One of my core values is to empower people to become more conscious consumers. To me, that doesn’t mean we’re always going to choose the greenest or healthiest option out there – but that we actually think about the impact we can have with where we spend our money.
One area I became interested in a few years ago is the effect our clothing purchases have on the environment and the people involved in making the clothes. And it changed the way I shopped forever.
But I struggled when it came to choosing environmentally and socially-conscious athleticwear in particular. Until I discovered the brand TMPL. And today I’m bringing founder Basil Farano onto the show to talk about the clothing industry, and the impact it has on our health and the planet’s.
Basil has over 20 years experience working within the manufacturing, wholesale & retail industries in Canada, the United States & Italy. He started his journey as the President and Licensee for Italian sportswear firm Kappa in North America, where he was responsible for growing the brand’s presence. He then spent over 8 years working in mobile strategy development for luxury fashion and retail brands.
After reading the Greenpeace report Toxic Threads, it opened his eyes to a new opportunity in the clothing industry. And it led to him becoming co-founder and partner of TMPL.
In this conversation, we talk about:
- The impact the fashion industry has on climate change
- The environmental and health impacts of chemicals used in conventional clothing manufacturing processes
- Why formaldehyde may be added to your imported clothing
- Why sportswear carries a higher risk from toxin exposure
- How TMPL found a better way to make sportswear
- What to look for in well-made, healthier clothing
- How consumers can play a role in reducing the negative impacts of the clothing industry
Links mentioned in this episode:
Greenpeace report: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/6889/toxic-threads-the-big-fashion-stitch-up/
TMPL’s website (Emma’s affiliate link): https://tmplsportswear.com/?rfsn=4782446.b52dfd
Instagram: @tmplsportswear