[
  {
    "start": 0.0,
    "end": 4.4,
    "text": " I think we need an entire revolution when it comes to fashion."
  },
  {
    "start": 4.4,
    "end": 10.32,
    "text": " I think we need a lot of transparency within the fashion industry and supply chain"
  },
  {
    "start": 10.32,
    "end": 15.76,
    "text": " and also getting the message across not just to designers but also to consumers."
  },
  {
    "start": 15.76,
    "end": 20.72,
    "text": " Welcome to the special English edition of Degorsa Neustadt,"
  },
  {
    "start": 20.72,
    "end": 23.68,
    "text": " a German podcast series by Zabilla Bar,"
  },
  {
    "start": 23.68,
    "end": 26.32,
    "text": " in which she talks to pioneering leaders who,"
  },
  {
    "start": 26.32,
    "end": 30.32,
    "text": " inspired by the World Economic Forum's great reset initiative,"
  },
  {
    "start": 30.32,
    "end": 36.64,
    "text": " create revolutionary projects that actually do make our world smarter, greener and fairer."
  },
  {
    "start": 36.64,
    "end": 46.24,
    "text": " What if fashion could stitch together peace, sustainability and global transformation?"
  },
  {
    "start": 46.24,
    "end": 51.28,
    "text": " Today we meet Runa Ray, a designer, visionary and environmentalist,"
  },
  {
    "start": 51.28,
    "end": 54.88,
    "text": " who has turned couture into a powerful tool for change."
  },
  {
    "start": 55.44,
    "end": 60.16,
    "text": " From the Global Peace Flag Initiative endorsed by the United Nations"
  },
  {
    "start": 60.16,
    "end": 64.72,
    "text": " and described as the world's largest movement for peace and climate action,"
  },
  {
    "start": 64.72,
    "end": 69.84,
    "text": " to the catwalk of the Monte Carlo Fashion Week, the Met Gala and the Grammy Awards,"
  },
  {
    "start": 69.84,
    "end": 77.28,
    "text": " Runa has redefined the very purpose of fashion. Born in Bangalore, India and shaped by a journey"
  },
  {
    "start": 77.28,
    "end": 85.12,
    "text": " that spans the creative halls of Dior and Galliano in Paris to sustainable innovation on a world stage,"
  },
  {
    "start": 85.52,
    "end": 91.44,
    "text": " Runa's work is a testament to the belief that luxury and responsibility can coexist."
  },
  {
    "start": 91.44,
    "end": 99.2,
    "text": " She is pioneering algae-based textiles, zero-stitch techniques and plant-based dyes,"
  },
  {
    "start": 99.2,
    "end": 104.16,
    "text": " while inspiring communities to embrace peace and climate action."
  },
  {
    "start": 104.16,
    "end": 109.68,
    "text": " A very warm welcome to you, Runa. So much success."
  },
  {
    "start": 109.68,
    "end": 115.76,
    "text": " I would like to start with your Global Peace Flag Initiative."
  },
  {
    "start": 115.76,
    "end": 122.56,
    "text": " Thank you so much, Sibel, for having me on your podcast and discussing these really important"
  },
  {
    "start": 122.56,
    "end": 129.36,
    "text": " issues that are pertinent at this moment and for the world. And thank you for mentioning the Global"
  },
  {
    "start": 129.36,
    "end": 135.44,
    "text": " Peace Flag, which is an initiative that is really close to my heart. I am a fashion designer who"
  },
  {
    "start": 135.44,
    "end": 142.24,
    "text": " turned environmentalist and I come from an industry where fashion's waste is something"
  },
  {
    "start": 142.24,
    "end": 149.6,
    "text": " which is not very uncommon. So if you look at fashion's waste, every garment that we wear"
  },
  {
    "start": 149.6,
    "end": 156.4,
    "text": " at one point was prototyped and it was prototyped in muslin and muslin comes from cotton."
  },
  {
    "start": 156.4,
    "end": 162.8,
    "text": " And we've always heard about how cotton can be a thirsty crop, how much of pesticide went to,"
  },
  {
    "start": 162.8,
    "end": 168.96,
    "text": " you know, the making of the cotton crop, the dyeing of the fabric and then processing it and"
  },
  {
    "start": 168.96,
    "end": 174.24,
    "text": " creating it into textile and then finding it into garments. But what happens to these prototypes?"
  },
  {
    "start": 174.24,
    "end": 179.68,
    "text": " They all end up in the landfill because you can't make a garment out of a half prototype."
  },
  {
    "start": 179.68,
    "end": 187.36,
    "text": " So what I did was I decided that fashion had to have a voice. I mean, fashion has a huge"
  },
  {
    "start": 187.36,
    "end": 193.2,
    "text": " outreach anyways. People love fashion. People love to go to shows. There's something about the"
  },
  {
    "start": 193.2,
    "end": 199.36,
    "text": " fashion industry which has the glamour and the pull towards it. So fashion can also have a purpose."
  },
  {
    "start": 199.36,
    "end": 206.72,
    "text": " So I decided that I was going to use these prototypes and give fashion a voice, not just"
  },
  {
    "start": 206.72,
    "end": 213.68,
    "text": " when it came to sustainability but also for peace. Now, if you ask me as to how I started the Global"
  },
  {
    "start": 213.68,
    "end": 220.48,
    "text": " Peace Flag, this started off during COVID. So during COVID when we were all at home and,"
  },
  {
    "start": 220.48,
    "end": 226.88,
    "text": " you know, the wars seized and people unfortunately all over the world were dying,"
  },
  {
    "start": 226.88,
    "end": 233.52,
    "text": " we saw that humanity stepped up. People across borders were helping each other."
  },
  {
    "start": 233.52,
    "end": 237.68,
    "text": " They were vaccines that were flying across. People were manufacturing vaccines."
  },
  {
    "start": 238.4,
    "end": 243.68,
    "text": " It didn't matter which colour, ethnicity, religion you came from, the hospitals were full,"
  },
  {
    "start": 243.68,
    "end": 250.72,
    "text": " the doctors were helping people. So where did this beauty of humanity come from which we didn't see?"
  },
  {
    "start": 250.72,
    "end": 257.68,
    "text": " That was when I decided that the world was actually a lovely place to live in."
  },
  {
    "start": 257.68,
    "end": 265.28,
    "text": " And I decided to come up with the concept of the Global Peace Flag. So using fashion's waste,"
  },
  {
    "start": 265.28,
    "end": 271.68,
    "text": " which were the prototypes, I had them made into canvases and I had schools and the youth"
  },
  {
    "start": 271.68,
    "end": 279.84,
    "text": " write and draw upon it as to what they would like to see in the world, in the face of peace"
  },
  {
    "start": 279.84,
    "end": 288.4,
    "text": " and in terms of unity and harmony. So this project grew. It started connecting 194 countries."
  },
  {
    "start": 288.4,
    "end": 296.4,
    "text": " It was endorsed by the United Nations. We had countries which were in war with each other"
  },
  {
    "start": 296.4,
    "end": 303.6,
    "text": " contributing towards the peace flag where, for example, you had students from India,"
  },
  {
    "start": 303.6,
    "end": 308.64,
    "text": " you had students from Pakistan coming together and writing about peace. Now the beauty about"
  },
  {
    "start": 308.64,
    "end": 314.08,
    "text": " this peace flag is that it doesn't matter which social standing you come from, which colour,"
  },
  {
    "start": 314.08,
    "end": 321.84,
    "text": " ethnicity, religion, which country you're from, it's all about being sewn together on this one"
  },
  {
    "start": 321.84,
    "end": 328.32,
    "text": " fabric. And this fabric extends as a flag and we're looking at wrapping the world with peace."
  },
  {
    "start": 328.32,
    "end": 336.72,
    "text": " So your canvas could probably be with somebody who you would, you know, like somebody in prison,"
  },
  {
    "start": 336.72,
    "end": 342.16,
    "text": " for example. But that person is reformed and that person wants to contribute towards peace."
  },
  {
    "start": 342.16,
    "end": 347.52,
    "text": " So it's the great equalizer. It connects everybody together and that was when I started"
  },
  {
    "start": 347.52,
    "end": 351.68,
    "text": " the global peace flag and that's what inspired the project."
  },
  {
    "start": 351.68,
    "end": 357.84,
    "text": " Yeah. So you started in 2020 and how much progress did you make?"
  },
  {
    "start": 357.84,
    "end": 366.48,
    "text": " So now we have over 100,000 canvases that have been submitted. We had the recent exhibition at"
  },
  {
    "start": 366.48,
    "end": 371.92,
    "text": " the United Nations which was to be for a month but got extended for two months."
  },
  {
    "start": 372.4,
    "end": 380.48,
    "text": " The project basically took over the entire facade on the inside of the UN which has the"
  },
  {
    "start": 380.48,
    "end": 387.28,
    "text": " portraits of the Secretary General. And now we're looking at taking it to the White House next year"
  },
  {
    "start": 387.28,
    "end": 391.76,
    "text": " during the Memorial Day weekend. The reason we are doing it during the Memorial Day weekend is"
  },
  {
    "start": 391.76,
    "end": 400.24,
    "text": " because we're trying to turn the, flip the coin about war and create something which is peaceful"
  },
  {
    "start": 400.24,
    "end": 406.32,
    "text": " about it. And going forward, working with religions around the world, the faiths around"
  },
  {
    "start": 406.32,
    "end": 411.6,
    "text": " the world who are coming together for peace and for climate justice, we're going to be working"
  },
  {
    "start": 411.6,
    "end": 417.92,
    "text": " with them and take the flag basically to various religious spots and looking at the Vatican also."
  },
  {
    "start": 417.92,
    "end": 428.4,
    "text": " Wow. That's fantastic. When we, if we look at all these platforms you work on to"
  },
  {
    "start": 428.96,
    "end": 433.76,
    "text": " amplify your message with what we said at the introduction you've been at the Met Gala and"
  },
  {
    "start": 433.76,
    "end": 440.64,
    "text": " Monaco and so on. So you brought the sustainability into the spotlight,"
  },
  {
    "start": 440.64,
    "end": 449.52,
    "text": " combining it with peace. How come you run into so many open doors?"
  },
  {
    "start": 449.52,
    "end": 457.44,
    "text": " Hebel, you know, there is something very interesting in the garments that we wear."
  },
  {
    "start": 458.16,
    "end": 464.56,
    "text": " We don't know who's made it. We don't know the faces behind it. The industry is vast,"
  },
  {
    "start": 464.56,
    "end": 470.88,
    "text": " but we still like to wear the clothes that we purchase. I'll give you an example. When I had"
  },
  {
    "start": 470.88,
    "end": 477.36,
    "text": " my store in India, I have, and India has people of different faiths, right, working together and"
  },
  {
    "start": 477.36,
    "end": 484.4,
    "text": " in harmony. I would probably have a man who is from Islam who would have done the embroidery"
  },
  {
    "start": 484.4,
    "end": 490.64,
    "text": " on this wedding gown. I would have a tailor who comes from the Hindu religion who would have,"
  },
  {
    "start": 490.64,
    "end": 495.36,
    "text": " you know, put it together and probably the person who cut the entire fabric would have been a"
  },
  {
    "start": 495.36,
    "end": 500.96,
    "text": " Christian. So you have three different religions coming together on this one wedding garment that"
  },
  {
    "start": 500.96,
    "end": 508.08,
    "text": " is going to be worn by this woman on her most special day. Now, this is something which really"
  },
  {
    "start": 508.08,
    "end": 515.44,
    "text": " stuck with me. And I was like, when we wear clothes, we love what we wear. Why don't we love"
  },
  {
    "start": 515.44,
    "end": 524.56,
    "text": " the people who also make it? That is when I just to infuse the concept of humanity, peace,"
  },
  {
    "start": 524.56,
    "end": 531.36,
    "text": " and sustainability. When we talk about the Prince Albert Foundation, I absolutely love the foundation"
  },
  {
    "start": 531.36,
    "end": 537.28,
    "text": " for what they do. It is not just what they're doing now, but it is intergenerational."
  },
  {
    "start": 538.0,
    "end": 545.68,
    "text": " We are talking about the Prince's father, his father, the family coming together,"
  },
  {
    "start": 545.68,
    "end": 551.2,
    "text": " taking in artifacts from the ocean, deciding to put them together, showing them to the scientists"
  },
  {
    "start": 551.2,
    "end": 556.32,
    "text": " and telling them what the creatures of the deep were, educating people. And now what the foundation"
  },
  {
    "start": 556.32,
    "end": 565.84,
    "text": " is doing is immense. The projects that they fund, the restoration projects that they take care of,"
  },
  {
    "start": 565.84,
    "end": 572.56,
    "text": " and also educating the people about what it is when it comes to not just the oceans, but also"
  },
  {
    "start": 572.56,
    "end": 578.24,
    "text": " indigenous communities, bringing people together through the Green Shift Festival, using art,"
  },
  {
    "start": 578.24,
    "end": 584.48,
    "text": " using philosophy. I think it's fantastic. So for me as a fashion environmentalist to partner"
  },
  {
    "start": 584.48,
    "end": 591.44,
    "text": " with these organizations is not just trying to get my work across, but it's also trying to support"
  },
  {
    "start": 591.44,
    "end": 597.6,
    "text": " them in their work and hopefully that we can collectively make a difference. And the similar"
  },
  {
    "start": 597.6,
    "end": 605.2,
    "text": " thing with the Met Gala, the Met Gala is renowned for the celebrities stopping by at the red carpet."
  },
  {
    "start": 605.2,
    "end": 612.72,
    "text": " But like I said, fashion needs to have a voice and a reason behind it. So for me to use these"
  },
  {
    "start": 612.72,
    "end": 619.52,
    "text": " platforms was not just for the celebrity to look good, but also for people to question why she"
  },
  {
    "start": 619.52,
    "end": 627.6,
    "text": " was wearing this particular garment. In this case, it was a him. It was Stephen Kald from"
  },
  {
    "start": 627.6,
    "end": 633.52,
    "text": " the Council of Fashion Designers of America, where I designed his entire tuxedo and used"
  },
  {
    "start": 633.52,
    "end": 641.68,
    "text": " the waist crystals from Swarovski, where we did the entire jacket in braille. And that spoke about"
  },
  {
    "start": 641.68,
    "end": 647.76,
    "text": " the concept of giving from Khalil Gibran. So when people looked at him, people said, wow,"
  },
  {
    "start": 647.76,
    "end": 654.08,
    "text": " that's a beautiful dinner jacket. And it had all these crystals that were running down in stripes."
  },
  {
    "start": 654.08,
    "end": 660.08,
    "text": " But it gave him an opportunity to speak about how his old tuxedo was repurposed,"
  },
  {
    "start": 660.08,
    "end": 665.6,
    "text": " how Swarovski donated the crystals that they didn't want to use, and how it was made into a"
  },
  {
    "start": 665.6,
    "end": 672.08,
    "text": " garment that was taken at the Met. And that I was hoping would probably inspire future designers"
  },
  {
    "start": 672.8,
    "end": 679.44,
    "text": " to know how to be innovative when it comes to existing garments that are there in our wardrobe."
  },
  {
    "start": 679.44,
    "end": 684.48,
    "text": " And at the same time, working with industries and also their waste and not something that is just"
  },
  {
    "start": 684.48,
    "end": 692.64,
    "text": " produced. So in those ways, I think these platforms have definitely opened up not just avenues for me,"
  },
  {
    "start": 692.64,
    "end": 701.28,
    "text": " but also for our future thinkers. And are you received at all those places was the same positivity?"
  },
  {
    "start": 702.08,
    "end": 710.4,
    "text": " The positivity, yes. With the peace flag, there was a bit of a flak because going back to using"
  },
  {
    "start": 710.4,
    "end": 716.96,
    "text": " fashions, waste for a social cause. Now, I believe that everybody has to have a voice across the"
  },
  {
    "start": 716.96,
    "end": 724.56,
    "text": " world. And when people are driven by the media that they consume, so they are going to write"
  },
  {
    "start": 724.56,
    "end": 730.64,
    "text": " their opinion. And it's all to do with peace. So but when we had the exhibition at the United"
  },
  {
    "start": 730.64,
    "end": 738.24,
    "text": " Nations, we had a bit of a problem with the Israeli delegation who came by and said that"
  },
  {
    "start": 738.24,
    "end": 743.84,
    "text": " there was no nobody who wrote about Israel, but everyone spoke about freeing Palestine."
  },
  {
    "start": 743.84,
    "end": 749.2,
    "text": " We had to explain and tell them that it wasn't a flag that was speaking about"
  },
  {
    "start": 749.68,
    "end": 755.52,
    "text": " freeing a particular country, it was a flag that was giving a voice to anybody and everybody."
  },
  {
    "start": 755.52,
    "end": 761.44,
    "text": " Similarly, when we had the Ukraine delegation that came by, there was a bit of a problem where"
  },
  {
    "start": 761.44,
    "end": 767.52,
    "text": " they were like, if we have the flag that is exhibited by Russia, we will not want to be a part of the"
  },
  {
    "start": 767.52,
    "end": 774.96,
    "text": " exhibition. This is something that was a bit of a struggle, because it's a unifying platform."
  },
  {
    "start": 774.96,
    "end": 781.2,
    "text": " And it's about creating tensions between countries. It's about giving the people in the"
  },
  {
    "start": 781.2,
    "end": 787.92,
    "text": " countries to speak about what peace means to them. So that was probably one of the most difficult"
  },
  {
    "start": 787.92,
    "end": 796.24,
    "text": " oppositions that was actually met by the global peace flag. But in terms of sustainability,"
  },
  {
    "start": 796.24,
    "end": 804.72,
    "text": " I think it's been very, very clear that this is the way to go ahead and we need to educate the new"
  },
  {
    "start": 804.72,
    "end": 811.2,
    "text": " generation of designers and consumers and let them know what they're buying. And it's only through"
  },
  {
    "start": 811.2,
    "end": 816.8,
    "text": " art and fashion and discussions of the sort that we can actually create a purpose that can go further."
  },
  {
    "start": 816.8,
    "end": 825.84,
    "text": " Can I quickly go back to the, because I was focusing a bit on sustainability."
  },
  {
    "start": 826.72,
    "end": 837.84,
    "text": " When your models walk the catwalk, let's say like in Monte Carlo, what is the first expression?"
  },
  {
    "start": 837.84,
    "end": 843.28,
    "text": " What do you see when you look into people's reaction?"
  },
  {
    "start": 843.28,
    "end": 853.92,
    "text": " The garments are very beautiful. So people love it. There are some pieces that people do not"
  },
  {
    "start": 853.92,
    "end": 860.64,
    "text": " understand, which needs to be explained. Like at Monte Carlo, I decided to work with the"
  },
  {
    "start": 860.64,
    "end": 868.16,
    "text": " Monaco Scientific Center. It was with the scientists that I wanted to create a garment"
  },
  {
    "start": 868.16,
    "end": 876.48,
    "text": " that spoke about their work, which normally is done in closed forums. So when I worked with"
  },
  {
    "start": 876.48,
    "end": 882.0,
    "text": " these scientists, we decided to work on coral restoration. And I said, I want to understand"
  },
  {
    "start": 882.0,
    "end": 887.44,
    "text": " more about what is happening under the water and what is it that actually destroys corals"
  },
  {
    "start": 887.44,
    "end": 895.12,
    "text": " and keeps fish away from these coral reserves. So they said it was noise pollution. And I thought"
  },
  {
    "start": 895.12,
    "end": 900.88,
    "text": " it was something that we really needed to look into because noise pollution under the water is"
  },
  {
    "start": 900.88,
    "end": 907.44,
    "text": " something that we don't see. And when we don't see, we don't know what's happening. So I worked with"
  },
  {
    "start": 907.44,
    "end": 913.2,
    "text": " them and found out that there were certain graphs that they already had of a healthy coral reef,"
  },
  {
    "start": 913.2,
    "end": 919.84,
    "text": " of an unhealthy coral reef. And it was through sound of the fish inhabiting those reefs that"
  },
  {
    "start": 919.84,
    "end": 924.72,
    "text": " they knew that the reef was getting healthy because it's only a healthy reef that will have"
  },
  {
    "start": 924.72,
    "end": 930.24,
    "text": " fish around it. So I worked with the graph, I decided to create a print and took it and made"
  },
  {
    "start": 930.24,
    "end": 935.92,
    "text": " a dress which was done out of caulk. And it looked like it was completely scalloped. The reason I"
  },
  {
    "start": 935.92,
    "end": 942.32,
    "text": " used caulk was because caulk is one of those materials that they've been using in the fishing"
  },
  {
    "start": 942.32,
    "end": 948.56,
    "text": " industry for like thousands of years, whether it's for floaters or whether it's for your"
  },
  {
    "start": 948.56,
    "end": 953.6,
    "text": " hook and line. And I thought it was a great sustainable material to kind of work on,"
  },
  {
    "start": 953.6,
    "end": 959.44,
    "text": " which ties the entire concept of the oceans plus also what the Monaco Scientific Center was doing."
  },
  {
    "start": 959.44,
    "end": 963.92,
    "text": " So when the model came out with this really pretty dress, people thought it was really pretty,"
  },
  {
    "start": 963.92,
    "end": 968.32,
    "text": " but they didn't know what it was. So I had to kind of explain it to them and say, you're looking"
  },
  {
    "start": 968.32,
    "end": 974.72,
    "text": " at a graph of a healthy coral reef that is hand-painted on this scalloped caulk dress."
  },
  {
    "start": 974.72,
    "end": 981.76,
    "text": " And then they understood what the concept was and it is interesting because Monaco also hosts the F1."
  },
  {
    "start": 981.76,
    "end": 987.2,
    "text": " But there's a lot of sound pollution. But at the same time, it's not happening where they are"
  },
  {
    "start": 987.2,
    "end": 992.48,
    "text": " taking care of the coral reef. So you have a certain part which is more commercial where you"
  },
  {
    "start": 992.48,
    "end": 997.36,
    "text": " have the yachts and everything. So that's fine. But I wanted people to understand that even when"
  },
  {
    "start": 997.36,
    "end": 1005.84,
    "text": " it comes to tourism and it comes to taking care of the places that you would probably would like"
  },
  {
    "start": 1005.84,
    "end": 1012.0,
    "text": " to visit when it came to beach resorts, how important sound was when it came to these really"
  },
  {
    "start": 1012.0,
    "end": 1020.96,
    "text": " delicate marine ecosystems. So yeah, so that was pretty interesting when that dress came out."
  },
  {
    "start": 1020.96,
    "end": 1026.64,
    "text": " And the other one was when I used burlap to speak about another sustainable material."
  },
  {
    "start": 1026.64,
    "end": 1035.6,
    "text": " So garment had actual mustard seeds that were sprouting out of it. So I had this garment with"
  },
  {
    "start": 1035.6,
    "end": 1042.64,
    "text": " me that I took from the US and I kept spray and I got into Monaco 10 days earlier before the show"
  },
  {
    "start": 1042.64,
    "end": 1047.68,
    "text": " and I added a cupboard and I had the seeds embedded and I kept spraying it every day"
  },
  {
    "start": 1047.68,
    "end": 1055.28,
    "text": " till the 10th day when they started blooming. And the model had to wear it. But then it was,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1055.28,
    "end": 1060.72,
    "text": " you know, her back was wet and the, you know, she was actually wearing a living dress. And I was"
  },
  {
    "start": 1060.72,
    "end": 1065.68,
    "text": " like, don't worry, it's just going to be just one minute and you're going to finish it. But"
  },
  {
    "start": 1065.68,
    "end": 1071.12,
    "text": " we had to kind of get the message across. And the rest of the garments were done with this"
  },
  {
    "start": 1071.12,
    "end": 1077.44,
    "text": " indigenous printing technique where I used seaweed to print and everything was unique and"
  },
  {
    "start": 1077.44,
    "end": 1085.92,
    "text": " organic. So I wanted to show that sustainability need not look boring, but at the same time can"
  },
  {
    "start": 1085.92,
    "end": 1093.52,
    "text": " look really beautiful and carry a message. And all these methods and the materials you talk about,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1093.52,
    "end": 1100.64,
    "text": " how did you find all that? So there is this one particular material that I'm working on and"
  },
  {
    "start": 1100.64,
    "end": 1108.0,
    "text": " that is to do with seaweed and algae. And I have a patent that is in progress right now."
  },
  {
    "start": 1108.0,
    "end": 1116.72,
    "text": " So this material is basically a combination of invasive algae and seaweed. The reason I'm using"
  },
  {
    "start": 1116.72,
    "end": 1123.36,
    "text": " seaweed is because it gets to be a byproduct of the food industry, of the fertilizer industry."
  },
  {
    "start": 1123.36,
    "end": 1128.72,
    "text": " And at the same time, you have invasive algae that is taking over the oceans and not letting"
  },
  {
    "start": 1128.72,
    "end": 1135.76,
    "text": " seaweed grow. So you need to work towards marine restoration. So we are cleaning up the oceans"
  },
  {
    "start": 1135.76,
    "end": 1145.52,
    "text": " trying to get the invasive algae. And at the same time, it provides an alternative livelihood when"
  },
  {
    "start": 1145.52,
    "end": 1152.24,
    "text": " it comes to people who are working, say in the global south. And if you look at the north, where"
  },
  {
    "start": 1152.24,
    "end": 1158.4,
    "text": " you also have the invasive algae, it's about how do you clean this up because it interferes with"
  },
  {
    "start": 1158.4,
    "end": 1165.68,
    "text": " your recreational spots. And people do not want to go into those places because it just takes up,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1165.68,
    "end": 1169.84,
    "text": " takes over the lakes and takes over the oceans. And most of it is because of human activities,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1169.84,
    "end": 1176.32,
    "text": " because of the pesticides that are leaching into the waterways. It's because of the high nitrogen"
  },
  {
    "start": 1176.32,
    "end": 1184.24,
    "text": " content that is causing this algae to grow rapidly every year. When I started noticing this algae"
  },
  {
    "start": 1184.24,
    "end": 1191.12,
    "text": " growth, it was in 2020. And now I see this growth in 2024. And now it's massive. Now you can see"
  },
  {
    "start": 1191.12,
    "end": 1199.28,
    "text": " the ducks walking over it, not just wading through it. And it's six months during summer and takes"
  },
  {
    "start": 1199.28,
    "end": 1210.32,
    "text": " over the entire place. My God. Okay. And if we talk about the cost of producing all those clothes,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1210.32,
    "end": 1219.68,
    "text": " how does it differ from industrial production? So for me, the concept is mostly waste to wealth."
  },
  {
    "start": 1219.68,
    "end": 1226.16,
    "text": " And that's what I like to work with, especially when it comes to my industry. I like to analyze"
  },
  {
    "start": 1226.16,
    "end": 1233.76,
    "text": " what is it that we could mitigate in the industry to make your process better. So when I speak to"
  },
  {
    "start": 1233.76,
    "end": 1240.08,
    "text": " students and I when I teach them about sustainability, for example, always tell them, if your design is"
  },
  {
    "start": 1240.08,
    "end": 1247.84,
    "text": " going to be print heavy, what could you do to make your print sustainable where you could be like,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1247.84,
    "end": 1254.96,
    "text": " okay, maybe my garment, maybe I do not know the source of my material. I do not know what has"
  },
  {
    "start": 1254.96,
    "end": 1260.4,
    "text": " gone into growing it, but I can control the process when this when this fabric comes in my hand,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1260.4,
    "end": 1265.28,
    "text": " because I know exactly how to print it in a very sustainable way that doesn't waste water,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1265.28,
    "end": 1270.64,
    "text": " that doesn't cause water pollution. And at the same time, I know how when it comes back to me"
  },
  {
    "start": 1270.64,
    "end": 1275.68,
    "text": " that I can probably, you know, recycle it, or I know what has gone into making off the print"
  },
  {
    "start": 1275.68,
    "end": 1282.8,
    "text": " when it comes to the dies. Similarly, when it comes to designers who want to start their garment"
  },
  {
    "start": 1282.8,
    "end": 1291.28,
    "text": " from scratch, like what I would what I normally do is working with your local farmers or wherever"
  },
  {
    "start": 1291.28,
    "end": 1295.92,
    "text": " you're sourcing your fabric from, say, for example, if it's from the US, you have flax,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1295.92,
    "end": 1301.68,
    "text": " which is very, very easily available, you even have cotton, go there, see if you can get the raw"
  },
  {
    "start": 1301.68,
    "end": 1308.0,
    "text": " material, work with your local viewers, make your own fabric, you're a designer, you don't need"
  },
  {
    "start": 1308.0,
    "end": 1314.56,
    "text": " yards and yards of fabric because you're not looking into mass. Now mass production is"
  },
  {
    "start": 1314.56,
    "end": 1320.96,
    "text": " something else which we I will speak about. But when you're creating prototypes and a small"
  },
  {
    "start": 1320.96,
    "end": 1326.64,
    "text": " batch, work locally with these people, get the yarn, find out if you could have,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1326.64,
    "end": 1334.08,
    "text": " if you could, for example, grow indigo that would, you know, create the nitrogen fixing in the soil,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1334.08,
    "end": 1337.52,
    "text": " which means that you can also harvest the indigo where you have your own blue,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1337.52,
    "end": 1341.84,
    "text": " you're creating your own dies, and at the same time, you're owning the entire circular process."
  },
  {
    "start": 1341.84,
    "end": 1349.84,
    "text": " So while it looks like it's expensive, I think if we don't follow this in the beginning of our"
  },
  {
    "start": 1349.84,
    "end": 1356.56,
    "text": " process, the entire end is going to be very, very costly, not just for you, but for me,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1356.56,
    "end": 1363.12,
    "text": " everybody around us. And that is exactly the waste that we are seeing. So what is it that we could"
  },
  {
    "start": 1363.12,
    "end": 1372.72,
    "text": " do to mitigate our waste lies in our hands. And you mentioned that you work with the local farmers"
  },
  {
    "start": 1372.72,
    "end": 1378.88,
    "text": " and also on the other hand with scientists and artists and policymakers and people from different"
  },
  {
    "start": 1378.88,
    "end": 1388.16,
    "text": " religions. Do you think this approach is crucial to the success of your endeavor?"
  },
  {
    "start": 1388.16,
    "end": 1398.72,
    "text": " I think it's more than crucial. It's imperative for success of any endeavor, because right now,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1398.72,
    "end": 1407.12,
    "text": " nobody can work in isolation. It is important to understand what is happening behind the product"
  },
  {
    "start": 1407.12,
    "end": 1415.04,
    "text": " that you're making. You cannot just go and create a garment, for example, and put it out there in"
  },
  {
    "start": 1415.04,
    "end": 1419.84,
    "text": " the market and wash your hands off it. Because the world is changing. You have so many policies"
  },
  {
    "start": 1419.84,
    "end": 1426.16,
    "text": " that are coming into place. I mean, the Californian governor just signed Gavin Newsom, just signed this"
  },
  {
    "start": 1426.16,
    "end": 1433.12,
    "text": " law, which is called producer-owned responsibility, which means that if you produce or you manufacture,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1433.12,
    "end": 1437.92,
    "text": " you have to be responsible for taking that garment back and doing whatever you want to do with it,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1437.92,
    "end": 1442.32,
    "text": " whether it is recycling it, whether it's upcycling it, whether it's making another product out of it."
  },
  {
    "start": 1442.32,
    "end": 1448.4,
    "text": " But you need to own that. I mean, the EU also has its own very stringent laws when it comes to"
  },
  {
    "start": 1448.4,
    "end": 1453.52,
    "text": " waste. I mean, they've come up with a law, this was I think around two to three years ago, where"
  },
  {
    "start": 1453.52,
    "end": 1459.92,
    "text": " I mean, which is again in progress right now, where around 30% of the new yarn that is going to"
  },
  {
    "start": 1459.92,
    "end": 1467.52,
    "text": " be used in fibers has to be recycled. So the only way we can do that is working with scientists."
  },
  {
    "start": 1467.52,
    "end": 1472.48,
    "text": " The only way we can do that is working with policymakers, because then we need to understand"
  },
  {
    "start": 1472.48,
    "end": 1478.88,
    "text": " what the future is. And at the same time, when you start educating the consumers,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1478.88,
    "end": 1484.88,
    "text": " it's going to be through your retail units. So you need to have your supply chain also in place,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1484.88,
    "end": 1491.44,
    "text": " where you can tell the person at the retail store where this garment actually came from and why the"
  },
  {
    "start": 1491.44,
    "end": 1498.24,
    "text": " consumer shouldn't carry that guilt of buying because they need to be confident that what they"
  },
  {
    "start": 1498.24,
    "end": 1505.52,
    "text": " are purchasing is not contributing to the negative side of the environment, but towards the positive"
  },
  {
    "start": 1505.52,
    "end": 1513.12,
    "text": " growth of it. But that doesn't stop us from looking at greenwashing that happens,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1514.32,
    "end": 1520.24,
    "text": " where it has happened several times where you have companies who speak about"
  },
  {
    "start": 1520.24,
    "end": 1527.12,
    "text": " recycling a t-shirt and put the boards out there so the consumers come and they're like,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1527.12,
    "end": 1532.0,
    "text": " oh, I don't mind buying probably, you know, five, six t-shirts for my family, because I know if I"
  },
  {
    "start": 1532.0,
    "end": 1539.84,
    "text": " give it back, it's going to be recycled. So what happens is that when you have a statement like"
  },
  {
    "start": 1539.84,
    "end": 1553.36,
    "text": " this put out and you meet those people at conferences like COP26, COP27, 2829 and you ask them,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1553.36,
    "end": 1559.52,
    "text": " do you have these recycling facilities actually in place? And they're like, well, we have it in"
  },
  {
    "start": 1559.52,
    "end": 1565.68,
    "text": " development, but we're looking for investment. That is something that really upsets you because"
  },
  {
    "start": 1565.68,
    "end": 1572.32,
    "text": " you're like, why would you put this message out to consumers who don't attend COP and don't know"
  },
  {
    "start": 1572.32,
    "end": 1579.92,
    "text": " the discussions that are happening internally? So when you question them and you ask them,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1579.92,
    "end": 1588.8,
    "text": " so is your recycling as fast as your sell-throughs and they don't have that in place, then what are"
  },
  {
    "start": 1588.8,
    "end": 1597.92,
    "text": " they selling? And who is checking on it? It's very difficult to check on this because it's to be"
  },
  {
    "start": 1597.92,
    "end": 1607.52,
    "text": " very closed and talking about conglomerates, big money here, supporting a lot of sustainable fashion"
  },
  {
    "start": 1607.52,
    "end": 1615.76,
    "text": " initiatives, which gets to be another eye wash and another green wash without truly speaking about"
  },
  {
    "start": 1615.76,
    "end": 1625.2,
    "text": " what is happening within their own industry. I was just thinking because I had in my program"
  },
  {
    "start": 1625.2,
    "end": 1631.28,
    "text": " the chairman of the who set up the International Sustainability Standards Board,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1631.28,
    "end": 1640.8,
    "text": " who set the standards for sustainability. And my understanding is if companies sign up for that"
  },
  {
    "start": 1640.8,
    "end": 1648.72,
    "text": " and they soon, I think legally will have to, is that, do you think this is a guarantee"
  },
  {
    "start": 1648.72,
    "end": 1657.52,
    "text": " for greener production? I hope it's a guarantee. I mean, we all hope"
  },
  {
    "start": 1657.52,
    "end": 1666.8,
    "text": " guarantee, but you need to also understand that the fashion industry is very fragmented."
  },
  {
    "start": 1667.36,
    "end": 1675.04,
    "text": " So you might have the headquarters of the big manufacturing house, say in Europe or in the US,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1675.04,
    "end": 1684.08,
    "text": " but the manufacturing happens, say in the global south or and you would send your managers for"
  },
  {
    "start": 1684.08,
    "end": 1690.48,
    "text": " compliance checks. You can't send them to go and see whether the factory is operating as per compliance,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1691.28,
    "end": 1697.6,
    "text": " but you don't know what the factory does after closing hours. Now, the reason I say this is"
  },
  {
    "start": 1697.6,
    "end": 1703.68,
    "text": " because I have been privy to this and I have seen this happen where you would have factories who"
  },
  {
    "start": 1703.68,
    "end": 1712.88,
    "text": " would take in orders from probably five different organizations, too much to handle, the organization"
  },
  {
    "start": 1712.88,
    "end": 1719.04,
    "text": " thinking that they're handling only their production, right? So you have company aid that has given,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1719.04,
    "end": 1723.92,
    "text": " say, 5,000 genes and this factory is like, great, we can do it. But the factory goes and approaches"
  },
  {
    "start": 1723.92,
    "end": 1728.72,
    "text": " company B, takes another 5,000 genes and see another 5,000. So they have 15,000 genes that they need"
  },
  {
    "start": 1728.72,
    "end": 1736.32,
    "text": " to manufacture, but the capacity is probably 2,000 to 5,000 only, but they've taken the order for 15,000."
  },
  {
    "start": 1736.32,
    "end": 1741.76,
    "text": " So what they do is that they subcontract and how do they subcontract it? They send it out to other"
  },
  {
    "start": 1741.76,
    "end": 1747.92,
    "text": " factories that have absolutely no compliance or they take migrant tailor workers who come in at"
  },
  {
    "start": 1747.92,
    "end": 1753.6,
    "text": " night, sit there, finish the work and they go. The factories have no compliance. We saw the"
  },
  {
    "start": 1753.6,
    "end": 1759.04,
    "text": " Rana Plaza tragedy that took place, which, you know, where they have it on foundations that are"
  },
  {
    "start": 1759.04,
    "end": 1765.76,
    "text": " not built to support something that is industrial. Or you have the migrant workers who sleep at night"
  },
  {
    "start": 1765.76,
    "end": 1771.68,
    "text": " on the factory floors, wake up, hide themselves during the day and you have the compliance officer"
  },
  {
    "start": 1771.68,
    "end": 1775.44,
    "text": " who comes in because you know when the person's coming in and everything is pick and span,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1775.44,
    "end": 1782.64,
    "text": " you don't have the other orders that are seen. So you can't blame, I'm not trying to be very dark in"
  },
  {
    "start": 1782.64,
    "end": 1790.8,
    "text": " this, but I hope that there would be more stringent ways to actually look at how garments are"
  },
  {
    "start": 1790.8,
    "end": 1796.4,
    "text": " manufactured and deep delve. It's almost like being an undercover agent, you know what I mean?"
  },
  {
    "start": 1796.4,
    "end": 1803.6,
    "text": " But sometimes it's very important because otherwise uncovering the truth is not exactly the truth."
  },
  {
    "start": 1805.28,
    "end": 1811.84,
    "text": " Yeah, it's complex. Very complex and especially when there's so much money involved and you're"
  },
  {
    "start": 1811.84,
    "end": 1820.08,
    "text": " talking about really, really poor people who are living for less than, you know, a dollar to a day"
  },
  {
    "start": 1820.08,
    "end": 1826.0,
    "text": " who need this kind of money. Yeah, which brings me to the core question. Is it then that we need"
  },
  {
    "start": 1826.0,
    "end": 1834.96,
    "text": " a systemic change? Yeah, systemic change. We do need a systemic change. I think we need an entire"
  },
  {
    "start": 1834.96,
    "end": 1841.6,
    "text": " revolution when it comes to fashion. I think we need a lot of transparency within the fashion"
  },
  {
    "start": 1841.6,
    "end": 1849.04,
    "text": " industry and supply chain and also getting the message across not just to designers, but also"
  },
  {
    "start": 1849.04,
    "end": 1854.16,
    "text": " to consumers, not just having it within closed walls, but getting people, how do you get this,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1854.16,
    "end": 1859.28,
    "text": " how do you get people to understand what they're buying? I mean, we heard about the blood diamonds"
  },
  {
    "start": 1859.28,
    "end": 1864.16,
    "text": " at one point when the movie came out, but we never knew about it otherwise. And then we started"
  },
  {
    "start": 1864.16,
    "end": 1871.04,
    "text": " questioning diamonds. Otherwise, we still didn't have any idea about it. I had no idea about it."
  },
  {
    "start": 1871.04,
    "end": 1876.88,
    "text": " Even now, when my grandmother would buy corals at that time, and we look at it now, it's now when I"
  },
  {
    "start": 1876.88,
    "end": 1881.76,
    "text": " tell my family, you've got to be careful, you know, if you want to invest in corals, because this"
  },
  {
    "start": 1881.76,
    "end": 1886.56,
    "text": " is exactly what's happening. And when we look at it, that's when they realize because India is all"
  },
  {
    "start": 1886.56,
    "end": 1895.28,
    "text": " about jewelry, they love jewelry, it's something that yes, and it's handed down from one generation"
  },
  {
    "start": 1895.28,
    "end": 1901.04,
    "text": " to another, it's like saris, you keep them and you want your children to have it, their children"
  },
  {
    "start": 1901.04,
    "end": 1906.88,
    "text": " to have, so it's a heritage piece. But what do you buy now? And how do you source, how do you know"
  },
  {
    "start": 1906.88,
    "end": 1913.04,
    "text": " that you are buying it sustainably? So when you have stores that take your gold and melt it and"
  },
  {
    "start": 1913.04,
    "end": 1919.68,
    "text": " you can get a new piece made from it, I think that's a much better ideal because you know where"
  },
  {
    "start": 1919.68,
    "end": 1926.4,
    "text": " your new piece is coming from. So the same thing, if we could do that in the fashion industry and"
  },
  {
    "start": 1926.4,
    "end": 1932.96,
    "text": " educate the consumers, I think it's going to be huge. But we need to get a lot of creative"
  },
  {
    "start": 1932.96,
    "end": 1940.48,
    "text": " industries involved in this to show the true side of fashion and also give solutions."
  },
  {
    "start": 1942.24,
    "end": 1947.84,
    "text": " Because right now we're just showing what the industry is about and people are like, so what"
  },
  {
    "start": 1947.84,
    "end": 1956.08,
    "text": " can I do? And then there's this big chasm of darkness. Which also it has to be also affordable."
  },
  {
    "start": 1956.08,
    "end": 1965.12,
    "text": " And because you focus a lot on the consumer, I think, let's think of me right now as a consumer,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1965.12,
    "end": 1972.16,
    "text": " there's a lot to think about. I don't know when to stop. I go to an organic food shop,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1972.16,
    "end": 1979.28,
    "text": " and I think I'm pretty safe there only to find out later that maybe it was not that organic."
  },
  {
    "start": 1979.28,
    "end": 1989.28,
    "text": " Or I buy clothes, or I buy a car if I buy a car. Or I go for a swim in the ocean and I put"
  },
  {
    "start": 1989.28,
    "end": 1998.32,
    "text": " some cream on or whatever. And there is so much to think and to leave it all up to the individual,"
  },
  {
    "start": 1999.6,
    "end": 2008.56,
    "text": " I think this is a lot. So how would it is a lot? Yeah, it is a lot. And that's why I believe that"
  },
  {
    "start": 2008.56,
    "end": 2018.16,
    "text": " it has to start from the industry itself. Yeah. And if we educate the new age designers who are"
  },
  {
    "start": 2018.16,
    "end": 2024.24,
    "text": " looking really deeply into sustainability, I'm talking about the students, design students,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2024.96,
    "end": 2030.16,
    "text": " they would be the ones who would go to the corporates and point out the mistakes that they're"
  },
  {
    "start": 2030.16,
    "end": 2039.2,
    "text": " making. And the corporates do not adhere to what this new group or this new age of designers want"
  },
  {
    "start": 2039.2,
    "end": 2045.84,
    "text": " them to do, they're going to be called out. And it gets out into the press. Everything that they"
  },
  {
    "start": 2045.84,
    "end": 2051.52,
    "text": " find, whether it's your sustainability report or anything that you are affiliated to is going to"
  },
  {
    "start": 2051.52,
    "end": 2058.0,
    "text": " come crashing down. And that is something which lots of big companies do not want. So you have"
  },
  {
    "start": 2058.0,
    "end": 2062.96,
    "text": " to write, we cannot just put it on the consumer. I believe we need to educate the consumer,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2062.96,
    "end": 2070.56,
    "text": " but that can only happen if changes are also made internally in the fashion industry. And it can be"
  },
  {
    "start": 2070.56,
    "end": 2076.64,
    "text": " done with the new age students who will be coming out and looking for sustainable methods."
  },
  {
    "start": 2076.64,
    "end": 2080.96,
    "text": " I'll give you an example. Like I went to the National Institute of Fashion Technology in"
  },
  {
    "start": 2080.96,
    "end": 2089.52,
    "text": " Delhi, which is funded by the Ministry of Textiles. And I'm also an alumni of it. And when I was"
  },
  {
    "start": 2089.52,
    "end": 2094.48,
    "text": " speaking to the students, the students who were working with leather, they were working with"
  },
  {
    "start": 2094.48,
    "end": 2101.2,
    "text": " Rexine to make prototypes. So I would talk why using Rexine and why would you, I mean,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2101.2,
    "end": 2106.16,
    "text": " they were like, no, it's much cheaper. And you know, the same thing about being sustainable is"
  },
  {
    "start": 2106.16,
    "end": 2115.92,
    "text": " very expensive. So I kind of deep, deep dive into trying to understand why they wanted to stick to"
  },
  {
    "start": 2115.92,
    "end": 2122.56,
    "text": " Rexine and leather. And the most important thing that came up with was like cost number one."
  },
  {
    "start": 2122.56,
    "end": 2129.28,
    "text": " And they said that sustainable fabrics that they were facing or getting in terms of, you know,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2129.28,
    "end": 2133.44,
    "text": " the cactus leather or everything that was provided, they said, it's exactly like Rexine."
  },
  {
    "start": 2134.15,
    "end": 2139.79,
    "text": " And when I looked at it, I was astounded because it was true."
  },
  {
    "start": 2139.79,
    "end": 2142.07,
    "text": " The backing was synthetic."
  },
  {
    "start": 2142.07,
    "end": 2149.07,
    "text": " And even if you use it on cotton, it's just a cotton backing on which the pulp is"
  },
  {
    "start": 2149.07,
    "end": 2152.63,
    "text": " sprayed and pressed and the top coating is synthetic."
  },
  {
    "start": 2152.63,
    "end": 2156.75,
    "text": " Because there's no other way that they could probably make it waterproof unless and"
  },
  {
    "start": 2156.75,
    "end": 2158.35,
    "text": " until you're using something natural."
  },
  {
    "start": 2158.35,
    "end": 2162.87,
    "text": " But if you want to mass produce it or you want to even get it to a point where"
  },
  {
    "start": 2162.87,
    "end": 2167.07,
    "text": " people want to start using it, whether it's a bag or accessory, there is going to"
  },
  {
    "start": 2167.07,
    "end": 2168.79,
    "text": " be some sort of polymer that is used."
  },
  {
    "start": 2168.79,
    "end": 2172.67,
    "text": " Now, why wouldn't a designer want to communicate that?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2172.67,
    "end": 2176.47,
    "text": " Or why wouldn't that company want to communicate that?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2176.47,
    "end": 2181.79,
    "text": " They could be saying that, OK, 80% for example, of this fabric that I have"
  },
  {
    "start": 2181.79,
    "end": 2184.11,
    "text": " manufactured is made of this."
  },
  {
    "start": 2184.11,
    "end": 2191.75,
    "text": " Whereas 10% is has, you know, some sort of plastic polymer, but I can break it"
  },
  {
    "start": 2191.75,
    "end": 2193.47,
    "text": " down and recycle it."
  },
  {
    "start": 2193.47,
    "end": 2198.23,
    "text": " Now, that would be something where people would be like, oh, OK, maybe, you know,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2198.23,
    "end": 2202.19,
    "text": " it costs probably a little more, but it's worthwhile to buy."
  },
  {
    "start": 2202.19,
    "end": 2206.99,
    "text": " I'm not investing in something that is cheap, which is going to be broken down"
  },
  {
    "start": 2206.99,
    "end": 2209.07,
    "text": " in a year or two."
  },
  {
    "start": 2209.07,
    "end": 2212.99,
    "text": " But I know that this is going to stay with me for probably 10 years."
  },
  {
    "start": 2212.99,
    "end": 2217.31,
    "text": " And that's good because then I can send it back to the company and they can do"
  },
  {
    "start": 2217.31,
    "end": 2217.95,
    "text": " something with it."
  },
  {
    "start": 2219.99,
    "end": 2223.79,
    "text": " And how far is the process that you can sell it back to the company yet?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2223.79,
    "end": 2228.63,
    "text": " I think the sending back is still very, very nascent."
  },
  {
    "start": 2228.63,
    "end": 2235.67,
    "text": " Like I said, it's kind of starting now where you have to have the responsibility"
  },
  {
    "start": 2235.67,
    "end": 2237.83,
    "text": " of taking back the garments that you sold."
  },
  {
    "start": 2237.83,
    "end": 2240.07,
    "text": " But it's a very huge industry."
  },
  {
    "start": 2240.07,
    "end": 2244.55,
    "text": " We need to have some sort of digital footprint when it comes to manufacturing."
  },
  {
    "start": 2244.55,
    "end": 2248.67,
    "text": " So you would know where your fabric is coming from, where your seed comes from,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2249.51,
    "end": 2252.19,
    "text": " where it was dyed, what was the dye that was used."
  },
  {
    "start": 2252.19,
    "end": 2257.83,
    "text": " And then it would probably go into a more legal issue as to who owns"
  },
  {
    "start": 2257.83,
    "end": 2261.03,
    "text": " the major responsibility of that piece."
  },
  {
    "start": 2261.03,
    "end": 2266.15,
    "text": " Is it the person who made that bag or is it the person who produced that fabric?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2266.15,
    "end": 2268.83,
    "text": " Or is it that person who grew that crop?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2268.83,
    "end": 2273.75,
    "text": " So these are very, very, very nascent."
  },
  {
    "start": 2273.75,
    "end": 2277.59,
    "text": " And it's something which I think is very interesting."
  },
  {
    "start": 2277.87,
    "end": 2279.71,
    "text": " And that we worked upon."
  },
  {
    "start": 2279.71,
    "end": 2286.03,
    "text": " And I am trying to kind of get this streamlined and seeing how we could get"
  },
  {
    "start": 2286.03,
    "end": 2290.59,
    "text": " governments to start employing this, not maybe on a large scale, but probably"
  },
  {
    "start": 2290.59,
    "end": 2294.59,
    "text": " on a small scale with the new advent of sustainable textiles."
  },
  {
    "start": 2294.59,
    "end": 2295.95,
    "text": " Absolutely."
  },
  {
    "start": 2295.95,
    "end": 2300.91,
    "text": " It needs strong governments to be on site here."
  },
  {
    "start": 2301.23,
    "end": 2310.35,
    "text": " I'm just thinking if I send back my clothes to company A,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2310.35,
    "end": 2317.95,
    "text": " and they have signed up to the whole ESG process, right?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2317.95,
    "end": 2319.63,
    "text": " And the SDF and so on."
  },
  {
    "start": 2319.63,
    "end": 2325.39,
    "text": " They committed to recycle it."
  },
  {
    "start": 2326.11,
    "end": 2329.47,
    "text": " And bring it back to the market."
  },
  {
    "start": 2329.47,
    "end": 2335.23,
    "text": " So maybe, yes, this is the longer term key."
  },
  {
    "start": 2335.23,
    "end": 2336.75,
    "text": " Do you think?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2336.75,
    "end": 2337.23,
    "text": " Yes."
  },
  {
    "start": 2337.23,
    "end": 2337.55,
    "text": " Yeah."
  },
  {
    "start": 2337.55,
    "end": 2338.67,
    "text": " Yes."
  },
  {
    "start": 2338.67,
    "end": 2341.23,
    "text": " And it also kind of builds trust."
  },
  {
    "start": 2341.23,
    "end": 2347.87,
    "text": " And at the same time, it could also be beneficial for the company in a long way"
  },
  {
    "start": 2347.87,
    "end": 2353.31,
    "text": " and for the environment in the long way and for people because then you are making a product"
  },
  {
    "start": 2353.95,
    "end": 2361.71,
    "text": " that can be actually biodegradable if you want it to be that way, or recycled or upcycled."
  },
  {
    "start": 2361.71,
    "end": 2365.07,
    "text": " And you start with the end in mind."
  },
  {
    "start": 2365.07,
    "end": 2367.87,
    "text": " So you don't just go ahead and say, oh, you know what?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2367.87,
    "end": 2372.99,
    "text": " I'm going to make this product because I think it looks good because, you know,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2372.99,
    "end": 2378.35,
    "text": " the fashion industry at one point was just about having a muse, having someone you thought was"
  },
  {
    "start": 2378.35,
    "end": 2385.63,
    "text": " really attractive, who had an attractive lifestyle and a kind of lifestyle that you would like your"
  },
  {
    "start": 2385.63,
    "end": 2389.47,
    "text": " client to have or the kind of person you were catering to."
  },
  {
    "start": 2389.47,
    "end": 2394.27,
    "text": " And then you would put that person in front of you and you would design an entire wardrobe"
  },
  {
    "start": 2394.27,
    "end": 2395.31,
    "text": " for that person."
  },
  {
    "start": 2395.31,
    "end": 2400.67,
    "text": " If that person was somebody who was attending events or, you know, galas,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2400.67,
    "end": 2404.67,
    "text": " you would design an entire different wardrobe for that person."
  },
  {
    "start": 2404.67,
    "end": 2406.27,
    "text": " And that's how the fashion industry was."
  },
  {
    "start": 2406.83,
    "end": 2408.43,
    "text": " That's how it still is."
  },
  {
    "start": 2408.43,
    "end": 2416.83,
    "text": " But infusing it with something which makes it more practical where you can take back the gown"
  },
  {
    "start": 2416.83,
    "end": 2423.31,
    "text": " after its worn once for the Met Gala, for example, and then you repurpose it and you either give it"
  },
  {
    "start": 2423.31,
    "end": 2426.99,
    "text": " back to the same customer or you can have it, you could give it to somebody else."
  },
  {
    "start": 2426.99,
    "end": 2430.99,
    "text": " Now that makes it more appealing because then you start with the end in mind."
  },
  {
    "start": 2430.99,
    "end": 2434.51,
    "text": " And then if that person wants to give it back, then you know how to repurpose again."
  },
  {
    "start": 2434.51,
    "end": 2440.83,
    "text": " And that's the beauty of fashion because we are fashioning something, we are creating something."
  },
  {
    "start": 2440.83,
    "end": 2443.87,
    "text": " And that is where creativity lies."
  },
  {
    "start": 2443.87,
    "end": 2449.23,
    "text": " And that is where we need to infuse creativity with science and practicality."
  },
  {
    "start": 2449.23,
    "end": 2455.15,
    "text": " And you were talking a bit about how to educate the consumers or going into"
  },
  {
    "start": 2455.15,
    "end": 2460.67,
    "text": " the fashion industry and educate the new designers."
  },
  {
    "start": 2462.67,
    "end": 2467.31,
    "text": " How do you use your success on different platforms?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2467.31,
    "end": 2473.47,
    "text": " So for that, I started a nonprofit called Fastening for Social Environmental Justice"
  },
  {
    "start": 2473.47,
    "end": 2481.63,
    "text": " where I educate students across universities in different parts of the world"
  },
  {
    "start": 2481.63,
    "end": 2489.71,
    "text": " and create events where they could basically think deeper into their product design"
  },
  {
    "start": 2489.71,
    "end": 2492.99,
    "text": " and make pieces that could be more sustainable for the future."
  },
  {
    "start": 2492.99,
    "end": 2498.91,
    "text": " This also gives them a chance to collaborate with other designers who are working in other"
  },
  {
    "start": 2498.91,
    "end": 2504.03,
    "text": " global markets and seeing how they could be a cross-pollination when it came to design,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2504.03,
    "end": 2507.31,
    "text": " when it came to techniques, when it came to dyes, when it came to"
  },
  {
    "start": 2507.31,
    "end": 2512.27,
    "text": " indigenous processes that were only relevant to that country."
  },
  {
    "start": 2512.27,
    "end": 2515.95,
    "text": " So what happens is that you create a hybrid which is really beautiful"
  },
  {
    "start": 2516.51,
    "end": 2520.43,
    "text": " and purely sustainable with these young minds."
  },
  {
    "start": 2520.43,
    "end": 2525.31,
    "text": " And at the same time, these people wanting to either take it forward into the"
  },
  {
    "start": 2525.31,
    "end": 2530.75,
    "text": " industry that they would like to join, whether it is leather, whether it is just"
  },
  {
    "start": 2530.75,
    "end": 2537.87,
    "text": " diamond-ting or even simple as graphics, because we are talking about communication."
  },
  {
    "start": 2537.87,
    "end": 2540.03,
    "text": " How do you communicate sustainably?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2540.03,
    "end": 2541.47,
    "text": " Even that's a very important point."
  },
  {
    "start": 2541.47,
    "end": 2545.87,
    "text": " We don't get to see that because we only look at, right now we're just talking about the product,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2545.87,
    "end": 2547.47,
    "text": " but communication."
  },
  {
    "start": 2547.47,
    "end": 2552.19,
    "text": " What kind of communication would you like your consumer to imbibe or understand?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2552.19,
    "end": 2558.75,
    "text": " So this is, and then getting them to understand how the United Nations work,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2558.75,
    "end": 2564.67,
    "text": " the Prince Albert Foundation, if they want to do something which is with the oceans,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2564.67,
    "end": 2572.67,
    "text": " but also on a larger scale when it comes to restoration in general, and basically collaborations"
  },
  {
    "start": 2572.67,
    "end": 2578.43,
    "text": " with scientists and getting their pieces out that people can understand and question"
  },
  {
    "start": 2578.43,
    "end": 2582.11,
    "text": " and want to be a part of the movement."
  },
  {
    "start": 2582.11,
    "end": 2585.55,
    "text": " Yeah, you also do documentaries, right?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2585.55,
    "end": 2588.03,
    "text": " And you live in different countries."
  },
  {
    "start": 2588.03,
    "end": 2595.79,
    "text": " So how have you experienced in the last decade the progress of awareness of sustainability"
  },
  {
    "start": 2595.79,
    "end": 2599.07,
    "text": " in the society and also in the media?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2599.95,
    "end": 2605.71,
    "text": " When I work with creating these short documentaries, I basically live with these people."
  },
  {
    "start": 2605.71,
    "end": 2611.95,
    "text": " The reason I do this is like I want to infuse the lifestyle of people who are probably not"
  },
  {
    "start": 2611.95,
    "end": 2617.63,
    "text": " connected to the fashion industry, but how the fashion industry influences their lifestyle."
  },
  {
    "start": 2617.63,
    "end": 2619.79,
    "text": " Let me give you an example."
  },
  {
    "start": 2619.79,
    "end": 2627.79,
    "text": " So we have a lot of natural pearls, right, which we get from the oceans."
  },
  {
    "start": 2627.79,
    "end": 2630.83,
    "text": " And then you also have cultured pearls or freshwater pearls."
  },
  {
    "start": 2630.83,
    "end": 2638.51,
    "text": " Unfortunately, because of overfishing, we do not have place for oysters to grow."
  },
  {
    "start": 2638.51,
    "end": 2644.03,
    "text": " And I'm talking about a city in the south of the southern peninsula of India."
  },
  {
    "start": 2644.03,
    "end": 2652.27,
    "text": " And it's so polluted because of the bottom trolling, overfishing, and of course this algae growth"
  },
  {
    "start": 2652.27,
    "end": 2654.99,
    "text": " that at one point, oysters were huge."
  },
  {
    "start": 2654.99,
    "end": 2656.75,
    "text": " It was one of the largest industries."
  },
  {
    "start": 2656.75,
    "end": 2660.43,
    "text": " This is in true reporting, but they don't have the oysters anymore."
  },
  {
    "start": 2660.43,
    "end": 2666.83,
    "text": " So when I went to the Central Marine Research Institute and spoke with the scientists,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2666.83,
    "end": 2669.39,
    "text": " I said, I'm going to stay here and see what you guys are doing."
  },
  {
    "start": 2669.39,
    "end": 2671.63,
    "text": " And how are you restoring pearls?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2671.63,
    "end": 2674.91,
    "text": " Because pearls we use in the fashion industry is accessories."
  },
  {
    "start": 2674.91,
    "end": 2683.23,
    "text": " So when I stayed there, I found out that the scientists were doing quite a bit to educate"
  },
  {
    "start": 2683.79,
    "end": 2690.03,
    "text": " the fisher people about not using nets as, you know, they were using nets like the size of a"
  },
  {
    "start": 2690.03,
    "end": 2690.75,
    "text": " mosquito net."
  },
  {
    "start": 2690.75,
    "end": 2695.07,
    "text": " The reason being was they said, oh, but if we don't catch the fish, then the bottom"
  },
  {
    "start": 2695.07,
    "end": 2697.07,
    "text": " trollers are going to catch the fish."
  },
  {
    "start": 2697.07,
    "end": 2701.63,
    "text": " And when I spoke to the bottom trollers, they were blaming the artisanal fishermen."
  },
  {
    "start": 2701.63,
    "end": 2707.23,
    "text": " So now when you're using nets of such a small size, you're catching all the juvenile fish."
  },
  {
    "start": 2707.23,
    "end": 2710.19,
    "text": " You're trapping everything and anything."
  },
  {
    "start": 2710.19,
    "end": 2713.07,
    "text": " Now, if you need corals to grow, you need fish."
  },
  {
    "start": 2713.07,
    "end": 2714.91,
    "text": " Everything is interdependent."
  },
  {
    "start": 2714.91,
    "end": 2720.03,
    "text": " And you need if you need oysters to grow, the ocean has to be free of pollution."
  },
  {
    "start": 2720.03,
    "end": 2726.75,
    "text": " This is not happening because then because of the over overfishing of the pearls,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2726.75,
    "end": 2728.35,
    "text": " there's no pearl industry."
  },
  {
    "start": 2728.35,
    "end": 2733.15,
    "text": " So what they're doing now is they kind of introducing the nuclei into the oysters"
  },
  {
    "start": 2733.15,
    "end": 2738.43,
    "text": " and putting them back in the oceans and having seaweed cultivation happen with it."
  },
  {
    "start": 2738.43,
    "end": 2740.83,
    "text": " So everything kind of grows together."
  },
  {
    "start": 2740.83,
    "end": 2745.63,
    "text": " And one thing that I noticed was because you had the cotton industry where they were"
  },
  {
    "start": 2745.63,
    "end": 2749.71,
    "text": " growing cotton, the pesticides that were getting into the oceans, which is also causing pollution."
  },
  {
    "start": 2749.71,
    "end": 2757.55,
    "text": " The because of the algae, people were kind of clearing up only certain parts of the ocean"
  },
  {
    "start": 2757.55,
    "end": 2763.87,
    "text": " and having a kind of an integrated ocean system where you would have the bottom feeders."
  },
  {
    "start": 2763.87,
    "end": 2768.35,
    "text": " You would have the crabs in one net above the crabs you would have."
  },
  {
    "start": 2768.35,
    "end": 2770.51,
    "text": " And then above the fish, you would probably have seaweed."
  },
  {
    "start": 2771.23,
    "end": 2775.79,
    "text": " So each and every family had this kind of integrated system where they were taking care"
  },
  {
    "start": 2775.79,
    "end": 2781.87,
    "text": " of what they were doing for their own livelihoods because they were not they they were scared of"
  },
  {
    "start": 2781.87,
    "end": 2787.47,
    "text": " the open ocean and they were worried that the fish would swim away and never come back."
  },
  {
    "start": 2787.47,
    "end": 2794.43,
    "text": " So when I did that, I also found out that the shell industry that we use so many shells"
  },
  {
    "start": 2794.43,
    "end": 2802.67,
    "text": " to make buttons from were basically harvested by boys who were 14, 15, 16, you know, up to 21"
  },
  {
    "start": 2802.67,
    "end": 2810.99,
    "text": " years of age. They would dive off these boats. They would and they had the air was pumped through"
  },
  {
    "start": 2810.99,
    "end": 2817.55,
    "text": " bicycle pumps. And they just had like this long tube and they would dive five times a day for"
  },
  {
    "start": 2818.51,
    "end": 2824.59,
    "text": " 70 meters. They had these big brass plates, I mean, steel plates that they would kind of"
  },
  {
    "start": 2824.59,
    "end": 2829.87,
    "text": " have on their feet and dig the ocean floor. They would dig the ocean floor, dig up all the shells,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2829.87,
    "end": 2835.23,
    "text": " pull up the entire hall and then send it for processing where you make, you know, some of"
  },
  {
    "start": 2835.23,
    "end": 2840.43,
    "text": " the shells were used for religious purposes. But most of them were also used for the accessory"
  },
  {
    "start": 2840.43,
    "end": 2846.75,
    "text": " industry. So these are the deeper aspects when it comes to the fashion industry and small things"
  },
  {
    "start": 2846.75,
    "end": 2852.83,
    "text": " like buttons, when it, you know, pearl, which we don't think about, but there's so much of human"
  },
  {
    "start": 2852.83,
    "end": 2862.03,
    "text": " labor that is behind it. And the fight behind it is because no more food. And I just got back from"
  },
  {
    "start": 2862.03,
    "end": 2867.55,
    "text": " the Maldives and the Maldives is teeming with fish right now. I have not spoken to the scientists"
  },
  {
    "start": 2867.55,
    "end": 2874.35,
    "text": " there. So I do not know what challenges that they face when it comes to the fish. But I can tell"
  },
  {
    "start": 2874.35,
    "end": 2880.59,
    "text": " you one thing. When I was swimming with the turtles, there's absolutely no coral life that I saw."
  },
  {
    "start": 2880.59,
    "end": 2886.19,
    "text": " And I was also told that tourism is one of the largest factors when it comes to breaking of"
  },
  {
    "start": 2886.19,
    "end": 2893.79,
    "text": " the corals. 80% of the corals are broken because of tourism. And you cannot have any of the"
  },
  {
    "start": 2893.79,
    "end": 2899.95,
    "text": " tourism people say anything to the tourists because Maldives depends on tourism. So this is"
  },
  {
    "start": 2899.95,
    "end": 2905.07,
    "text": " the sad fact of what is happening around the world and how everything is interconnected."
  },
  {
    "start": 2905.07,
    "end": 2915.87,
    "text": " And coming back to the Maldives and the the the corals, there we are exactly back at the problem"
  },
  {
    "start": 2915.87,
    "end": 2923.15,
    "text": " everybody faces, this vicious cycle. You cannot, you have focused your economic"
  },
  {
    "start": 2925.47,
    "end": 2933.63,
    "text": " idea on tourism. Let's just stay with the Maldives now, right? So the model says tourism"
  },
  {
    "start": 2933.63,
    "end": 2941.39,
    "text": " or upmarket tourism. This is my model. And we implement it. So they do implement it."
  },
  {
    "start": 2941.39,
    "end": 2950.43,
    "text": " And they realize it destroys the very source of their profit. Yeah, it destroys their ocean."
  },
  {
    "start": 2950.43,
    "end": 2962.91,
    "text": " It destroys the water. So and yet nobody can find a way to break out of that cycle and A,"
  },
  {
    "start": 2962.91,
    "end": 2972.03,
    "text": " create a new model, right? There must be other economic models. And B, be truthful or educate"
  },
  {
    "start": 2972.03,
    "end": 2980.83,
    "text": " the tourists. So when you when you were there, what was or did you have an idea of how to do better?"
  },
  {
    "start": 2980.83,
    "end": 2991.15,
    "text": " So when I was there, the first thing that struck me was I did not see any quarry garden around"
  },
  {
    "start": 2991.15,
    "end": 2998.67,
    "text": " which was conducive to marine life in the way of what it was probably 15, 20 years ago. So what's"
  },
  {
    "start": 2998.67,
    "end": 3005.87,
    "text": " happening is that we do have, you do have the local fisher people who take you the, you know,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3005.87,
    "end": 3011.31,
    "text": " the from the tourism industry, but they take you to a place where it is already a quarry graveyard."
  },
  {
    "start": 3011.31,
    "end": 3016.43,
    "text": " So when you have coral restoration that's taking place, I hope that you don't have"
  },
  {
    "start": 3016.43,
    "end": 3022.75,
    "text": " tourists going over there. But the coral graveyard, you have a lot of novice people who can't swim."
  },
  {
    "start": 3022.75,
    "end": 3027.39,
    "text": " So you definitely going to step onto corals, you're going to break them off. And even if you"
  },
  {
    "start": 3027.39,
    "end": 3033.79,
    "text": " have something budding there, it's not going to grow. So it gets to be very difficult even trying"
  },
  {
    "start": 3033.79,
    "end": 3039.55,
    "text": " to explain it to them because like I said, they do not want to be filmed. And they do not want"
  },
  {
    "start": 3039.55,
    "end": 3046.03,
    "text": " this to reach the wider audience in the world, because they're like, we will be troubled if we"
  },
  {
    "start": 3046.03,
    "end": 3057.15,
    "text": " get this message across. But the very cause of the income is also ending it. It's also ending it."
  },
  {
    "start": 3057.31,
    "end": 3063.79,
    "text": " I think they're also working towards trying to find out ways like in the resorts, lots of"
  },
  {
    "start": 3063.79,
    "end": 3069.55,
    "text": " resorts that are funding these coral restoration projects, which are really, really good. But"
  },
  {
    "start": 3069.55,
    "end": 3074.11,
    "text": " the time has come. I mean, it's too late now, you have to do something. Also,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3074.11,
    "end": 3079.47,
    "text": " you know, the warming waters, there's a lot of coral bleaching. I saw a lot of bleach corals."
  },
  {
    "start": 3079.47,
    "end": 3086.39,
    "text": " I mean, it's not just here, I saw it also in the Andamans. And even when I was in Sharma"
  },
  {
    "start": 3086.39,
    "end": 3093.19,
    "text": " Sheikh in Egypt, when snorkeling, I saw a lot of people stepping on the corals in Egypt. So"
  },
  {
    "start": 3093.19,
    "end": 3098.47,
    "text": " it's unfortunate. It happens. But I think stringent laws have to be taken now by the"
  },
  {
    "start": 3098.47,
    "end": 3103.91,
    "text": " government and by people who are doing the coral restoration, what I think is a great thing"
  },
  {
    "start": 3103.91,
    "end": 3110.31,
    "text": " that they're doing it. But to put that in place and not let people or tourists go there anymore."
  },
  {
    "start": 3112.07,
    "end": 3124.31,
    "text": " Till we, till we revive it. Yeah. Runa, how far have you moved on or away from your time"
  },
  {
    "start": 3124.31,
    "end": 3131.03,
    "text": " when you worked in Paris for Dior and Jean Galliano?"
  },
  {
    "start": 3131.03,
    "end": 3137.67,
    "text": " Wow, it's been, it's been quite, quite a journey."
  },
  {
    "start": 3139.75,
    "end": 3145.75,
    "text": " It's been quite a journey. I mean, I wouldn't know where to start, but I think it was probably"
  },
  {
    "start": 3145.75,
    "end": 3151.11,
    "text": " the fact that I always believed that fashion had to have a purpose. I loved working with"
  },
  {
    "start": 3151.11,
    "end": 3157.75,
    "text": " Jean Galliano and Dior. But again, I saw a lot of waste that was generated because of the fur industry."
  },
  {
    "start": 3157.75,
    "end": 3164.07,
    "text": " So the skins came in in different colors of Husha and pink and turquoise at that time."
  },
  {
    "start": 3164.07,
    "end": 3169.35,
    "text": " And they were not used by the designers because the animal was not skinned in the right way."
  },
  {
    "start": 3169.35,
    "end": 3174.47,
    "text": " I think that was something that really struck me really deeply. Because I thought that we were"
  },
  {
    "start": 3174.47,
    "end": 3181.51,
    "text": " making the lives of those who couldn't speak ugly because of us to look good. And that's when I said"
  },
  {
    "start": 3181.51,
    "end": 3188.07,
    "text": " that fashion needs to be used as activism, which can advocate and educate for policy change."
  },
  {
    "start": 3188.07,
    "end": 3194.87,
    "text": " So taking that banner forward, I think I have navigated not just through the,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3195.83,
    "end": 3202.71,
    "text": " not just through couture, but also through ready to wear and Tretopote and seeing what"
  },
  {
    "start": 3202.71,
    "end": 3209.91,
    "text": " changes I could make within the industry till the time I took off and started my own company, which"
  },
  {
    "start": 3209.91,
    "end": 3220.47,
    "text": " started using the over, you know, surplus fabrics and made jackets into it. And at that time,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3221.83,
    "end": 3226.79,
    "text": " I had a lot of companies that were rejecting the lots because they said that they wanted"
  },
  {
    "start": 3226.79,
    "end": 3233.83,
    "text": " the size sets to be or a particular color, whereas mine was mixed. And that was something I couldn't"
  },
  {
    "start": 3233.83,
    "end": 3239.43,
    "text": " negotiate with because they said, no, I want a black in small, medium, large with a ratio of two to"
  },
  {
    "start": 3239.43,
    "end": 3246.23,
    "text": " one. And if you don't have that, I'm sorry, we can't keep that. And that was how companies were"
  },
  {
    "start": 3246.23,
    "end": 3252.23,
    "text": " basically rejecting orders. And I decided to work against the flow and did not work with those"
  },
  {
    "start": 3252.23,
    "end": 3258.79,
    "text": " companies, but put everything online. So people had a choice to buy. And it didn't matter whether"
  },
  {
    "start": 3258.79,
    "end": 3268.79,
    "text": " you had just one black large jacket or buy two, because you had, you were not at the mercy of"
  },
  {
    "start": 3268.79,
    "end": 3273.59,
    "text": " the retailer who want all the size sets. And if it didn't sell, they will send it back."
  },
  {
    "start": 3273.59,
    "end": 3279.51,
    "text": " So stock was a huge issue. And that is something which I think a lot of companies deal with,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3279.51,
    "end": 3284.07,
    "text": " not just in the fashion industry, but any industry. So how do you calculate stock?"
  },
  {
    "start": 3284.07,
    "end": 3290.39,
    "text": " And how do you know exactly how much to manufacture that it doesn't go to waste? And in an industry"
  },
  {
    "start": 3290.39,
    "end": 3296.39,
    "text": " that is so trend focused, where we have created the fact that, oh, we're going to get red, which is"
  },
  {
    "start": 3296.39,
    "end": 3302.15,
    "text": " the color for the next season. How do we change that? Because then the consumer will not wear the"
  },
  {
    "start": 3302.15,
    "end": 3306.39,
    "text": " blue that they bought the previous season because it will be like, oh, it's so out of fashion."
  },
  {
    "start": 3306.39,
    "end": 3313.99,
    "text": " And that's primarily the mistake that we started. So navigating through that, creating something"
  },
  {
    "start": 3313.99,
    "end": 3321.19,
    "text": " which is timeless and which where you don't have to feel guilty when you go through the streets of"
  },
  {
    "start": 3321.19,
    "end": 3327.51,
    "text": " a city called Tirupur, where the dogs come out looking blue because they've all been,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3327.51,
    "end": 3331.83,
    "text": " all the garments are dyed blue. And you're like, oh, the color of the next season is blue."
  },
  {
    "start": 3331.83,
    "end": 3335.59,
    "text": " That's when you're trying to make some sort of change happen."
  },
  {
    "start": 3335.59,
    "end": 3342.15,
    "text": " Yeah. But when you said, I'm sure let's, let's hope a few designers listening to you right now."
  },
  {
    "start": 3342.15,
    "end": 3350.39,
    "text": " You said opening an online shop. Okay, opening an online shop. And then how did it go for you?"
  },
  {
    "start": 3350.39,
    "end": 3360.39,
    "text": " I did not open an online shop. So at that time, you had the online boom that started. People started,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3360.39,
    "end": 3366.39,
    "text": " they were online companies that started taking off. You had Amazon, you had other, you had"
  },
  {
    "start": 3366.39,
    "end": 3372.07,
    "text": " Valora. So I signed up with these companies and I had the stock with them. And I would put in the"
  },
  {
    "start": 3372.07,
    "end": 3377.91,
    "text": " number of pieces that were available. If the pieces sold, they sold. And that's it. I would not"
  },
  {
    "start": 3377.91,
    "end": 3383.75,
    "text": " replenish it. I would not come back with the same blue that I made because I don't have that fabric"
  },
  {
    "start": 3383.75,
    "end": 3391.75,
    "text": " anymore. And this is something that I, and this was in 2011. And it worked perfectly because I did"
  },
  {
    "start": 3391.75,
    "end": 3397.99,
    "text": " not have the issue of stock. And I did not program fabric. I did not go to the mill and say, you know,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3397.99,
    "end": 3405.03,
    "text": " what I want 100 yards of this fabric, because I want to make 80, 80 jackets or 70 jackets. And I"
  },
  {
    "start": 3405.03,
    "end": 3410.63,
    "text": " was not, I was not forced to make those number of jackets in that one color and then be stuck with"
  },
  {
    "start": 3410.63,
    "end": 3417.43,
    "text": " just one color. Whereas I went sourcing, I went to a lot of these companies who I primarily"
  },
  {
    "start": 3417.43,
    "end": 3426.63,
    "text": " basically worked with, like Levi's and Aditya Birla, which is one of the largest retailers also"
  },
  {
    "start": 3426.63,
    "end": 3431.19,
    "text": " in India. And I would go through their stock room and say, what are you doing with this? This is just"
  },
  {
    "start": 3431.19,
    "end": 3436.31,
    "text": " five meters. Can I have it? Oh yeah, you can have it. Because if it's, if it sticks around in the"
  },
  {
    "start": 3436.31,
    "end": 3441.27,
    "text": " stock room for more than a couple of years, it ends up in the landfill. Because at that time,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3441.27,
    "end": 3446.39,
    "text": " the concept of repurposing fabric was never there. People were still programming it. And it had to be"
  },
  {
    "start": 3446.39,
    "end": 3453.03,
    "text": " new and fresh. So it was a very, I mean, I was going and buying the stock lots and making pieces."
  },
  {
    "start": 3453.03,
    "end": 3460.63,
    "text": " It was still a relatively very, very new concept in 2000. Yeah, no, it's, yeah, yeah, it's very,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3460.63,
    "end": 3467.91,
    "text": " very interesting. And it seems as if one is in need and looks around, there's always a way out."
  },
  {
    "start": 3467.91,
    "end": 3478.63,
    "text": " There's always a new technology or something new that helps to fulfill your idea on how to"
  },
  {
    "start": 3478.63,
    "end": 3488.31,
    "text": " produce differently or how to trade differently. Absolutely. I'm sure that many people are now"
  },
  {
    "start": 3488.31,
    "end": 3495.83,
    "text": " quite taken by your courage and your personal journey. Can we go back where maybe to your"
  },
  {
    "start": 3495.83,
    "end": 3504.63,
    "text": " early life on where your drive comes from? Because it is one thing to have an idea and"
  },
  {
    "start": 3504.63,
    "end": 3515.27,
    "text": " create a brand, but there is another of making it, turning it into your life on the long term."
  },
  {
    "start": 3515.27,
    "end": 3524.39,
    "text": " So you are from India. Can we go back to your roots? How did you grow up? And yeah, let's start with that."
  },
  {
    "start": 3524.39,
    "end": 3534.79,
    "text": " I like that question because I come from a family which is very modest. My father worked very hard."
  },
  {
    "start": 3534.79,
    "end": 3542.23,
    "text": " He started his own paper mill and he dedicated most of his life to it like all our parents have."
  },
  {
    "start": 3542.87,
    "end": 3555.11,
    "text": " And as children, we were always told to be careful with our food. And we would, I remember my grandparents"
  },
  {
    "start": 3555.11,
    "end": 3560.79,
    "text": " would, you know, reprimand me or scold me if I wasted food because my grandmother would always"
  },
  {
    "start": 3560.79,
    "end": 3564.71,
    "text": " tell me, do not waste food. Don't you see the number of people starving on the streets?"
  },
  {
    "start": 3565.75,
    "end": 3572.71,
    "text": " And that's where I think the first start of being responsible came from. And then"
  },
  {
    "start": 3572.71,
    "end": 3583.11,
    "text": " my mother was very, very instrumental. It came to discipline. It was about being very disciplined"
  },
  {
    "start": 3583.11,
    "end": 3587.35,
    "text": " with everything that you do. And even when it came to buying clothes, you know, as a teenager,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3587.35,
    "end": 3591.91,
    "text": " you always want to buy what's in fashion. And she'd be like, don't buy what's in fashion because"
  },
  {
    "start": 3591.91,
    "end": 3596.39,
    "text": " that's going to go buy something that's going to stick with you for a longer period of time."
  },
  {
    "start": 3596.39,
    "end": 3600.87,
    "text": " So as a teenager, you would get really angry because you'd have your peers wearing, you know,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3600.87,
    "end": 3606.55,
    "text": " these lovely shorts, but you were not allowed to buy them because you know, your mom would be like,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3606.55,
    "end": 3611.43,
    "text": " just buy the same shorts, but probably in a simple color that you can wear for like a longer period"
  },
  {
    "start": 3611.43,
    "end": 3618.71,
    "text": " of time. So it started off with being conscious about your consumption. And when it comes to drive,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3618.71,
    "end": 3628.55,
    "text": " I think we were always made to understand how hard people worked around us. And we needed to do"
  },
  {
    "start": 3628.55,
    "end": 3632.71,
    "text": " something with our lives, not just with our lives, but also to see what we could do that"
  },
  {
    "start": 3632.71,
    "end": 3639.99,
    "text": " creates an effect around people in general. My father started his company. His pay, the,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3639.99,
    "end": 3645.03,
    "text": " he started a handmade paper company. And then that moved into industrial paper. But he was very"
  },
  {
    "start": 3645.03,
    "end": 3654.39,
    "text": " proud of what he did. I'm talking about 40 years ago. And he said that my organization employs"
  },
  {
    "start": 3654.39,
    "end": 3661.19,
    "text": " women. My paper is ash free, it's wood free, it's chemical free, and it's completely recycled."
  },
  {
    "start": 3661.19,
    "end": 3667.27,
    "text": " This was something which we never understood, but we grew up with it, you know, we grew up with it."
  },
  {
    "start": 3667.27,
    "end": 3672.39,
    "text": " And I would be like, how is it ash free, chemical free, you know, wood free. And he'd be like, yes,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3672.39,
    "end": 3679.03,
    "text": " because I'm buying all the cuttings from the textile industry, which are waste, and pulping it"
  },
  {
    "start": 3679.03,
    "end": 3686.79,
    "text": " and making it into paper. And so we grew up with that. And we understood the concept of waste to"
  },
  {
    "start": 3686.79,
    "end": 3692.79,
    "text": " wealth. And that's something which has kind of, you know, stuck with me. And that's why I always"
  },
  {
    "start": 3692.79,
    "end": 3698.07,
    "text": " look around me and see that number one, do not waste food, because food and fashion compete"
  },
  {
    "start": 3698.07,
    "end": 3702.23,
    "text": " with each other, what you're eating, and what you're wearing is probably growing on the same"
  },
  {
    "start": 3702.23,
    "end": 3708.47,
    "text": " piece of land. It needs the same amount of resources, the same amount of water. And we need"
  },
  {
    "start": 3708.47,
    "end": 3716.55,
    "text": " to take care of it. And understanding this entire, entirety together was also the fact that I come"
  },
  {
    "start": 3716.55,
    "end": 3722.39,
    "text": " from a family where my father is Hindu and my mother is Christian. So there was also a lot"
  },
  {
    "start": 3722.39,
    "end": 3727.43,
    "text": " of tolerance between the two of them. And at that time, the concept of in India, we're talking about"
  },
  {
    "start": 3727.43,
    "end": 3732.63,
    "text": " the concept of a love marriage never existed. It was always an arranged marriage. So for people"
  },
  {
    "start": 3732.63,
    "end": 3736.55,
    "text": " from different religions to come together and fall in love and actually make a life together"
  },
  {
    "start": 3736.55,
    "end": 3745.67,
    "text": " was very, very, you know, and so I grew up like celebrating both religions, all the festivals,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3745.67,
    "end": 3751.43,
    "text": " and just having a great time. And that's when I, when I worked with the global peace flag,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3751.43,
    "end": 3757.35,
    "text": " these are the things that get to be a very, very important part of the degree, because I know"
  },
  {
    "start": 3757.35,
    "end": 3764.07,
    "text": " what tolerance, not just tolerance, but acceptance is when it comes to people from completely"
  },
  {
    "start": 3764.07,
    "end": 3773.27,
    "text": " different backgrounds. That makes me also now understand better why you are in the age of five,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3773.27,
    "end": 3778.79,
    "text": " I think I read, won the UNICEF art competition. What happened there?"
  },
  {
    "start": 3780.15,
    "end": 3791.03,
    "text": " So at the age of five, I had my mother who got me to do this one, one painting. And when we went"
  },
  {
    "start": 3791.03,
    "end": 3797.51,
    "text": " to this, went to the UNICEF that had its event, and she, I remember her taking me over there,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3797.51,
    "end": 3803.59,
    "text": " and she said, and I said, what do I draw? And she said, think about me and think about you."
  },
  {
    "start": 3803.59,
    "end": 3807.11,
    "text": " And what is it that I always tell you? And I looked at it and I said, you always tell me to be careful."
  },
  {
    "start": 3809.11,
    "end": 3819.19,
    "text": " So I drew this, I drew this mother duck speaking to its child duck, and I had all the trees and"
  },
  {
    "start": 3819.19,
    "end": 3823.59,
    "text": " everything around it. And I kind of wrote a little thing at the back that said, be careful,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3823.59,
    "end": 3830.39,
    "text": " the fox is looking. And that, that was something which I think kind of intrigued them quite a bit,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3830.39,
    "end": 3838.39,
    "text": " because there was a purpose behind the whole drawing. And, you know, as children, we are always"
  },
  {
    "start": 3838.39,
    "end": 3843.03,
    "text": " told to be cautious where you go, be careful of who you meet, you know, don't take this"
  },
  {
    "start": 3843.03,
    "end": 3849.35,
    "text": " suite from somebody or don't look around, look left and right when you cross the street."
  },
  {
    "start": 3849.35,
    "end": 3853.35,
    "text": " So, you know, parents are always looking out for their children. So that was something which I"
  },
  {
    "start": 3853.35,
    "end": 3859.51,
    "text": " translated onto my canvas and got me to win the first prize. And it came out also on the postcards."
  },
  {
    "start": 3859.51,
    "end": 3865.27,
    "text": " And I never knew at that age that I would actually be associated in some way with the"
  },
  {
    "start": 3865.27,
    "end": 3869.83,
    "text": " United Nations in the future. But it's a lovely cycle, isn't it?"
  },
  {
    "start": 3869.83,
    "end": 3875.11,
    "text": " It's wonderful. It's absolutely circular. And to tell you something, even the ducks that I drew"
  },
  {
    "start": 3875.11,
    "end": 3881.11,
    "text": " were circles. Yeah, but I was thinking, I was, we were talking here before I"
  },
  {
    "start": 3881.11,
    "end": 3887.83,
    "text": " asked you for an interview, I said, I find that fascinating because she started when she was"
  },
  {
    "start": 3887.83,
    "end": 3893.75,
    "text": " five unconsciously clearly on what the UNICEF is and so on. And then what did you later do to,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3893.75,
    "end": 3898.79,
    "text": " to, was the peace, peace flag? Did you knock on the door and said, look, I did that at the time"
  },
  {
    "start": 3898.79,
    "end": 3904.39,
    "text": " and I want to do something new? Or how did it work? So with the United Nations as a peace flag,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3904.39,
    "end": 3910.15,
    "text": " they were looking to see what they could do with the fashion industry and create an intersection"
  },
  {
    "start": 3910.15,
    "end": 3915.83,
    "text": " between climate change and peace. And it was a concept that I already started harboring in 2020"
  },
  {
    "start": 3915.83,
    "end": 3921.59,
    "text": " and in 2021, we had the school, I had the schools in California who started contributing towards"
  },
  {
    "start": 3921.59,
    "end": 3929.03,
    "text": " the concept of it. So I approached the city hall and I said, I have all the schools that speak"
  },
  {
    "start": 3929.03,
    "end": 3934.95,
    "text": " about peace and during this time of COVID, and I'd like to cover your facade. So the entire facade"
  },
  {
    "start": 3934.95,
    "end": 3942.07,
    "text": " of the city hall that was covered and press went crazy because it was all artworks from all the"
  },
  {
    "start": 3942.07,
    "end": 3948.71,
    "text": " schools around and people would stand, stop, look, you know, take photographs. And then I said,"
  },
  {
    "start": 3949.51,
    "end": 3955.11,
    "text": " we need to do this with the United Nations. So we had one of the students go in, I got the"
  },
  {
    "start": 3955.11,
    "end": 3965.03,
    "text": " United Nations to interview one of the students on the day of peace. And this was in 2023, I think."
  },
  {
    "start": 3965.03,
    "end": 3972.55,
    "text": " And the UN said, we love the concept. So we would like, so there's this one initiative called the"
  },
  {
    "start": 3972.55,
    "end": 3979.19,
    "text": " SDG action campaign that I've been involved in. And they would like to endorse the project and"
  },
  {
    "start": 3979.19,
    "end": 3986.31,
    "text": " see how it could be taken across, not just in the US, but globally. And that was a concept anyways"
  },
  {
    "start": 3986.31,
    "end": 3994.79,
    "text": " to do globally. So I started working with people who were in prisons, we're going there and teaching"
  },
  {
    "start": 3994.79,
    "end": 4001.19,
    "text": " them about sustainability. So I went to San Quentin State Prison and I asked them and, you know,"
  },
  {
    "start": 4001.19,
    "end": 4008.07,
    "text": " it took me a year to volunteer with the inmates who were there. And I got to repurpose their old"
  },
  {
    "start": 4008.07,
    "end": 4012.55,
    "text": " shirts that would have been ended up in the landfill into canvases. So they spoke about peace"
  },
  {
    "start": 4012.55,
    "end": 4019.91,
    "text": " within their, within the system that they belong to. I went to several schools, the international"
  },
  {
    "start": 4019.91,
    "end": 4025.51,
    "text": " campaign to abolish nuclear weapons. So we even have countries who haven't ratified the treaty."
  },
  {
    "start": 4025.51,
    "end": 4030.47,
    "text": " You have this, you have people within those countries who do not want the country to have"
  },
  {
    "start": 4030.47,
    "end": 4035.51,
    "text": " nuclear weapons because we know it's devastating. I started collaborating with a lot of other peace"
  },
  {
    "start": 4035.51,
    "end": 4040.39,
    "text": " organizations like World Beyond War, the international campaign, sorry, the International"
  },
  {
    "start": 4040.39,
    "end": 4047.59,
    "text": " Peace Bureau. And the next thing that's happening at the White House in 2025 is going to be an"
  },
  {
    "start": 4047.59,
    "end": 4053.91,
    "text": " intersection with fashion and peace. So we have peace, people who actually have studied peace"
  },
  {
    "start": 4053.91,
    "end": 4060.79,
    "text": " and who know the science behind creating peace, like the, you know, international physicians"
  },
  {
    "start": 4060.79,
    "end": 4068.23,
    "text": " against nuclear weapons, for example, and also bringing the creative side of the fashion industry"
  },
  {
    "start": 4068.23,
    "end": 4074.71,
    "text": " that can mel together. And the reason I bring this up is because the current war that's happening"
  },
  {
    "start": 4074.71,
    "end": 4078.31,
    "text": " now with, you know, unfortunate thinking that's happening with Russia and Ukraine,"
  },
  {
    "start": 4078.31,
    "end": 4085.83,
    "text": " you have a lot of pesticides that are being used in the cotton industry, which is stopped"
  },
  {
    "start": 4085.83,
    "end": 4092.63,
    "text": " because of the war. And that affects also the fashion industry, but also everything,"
  },
  {
    "start": 4092.63,
    "end": 4098.71,
    "text": " you know, like crops and everything, but our skin, but people don't get to see that."
  },
  {
    "start": 4098.71,
    "end": 4103.59,
    "text": " So how do you create that intersection where you have something which is very, very strong and"
  },
  {
    "start": 4103.59,
    "end": 4111.11,
    "text": " scientific and very policy driven, and also something which is soft and beautiful and nurturing,"
  },
  {
    "start": 4111.11,
    "end": 4117.03,
    "text": " which humanity look at and say, oh, that's beautiful, but also creating that melding of the"
  },
  {
    "start": 4117.03,
    "end": 4124.95,
    "text": " hard and soft. And that's what I'm looking for. Well, Runa, I think that was a very, very fascinating"
  },
  {
    "start": 4124.95,
    "end": 4132.55,
    "text": " hour and a deep dive in the fashion industry. And I think before we end it, I just would like"
  },
  {
    "start": 4133.83,
    "end": 4143.59,
    "text": " to know from you what legacy do you hope to leave? Wow, that's a very deep question. I think my"
  },
  {
    "start": 4143.59,
    "end": 4151.99,
    "text": " journey has just begun. But what I would like to see is people realizing that we are all one,"
  },
  {
    "start": 4151.99,
    "end": 4159.75,
    "text": " we are woven from a common thread that creates this tapestry of humanity."
  },
  {
    "start": 4160.39,
    "end": 4166.95,
    "text": " And that's what makes this beautiful world and that we are all interconnected. And that we need"
  },
  {
    "start": 4166.95,
    "end": 4177.59,
    "text": " to understand that we are very nice people. We don't need to, we don't need to be influenced by"
  },
  {
    "start": 4177.59,
    "end": 4183.83,
    "text": " politics. We need to use our own minds and understand that if you're in trouble, I'm going"
  },
  {
    "start": 4183.83,
    "end": 4188.47,
    "text": " to help you. And I having the trust if I'm in trouble, I know you will come and help me."
  },
  {
    "start": 4189.03,
    "end": 4194.95,
    "text": " So if I could leave behind something, it would probably be that of trust."
  },
  {
    "start": 4194.95,
    "end": 4205.99,
    "text": " Yeah, I think this is a wonderful, wonderful thing to leave that we can trust. Wow."
  },
  {
    "start": 4205.99,
    "end": 4215.03,
    "text": " Runa, thank you very, very much. That was really wonderful. And yeah, I wish you all the energy"
  },
  {
    "start": 4215.03,
    "end": 4224.79,
    "text": " you need. All the necessary stakeholders coming to support and great success. And I hope this show"
  },
  {
    "start": 4224.79,
    "end": 4232.39,
    "text": " will help to spread the message a bit. And yeah, so that we can all have a bigger impact together."
  },
  {
    "start": 4232.39,
    "end": 4237.27,
    "text": " Thank you so much, Zabel. Thank you for everything."
  },
  {
    "start": 4237.27,
    "end": 4242.15,
    "text": " You've been listening to a special English edition of the Gorsa Neustadt,"
  },
  {
    "start": 4242.15,
    "end": 4248.23,
    "text": " a German podcast series by Zabilla Barton, in which she talks to pioneering leaders who are"
  },
  {
    "start": 4248.23,
    "end": 4254.71,
    "text": " committed to making our world smarter, greener and fairer. For more information, please visit"
  },
  {
    "start": 4254.71,
    "end": 4268.07,
    "text": " www.zabillabarton.com and the official site of the World Economic Forum."
  }
]