What is the relationship between spirituality and fashion? Is responding to the call of the environment a spiritual pursuit? How can we consume fashion responsibly, keeping the well-being of individuals and the planet in mind?
Join Gemma Gambee Lewis and a dynamic panel of experts as they explore the presence of the spiritual — and the lack thereof — within the fashion industry, and how we can shape our future with the choices we make.
The panel will feature: Theanne Schiros, PhD, Professor at FIT, Sustainable Textiles; Courtney Fasciano and Erin Ryder, Co-Founders of Cesta Collective; Sarah Ahmed, Creative Director and Founder of Warp and Weft and DL1961 Premium Denim; Emily Farra, Senior Fashion News Writer at Vogue
Tickets : $35 / 50% discount with code : FASHIONABLE / free for Assemblage members.
About the Speakers
Gemma Gambee Lewis
After a 20-year career in international fashion modeling, trend forecasting, and brand building for clients from Chanel to Levi's and so many others in-between, Gemma is most at home when sitting in meditation and teaching what this practice has generously given. She classically trained for more than two decades in the traditions of Yoga, Bhakti, Vedanta, and Tantric Shaivism. When she is not meditating, she's wrapped up in other creative pursuits like drawing, painting and deep-diving brand strategy work in the fashion, art, design, and film industries.
Theanne Schiros, PhD
Theanne Schiros, PhD, is Assistant Professor at FIT, where she teaches physics, chemistry and sustainability courses. She is the FIT coordinator and faculty lead for the international Biodesign Challenge, guiding students on how to rethink textiles through technology, biology and sustainable design. She is also a Visiting Scholar and Principal Investigator at Columbia University in the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), as well as the diversity liaison, working collaboratively across the center to explore 2-D materials for next generation, post-silicon electronic devices, and catalysts for clean energy applications. Schiros is engaged in international sustainable development with organizations such as Engineers without Borders (Haiti) and the Finca Morpho Permaculture collective (Costa Rica). She has published her work in numerous peer-reviewed journals and has been the recipient of multiple grants to support this work, including the National Geographic Chasing Genius Award (Sustainable Planet), and was the United Nations ECOWAS Fellow for Sustainable Energy Engineering, the NYSERDA Fellow, and an EFRC Fellow for next generation photovoltaic devices at Columbia University in the area of nanomaterials science and engineering. She is the co-founder of Algiknit, a start-up developing kelp-based biomaterials and bioyarn for sustainable textiles in a closed loop life cycle.
Sarah Ahmed
Sarah is Founder of Warp + Weft and Creative Director at DL1961. During 2010-2011, she served as a Consultant at DREAM:IN, Al Johnson Art Studio and Loro Piana. Previously, Sarah was an Associate at World Policy and a Fashion Closet Intern at Elle Magazine as well. Sarah was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30.
As creative director of DL 1961, Ahmed realized just how much the denim industry was missing the mark on size inclusivity. Her wakeup call led her to start Warp + Weft, a premium denim brand that weaves its own fabric to guarantee the best value and fit -- no matter your size. Less than one-year post-launch, Ahmed has already raked in revenues of more than $2.5 million.
Courtney Fasciano
Co-Founder of Cesta Collective.
Courtney Fasciano is a former fashion and accessories editor at T Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Marie Claire. She is a recent MBA graduate turned marketing & brand strategist with over 10 years of experience in fashion and publishing industries.
Erin Ryder
Co-Founder of Cesta Collective.
Erin Ryder has spent a decade bringing luxury brands to life. She oversaw brand identity, art direction, graphic design, store design, visual merchandising and styling for brands like Rebecca Taylor, Theory and Helmut Lang, Erin studied fashion design at Parsons School of Design in New York and Paris.
Emily Farra
Emily Farra is a Senior Fashion News Writer at Vogue, where she focuses on Vogue Runway fashion show content, emerging designers, and sustainability. She travels frequently on assignment and has covered international fashion weeks and events in China, Saudi Arabia, and India. Prior to working at Vogue, she was an assistant editor at Style.com. Emily graduated from Indiana University in 2013 with degrees in journalism and art history.