Podcast appearances and mentions of jeff denby

Every now and then, I like to hop into the wayback machine and share a fresh listen to conversations that influenced our current times. The one you are going to register to today was recorded live in 2014 from DIEM, Design Intersects Everything Made symposium presented by the West Hollywood Design District featuring Frances Anderton, then with KCRW ad Jeff Denby, co-founder and then with Pact. A clothing brand you will be hearing more about.  The following conversation was focused on values based capitalism, an economic model with which places value on profit generation that also generates positive social impact. Designer Resources Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise. TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep Shelter Republic – Request your membership invitation As you listen to this chat between Frances and Jeff, you might notice the “feel-good” vibes and high ideals that come from a focus on values based consumerism patterns. Buy well-made products that come from sustainably based materials and made by people who are valued to those producing the products and then by those who buy the product. At the time of this recording, this idea was catching on and even now, companies that have a value-system connected directly to products speak openly about the social capital being generated. I would argue we hear far less now because sustainability has been linked politically to DEI, and there is a group of people who see that has more of a social ill, than a societal benefit. I'm not here to change any minds, only share different perspectives. And this is one worth sharing with the hope that it will make a return, not just in fashion or consumer packaged goods, but in the home decor and architectural materials sectors. Consumer Awareness Evolution How Whole Foods and the food industry educated consumers about product origins. Extension of that curiosity to body care and apparel: understanding what goes on the skin and into daily wear. The role of design in making sustainable products attractive and desirable. Philanthropy and Social Impact Early collaborations with nonprofits through limited-edition collections and direct aid. Shift toward improving the lives of workers within the supply chain. Emphasis on economic, environmental, and social impact as part of the business model. Challenges of Domestic Manufacturing Difficulties of reviving large-scale apparel production domestically, including labor costs, fractured supply chains, and compliance issues. Comparison with global supply chains and the decision to work where systems already exist. Insights from attempts at localized production and the challenges of sustainable sourcing. Product Expansion and Market Strategy Focus on apparel basics for the emerging generation of socially conscious consumers. Building a generational brand by appealing to evolving values. Commitment to price accessibility while maintaining sustainability and ethical production. Supply Chain Ethics and Certification Working exclusively with certified factories and farms to ensure fair labor practices. Ensuring worker protections and representation, including female supervisors. Direct engagement with farmers and supply chain partners to secure market access and stability. Sustainability and Waste Management Recycling factory scraps and leftover materials into new products. Finding secondary uses for garment remnants, including mattress filling. Factories incentivized to reduce waste as part of both economic and environmental sustainability. Consumer Education and Transparency Educating customers about the human and environmental story behind clothing. Leveraging social media, coalition branding, and events to communicate supply chain practices. Positioning Pact as a non-toxic apparel brand with safe-for-skin products. Research and Industry Collaboration Participation in textile and sustainability coalitions with like-minded brands. Supporting the growth of organic cotton farming and sustainable supply chains. Promoting transparency in manufacturing practices and educating the public on chemical exposure in conventional apparel. Ethical apparel requires intentional design, transparent supply chains, and collaboration across the industry. Consumers increasingly demand products that are safe, well-designed, and socially responsible. Philanthropy is most effective when integrated into the core business, benefiting both workers and communities. Scaling sustainability in mass-market apparel is challenging but possible with careful planning, partnerships, and public education. Conscious Basics: How Textiles Can Be Ethical, Sustainable, and Stylish In an era when consumers increasingly demand transparency and ethical responsibility, Pact is reshaping the apparel industry by marrying sustainability, social impact, and thoughtful design. Co-founder Jeff Denby spoke with Frances Anderton in 2014 about the philosophy behind the brand, tracing a journey from organic cotton farms in India to certified factories in Turkey, all with the goal of delivering high-quality, accessible clothing that respects both people and the planet. Denby notes that consumer awareness has evolved in stages. Shoppers first became curious about food origins, learning that groceries come from farms, not just shelves. This consciousness extended to body care products, as people began asking what they were putting on their skin. Apparel is the next frontier. “People want to know what they're wearing every day,” Denby explains. “They want products that are beautifully designed, sustainable, and safe, without having to reinvent what underwear or socks should look like.” Early in Pact's history, the company experimented with philanthropic partnerships, designing collections that supported nonprofit causes. These initiatives provided aid to communities abroad, from distributing lanterns in Haiti to rebuilding community centers in Japan. However, Denby realized the brand could make a deeper impact by focusing inward—supporting the lives of the workers who create the products. By investing in stable, ethical supply chains, Pact achieves a triple bottom line: economic, social, and environmental benefits. Reviving large-scale apparel manufacturing in the United States proved impractical for Pact. Labor costs, fractured supply chains, and limited domestic processing infrastructure made it impossible to produce affordable basics at scale. Instead, the brand partnered with existing factories abroad, ensuring they meet strict certifications such as the Global Organic Textile Standard. Denby emphasizes that these certifications guarantee fair labor practices, gender equity, and safe working conditions—factors often overlooked in conventional apparel production. Beyond ethical sourcing, Pact prioritizes product safety and environmental responsibility. Cotton cultivation and traditional textile processing can involve significant pesticide use and harmful chemicals. Pact works with organic cotton farmers and certified dye houses, eliminating heavy metals and carcinogens from their products. Waste management is also integral; leftover yarn and fabrics are recycled into new garments or repurposed for other industries, demonstrating that sustainability extends from field to factory to finished product. Denby envisions Pact as the “basics brand for the change generation,” appealing to consumers who value ethics, transparency, and design. The brand is part of a coalition with other sustainable apparel companies, collaborating to secure fair market access for farmers, grow organic cotton production, and educate the public on the human stories behind clothing. Social media and events provide direct channels to communicate these values, allowing consumers to engage with the brand and understand the people and processes behind the garments they wear. For Pact, the mission goes beyond selling clothing. It is about proving that everyday apparel can be ethical, well-designed, and accessible, while creating meaningful social impact. By integrating philanthropy, sustainability, and consumer education into the business model, Pact is showing that the basics—underwear, socks, and t-shirts—can carry a powerful message: that fashion can be responsible, thoughtful, and inclusive.

Experts and practitioners agree that simply improving upon today's take-make-waste linear business models will not ensure the apparel industry can operate within the planet's ecological boundaries. Instead, a new circular economy is needed and thus new circular business models. Circular business models, like resale and rental, are not actually new. But up until a few years ago, models like these were marginal, primarily employed by second hand stores and charity shops. How things have changed! Today, nearly every major brand has a circularity department working to develop and test these circular models as a means to increase their market share, profitability and sustainability performance. So is this the radical breakthrough we have all been waiting for? And will these models, if scaled, deliver the environmental and social benefits advocates are promoting? To get updated, Michael invited three industry pioneers - Gwen Cunningham, Lead of Circle Economy's Textiles Programme and Switching Gear Project, Jeff Denby, co-founder of The Renewal Workshop, and Sam Gillick-Daniels from WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme) - to weigh in. If you are interested in getting updated on the current state of circular apparel business models and the challenges and opportunities facing them, this episode is for you. This podcast is supported by the Laudes Foundation, The Rylander Foundation, and TENCEL™. It is produced in collaboration with Ecotextile News.

The Guest: The Renewal Workshop Edited by George Drake, Jr. Music by Lucas Brahme — About Loose Threads — Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest analysis and podcasts: http://eepurl.com/buLQY9 Twitter Full Transcript The Loose Threads Podcast explores the intersection of consumer, retail and commerce. Hosted by Richie Siegel, the founder of Loose Threads, each episode features an in-depth conversation with one guest about their founding story and how it fits into the current state of the industry. Guests come from all different backgrounds, spanning the consumer goods, fashion, retail and technology industries. The unifying thread is always the rapid change facing the industry and how entrepreneurs are responding. You can listen to the podcast on any player of your choice, in addition to on LooseThreads.com.

In episode 70, Kestrel welcomes Linn Frisinger, cofounder of Swedish Stockings to the show. Swedish Stockings produces beautiful pantyhose from 90-98% recycled nylon yarn.  Each year, two billion pairs of tights are produced, worn a few times, and then discarded. After being inspired by the documentary The Lightbulb Conspiracy, Linn and her cofounder Nadja Forsberg set out to find a better solution for the hosiery industry. In this chat, Kestrel asks Linn about the approach Swedish Stockings has to sustainability and zero waste in their supply chain, as well as their Recycling Club, which addresses the end of life of pantyhose. Linn also acknowledges the impact that nylon has on our oceans and microplastics issue; she shares how Swedish Stockings is developing a new yarn composed of upcycled plastic from the ocean. When it comes to being able to recycle elastane, Linn believes a solution is close, and hopes we will see one in the near future. Details on material composition:  Nylon: a man-made polyamide, derived from petrochemicals (a thermoplastic); nylon is not biodegradable and contributes to microplastic pollution in the ocean. Elastane: a synthetic materials, scientifically described as a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomeric fiber; elastane cannot be easily separated from other materials, due to the way it shifts when heated. Currently, a solution has not been found to recycle fabrics with mixed compositions including spandex. Resources Linn mentioned: The Lightbulb Conspiracy: documentary on planned obsolescence  & Other Stories: offers a beauty and textiles recycling program, a brand under the H&M Group FAIR TRADE FASHION SHOW TICKETS  A fashion show for activists! This unique fundraiser uses fashion as a platform for education and awareness around the realities of modern slavery as well as a space to celebrate the power of everyday purchases to support freedom. Hosted by Bead and Reel, the event will benefit nonprofit Free The Slaves. Kestrel will be moderating the pre-show panel hosted by EcoSessions, which includes: Hoda Katebi of JooJoo Azad, Mike Farid of Nature USA and Jeff Denby of Renewal Workshop. The event will take place in Los Angeles on July 29th, 2017. Get your tickets here!

Seeing a void in the circular economy for apparel brands, the Renewal Workshop aims to help mitigate fashion waste. Co-founder Jeff Denby joins Kate to discuss this new business and how he plans to solve hard problems and create new systems that do what is good and right for people and for the planet.

In 2016, we conducted an extensive series of interviews and surveys to find out how OIA—the outdoor industry’s membership trade association—can best support outdoor companies. What we learned is that our members see us as a convener—the unifying entity best equipped to galvanize the industry around three important issues: policy, participation and sustainable business. We then identified individuals who are already working to move the needle on those issues within their respective companies.    The Renewal Workshop may be a newcomer to the outdoor industry, but its founders—Nicole Bassett and Jeff Denby—are mainstays in sustainable apparel manufacturing. Toad&Co, headed up by Gordon Seabury, is one of the first outdoor companies to sign on as a brand partner with Renewal Workshop to make sure that their damaged, used or excess product doesn’t end up in a landfill. Hear about their collaboration to positively influence the end-of-life cycle of outdoor apparel. Gordon, Nicole, and Jeff demonstrate that that through collaboration, our industry as a whole can do more so much more than a single company or individual can do alone. That is the concept behind our new campaign and our strategic vision: Together We Are A Force.   Want to learn more about these individuals and the work OIA is doing to foster collaboration throughout the industry and to catalyze change? Visit outdoorindustry.org/outdoorist to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and our Audio Outdoorist podcast.  

You probably have some awesome retro clothes in your closet because you want to get as much use out of your clothes as you can. We're with you, but unfortunately, in the USA, 80 pounds of apparel per American per year ends up in the landfill. Luckily, there is a superhero to the rescue. Our guest this episode, Jeff Denby, is the co-founder of a business called The Renewal Workshop that is going to take this linear model and make it circular. It partners with apparel brands to take returned and damaged clothing, clean it and repair it at a factory in Oregon, and then resell it. No matter the state the clothes are in, when they are sent to The Renewal Workshop, there is a no landfill guarantee. After this episode, we guarantee that you'll never look at clothes the same way again. For more information on The Renewal Workshop and to buy renewed clothing, go to http://www.therenewalworkshop.com/.     ----------------------------- SustainabilityDefined is the podcast that seeks to define sustainability, one concept (and bad joke) at a time. Hosted by Jay Siegel and Scott Breen. Each episode focuses on a single topic that helps push sustainability forward. We explain each topic with the help of an experienced pro, place it within our organizational tree, and help our listeners define what exactly sustainability is, episode by episode. We have divided our organizational tree into the following seven sectors: Energy Cities Natural Environment Transportation Business Policy Social Each episode is categorized under one of our sectors and visually depicted within our organizational tree. The more episodes we complete, the more the tree will visually define what exactly sustainability means. www.sustainabilitydefined.com

Josh sits down with The Renewal Workshop co-founders Nicole Bassett and Jeff Denby. The Renewal Worship, based out of Cascade Locks, Oregon is a used apparel and gear brand that will fully repair, clean, and revitalize your beloved gear and apparel. The Renewal Workshop is a company founded with a focus in tackling the huge waste problem that is heavily tied to apparel and gear production and manufacturing. In the United States 14 million tons of apparel end up in landfills every. Single. Year. After Nicole and Jeff were hit with this hard fact they got to work. Having just finished an incredibly successful indiegogo campaign, they are ready to be the saviors of fallen gear by reducing waste and increasing the lifespan of your 

Jeff Denby, former CEO of PACT, talks with Matt Levinthal and Craig Wilson of Compass and Nail, and formerly of Patagonia, about the best ways of Marketing and Branding your company.