In Conscious Conversation
By Janice Sommer
At ICC, we believe in celebrating brands that allow us to live our values of true sustainability and social impact. We explore the visions built and lessons learned by the makers and creators in our community who are building brands with a conscience.
Beyond the green-washing and the curated feeds, we dive deep into what these brands really stand for, what makes them tick, and what keeps them up at night.
In Conscious ConversationJan 18, 2021
Episode 2: On building a circular, carbon-negative cashmere brand; on creating a business that lives transparency, traceability and integrity; and how sustainability can help you live a happier life
In the second episode of In Conscious Conversation, we introduce you to Lucia Radeljak, who is not only a dear friend, but also an incredibly inspiring serial entrepreneur whose latest project is nothing less than creating the most sustainable cashmere brand on the planet.
LUXURY KNITWEAR THAT IS KIND TO NATURE: this is the philosophy behind Månsken.
Inspired by the essential principles of circularity, transparency, traceability, integrity, sisterhood and kindness, Månsken blends minimal design with sustainability to create long-lasting pieces that are gentle to our planet.
Our podcast host Janice Sommer sits down with Lucia for a deep conversation that spans from the founding story of Månsken over to philosophy, mindfulness and sustainable business principles.
We discuss the procedure of integrating sustainability into a brand from first principles, how to start a startup by first creating a minimum viable product, and consider the massive waste of resources that occurs in traditional knitwear production.
Lucia tells us all about sourcing surplus materials in order to create a product that is truly sustainable, teaches us about the process of re-yarning, and explains how Månsken collaborates with innovative startups to upcycle fabric waste and create a higher value material.
We learn the beautiful philosophical story of how the brand was named, discuss the meaning of true circularity (these jumpers have a lifetime insurance policy!), and we philosophise about how life becomes richer and more bountiful when we bring in diversity.
Tune in to join a conversation which reminds us that in essence, sustainability is so much more than a business practice or an attitude: sustainability is a philosophy, it encompasses values, and it can be a guide to living a happier life.
(Extra happy of course if you’re wearing a Månsken jumper!)
Episode 1: Empowering artisans from remote Colombian villages, seeing a real social impact, and building a business during a global pandemic
In this very first official episode of In Conscious Conversation, we are beyond excited to introduce to you the incredible Kate Wrigley, Founder of the Colombia Collective.
SUSTAINABLY SOURCED, BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED: this is the philosophy of the Colombia Collective.
Working, collaborating and designing directly with artisan entrepreneurs, The Colombia Collective brings together traditional techniques with modern design to create exquisite, ethical and utterly unique collections of homeware and accessories.
Our podcast host Janice Sommer sits down with Kate to discuss the fascinating story of how she built her company.
Starting from her arrival in Colombia - without speaking Spanish - which happened because she had written a love letter to the mayor of Bogota, all the way to the moment in which she realised that she simply had to find a way to bring the exquisite craftsmanship of the Colombian artisans to the United Kingdom and Europe, Kate’s story is both gripping and entertainingly authentic.
We discuss the highs and lows of building a business that empowers artisans, the rewarding feeling of seeing a real social impact from one’s work, and the challenges of growing a business in the middle of a global pandemic.
Tune in to hear an amazing story - it will transport you straight to the remotest villages of Northern Colombia - and learn all about the ancient artisanal skills of the artisans who create Kate’s beautiful products by hand.