Her Deepest Ecologies
Her Deepest Ecologies: The Podcast
Episode 12: Emily Gigot
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Episode 12: Emily Gigot

12-19-24

“We’ve extracted all the materials we really need to clothe ourselves.”

My sister has worked in the textile and apparel industry for many years. Her work is focused on sustainability and we had a great discussion about clothing, waste, fabric quality, fiber types and processing, and the future of textiles. As someone who has been focused on sustainable food systems, it was very illuminating to learn about the potential and obstacles associated with sustainable supply chain management in apparel. Our conversation tackled the life cycle of a shirt, which brought up a variety of ideas, initiatives, and complexities around sustainability.

I have created a glossary of terms below and included some additional links.

Emily’s Bio:

Emily is a Seattle-based corporate sustainability leader. With diverse experience spanning apparel, international community development and sustainability, she’s a Pacific Northwesterner who’s happy to be back in Seattle after years living and working in Los Angeles, Thailand and Peru. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Business a BA in Diplomacy and World Affairs.


Glossary of Terms

  • Circularity-keeps materials moving through reuse, repair, redistribution, and recycling. This is the most powerful way to preserve natural resources and minimize emissions that cause climate change.

  • Microfiber-a polyester and nylon (polyamide) fiber that is used to make fabric. The fiber is split many times smaller than a human hair.

  • Fiber Fragment-*updated* term for microfiber. They have a negative impact on our environment and our health too. They shed due to chemical processing, mechanical stress and natural weathering. They are released and transferred through waterways, air and soil.

  • Global Organic Textile Standard-developed by leading standard setters to define world-wide recognized requirements for organic textiles. From the harvesting of the raw materials, environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing to labelling, textiles certified to GOTS provide a credible assurance to the consumer.

  • Fast Fashion-widely considered to be low-quality apparel produced rapidly to follow current trends in the industry and sold at rock-bottom prices. Although the monetary cost is low, textile workers and the environment are paying a high price. Fast fashion is cheap because workers are not paid adequately. Clothes are poorly made, widely purchased, rarely worn and quickly thrown away.

  • Man-made cellulosics -regenerated fibers usually made from the dissolved wood pulp or “cellulose” of trees. Viscose, lyocell, and modal are all kinds of man-made cellulosics. Because they’re plant-based, MMCFs are renewable, and so have the potential to be a climate-friendly material if the wood is sourced sustainably and the processing chemicals are handled properly.

  • Responsible Textile Recover Act-California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed this into law October 2024, making apparel and textile producers responsible for creating a plan to collect, repair and recycle their products.

  • Threadcycle in King County

  • Knits, Wovens, Non-Woven Fabrics


Emily referenced Ghana in our talk. I wanted to share this recent and important PBS feature (November 2024) on waste in the textile industry.


Her Deepest Ecologies is recorded at Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle, WA. Thanks to their Artist Support Program and studio engineer Ayesha Ubayatilaka. All episodes are available on Substack, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. For more information or to be considered for a future episode, reach out via email at jessicagigot@gmail.com.


As sisters do, we showed up to this interview looking like twins!

Discussion about this podcast

Her Deepest Ecologies
Her Deepest Ecologies: The Podcast
We are at a turning point on this planet and in this country. In conversation with a wide range of artists, makers, creators, and caretakers, this podcast takes on two fundamental and interconnected questions:
How do we care for ourselves and each other?
How do we nurture the Earth?
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Appears in episode
Jessica Gigot, PhD