Fashion Eco-Warrior Katharine Hamnett

Today’s guest is British designer Katharine Hamnett, fashion's original eco-warrior and pioneer of sustainable fashion. Decades ago, Hamnett made the decision to shift to more ethical and pro-environmental practices, such as using organic cotton and natural dyes. It was an "unbelievably difficult" process, she says, because her own employees opposed her decision, sometimes secretly replacing her sustainable materials for unsustainable ones. Nevertheless, she has persisted, and eventually, she met her pro-planet and humanitarian goals: her clothes are made as ethically and environmentally responsible as possible. Hamnett, fashion's “Bad Girl with Integrity,” has proved that sustainable fashion is not only possible; it can be profitable.

Also with on this episode: Hannah Elliott, the luxury car writer for Bloomberg Pursuits, and a regular contributor to The Green Dream, tells us about Harley-Davidson's new electric motorcycle, the LiveWire One, which she calls "powerful and stylish."

• Read the transcript of this episode
• Get to know Dana Thomas and her book Fashionopolis
• Discover the fashion brand Another Tomorrow
• More about Katharine Hamnett’s Sustainable Fashion
• Music by Eric Brace of Red Beet Records
• Cover art by Studio Number One