Vogue Business VB100 2024 Innovator, Caroline Priebe

Caroline Priebe is a US sustainable fashion designer with two decades of experience under her belt, so Tom Bithell caught up with her for a quick Q&A about her ideas on designing for true sustainability.

“I don’t think most people realised until recently they were essentially wrapping themselves in plastic everyday and supporting Big Oil,” says Caroline Priebe, founder of the Center for the Advancement of Garment Making (CAGM). “As awareness of the various risks associated with synthetic fibres and chemicals increases, I predict growing demand for natural fibres — [and] companies with bio-based solutions continuing to blow up.” “I think we will continue to see a push for policy like the NYS Fashion Act and the federal Fabric Act,” says CAGM’s Priebe, although she does not expect US lawmakers to actually pass any bills this year. Without it, she says that emissions will continue to climb “without a doubt”. “I also predict and support the growing momentum of the labour movement here and abroad. There is no sustainability without safe and equitable working conditions and as [industrial ecology professor] Roland Geyer argues, investing in labour versus materials is actually our best chance at curbing emissions.”

I spoke to the obvious, that b/c the Yeezy goods weren't designed for circularity, adidas doesn't have a lot of options, “Clothes and footwear have long been designed with no thought as to how they will be disassembled, how well the material will recycle or how the dyes and chemicals in the raw materials will render recycling or composting impossible,” Priebe said. “These goods weren’t designed for a circular economy. They cannot be recycled."

Thanks to Rachel Cernansky at Vogue Business for including my 2 cents. “[The Higg Index] can’t control how designers use their tool. They can say whatever they want about what the data is used for. That doesn’t mean that’s how it’s going to be used,” says Priebe. She’s not opposed to iterative improvement, but says the common refrain to not let perfect be the enemy of the good does not apply here. “I would argue we don’t have the good. If data is bad, the good isn’t real.” The runway [to prevent climate collapse] is now a driveway. We don’t have time to mess up. We really don’t. I've said it before and I'll say it again. The easiest and quickest way to address our most pressing issues is to invest in labor/pay a living wage, regionalize supply chains and make better and less things. #fashionsupplychains #sustainablefashion #fashiondata #circulareconomy #circularfashion #systemsthinking #degrowth

"How Green is the Rental Economy" It's Hard to Say, Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal Sustainability Report 2021

Grow Ensemble podcast interview with Caroline Priebe talking all things needed of sustainable fashion leaders.

Caroline Priebe is named by No Kill Magazine as a Future Fashion Influencer.

Caroline Priebe, Sustainability Editor at Display Copy, on what the fashion industry needs to change to be sustainable.

The best sustainable denim brands according to Caroline Priebe for New York Magazine.

The best sustainable fashion brands according to Caroline Priebe for New York Magazine.

Caroline Priebe interviewed for Vogue Business on Earth Day.

The best sustainable plus-sized fashion brands according to Caroline Priebe for New York Magazine.

Q&A with Caroline Priebe at Display Copy answering questions about circular fashion, mass-produced fashion and resources to become a consumer activist.

Caroline Priebe interviewed on the Care More Be Better podcast.

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