'Slow' Vegan Clothing Is Set to Outpace the Fast Fashion Industry  - LIVEKINDLY
  • 8 things Patagonia says fashion can do to get greener - WWD
  • 5 years after pay pledge, H&M still isn’t paying laborers a “living wage” - TheFashionLaw

Business & Technology

  • Farfetch acquires Stadium Goods: Why sneaker resale is becoming big business - Forbes
  • Innovation 2018: A year in review - The Current Daily
  • The future of fashion is made-to-order, according to Farfetch CEO José Neves - Fast Company
  • Millennial consumers rule the luxury market – how are brands coping? - SCMP
  • 10 Trends That Will Define the Fashion Agenda in 2019 - Business of Fashion
  • Why You Need More Than Artificial Intelligence In The Fashion Tech Industry: 10 Things To Consider - Forbes
  • How Technology is Helping the Fashion Industry to Advance - WT Wox

    TOP EVENTS:


    Tuesday, January 8th

    6:30 pm NY Tech Meetup 

    Join us for NYC's most famous and longest running monthly tech event! You'll see a fantastic lineup of New York tech companies presenting live demos of their products, followed by an afterparty where you can network with the community and meet our demoers and sponsors. Price: $10 Location: AppNexus, 28 W 23rd St, 4th Fl

    Wednesday, January 9th

    6:30 pm Getting PR For Your Startup

    With Laura Lisowski Cox (Co-Founder/CMO, Oars+Alps), LT Taylor (Dir. Communications, Burrow), JJ Colao (Founder, Haymaker), Michael Alexis (CMO, Museum Hack). Price: $25 Location: Alley Chelsea, 119 W 24th St, 2nd Fl

    Thursday, January 10th

    9:30 am Return w/ Purpose Summit

    With Brigid Lang (Dir., Grace Institute), Deborah Grant (Chief Learning & Strategy Officer, Inspiring Capital), Emily Barker (Head of Recruiting, Inkwell), Harriette Cole (Founder, Dreamleapers), Jennifer Gefsky (Founder, Aprs), Noorain Khan (Program Officer, Ford Foundation), Patty Machir (Dir., Futures & Options), Tami Forman (Dir., Path Forward), Melissa Norden (Dir., Bottomless Closet). Price: $200 Location: Grace Institute, 40 Rector St

    6:30 pm How To Be Agile With A Big Vision

    With Andrea Chesleigh (VP Product & Engg, One Kings Lane). As Product Managers, we always reach for the big vision. We love to engage in blue sky thinking and solve problems in a deep, impactful way. Aiming high is a great goal, but what is the path to seeing that become a reality? In this talk, Andrea shares how to get there in an iterative, agile fashion, course correcting along the way as needed, while keeping your eye on the prize.Price: Free in advance ($20 at the door) Location: Product School NYC, 1216 Broadway, 2nd Fl

    Saturday, January 12th

    6:00 pm Everyday Activism - Stepping Up & Showing Up

    With Shruti Ganguli (Filmmaker & Activist), Denora Getachew (Exec Dir., Generation Citizen), Kristen Feden (Assoc., Stradley Ronon). Price: Free Location: Betaworks Studios, 29 Little W 12th St

    Sunday, January 13th - Tuesday, January 15th

    8:30am NRF's Big Retail Show

    It’s more than a conference. It’s a community filled with the largest global audience and exhibitor base that could only come from NRF. NRF 2019: Retail’s Big Show is a marketplace for ideas and relationships. A chance to forge new partnerships, try out best-in-class experiences, and learn from some of the biggest players transforming retail today. An event guaranteed to drive impact. Because after all, what’s the point of a show if you have nothing to show for it? Price: Free Location: Javits Convention Center, 655 W 34th St

    Monday, January 14th

    7 pm #SustainingSustainable: Fund your (ad)Venture by SewEthico

    Sustaining your sustainable brand is tough, and sometimes it can feel like it's impossible for you. Join us for an evening with Danielle Josephs, Investment Officer at Closed Loop Partners, to talk about all things VC and Funding! We're going to cover why VC may or may not be right for you, how to find great investors, who you should consider working with (and why!), how to prep for your first few meetings, what to expect when you're making your first pitch deck, and more. PLUS we're going to do a live critique of a designer's pitch deck RIGHT THERE on the spot, so you'll see what's good, what to avoid, and learn how to build an awesome deck of your own. Price: $20 Location: The Arlo NoMad, 11 E 31st St

    Tuesday, January 15th

    6:00 pm XRC Labs Cohort 7 Launch

    Meet the XRC Labs cohort 7 startups focused on retail & consumer innovation. Price: Free Location: Theresa Lang Center, 55 W 13th St, 2nd Fl

    Wednesday, January 16th

    6:00 - 9:00pm Fit Tech and Sustainability in Fashion: Balanced Fashion event in collaboration with Luxor + Finch

    Balanced Fashion event in Collaboration with Luxor + Finch's founder Jessica Couch, a fit technology expert. Fit and production are two hurdles in the fashion industry that are both driving innovation and pushing many brands into bankruptcy. Fashion design and retail suffered tremendously due to various factors: returns cost the US market $62B a year, while poorly fitting clothing accounted for $50B worth of dead inventory. Both contributed to over 15.1M tons of textile waste produced in the US annually. Inefficient production practices, a lack of understanding of fit, and the emerging popularity of online shopping lead to thousands of outdated fashion brands and stores closing permanently. Luckily, fit technology is emerging that will help to innovate the antiquated fashion industry while resolving the massive ecological footprint. Price: $15 (Use discount BFFriends50off for 50% off) Location: TBC

    Monday, January 21 - Wednesday, January 23

    Texworld USA

     Winter 2019’s Texworld USA for the East Coast’s largest sourcing event for apparel fabric buyers, research and product development specialist, designers, merchandisers and overseas sourcing professionals. Held bi-annually, Texworld USA provides the opportunity to meet directly with a wide range of manufacturers from Asia, the Middle East, North America and from many other regions from around the globe. See in-demand, affordable apparel fabrics, trims and accessories for every product line – women, men, juniors and children/infant wear. This is a must attend event for professionals in every facet of the industry – ready to be inspired by fabrics, influenced by the latest trends and introduced to a host of reliable, cutting-edge apparel textile companies. Price: Free Location: Javits Convention Center, 655 W 34th St

    Tuesday, January 22nd

    4 - 6 pm Textile Tuesday: Huston Textiles

    Once each month, BFDA invites a sustainable textile vendor to come present their materials and processes. Join us for January’s Textile Tuesday with Huston Textiles. Huston Textile Co. began with a fascination for vintage, American-made machinery that soon evolved into a passion for recreating heirloom fabrics. All of their textiles are American-made in California from natural, American-grown raw materials. As the only selvage fabric maker left in the United States, they are proud to take part in the resurgence of vintage-quality fabrics and the revival of American textile production. Price: $10 Location: Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator 630 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn

    Wednesday, Thursday 23rd

    6:00 pm How To Successfully Raise Your Seed Round (From Someone Who's Done It)

    With founder/CEOs Lisa Barnett (Little Spoon), Melanie Travis (Andie), Esosa Ighodaro (Cosign). Price: $20 Location: Fenwick & West, 902 Broadway

    Friday, January 25th

    6 - 8 pm Sustain x Brooklyn Art House: Eco-Art Showcase

    For one weekend only on Jan. 25-27 you will get to immerse yourself amongst local artists from photography, paintings, and more that centers around our Mother Earth: environmentalism & sustainability. The showcase is free and open to the public. But for one night only on January 25th from 6-10 pm you can experience the showcase first hand while networking with sustainable professionals and experts in their relative fields. Enjoying complimentary drinks/light bites. With a special performance throughout the night. Price: Free Location: 132 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn

    Tuesday, January 29th

    6:00 pm American Fashion Podcast - New York Fashion Week Pregame Show

    With Lauren Sherman (Chief Correspondent, The Business of Fashion) & Gary Wassner (Founder, Interluxe Holdings). Price: $25 Location: The Cutting Room, 44 E 32nd St

    Tuesday, February 5th

    4 - 6 pm TEXTILE TUESDAY: Organic Fabric Presentation with Xoomba

    Once each month, BDFA invites a sustainable textile vendor to come present their materials and processes. Join us for November’s Textile Tuesday with Xoomba, a young design company producing organic fabrics in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Xoomba abides by the highest environmental and ethical standards to create sustainable livelihoods in Sub Saharan Africa. This revolutionary line is delivered with an upbeat sense of style at a moderate price. Price: $10 Location: Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator 630 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn

    Tuesday, February 12th

    7 - 10 pm Adalinda Sustainable Fashion Show

    A showcase of Designers Committed to Social Progression and Environmental Awareness through Fashion. Price: $20 Location: Garment District, 35 West 38th Street 

    Sunday, February 24th

    12:00 pm – 8:00 pm Volunteer: Sustainable Fashion Clothing Swap & DIY Event!

    A d.i.y. party that teaches D.I.Y. and mending tutorials, saving unwanted clothing from hitting landfills! Price: Free Location: Project Farmhouse, 76 East 13th Street

    COOL FINDS:

    Stay Inspired,

    Nataliya Makulova 
    Founder of Balanced Fashion, Conscious Fashion Tech Consulting Agency
    RSVP for our Next Event