The Truth About Fast Fashion: Film Screening and Panel
Join us on Wednesday, July 10th from 5:30-7:30pm at Drexel University for an eye-opening educational event that will illuminate the dishonest, billion dollar fast fashion industry that is polluting our environment and devastating communities around the globe.
The evening will begin with a 30 minute documentary film followed by a discussion panel and Q&A session moderated by Samantha Wittchen of Circular Philadelphia. Panelists Chris Baeza (Drexel University), Carly Kusy (Jefferson University) and Saida Burns-Moore (Fabscrap) will talk about the disastrous consequences of the fast fashion industry and provide tips on how we, as consumers, can do our part to help reverse its impact .
Program:
5:30pm–6pm | Screening: Dead White Man’s Clothes
6pm-6:45pm | Panel Discussion
7:30pm | Q&A
This event is free to attend with a $10 suggested donation. Your contribution helps compensate our panelists for their valuable time and expertise.
Register to attend:
Moderator:
Samantha is a seasoned sustainability professional who has worked with manufacturing, municipal, and institutional clients has spanned operational sustainability (with a focus on energy, waste and recycling), metrics and evaluation, and communications and outreach. She co-founded Circular Philadelphia and chairs their Textile Working Group,. For over a decade, she’s writton on circularity- and sustainability-related topics for Philadelphia-based Grid Magazine, including the January 2023 cover story on the state of recycling in Philadelphia.
Panelists:
Chris Baeza
Program Director, Assistant Teaching Professor, Design & Merchandising
@drexeldandm
Chris Baeza, a seasoned design and merchandising executive with over 20 years of experience, is dedicated to enriching students' learning through hands-on coursework, emphasizing ethical fashion and "for benefit" business models. Her research explores the impact of integrating ethics and social entrepreneurship into design and merchandising curricula. Beyond academia, Chris advises industry companies, serves on the board of Learning to Lead/Girls Take Charge, and mentors high school students interested in fashion design or merchandising.
Saida Burns-Moore
Community Lead, FABSCRAP
@fab_scrap
Saida is the Community Lead at FABSCRAPs' Philadelphia location supporting the organization's volunteer community and outreach efforts. A graduate of the University of Memphis, Saida studied Geosciences, where she was interested in conservation and sustainability. In her role now she works to educate the local community on the benefits of reusing and recycling textiles and garments. She is very passionate about educating and uplifting communities in ways that will help them thrive.
Carly Kusy
Associate Professor, Jefferson University
@jeffersonfashiondesign
Carly Kusy is a passionate educator, fashion designer, and advocate in sustainable fashion with a B.S. in Fashion Design from Philadelphia University and an M.S. in Global Fashion Enterprise from Thomas Jefferson University. Since 2007, she has launched multiple sustainable businesses, including a women’s wear brand, vintage boutique, and her own line of zero waste handwoven and upcycled apparel. Carly integrates her creative pursuits with advocacy through teaching at Thomas Jefferson University, where she empowers future fashion designers and developed sustainable fashion courses. Her work emphasizes a circular fashion approach across the curriculum.