ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM x SJ
Thank you to Fashion Art Toronto for the opportunity to speak with the Royal Ontario Museum’s Senior Curator of Global Textiles & Fashion, Alexandra Palmer, on all things fashion, beauty and sustainability as part of the ROM’s Curator Conversations - an interactive discussion series featuring the insights of curators and industry experts on a wide range of topics in the arts.
AN EMMY NOMINATION FOR TOXIC BEAUTY
What an honour to be included as a nominee at the 2021 International Emmys! Congrats to the entire Toxic Beauty team, and to the survivors, scientists, researchers, advocates and activists we feature. Congrats also to our fellow nominees, Cercados from Brazil, Hope Frozen: A Quest to Live Twice from Thailand, and They Call me Babu from the Netherlands.
SANAZ DOOST x FASHION ART TORONTO
One of my absolute career highlights came in the form of collaborating with designer Sanaz Doost to present her fine jewellery on FAT’s SS22 runway. Only morph suits would do as a backdrop to Sanaz’s extraordinary pieces, which reference the ancient art and architecture of her native Iran.
FASHION MAGAZINE’S CLIMATE ISSUE
Really proud to be included in Canada’s premiere fashion magazine which features the words “climate crisis” on the cover. The April edition of FASHION is on news stands now. In it you’ll find “Dressed to Thrill,” a sustainable editorial styled by yours truly - a bright and eclectic edit of garments that span the full spectrum of sustainability, centring on the work of independent designers who endeavour to reduce our industry’s harmful impacts while continuing to inspire us through the art of dress. And a few pages later, I’m featured in “Natural Selection” surrounded by some of the most meaningful pieces from my sustainable fashion collection, sharing the details of how an existential crisis early in my career lead to my commitment to sustainability. It isn’t easy to reconcile the realities of climate injustice, global warming, resource scarcity and war with a career in fashion, or a love of fashion, but I will always believe in fashion’s value as an art form, a tool for self expression, and a means of preserving culture through craft. In the issue’s online feature “What Will Our Lives Look Like in 2050?” I share my insights on fashion’s future, alongside susitnability leaders and industry notables, whose responses range from hopeful to horrifying.
MIKE DEAN x THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON PLANTS
Under the skillful creative direction of Louise Donegan, I had the pleasure of producing and fashion directing Mike Dean’s sustainable merch collab with Toronto’s own indie ethical streetwear brand, This Is Your Brain On Plants. The GOTS certified organic cotton tees feature 4:22 album art by Obey Giant’s Shepard Fairey, as well an an homage to All Earthlings, and original poetry by Louise Donegan. I also had the pleasure of creating Mike Dean’s outer space stage wear for his two sold out shows at Echoplex: custom, OOAK, made in Toronto out of sustainable fabrics and in line with the values expressed in 4:22. Watch Mike Dean’s Psychedelic Symphony - Live at Echoplex here.
FGI VISIONARY AWARD RECIPIENT
Alongside industry icons Vanja Vasic of Fashion Art Toronto, and George Sully of Black Designers of Canada, Sarah has been recognized by Fashion Group International with a Fashion Visionary Award for her leadership in sustainability.
CLEAN BEAUTY AWARDS 2021
Thrilled to be included in the judging panel for the 6th Annual Clean Beauty Awards by CertClean - North America’s leading certification for safer beauty and personal care.
CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS
4 nominations and 2 wins for Toxic Beauty at The 2021 Canadian Screen Awards including Best Direction (WIN), Best Writing (WIN), Best Original Music, and The Barbara Sears Award for Editorial Research. Congrats to all nominees!
INDIGENOUS FASHION WEEK TORONTO
IFWTO is a fashion, craft & textiles festival presenting the most distinct and progressive Indigenous-made works. IFWTO celebrates global Indigenous expression in fashion and the arts and its grounding in Indigenous knowledge, ways of life and storytelling. Led by majority Indigenous women, IFWTO connects audiences to artistic and cultural expression that celebrates and advances Indigenous artists and designers. This year, IFWTO has been re-envisioned as an online presentation from November 26 – 29, 2020. The four-day festival will go live at IFWtoronto.com and includes: cinematically produced fashion films featuring 19 designers; 50+ limited edition Indigenous-made collections, which will then retail in a virtual pop-up marketplace; a digital art exhibition; and a critical discourse about fashion and the arts through Indigenous leadership in a series of panel discussions. Sarah is proud to serve IFWTO as Industry Liaison.
FASHION Magazine x Value Village
For VILLAGE GREEN, I imagine a future focused on reuse, where thrifted garments and waste materials create outfits and environments that consider style and sustainability equally. In collaboration with Value Village and shot on location at Camp Kawartha, The Ecology Centre and Trent University, Village Green represents the future of our industry and our world - fitting as we celebrate FASHION Magazine’s relaunch, #FashionForAll - a progressive new direction for Canada’s première fashion publication. Vive la révolution de la mode.
CAFA FASHION IMPACT AWARD NOMINEE 2020
Honoured to be recognized alongside Brass and Unity, Leslie Hampton, Manitoba Mukluks, Knix, and Obakki, who are tackling women’s empowerment and zero waste feminine care, Indigenous leadership and the preservation of traditional crafts, PTSD recovery, and sustainable development in Africa. We all win when the language of fashion is leveraged as a force for good.
SHARKLESS
All Earthlings’ SHARKless campaign aims to illuminate and eliminate the cosmetic industry’s persistent use of shark liver oil, and unify brands behind a comprehensive ban on an unnecessary ingredient with devastating impacts to vital species and oceanic ecosystems. Ensure your supply chain is SHARKless so our world doesn’t have to be. #WeAreAllEarthlings
#RONCYWRAPS
In collaboration with Michelle Turpin of Tailoress, Deanna and Tom Gualtieri, and supported by the Roncesvalles Village BIA, the #RoncyWraps initiative aims to create masks for community residents and essential service workers. Our WEAR one, SPARE one, SHARE one 3-pack, allows you to have a clean mask on hand, and allows us to donate a mask to a frontline worker or neighbour in need.
TOXIC BEAUTY WORLD PREMIÈRE HOT DOCS 2019
The toxic truth will finally be told. TOXIC Beauty details the true cost of our collective overexposure to unregulated toxins through personal care, and the causal link between talc and ovarian cancer. The chemicals we use and absorb each day in the name of beauty and hygiene are causing us great harm. Directed by Phyllis Ellis. Produced by White Pine Pictures. Conceived by Sarah Jay. Because you’re worth it.
SUSTAINABILITY Reboot
I return to where my career in fashion began, at FASHION Magazine, to guest edit this important issue which contains many firsts: a carbon offset of the printing impacts in collaboration with Carbonzero, an editorial shot at the Value Village recycling & reuse facility, and three different references to The Lorax. Slowly, surely, and chicly, sustainability is becoming the new normal.
CAFA FASHION IMPACT AWARD 2019
Honoured to to be recognized by The Canadian Art and Fashion Awards for my work in sustainability, alongside game-changing nominees Wuxly, Brave Soles, Matt & Nat, Ron White Shoes, and With Love Darling.
INDIGENOUS FASHION WEEK TORONTO
IFWTO is a fashion, crafts & textiles festival presenting the most distinct and progressive Indigenous-made works, connecting audiences with Indigenous culture and expression. I am proud to serve as Industry Liaison and support the growth of Indigenous designers and their businesses.
ONTARIO TEXTILE DIVERSION COLLABORATIVE
The ODTC is a multi stakeholder group under the umbrella of Fashion Takes Action, committed to minimizing textile waste in landfill by encouraging the development of a textile recycling industry in Ontario. Visit us to learn more about our systems approach and how you can reduce your impact and make better use of what you already own.
DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL: TOXIC BEAUTY
TOXIC BEAUTY airs January 5th on the Documentary Channel. Start the new year off with a commitment to cleaning up your grooming regime with the help of our important documentary which will illuminate the complete lack of regulation in the beauty industry and the definitive harm caused by chemical exposure through personal care.
WEAR 2019
Purpose Meets Progress is the theme for this year’s World Ethical Apparel Roundtable Conference. On October 7 & 8 we will celebrate advancements in sustainability, and learn about the latest tools and strategies to continue to mend the fashion system. Tickets here.
FASHION TAKES ACTION
New look, same vision for a more sustainable fashion industry. Congrats to FTA on a slick new rebrand, and over 12 years of leadership in responsible fashion innovation. Together, we are moving the needle and creating a conscious fashion future.
URBANI_T
On July 29th I will be hosting an up-cycling workshop at Nathan Phillips Square as part of arts & culture festival, URBANI-T. Come and learn about an approach to design inspired by reuse in collaboration with Value Village. #NoNewMaterials.
THE REGENERATIVE EARTH SUMMIT
Farm to Fashion is the first runway show of its kind to be curated around climate beneficial fibres in celebration of fashion’s agricultural roots. To kick off the Regenerative Earth Summit in Boulder, Colorado, Farm to Fashion features 27 brands from around the world who share a commitment to supporting the health of our soil and the restoration of ecosystems. Produced and curated by Sarah Jay.
FASHION REVOLUTION FANZINE #002
LOVED CLOTHES LAST. The second fanzine from @fash_rev will explore the impacts of over-consumption, encouraging us to buy less, choose well, and help the clothing we have last longer. Check out my photos of some of fashion's true costs, as well as the work of many other committed artists and activists, and support the revolution here ♥
WEAR 2018
By shifting to more sustainable and regenerative business models, the fashion industry has the power to positively impact the environment and millions of people worldwide. Fashion Takes Action hosts the 5th annual World Ethical Apparel Roundtable, bringing thought leaders together to discuss ideas and innovations to move fashion forward.
INDIGENOUS FASHION WEEK TORONTO
Proud to be consulting on the inaugrual IFWTO - an arts and culture festival dedicated to nurturing and celebrating the fashion, textile design, and traditional crafting practices of Indigenous artists, while fostering economic development and inclusion. May 31-June 3, 2018.
WEAR 2017
Join us at Fashion Takes Action's World Ethical Apparel Roundtable to discuss WATER, WASTE, LABOUR and TEXTILES, and take part in a special screening of RIVER BLUE. Hear from experts, share ideas, and ask the tough questions needed to drive fashion forward into a more sustainable future.
FASHION TALKS PODCAST
Host Donna Bishop, Fashion Takes Action's Kelly Drennan, and I, discuss the fashion revolution in which we find ourselves, the 5th anniversary of Rana Plaza, and how I accidentally became a fashion activist. Thank you to CAFA and Fashion Talks for having me. Listen here.
RETHINK DRY CLEANING
Did you know that professional wet cleaning is a safe and effective alternative to dry cleaning? Reunited with with Environmental Defence to bring awareness to the hazards of cancer-causing chemicals like PERC, and transition industry towards non-toxic garment care practices.
DESIGN FORWARD 2018
There are many decisions a designer can make to support people and planet through fashion. Join us for the 3rd Annual Design Forward Award where finalists Obakki, Anian and Triarchy will be recognized for their commitments to sustainability. May 29th at the Berkley Church. Tix here!
FASHION TRANSPARENCY INDEX
Thank you, Fashion Revolution, for including my photography of Rana Plaza in the 2017 Transparency Index, which ranks 100 of the biggest global fashion brands and retailers based on their transparency and communication surrounding social and environmental impacts, practices and policies.
DESIGN FORWARD @ EDIT
On October 3rd the winner of Fashion Takes Action's Design Forward Award will be revealed at the Expo for Design, Innovation and Technology. Congrats to our three finalists, Omi Woods, Triarchy Denim and Peggy Sue Collection for your vision and integrity, and for changing the world by design.
Come and celebrate 10 years of Fashion Takes Action at the Toronto Reference Library on May 27th, 2017! 10 Canadian designers show us that the future of fashion is friendly for both people and planet. #styledbySarahJay
BEYOND BRANDS
In good company at BeyondBrands - a conscious consulting collective united to help brands grow their businesses sustainably. I'll be advising on #FairFashion & #CleanCosmetics.
ECORENAISSANCE
So happy to support my friend, Marci Zaroff, eco fashion and lifestyle pioneer, in researching and writing her new book, ECOrenaissance, a lifestyle guide for co-creating a sustainable world, with tips on beauty & wellness, fashion, food and conscious business.
FASHION REVOLUTION FANZINE #001
My friends at Fashion Revolution included some of my photography in their first FANZINE ♥ 72 pages of pix, poetry, illustration, design & editorial, the collectible zine explores the hidden stories behind our clothes, and how our purchasing power can make a positive impact.
SHARKWATER EXTINCTION
In collaboration with United Conservationists, I had the honour of contributing to Rob's final project, SHARKWATER EXTINCTION, exploring the commercial uses of shark in the food, fashion and beauty sectors and coordinating the scientific testing of various samples. RIP Rob ♥
MY CLOTHES MY WORLD
Fashion Takes Action is proud to offer MY CLOTHES MY WORLD - full and half day workshops for kids of all ages, providing an interactive overview of the social and environmental impacts of CLOTHING. For bookings, contact: education@fashiontakesaction.com
VOGUE x SREEPUR VILLAGE
When your work for a cause near and dear to your heart is featured on VOGUE.COM ♥ Please take a moment to donate directly to Sreepur Village Organization who responded to the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh by stepping in to support the continued education of 200 children orphaned by the tragedy.
ARTISAN HUB
Thrilled to be co-producing and styling the Artisan Hub event for the Trade Facilitation Office of Canada in partnership with Fashion Takes Action, ft. samples from artisan communities in 8 developing countries in preparation for the Ethical Sourcing Trade Show in 2017.
TFI NEW LABELS 2016
GUN CONTROL x SARAH JAY for the win at the annual TFI NEW LABELS show. Gun Control by Defne Husrevoglu is a music-inspired street couture line made in Canada. Genderless and geometric. #StyledBySarahJay.
DESIGN FORWARD
CONSCIOUS. CURATED. CATWALK. Fair fashion, Canadian-made. A runway show curated and #StyledBySarahJay, sponsored by H&M, hosted by Fashion Takes Action. 10 designers + emerging talent that represent the future of fashion.
ALL EARTHLINGS - Founded by Sarah Jay
Launched in 2019, AE is a collaborative consulting firm bridging gaps in the fashion and beauty industries to improve transparency and accountability for the health and safety of #AllEarthlings. Science is the only way to substantiate sourcing claims.
BOWIE x BIDDELL
A three part showcase inspired by David and Iman at FASHION ART TORONTO. Designed by Evan Biddell. Fashion consulting and styling by Sarah Jay. Dedicated to the two and only, David and Iman.
FIRST WORLD FASHION
A film and installation by Laura Gildner and Sarah Jay at FASHION ART TORONTO addressing garment worker safety in a post Rana Plaza world and the human costs of fast fashion.
Check out Environmental Defence’s Just Beautiful campaign, where we are working to help consumers make informed decisions about product safety, and to change policy surrounding the use of hazardous toxins in personal care products.
Join me at Fashion Takes Action's 2nd annual World Ethical Apparel Roundtable, Canada's sustainable business conference for the apparel & textile industry where I'll be moderating panel discussions on ethical sourcing and transparency, and sharing a bit about my experience visiting Rana Plaza in the fall of 2014.
So ahead of our time…The Green Shows was a runway, pop-up retail and consulting company based in New York, supporting the luxury sustainable fashion community. So proud that what we built was fashion first and blazed the trail for the fashion revolution now well underway.
Visit me at the Fashion Revolution Canada Instagram Account, Fash_RevCan. Be sure to visit / post / tag brands and ask them: #WHOMADEMYCLOTHES? Your voice can transform the fashion industry. Be curious. Find out. Do something.