FASHION REVOLUTION
New Zealand

Having grown up in one of Brazil’s most important leather & footwear production hubs, Natalia was able to see the extension of the environmental impact of the local industry over the years. That ultimately inspired her to write her University thesis about eco-design and sustainability in fashion, at a time when it wasn’t much talked about yet. Natalia moved from design to buying after her Master’s at IED Milan, but after 7 years she felt that her activist soul was being neglected. Nowadays, besides working for Fashion Revolution, Natalia works as an Operations Manager and runs her own eco & ethical swimwear brand AURAI SWIM, which since its launch advocates for transparency in the supply chain, physically and emotionally durable design, clean technologies for efficient manufacturing and corporate social responsibility.

Amanda is a passionate sustainable fashion advocate driven to build a better future through more responsible, sustainable and innovative business models and technology. She qualified as a lawyer after studying law, political science and international relations and has had a successful career in procurement, however her heart has always been drawn to fashion. A self-described ‘recovering shopaholic’, Amanda developed a strong passion for sustainability and ethical fashion whilst living in London and went on to co-found a sustainable clothing rental platform. She is determined to challenge the way that people consume fashion and to support designers dedicated to ethical and sustainable production. She has a particular interest in creating more circular supply chains and product lifecycles.

Lydia runs a boutique digital agency for social and environmental impact companies called Aye Studios. She specialises in digital strategy, content production (written & visual), social media and web.

While she has always been fascinated by the fashion industry and its impacts, her activism has never reached further than individual research and personal choice — so she's excited to be part of a movement that pushes for collective and systemic change. Lydia is a big fan of film photography, opshopping, pasts and lying in the sun - (she's counting that as a hobby.)

Growing up in the rural South Island influenced Emily’s passion for animals and instilled values of looking after our environment. Her love of local thrifting with her grandma and mother sparked an appreciation for quality vintage garments with many still in her wardrobe. Emily will complete her Bach Fashion Design with honours at Massey Wellington in 2022 and hopes to have influenced her peers and degree structure to one that includes environmentally-focused industry change. Designing an education program for primary schools, taking inspiration from Vivienne Westwood and incorporating creative collaboration, she believes a holistic outlook at fashion impact is needed. Being a Fashion Revolution Ambassador, Emily hopes to help create a community of young students beginning their careers to help reshape the future of our industry.

Theresa is an international student from Germany. She loves being in nature, yoga, running, vegan cooking and fashion. After studying and working in the fashion industry and learning about the negative impacts on people and the environment, Theresa decided she doesn’t want to support the fashion industry as it is right now. Instead, she wants to change the fashion system, so she came to study international business to understand the entire system, so that she will be able to make changes that benefit everyone in the long term.  She believes it is possible to create change if we get everyone on board, educate ourselves and each other, and do the best we can.

Julia is a Biologist, researcher, Science teacher and yogini from São Paulo, Brazil. Currently completing a PhD in Health Sciences at the University of Auckland she is extremely grateful to have the opportunity to be part of the FRNZ team! She believes a fashion revolution is a key element to sustain our lives and our planet as we know it, and to guarantee human rights for all. Julia hopes critical environmental education, environmental justice and political ecology will allow us to structure a new society based on compassion and green technology, promoting new and sustainable attitudes and relationships towards nature and beings. We can transform our world by forming a strong network towards sustainability.

Entrepreneur, educator, and proponent of regenerative design, Karishma Kelsey has spent the last 25 years as a globetrotting changemaker. Witnessing the negative impacts of the fashion industry, she founded Karishma Design, a social enterprise disrupting the fashion industry through ethical practices that empowers workers and wearers alike. Karishma Design has created opportunities for empowerment of previously disadvantaged communities using fair trade practices in Asia and Africa. Karishma is currently researching how indigenous might help businesses founded in ethical earth-bound logic. Karishma’s passion for a thriving world has been the driving force behind her career as an educator and business entrepreneur.

Rose comes from a long line of crafty women and is a champion of vintage and sustainable fashion. She has been involved in the industry for 15 years, from manufacturing to creative direction, and her latest project involved curating the Auckland Council public programme for NZ Fashion Week focusing on sustainable community-led fashion activities.  She is a regular MC, judge and speaker at fashion events around New Zealand and has featured in print, radio, online and on TV promoting vintage and second-hand style. Rose is in love with the storytelling qualities inherent in clothing and cares as much about the hand that made the garment as the garment itself.

Grace is a recent Massey University graduate with a Bachelor of Design majoring in Fashion. Working with Fashion Revolution throughout her studies, she completed her degree with a particular interest in sustainable fashion, developing projects centred around consumer awareness and responsible consumption. Through her activism, Grace aims to challenge how people consume fashion and question society's relationship with clothes. She is passionate about ethical creativity and strives to bring sustainability to the forefront of consumer decision-making and industry contributions.

Kate Hall is a sustainability educator, content creator, speaker, and author. Founder of Ethically Kate, Kate heroes ethical and sustainable brands and demonstrates through her own life how others can live with more respect for people and the planet. When she's not bottling her home brewed kombucha or gallivanting along the beach with her pup, you'll find her educating in high schools around the importance of slow fashion, and picking up abandoned hair ties because #zerowaste.

Amy is a passionate advocate for conscious fashion and the wellness of people and the planet. Amy is the founder of her own brand Outliv, a slow fashion, circular small business celebrating creativity through upcycling preloved clothing and fabrics and donating to charity with the sale of every bag. Alongside her own business, Amy works for local Hospice organisation Dove Hospice & Wellness driving their Marketing, E-Commerce and Communications. Working for this organisation has given Amy the opportunity to align her own personal values of integrity, compassion, sustainability and community. As a member of the New Zealand Fashion Revolution country team, which Amy originally established in 2019, Amy continues to offer advice and support advocacy campaigns. Amy believes that collaboration is a strong driver for change.

Fiona is Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe, Kai Tahu, Clan Gordon, craftivist, zero waste textile practitioner and as a disruptive systems designer, seeks to serve her community by providing solutions to problems. Witnessing the amount of waste created in commercial fashion production, Fiona set about creating a solution, Senorita AweSUMO, a zero waste lifestyle brand. In 2015, she founded Just Atelier Trust in Dunedin, New Zealand, which operates under the brand “Stitch Kitchen - Ingredients for creative living” a social enterprise raising awareness and creating a local solution to the global problem of social and environmental waste in the fashion industry.  Since 2018, Fiona took on the role of chair for Resilient Dunedin Inc, which advocates for a resilient future for all in the face of climate change. In 2019 Fiona become the Kaiwhakaara in her new business Res.Awesome Ltd “ Awesome Resources for zero waste management” in Ōtepoti, Aotearoa.

Jennifer Whitty is an sustainable systems designer, educator, consultant, writer, and activist. Her work aims to usher in a new era of deep systemic change for global fashion, that is expansive and diverse, rooted in social and environmental justice. She specialises in reimagining mindsets, models, and systems for fashion through the integration of theory, and practice. Jennifer publishes and exhibits widely on fashion and sustainability in both academic and popular media, working with various global clients including Conde Nast, Future Learn, and SERO.