Community, Continuous Education, and Leveraging Transferable Skills: What it Takes to Pivot into Sustainable Fashion
With CFC Member Angie Ramos Mejía
Author and interviewer: Stella Hertantyo
Angie Ramos Mejía is a fashion brand consultant based in Mexico. After many years of working with medium, large, and multinational brands to develop and improve their customer journey, Angie decided she wanted to pivot her career.
Struck by the urgency of the climate crisis, Angie began to rethink her skills and teach herself how to guide business owners to turn their linear business models into circular ones.
I interviewed Angie in the Conscious Fashion Collective Membership as part of our Member Spotlight interview series.
Below are some of the highlights from the conversation, including:
How cultural heritage plays a role in sustainable fashion,
Upskilling for a sustainable fashion career pivot, and
How fashion businesses can transition from linear to circular business models.
What led you to work at the intersection of fashion and sustainability?
I've always been obsessed with fashion and design and the potential they have to provoke conversation.
I studied fashion design in Argentina — the country where I was born. My career has taken many forms through the years. I’ve worked in product design, film industry costume design, in theater, and for the past five years, I’ve been a fashion consultant.
Before I became a consultant, I was helping brands redefine their DNA and reshape their customer journey. Roughly two years ago, I started educating myself in sustainability. I started learning how to help brands shift their business model from linear to circular and how to produce more responsibly.
The sustainability element of my career has been a journey. I could no longer ignore that we will all suffer from the effects of the climate crisis. So sustainability is important for all of us. This realization is what led me to look into sustainable fashion and integrate it into my career.
I also realized that the pace of fast fashion never suited me and I never felt comfortable with it. This discomfort pushed me to work and find new ways of existing in the fashion industry.
I became more aware of sustainable fashion when I was working in trend forecasting. I learned that there was an increasing demand for ethically and responsibly made products. And that consumers are more educated about fashion's ills than ever before.
Because of this, the fashion industry has a lot of pressure to find new and creative solutions that don’t harm the environment — today’s consumer demands it.
How has living in Argentina and Mexico shaped your understanding of sustainable fashion?
I grew up in a mending and repairing environment in Argentina. When I came home from school, I’d find my mother and grandmother sewing clothing for me and my siblings. Growing up surrounded by this repairing culture taught me a lot about care. Sewing clothes for a loved one is an act of care, just like cooking food for someone is an act of care.
When talking about sustainability, heritage is key for me, because I grew up in a circular clothing system without knowing it. In Argentina, there’s a huge design scene that is committed to finding ways to make fashion more responsible.
On the other hand, Mexico has enriched me in many cultural ways. There are so many ancestral traditions and a deep sense of community that people practice here. Living in these two countries has deeply shaped the way I understand sustainable fashion.
What do you mean when you say that “dressing up is a political act”?
Argentina has a long history of social movements and political expressions through fashion. Dressing up has been used as a form of non-verbal communication and a way for individuals to align themselves with particular political movements.
For example, in the nineteenth century, if you wore a red ribbon, it meant you were a “rebel” or “political opponent” — it was called Unitario. Being a rebel could sometimes lead to death, because of your political allegiance.
When I say that dressing up is political, I mean that a visual element can be crucial in expressing loyalty or affiliation.
What was the biggest skill you developed from working with large multinational brands to develop and improve their customer journey, that you still use today?
I had to develop my strategic thinking — working at a multinational brand doesn’t mean that their operations, decision-making, or organizational programs are easier to influence.
When you do consultancy work for a brand, it feels like a family is inviting you over to stay at their house and you want to be respectful of their processes. But at the same time, you need to remember why you are there.
When I worked with big brands I had to learn how to communicate accurately, efficiently, and strategically when I brought ideas to the table so that they would take what I was saying onboard. So strategic thinking is an important skill to develop.
How did you upskill yourself to transition into working in sustainability and fashion?
There are so many great resources, courses, and certificates out there that it can feel daunting to figure out where to start when learning about sustainability. You need to take it all in and learn as much as you can, because there’s no single “magic” solution or one place to study that will give you all the knowledge you need.
It’s a continuous journey — you have to get involved in your immediate community and look outwards to other communities too. I’ve tried to engage and collaborate with others as much as possible.
The first sustainability certificate I did was in circular fashion management at an online university in Italy called SDA Bocconi School of Management. That helped me get immersed in this space.
Even after studying this course, I felt like I wanted to deepen my knowledge. So this year I attended the Fashion Revolution Summer School, in Greece. This was a nurturing experience for me, because it helped me connect the dots between so many aspects of what I had studied and I got to learn from a diverse group of teachers, learners, and industry professionals.
Where do you usually suggest brands start when it comes to transitioning from linear to circular business models?
I always suggest that brands rethink design as their first step. If we start from the very beginning when implementing more sustainable practices, we can create the most meaningful change.
To rethink design you have to do a general evaluation of all the stages of your production and supply chain. This helps brands prioritize where to start when making changes and increases transparency.
Supply chain considerations include responsible sourcing and manufacturing and how to ensure the garment is as durable as possible. Durability is essential, because recycling at end-of-life should always be the last option.
It's important that the brand also articulates a commitment to sustainability and circular practices and sets measurable goals and realistic timelines.
What role has community and collaboration played in your sustainable fashion journey?
Community has played a huge role in my journey. Community is a cornerstone of sustainable development — sustainable initiatives are more effective when communities work together. The fact that communities are aware of their needs and local issues means that more effective solutions can be implemented that are specific to their needs.
Finding community is also important for resource sharing. When you establish systems for sharing knowledge, events, and tools, you're not only educating yourself and the community you are in, but you are also actively creating new circular systems that challenge the extractive ones.
***
To connect with Angie and get featured in one of our Member Spotlights join the Conscious Fashion Collective Membership, the online community for sustainable fashion professionals. You'll also get access to live events, workshop recordings, career resources, extra job posts, and more.