EP 123: Mary Alice Duff, Alice Alexander Co.

01/09/19 • 37 min

The average american woman is a size 14/16. I’m a size 14, so I’m pretty average, but I will say that ever since having kids, I have noticed how much the fashion industry does not cater to average women like me, and women who are above a size 14. One of my biggest challenges as an ethical fashion advocate has been to find clothing that is ethically made and size inclusive. And I get it, ethical fashion businesses a lot of the times are small and they have to make smart business decisions and it’s hard to cater to everyone. But, let’s be honest, there are a lot of women who are being cut out of the ethical fashion industry because ethical fashion brands don’t make clothing that fits them, and fits them well. Last year, after so many of you and so much of my community on social media asked me over and over again, ‘Molly where can I find ethically made plus-sized clothing?’ I went on a hunt, and one of the amazing plus size ethical fashion brands that I found, happens to be my guest today. FROM SOCIAL WORKER TO FASHION ENTREPRENEUR Mary Alice spent the bulk of her adult career as a social worker in Philadelphia. It wasn’t until after she became a mother and began to progress in her career, that she realized she couldn’t find the clothing that she wanted, in her size. So, she started to sew her own clothing. After recognizing the real need in the fashion industry for ethically made clothing that fit all sizes, she decided to take a leap in growing sewing her own clothing into sewing clothing for others, which is how Alice Alexander was born. CREATING A BRAND FOR ALL WOMEN Mary Alice discusses her deep intentionality behind everything she creates at Alice Alexander. From the clothing itself to the content created using inclusive models, her brand truly stands for making everyone feel loved and included and it is evident through everything she does. Her goal is to create clothing that can seamlessly fit into any woman’s wardrobe. FINDING BODY POSITIVITY Molly and Mary Alice discuss finding body positivity, learning to love themselves, and what it looks like to create and raise a generation of women who value their bodies. Mary Alice found support in many online groups of women who were loving their bodies just the way they are, and Molly expresses her joy to show her own daughter how strong and loved she is.About Mary Alice Duff, Founder of Alice Alexander; Mary Alice Duff is owner of Alice Alexander, a size-inclusive, ethically-made women’s apparel startup based in Philadelphia with both an online and brick and mortar presence. Started in September 2017, Alice Alexander offers bold, yet accessible pieces to the modern-day woman in sustainable fabrics and inclusive sizes, ranging from 0-28. Prior to launching her own business, Mary Alice was a nonprofit executive and social worker with dual degrees in social work and law and social policy. Frustrated with the lack of high quality clothing in her size and growing increasingly aware of the negative environmental and human impacts the fashion industry was creating, Mary Alice started sewing her own clothes, consciously building a self-made wardrobe piece by piece. Realizing there was a business in her new sewing hobby, Duff enrolled in fashion design school at Philadelphia’s MADE Institute, where she balanced taking classes and working full-time. In May of 2017, Duff left a successful career in the nonprofit sector to launch Alice Alexander. In June 2018, with the crowdfunded launch of their second collection, Alice Alexander opened a brick and mortar location and combined production studio in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. To learn more visit us on the web, follow us on Instagram, check out our online store or stop by our location at 4056 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia PA. CONNECT WITH MARY ALICE

Website: www.alicealexander.co
Instagram: @alicealexanderco
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alicealexanderco
email: [email protected]

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Website: www.alicealexander.co
Instagram: @alicealexanderco
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alicealexanderco
email: [email protected]

**Want to know how to leave a review of the Bu...

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EP 122: Kassia Binkowski, One K Creative

I love meeting people who see a need and they fill it. They see an area that they can specialize in or an area that is underserved in this world and they just do it. They don’t make excuses, they don’t come up with reasons why it won’t work, they just go for it. They find solutions, not excuses. They make a way instead of just saying that it can’t be done. My guest today saw a need to elevate the voices of social impact companies and decided to fill it. My guest this week is Kassia Binkowski, the founder of One K Creative, a full-service studio that works to tell a story for companies and social impact brands that have a social change component. A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE Kassia grew up in a huge and supportive family in the midwest. She had traveled a lot domestically as a child, but not much internationally. When she had the opportunity to travel to East Africa, her eyes were thrown wide open to the reality of poverty. This was her first exposure to social injustice on a personal, intimate level, and it led her to delving into the world of public health. Kassia wanted to look at the community systems and the social systems that were influencing health outcomes. She got her Master’s in Public Health and spent years working with the maternal a child health space. When she and her husband decided to move from Seattle, Washington (the Public Health mecca of the United States) to Boulder, Colorado (where they knew they wanted to be and raise a family, but a public health desert), Kassia knew she had to get creative. She was hired as a communications director for a non-profit that was doing education work in Guatemala. Kassia had never done communications and marketing on a professional level, but the non-profit trusted her cultural knowledge and background so much that the door opened for her. She loved the work she was doing! Kassia flourished and began getting inquiries from other organizations about her design work. She began to realize that there was space for a studio that exclusively focused on social impact organizations. THE VISION One K Creative was born as a result. One K Creative works with clients who have a social or environmental mission, regardless of whether they are for-profit, non-profit, social-responsibility, etc. It simply has to be a cause that their team cares about. One K Creative produces the content that drives these organization’s audiences towards action. While they started out primarily doing writing and graphic design, their services have now expanded to include photography and film. They originally were called One Thousand Design - a nod to the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Kassia always wanted to build a creative studio that was bigger than herself, and she has wildly succeeded. COMMUNITY BUILDING Maybe it is a photo or an audio-clip in an email. Maybe it is a film that gives you a glance at production in a completely different country. Finding connection--that is exactly what Kassia and One K Creative find so motivating. They seek to help audiences empathize with a cause whether or not they have had a direct connection to it. It is both a challenge and One K Creative’s storytelling sweet spot. About Kassia, founder of One K Creative: Kassia Binkowski grew up in Madison, WI and traveled her way around the world to Boulder, CO which she now calls home. Nestled against the Rocky Mountains, Kassia supports innovative organizations from Colorado to Kathmandu tell stories of social change. Kassia is an eternal optimist, backroad wanderer, and founder of One K Creative. CONNECT WITH KASSIA

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EP 124: Leon Lee, Founder of Flying Cloud Productions, Producer of "Letter from Masanjia"

If I’m being honest, I don’t even know how to introduce today’s episode. Back in the Fall, my husband and I had the opportunity to screen a documentary called Letter from Masanjia, and I’ll get into the details of the documentary, and we’ll be talking about it throughout this episode. But, after I saw that documentary, it affected me in ways I can’t even begin to explain. I knew that I wanted to have the producer of that documentary on this episode, and so I reached out to him, and I asked him to come on the show, and he obliged. Today’s episode is tough. It is engaging, challenging, emotional, it’s raw, but my prayer is that it will impact you. My guest is Leon Lee, the founder of Flying Cloud Productions and producer of the documentary, Letter from Masanjia. BECOMING A SELF-TAUGHT DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER Leon’s first documentary, Human Harvest, was inspired by the accusations of Chinese Organ Harvesting, not too far from his hometown in China. Alongside a team of Canadian researchers, he took 8 years to create the film. It has now been viewed by millions, broadcast in more than 25 countries, and received the 74th Annual Peabody Award for Documentary. THE GLOBAL IMPACT OF LEON’S FILMS While creating the films were not easy, took years of research, and faced much opposition, Leon pressed on for all those affected by the tragedies he was documenting. After the release of his first film, governments around the world began to recognize the serious implications of China’s organ harvesting, even banning certain travelers from traveling to China for organ implantation. LETTER FROM MASANJIA In 2012, an Oregon woman found a cry for help in her K-mart box from a man held prisoner and tortured in Chinese labor camps. Through Leon’s connections, he was able to find the man, Sun Yi, and expose the horrific acts still happening in China today. About Leon Lee, Flying Cloud Productions; Award-winning Canadian filmmaker Leon Lee founded Flying Cloud Productions to share intriguing stories about modern-day China that help shine a light on human rights issues. Their debut film Human Harvest, a documentary about China’s illegal organ trade, was broadcast in over 25 countries and was the recipient of numerous accolades including the illustrious Peabody Award. Their recent feature documentary Letter from Masanjia premiered at Hot Docs 2018 and is currently playing in theatres and scooping awards at festivals worldwide. Their aim is to create an impact by bringing true stories to life in unforgettable ways, sparking vital discussion on topics of international importance. CONNECT WITH LEON LEE

Website: http://flyingcloud.ca
Watch Letter from Masanjia: https://www.letterfrommasanjia.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/flyingcloudprod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flyingcloudproductions/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCssAXAQ9lZYSX8htVgi5lPg

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