Twice a year, a passionate group of creatives, sustainability gurus, activists, recyclers, innovators, artists, and more, make community at the Slow Fashion Festival in Austin, Texas.
This year, KEEN sponsored the fall festival, which consisted of three days of engaging panel discussions, slow fashion pop-up shops selling local, sustainable, repurposed, and handmade wears and accessories, and a fashion show like no other.
Slow fashion is "a holistic movement that embodies a way of life focused on sustainability, ethical practices, and conscious consumption.” At KEEN, we believe durability is sustainability, and the most sustainable pair of shoes is the one you’re wearing. We were so excited to be in community with people living this ethos. Here's a quick recap of the weekend.
The inspiring Diandra Marizet of Intersectional Environmentalist leaned into her hiker vibe and rocked the Targhee IV, with a thrifted top and vintage earrings.
First, since it was a fashion event, the fit. (Note: I do not consider myself fashionable, I later learned the slow fashion movement celebrates and embraces this… more on that in a bit).
It was HOTT in Austin – 90s in late October (darn it, climate change) – so I wore my All Gender UNEEK II Convertibles, heel strap up. The cording made from recycled P.E.T bottles, recycled plastic bungee system, and cork sole fit the weekend’s vibe. I paired them with a flowy skirt thrifted from Divine Trash (my favorite vintage shop in Missoula), a sweater vest, and my late grandfather’s bolo tie.
I was fortunate to speak on a panel titled "Building a Community that Embraces Sustainability" with incredible womxn, like the lovely Diandra Marizet, Impact Director at Intersectional Environmentalist, one of our KEEN Effect partners. For an hour, we explored the vital role of community engagement in creating a sustainable future, what unique challenges and opportunities we face in our sustainability journeys, and strategies for fostering collaboration and implementing practical initiatives that promote environmental stewardship.
"I knew slow fashion was an antidote to fast fashion. What I didn’t fully comprehend was how slow fashion is also an open invitation for self-expression, individuality, and inclusion."
I spoke about how for 21 years KEEN has been quietly leading a sustainable footwear movement – from being thoughtful about our sourcing decisions, to our Detox Journey and our PFAS Free commitment. And I also shared that as a family-owned, values-led brand, we have a responsibility to use our profits for good. One of the ways this comes to life – and one of the ways we seek to build community and foster collaboration to promote environmental stewardship – is through impact investments in nonprofit partners.
Through a nontraditional “corporate social responsibility” model, we view our dollars as catalytic capital, practice an abundance mindset, do our own due diligence before engaging in partnership, and once in partnership, support our partner as they want to be supported. This comes to life in different ways. To some it could look like unrestricted dollars, to others it could be committing seed dollars to jumpstart a program or body of work. An example we’re proud of is our relationship with IE. KEEN has been a proud impact investor of IE’s mission for two years now. As IE’s only corporate annual partner, our multi-year commitment allowed IE to bring back their popular climate-positive podcast The Joy Report for its second season.
Going into the weekend I knew slow fashion was an antidote to fast fashion, which follows micro-trends and mass produces similar offerings at an unimaginably fast and destructive rate. I understood slow fashion to be an earth-friendly practice. What I didn’t fully comprehend was how slow fashion is also an open invitation for self-expression, individuality, and inclusion.
I LOVED two panel discussions in particular that implored the Slow Fashion movement to more fully embrace BIPOC Heritage and Traditional Knowledge – as sustainable fashion has historically served as a revolutionary statement rooted in cultural and ecological wisdom. Anne Drane, co-founder of SAWA SAWA was incredible, shared her mission to promote cultural preservation and empower artisan women in Kenya to provide a sustainable, dignified living using skills passed down through generations.
Additionally, the conversation led by Mikaela Friedman, a Slow Fashion Festival Co-Producer, about Adaptive Fashion and Making For All was powerful. We learned that in the United States, more than 1 in 4 adults have a disability, and most people will experience a disability at some point during their lives – yet clothing and footwear manufacturers largely dismiss this. Vanessa O’Rourke (Stitchin’ Spoonie) shared her story of her Addison’s Disease Diagnosis, using knitting/crochet as therapy, and then weaving all her passions and advocacy together to create her small business. She works entirely in secondhand materials and infuses each piece with reiki to support a greener, cleaner world.
All of this newfound permission for self-expression (for me, at least) was elevated even more at Saturday night’s Slow Fashion fashion show where 10 sustainable designers presented their collections designed for all bodies and using sustainable and mostly repurposed textiles and materials. WOW, what a weekend.
• Donate clothes and shoes that no longer serve you to local organizations.
• Buy vintage or secondhand. It is an opportunity to express individuality and protect mother earth! Online marketplaces like NOIHSAF or Bazaar are great. You can even buy pre-loved KEEN shoes here. Even better though, research local vintage or pre-loved stores in your town or city. Some of my favorite places in Missoula are Divine Trash and for outdoor gear, the Trail Head Gear Exchange.
• Care for and repair your clothes and shoes. The most sustainable choice is the one already in your closet. Research simple care and repair tricks for shoes or clothes. With winter around the corner, I’m making sure I have some NoSo patches on hand to repair my puffies and some PFAS-free Nikwax to waterproof my boots.
• Give Slow Fashion Fest a follow on Instagram.
• Stay tuned for a soon-to-drop Joy Report Podcast episode about circularity wherever you consume podcasts.
All photos by Madison Dee
