Living up to its motto,
"always on the frontline!",
the IN JOY Vintage SF Podcast dedicates a powerful episode to unmasking one of the most controversial ethical issues in worldwide commerce: the environmental deception pervasive within the high-end fashion industry.
Episode Focus: The Hypocrisy of Luxury Fashion Brands
This special episode, featuring Dr. LeeAnn Teal Rutkovsky🦊, directly targets the practice of "greenwashing" in the luxury sector. It moves beyond superficial critiques to analyze the fundamental contradictions within an industry that claims to embrace sustainability while remaining one of the world's most significant polluters.
The Problem of False Standards
The central thesis addresses the glaring "hypocrisy of luxury fashion brands," focusing on the cynical strategy of making blatant, year-to-year declarations of false sustainable standards. These announcements, often made right before a new fashion show, are designed solely to manipulate public perception, secure positive media coverage, and gain branding association with genuinely "green" institutions. The end goal is commercial advantage and cleaning a tarnished public image, not authentic, systemic change.
The Unfiltered Truth
The episode promises to deliver unfiltered news, strategies, and factual accounts directly from those who live and breathe sustainable design. Discussion aims to establish a clear, credible definition of what it actually means to be a Sustainable Fashion Designer, challenging the widespread practice of merely claiming the title for marketing purposes.
A Coalition of Experts
To achieve this depth and unfiltered perspective, the podcast brings together a powerful panel of voices, categorized as Industry Leaders, Academics, Researchers, and Real Sustainable Designers:
- Dr. LeeAnn Teal-Rutkovsky: Founder, President, and CEO of IMPACT FASHION HUB, worldwide recognized Impact Fashion Strategist, Bespoke Sustainable Designer, and university lecturer.
- Tone Skårdal Tobiasson: Norwegian journalist, author, and cofounder of the Nordic Initiative Clean & Ethical (NICE) Fashion, focused on resource longevity.
- Nathalie Naina: Communications Manager at Africa Collect Textiles (ACT), an expert on circularity and the textile waste crisis in the Global South.
- Francesca Riillo: Founder of the sustainable upcycled brand FRii Shirt and an Educator in Fashion Design and Material Sustainability.
- Sonal Jain Baid: Founder of Maayu & Sustainable Earth Foundation, contributing expertise on ethical and sustainable development.
The Systemic Challenge
A significant part of the conversation focuses on the systemic hurdles that prevent meaningful change. The panel will address the lack of governmental accountability, specifically criticizing the Government Institutions responsible for "closing both eyes in the face of a worldwide massive issue" that continues to plague the sustainable fashion industry and its committed designers.
- Audience Engagement: Demonstrating its commitment to a transparent public discourse, the podcast invites the audience to Join us LIVE via Gmeet, YouTube, and Spotify. Crucially, the session dedicates time for an Audience Q&A Session at the end, ensuring direct engagement and providing listeners with the opportunity to learn unfiltered news and strategies from the guests.
The episode will stand as a vital resource for anyone seeking to understand the true environmental cost of fast and luxury fashion and the battle being fought by those dedicated to creating a truly sustainable working environment.
Join "The rise of the Global South": Google Meet Link - Friday, 24th October 2025 at 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM UK Time.