This is the first time in the past 4 years where I decided to not attend Copenhagen Fashion Week and -

I regret it.

Not only was it CPHFW’s 20th birthday, but this fashion week holds such a special place in my heart. Why you might ask? Well not only is CPHFW known for its playful and whimsical fashion, but they also popularized the Sustainability Requirements framework.

First established in 2020, CPHFW requires all designers to meet a minimum of 19 of their standards, pushed to meet more standards each year, and encouraged to take 87 additional actions based on their business model. Thus making them one of the most sustainable fashion weeks out there. And recently, they even inspired London fashion week (1 of the big 4s) to implement the same.

When people think of sustainability and fashion, they can see it as a limitation to their creativity. But that’s wrong. I believe those limitations actually enhances creativity because designers are pushed to find new inventive ways to implement their visions.

It’s so exciting to watch, even if I had to view it all from my screens. And here are some particular moments I wished I could of seen in the flesh:

1. The Stem x Ganni Collab (pt.2!!)

I’ve been a Ganni girl since day 1, and the same can be said for Stem. Both Stem and Ganni are Copenhagen based brands that focus on making pieces as mindfully as they can. And this is not the first time that they’ve collaborated together.

Back in 2022, I actually met the designers of both of those brands at a sustainable fashion conference over a meal hosted at the Ganni designer’s home. There I learned of their upcoming collab collection that was set to come out that year. So imagine my surprise (and delight) to hear that they’ve come back full circle. They’re a match made in heaven.

Stem is a no-waste brand focusing on Sarah’s unique woven textile system that eliminates garment production waste with (recycled) natural fibres. However In this specific collection, Stem deviated from her natural neutrals to colorful and patterned upcycled deadstock Ganni fabrics. It’s fun to see her signature silhouettes reimagined with new materials and see her explore with more playful looks. I mean I love them all the same, but wow these were breathtaking.

But beyond the runway, Ganni throws the best after parties. Like the type of afterparty where you feel pulled to dance on top of tables, instead of the classic awkward im too cool to dance shuffle. It’s an extension of the heart of Ganni where play and freedom can co-exist with caring for the planet and people.

2. Collina Strada as the International Guest of Honor

Collina Strada is easily one of my favorite brands out there. With sustainability in mind, Collina Strada is committed to making fashion weird, fun, and sustainable. Based in NYC, the designer, Hillary Taymour, typically shows at NYFW and uses her platform for climate awareness, social awareness, and self expression. But this year, CPHFW invited Collina Strada as an international guest supported by The Climate Pledge to show their SS27 collection there first.

A part of me died when I realized I wouldn’t be able to witness this piece of history in the making. It was like hearing that your favorite popstar decided to tour in your hometown while you were away. I was devastated.

But of course, I can’t help but be in awe of the magical collection she had created.

Collina Strada’s PS27 collection titled Delirium in Bloom, was packed full of billowing silhouettes, wind swept textures, and glitter (don’t worry it’s biodegradable).

Each look looks like it was plucked directly from a fairy in your dream meadow. Actually, more like a mysterious plot of grass nestled between two buildings and you realize some grungy, glittery, weird fairies lived there. I think I’d prefer to be one of those fairies more.

3. The Havaianas x Studio Constance Kitten Heels Craze

If you’re a freaky shoe lover like me, there’s a high chance that these Havaianas x Studio Constance kitten heels have graced your algorithm. These sandals made their debut during Studio Constance’s SS27 runway show and on the feet of selected influencers who attended. I’m not completely sure of Havaianas sustainability stance (though they have a program for recycling their rubber shoes), I discovered that Studio Constance is an emerging Scandinavian Luxury brand that focuses on being mindful in how they produce pieces and the societal impact that they have.

I truly wonder if the hype around them was as frenzied and controversial IRL as it has been online. I also wonder what these heels would look like on my cute little feet. But sadly, I won’t know for a while since these shoes haven’t been put up for sale quite yet. And until they do, I’ll keep refreshing their site to see when they do and dream of which of the Studio Constance dresses I would love to wear one day.

4. Seeing some damn diversity on the runway

People say that ‘woke 1’ is dead, along with the conscious efforts to be inclusive in the fashion industry, but some designers at CPHFW say otherwise.

These designers (some for multiple seasons) sent an array of models down the runway: Stine Goya, Collina Strada, Alectra Rothschild / MASCULINA, Opera Sport, Paolina Russo, Stem, and Marimekko to name a few.

It’s refreshing to be reminded that there are designers who can imagine their designs in a world where fashion can be enjoyed and celebrated by anyone despite age, weight, ethnicity, or ability. Because-

people don’t need to fit clothes, clothes are meant to fit people.

5. Sitting in on CPHFW’s Small Talks - Big Conversations panels

This is when my nerd cap comes on.

One of my fave things to do is to sit in on the these panel’s CPHFW hosts where people transparently discuss how they are navigate the intersection of fashion and sustainability. Dring these times you get insights into what brands are up to, where they plan on improving, and a space to ask the burning questions that you have for them. It’s such an important part of the week, because without these conversations, fashion (and not to mention the planet) will cease to exist if we don’t take real action now. And I wish I could have heard all the juicy details myself. Oh to be a fly on the wall

6. All of these outfits that went down the runway

A non-exhaustive list, truly so many wonderful creations walked those runways and modeled at presentations. Taking outfit notes as we speak.

Ugh.

Not gonna let myself miss out again. Stay tuned for when I go back and can give you boots on the ground journalism next year.

The rise in popularity of freaky shoes is evidence that the girls understand that we no longer have to adhere to the limitations of what is considered beautiful by societal, aka male, standards. Being just a lil ‘ugly’ can make one uncomfortable enough to be more interesting. Thus inspiring or evoking emotions and thoughts that otherwise couldn’t have been achieved with an ordinary shoe.

If you’re ready to step into the world of freakism or already an expert, here are some recs that I think would be perfect for your collection:

1. The Kobraha Sandal by Camper

Like the name suggests, the Kobraha Sandal coils around your foot like a snake. Or depending on the color, perhaps it can be an alien grabbing its tentacle on you or like you stepped into a pile of gum. And now with their new interchangeable flowers that you can add to this shoe (and others), you can customize them to look like a whimsical, blooming plant stretching out it’s vines all around you. No matter what these bold shoes are there to make a statement.

see here

2. The Tabi by Tabi Shoes

Have you been wanting to participate in the deer foot trend without spending 4 figures? Well luckily a certain luxury house isn’t the only ones to create the iconic tabi shoe. Tabis are a traditional Japanese shoe, dating back to the 15th century, and Tabi makes them sustainable and more accessible. Created with tencel and biobased EVA, you can choose a variety of colors and patterns to have the hooves of your dreams.

see here

3. The V-Soul by Vibriams

Honestly, what’s freakier than a shoe that makes it look like you’re not even wearing one? These V-soul shoes will let your dogs move freely and grip the ground with an ease. And if your weird girl shoes get busted, you can send them back to them to have them be repaired and continue to get the most out of them.

see here

4. The Casi Myra by Camper

Ok god forbid I add camper in here again. They’re freaky shoe royalty. But I needed to add this to the group because you can go up to your partner and ask them “Is blue and black or white and gold?”. Ok it is blue and brown, but the joke is still there. Plus a little transparency is like a tease to the free feet that live underneath.

see here

a little reference for those unfamiliar with my game

5. The Void Fusion by Rombaut

I had a visceral reaction when I saw this shoe. Disgust and awe flooded my being when I came across them. So obviously that means they’re doing something right. Literal disturbing art. I love it.

see here

6. The Rachel Mule by Prev

Imagine this: You’re wearing baggy jeans and your partner compliments your boots, only for you to lift up your pant leg and reveal that in fact they are not boots. You’re just a little lad. The vintage lace up design with the abrupt cut heal of these apple leather mules is just so fun. I’ve styled these shoes before and went for a witchy feel, but thank god no one burned me at the stake because of them.

see here

*btw this post contains affiliate links

Fun fact: Did you know that humans can see more shades of green than any other color? Or at least that’s what this tiktok told me.

But it makes sense. Green is the foundational color for nature. It’s present in a wide variety of shades and paired with various other colors in most ecosystems. So why don’t we consider all greens, from olive to neon, as neutrals?

Neutrals are colors that can seamlessly match with any other color, though shades and tones of any neutral can affect its compatibility for certain color combos. So my theory is this:

All colors can be matched with some shade of green.

Here are just a few of the green color combos I’ve been wearing that can hopefully inspire you to incorporate green as a basic color in your wardrobe too. (And enjoy some secondhand recs for pieces similar to each color combo):

Green and Purple

Starting hot with this one, because I think this is the most controversial green color combo. Well unless you’re a chronically online pinterester or 2026 bride who plans on having a unique chartreuse and burgundy (leaning on the purple-ish side) color-schemed wedding. My guess of why green/purple tends to be disliked by the masses is it’s association with poison and witchy tropes or just that purple itself has been less popular the past few years. But this 90’s color combo favorite is creeping back into popularity and I love it.

• This first outfit is more on the subtle side for me. The plum purple shoes from Anonymous Copenhagen looks gorgeous against the various green shades of my thrifted camo pants and my Damson madder top. Adding a fun break in color of an otherwise monochromatic look.

• People of the 90’s and fans of Invader Zim would love this outfit with the pops of citron green between my thrifted scarf, skirt, and eggplant short trench.

click here for secondhand recs

Green, pink, and blue:

I was going to do a separate category for green/pink and green/blue, but honestly I tend to wear the three together more often than not. Blame it on my love of the Powerpuff girls, but this color combo is my favorite and feels the most like me.

• This color combo screams spring. So of course on a recent nice, sunny spring day I had to whip this color combo to gether. I got this secondhand teal dress from Thred Up and paired with this green/pink cardigan from Emma Mulholland on Holiday and pink jelly shoes from Melissa. The Kelly green feels like it’s in the same tone range as the blue dress and my shoes (and hair), so the pastel pink accents in the cardigan adds a nice contrast to it all and makes the Kelly green feel like a supporting character to all of the colors.

• Bringing out the camo pants again and it’s such a fun contrast to the brightness of this thrifted teal jacket and my secondhand backpack from depop. You can easily spot me in the middle of the forest.

• For this look, pink takes center stage and green/blue both play supporting characters. The light blue Lost Pattern scarf in addition to the green Betsey Johnson heels frame my pink tulle skirt and not make it feel too visually heavy.

  

• But my green, pink, and blue combos don’t always have to be so bright. This is one of my more ‘subtle’ outfits that I tend to wear on rainy days. It feels like a sandwich of light and dark colors. On my head we have the brighter kelly green scarf, then go darker with this deep blue Damson Madder sweater, followed by a lighter pink/grey Damson Madder skirt, and then finished off by my deep green thrifted boots. The flow of it feels completely balanced and comforting to me.

click here for secondhand recs

Green and…other neutrals

Ok I know this post is in defense of making green a neutral, but who says you can’t put neutrals with other neutrals and still make them exciting?

• Similar to the green/purple combo, the green/black combo can easily lean into halloween territory. But it doesn’t have to be that way! The lime green jacket and crochet tights definitely gives witchy with the black polka dot skirt. However with the addition of the cobalt blue tights layered underneath and the dusty pink Alexis Bittar purse, the harshness of the black and brightness of the greens gets broken up and creates dimension to the outfit.

• Green and brown is probably the most classic of the green color combos. But of course I like to keep things fun. I recently wore this outfit to the gym with a monochromatic dark brown leopard fleece and secondhand betsey johnson tights with a pop of green from the striped thrifted top. When I wear colors like this that are more ‘tame’, I prefer to choose patterns and textured pieces that are more visually interesting to me.

• But if I were to choose say a citron green pair of custom tabis from Vietnam and wear them with tan balloon pants, well the shape and silhouette make up for the lack of pattern but still make it a playful look.

click here for secondhand recs

If you want more examples of different looks, you can follow me on IG for my own outfits or see what I’m pinning on pinterest. TTYL!

I recently went to this panel titled “The Business of Being a Creator” with a focus on tax advice and building wealth. As I sat in my movie theater seat with a notebook they had given me to write down all the riveting advice I would soon hear, along with a financial workbook and a box of overflowing popcorn, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I can assure you I wasn’t sitting in anticipation.

I was mainly there to support my friend who was co-hosting the event. And frankly, I didn’t expect to get much from it. Financial literacy hasn’t been my forte and tends to either feel like basic knowledge or gibberish that goes completely over my head- with apparently no in between. So I had assumed that this panel would fall into the former category of rudimentary advice. But girl… was I wrong.

The discussion was divided into two parts. The first part was a discussion around taxes. Truthfully I zoned out at this half because I pay too much to have someone else to worry about my taxes for me. Even though I still have this irrational fear that they’ll do it wrong and that the IRS will come pounding at my door ready to lock me up, since I have no assets to repossess other than the clothes hanging in my closet.

However the tone shifted once we entered into the second part of the panel led by two guys who seemingly stepped out of the HBO show Industry (which I highly recommend watching, the acting is incredible). The panelists discussed their experience in wealth management and equity with clients such as the NFL and Sydney Sweeney.

I can assume that their values probably don’t align with my own, however the terms and concepts they introduced felt like a foreign language I wished to know. Those two panelists sat there as a glimpse and reminder that there is a whole other world of wealth that exists that I could only imagine. And one that you could only enter into if you understand and know how to use that language.

As I walked out of that panel, feeling even more illiterate and like someone punched me in the gut, I ran into some creators I knew that are around the same age as me. We briefly talked about how it felt like we were dropped into a grad economics class and all agreed how exhausting yet intriguing it was. I assumed we were all on the same page and opened my mouth to say “yeah finances are so confusing. Like I barely just got over my fear of looking at my monthly expenses” (which is only partially true). I had expected them to keep on agreeing with me, but instead I was met with contoured shocked faces and silence.

My second gut punch of the night.

For context, I’m turning 30 in June and I’ve been a full-time content creator for over 5 years now. I’m very grateful that I’ve been able to make enough to sustain myself doing what I love, but have never cared to look at my finances. Throughout this time I’ve found solace in my fellow creatives and freelancers who also didn’t feel knowledgeable about money, but were also somehow able to hustle enough to pay the bills. Partly treating it as a cute quirk and partly treating it as a pack of understanding.

This is not to say that I haven’t tried to learn how to be better with money over the years. I’ve started (and unsuccessfully finished) various financial books, joined a program called The Financial Gym, followed tons of ethical finance accounts, and even tried Khan Academy’s free Financial literacy course. And though I feel like these are all great resources, my mind always turned into TV static and nothing seemed to stick.

I’ve brushed this off for so long because I’ve viewed financial success as being able to pay the bills and buy whatever I want from the grocery store while never having to worry about looking at my bank account. It’s something I thought I had achieved. But as you can imagine, it has instead cost me a lot of money.

The first time this truly cost me was during my divorce in 2023 (shout out young divorcees!). When I was contemplating breaking up with my ex, I was sitting on the most money I’ve ever seen in my life. I had no idea what to do with it but I was too afraid to spend or invest it because that cushion made me feel safe. As someone who grew up in a low income household, watching my single mother barely making ends meet for her 3 kids as she worked intensely to keep us afloat and her not bringing us into conversations about money other than “we don’t have it”, has of course scarred me. I wish the trauma would have pushed me to be the type of person who cared even more about finances. But instead, I got the anxious-avoidant variant. I’m too afraid to spend my money, but I also spend more when I’m anxious to make me feel like I’m not actually broke. It’s a terrible cycle.

I never really thought I’d be the type to have ‘grown up’ money. It wasn’t something I saw in my family or community, and thus I didn’t really think it was possible for me either. So you can imagine, that after working multiple retail jobs that paid me $14/hr and then a non-profit job that paid me $16/hr, transitioning to content creation full-time where I was able to generate 6 figures for the first time was an absolute shock.

Going back to my pile of money just sitting in my bank, I naively thought that if worst came to worst I would be ok post divorce. I thought the split would be reasonable and amicable, and that I had enough cushion to still keep me comfortable for a while. Unfortunately that mindset didn’t work against a bitter ex who used our lack of a prenup to take most of what I had as revenge for leaving. I found myself owing a large sum in alimony, having to pay for both of our taxes for the year, and an increasing amount of mediation lawyer fees for each additional session we had. All so that his threat of taking me to court and having me owe him even more money wouldn’t come true.

On top of that, I had no idea how much moving out and living on your own would cost. So with the little I salvaged from the divorce process in addition to the new living costs I had, I found myself living paycheck to paycheck once again.

Out of panic, I jumped from my management to a new one who promised me the world and that they could make me even more money than before. This quickly turned out not to be true. I found out that in the midst of my grieving and active survival mode, they were scamming me out of thousands of dollars. Had I been attentive to my finances I would have noticed sooner. I would say more, but they made me sign a sneaky NDA.

While these two nightmares were occurring, I was also trying to keep my small business afloat. Sustainable Baddie was my three year old baby and was a multi-media platform focused on sustainable fashion and living. I started it knowing entering the publishing, fashion, and sustainability world would be difficult, in addition to trying to be more inclusive and equitable. But I delusionally believed that we would beat the odds if we worked hard enough (and without a financial strategy…) My team and I did everything that we could to keep going, using only my savings to finance us when a paycheck came late or never did. We threw- no chucked- so much spaghetti at the wall to have something land. That spaghetti started to cost me a fortune, but I didn’t care because things started to land and we were starting to break even. We were on an upward trajectory in 2024 and I naively thought it would continue. Without thinking about how the political climate could turn against us, we saw a loss of brand interest after the new administration discouraged DEI, sustainability, and Tiktok investing. All our revenue streams were hit, with no back up. So we had to close shop in June 2025.

When I reflect on each of these situations, I vilify those that I see as the reason why I failed. But at the end of the day, that’s life. There will always be surprises, emergencies, and scammers. True maturity feels like being able to acknowledge how those situations felt unfair, but also being able to take accountability for not putting up precautions for them. I’m not a kid (or someone who has a wealthy family) who can rely on depending on another adult to save me. I’m the adult I’m looking for.

However, the weight of this responsibility, these ‘failures’, and my general fear of finances has developed into a mass that feels like a curse straight from Jujutsu Kaisen that is increasingly choking me out. (See below for reference)

After that interaction with those influencers, I looked down at my financial workbook and saw through teary eyes and a ball in my throat at one of the prompts that they had us fill out in between sessions. The question was “What is a negative financial belief you have?” Mine was:

“I’m bad at money”

And then we were prompted to write down a new financial belief to balance it out, which I put:

“ ”

Though I know I want to change, I didn’t have the answer or courage to negate my belief. I just wanted to disappear.

I attempted an Irish exit and was financially savvy by ordering an Uber wait and save instead of the standard wait with the remaining credit this event had given me so that I didn’t pay an extra $3. But before I knew it, I struck up a conversation with a 23 year old girl who’s planning on creating an app. Seeing the excitement in her eyes, I saw my younger self. Around her age I got married, started my business, and became a full-time content creator. Also just a year ago I too was working on an app, a possible TV show, and balancing that out with being a content creator and business owner. And then I was standing there with her knowing that most of that had fallen through.

The eldest daughter in me desperately wanted to give her advice to help her. But I found that the advice I was giving her was only in what not to do, and I couldn’t offer help in what she could do. It made me question myself if I’ve ever really learned from these very expensive experiences I’ve had. And why haven’t I? Why do I feel worse off than before?

As I began to mentally spiral, the 23 year old entrepreneur interrupted my train of thought by trying to comfort me with “Well you know, not everyone needs to be a finance person”. And as much as I wish this was true, life and this capitalistic system we live in has shown me otherwise.

Unfortunately I cannot keep vibing. I owe it to myself to develop a healthier relationship with finances and be a better steward with the resources I’m given. Not just because I’m an adult, but because it can be a make or break tool for the life that I want. A life with a bit more peace and ability to invest in my values, my dreams, and my community.

Breaking this financial belief that “I’m bad at money” is probably a therapy issue and one that I hope I’ll overcome sooner rather than later. But since I’m finishing writing this on a flight headed for a girl’s trip to Vietnam, I’ll just table this for now and worry about it when I get back home.

Love,

Jazmine

As a historically ambitious person, the pressure is on starting on December first to create the perfect vision board. To form a list of goals and resolutions that will result in greater career success. And hell, even anxiously anticipate Chani’s yearly astro reading for my rising sign to drop so I can have the best insight on how I can make more money.

Because millionaires don’t use astrology, billionaires do.

Which let me make it clear, fuck billionaires. But you know what I mean.

Through these practices, I center the new year as another potential of “leveling up” and manifesting more money and bigger dreams to accomplish. Which neither of those wants are inherently wrong. However, if there’s one thing I can credit to 2025 via a failed business, witnessing fascism being so prominent, seeing the wealth gap between billionaires and the working class become a chasm, and seeing just how little some people care about the lives of others, is this:

It is my right, privilege, and act of resistance to embrace myself as a whole and just simply be.

It reminds me of the 2020 Pixar film, Soul. For those who are unfamiliar with it, the movie follows a character who has dreamed of being a world renowned pianist but finds himself “stuck” being a teacher. Falling short on the dreams he had for himself, he walks around feeling unfulfilled. That is until he finally gets his big break!...

And then immediately falls into a manhole and essentially dies.

The rest of the film then explores how this passionate spark he has for being a pianist is not a soul’s purpose, and is instead simply a desire to live.

When I first watched that film, I hated how much I related to the main character. And I hated how much I hated the conclusion. But as life would have it, it has pushed me to realize that the joy of simply living really is the most important thing we can do for ourselves.

After I made the decision to close my business earlier this year, I had a moment where I realized “wait I live in New York Fucking City”. People flock here all across the world to learn and share their expertise.

Why haven’t I indulged in that?

Since then, I began picking up my love for dance by taking hip hop and contemporary classes at The Ailey Studios, which was founded by the Alvin Ailey. And soon, I’ll begin sketch comedy classes at UCB, a comedy institution and training center with Amy Poehler being one of the founders, to expand my writing skills and lean more into feeling cringe.

Now I don’t say this to flex on anyone living outside of New York. I think that wherever we are, there are more opportunities to learn and experience life. Because, in addition to those classes, I’ve made more time being in community by hosting events for my friends; or actually not being too busy to see them. Participating in local politics; shout out to the Zohran campaign and the DSA. Customizing my ‘avatar’, aka finally going pink! And can’t forget embracing therapy (sweet, sweet therapy) in order to find inner healing for myself.

However, this is not to say I have dropped my ambitions. I blame my Aries rising and Capricorn midheaven for this, because I cannot separate myself from my desires to ‘girlboss’. I’m someone brimming with ideas and ambitions. And I do believe that when we feel these desires in our hearts, the universe is beckoning us to bring them to life for the betterment of others and ourselves. So yeah, I’m putting it out there that I want to model more and explore acting and other creative projects. I also have a massive list of sustainable and mindful business ideas that are begging me to play around with. And, if I were to be honest with myself, I want to double my follower count and increase engagement across all of my platforms. Sorry my main source of income is influencing, so sue me for caring about numbers.

Nevertheless, I refuse to allow these ambitions to put blinders to the learning opportunities and experiences life has to offer beyond this capitalistic system we live in.

If at this point you’re like “Ok Jazmine, this is cute and all. But ya girl needs to survive, and frankly would like to thrive”. Well I get it, and I don’t blame you for that at all.

I’m very aware of the very real affordability and unemployment crisis we find ourselves in. Society tells us that the solution to this is to get a better job, to monetize what makes us happy, and to become our most productive self in order to constantly grow- despite what cost it might have towards our health and wellbeing.

However, if there’s anything this crisis proves is that we must decenter ‘girlbossing’. We got to where we are now because of those who have prioritized capital above people and wellbeing. And, like a horse following a carrot on a stick, have been deceived by these very same people that we can achieve the same lives as them if we continue to stretch ourselves thin. All the while we are making them more money to enjoy their time on earth at the cost of us not being able to enjoy our own.

And besides, if you are an astrology girlie like I am, you know that the real new year starts at the beginning of Aries season (March 20th). So I’ll save the ambitions I have for then to be fueled by that firestarter sign and use the winter as time to rest and reflect, as nature intended.

So as this western 2025 calendar year comes to a close, I will explore what it looks like to step into a new season with hope, prioritizing indulging in pleasure and learning, and simply filling myself with gratitude that I’ve made it another year, and thus offered another start.

Life, with all of its failings, is truly a beautiful thing. And I challenge you to see, explore, and experience all that it has to offer.

With Love,

Jazmine

In an effort to prevent a crop diversity disaster, more than 100,000 seeds from across Africa have found themselves safeguarded in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This vault, located on a remote Norwegian island, is known as the world’s largest backup facility for seeds.

177 seed species were stored in the facility, including seeds integral to building climate resilience, such as the Faidherbia albida tree, which turns nitrogen into ammonia and nitrates, and Cordia africana, the Sudan teak, a tree renowned for its strength and durability.

Dr Éliane Ubalijoro, the chief executive of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry states to The Guardian “For me, seeds are about hope. They’re about moving beyond survival, particularly when you come from places that have gone through really difficult times. When I think of my country of Rwanda and what happened in 1994, seed banks were critical when it came to rebuilding after the genocide.”

sources:

The Guardian

CIFOR

2. Teen Vogue pledges to prioritize sustainable fashion conversations

Before welcoming this past fashion month, Teen Vogue introduced its new series, Last Stop, as a way to promote conscious consumption and call attention to our global waste crisis.

Through this, they aim to cover stories of upcyclers and resellers who help reduce our reliance on new resources, garment workers who know firsthand how much clothing is being made, and offering steps that we can take to help reduce our fashion waste.

In addition to this series, they have also made a formal pledge that their editors will:

1. Include vintage and sustainably focused pieces in every photo shoot.

2. Put together conscious shopping guides that help our readers change the way they think about and buy apparel and accessories.

3. Avoid greenwashing through a glossary and internal rubric.

4. Give priority to fashion stories about impacted communities, women, and girls.

5. Include second-hand or upcycled options in all of our shopping guides.

6. Promote buying quality goods and reuse them in fashion features to highlight wearing the same garments and accessories in multiple ways.

You can take a deep-dive into what this fully means in this interview Green Behavior had done with Teen Vogue editor and Author, Alyssa Hardy.

It’s truly so exciting to see a major fashion publication tackle conversations like this in the industry, and I hope that more follow suit.

But in the meantime, if you’re looking for more content like this pledge you should check out my publication, Sustainable Baddie, where we make sustainable fashion and living as accessible, inclusive, and fun as possible.

*shameless plug* Follow Sustainable Baddie here:

Sustainable Baddie Substack

3. France bans forever checmicals

Following the EU PFAS Restriction Proposal submitted by Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands, France has now banned PFAS in various products, including fashion and cosmetics.

PFAS, also known as Forever Chemicals, have been used in many consumer products and industrial processes since the 1950’s. These chemicals are known to be persistent and unable to break down. Additionally they lead to multiple health problems including liver damage, thyroid disease, fertility issues, and cancer.

This new French law forbids the manufacture, import, export, and sale of PFAS-containing clothing, cosmetics, and ski waxes by 2026. And by 2030, there will be a broader ban to follow for all textiles containing PFAS.

Though cookware has been able to evade the ban so far, this is still a huge step forward in insuring the health of the planet and people.

sources:

Chem Trust

Oeko Tex

New York just got it’s first taste of fake spring. Bringing with it the reminder of the warmer months to come full of ocean air, little-to-no clothing, and the will to live again. *cue that LeBron meme* However, it has also brought the reminder that with the warmer months comes the nagging expectation to have the perfect summer bod.

This feels vulnerable to admit, especially as a thin person who recognizes that I have to work on my own internalized fatphobia, that this anxiety isn’t new but definitely feels heightened. Simply because I don’t have the flat stomach I want or once almost had.

Two years ago I went through a divorce and dropped 20lbs in the process. It was one of the most stressful experiences of my life, and the thinnest I’ve been as an adult. It was also the time I was complimented the most about how much I was ‘glowing’. I initially thought it was because I had gotten rid of my ex and people could sense how light I felt, which I do believe to be partially true. However as I’ve found myself recovering from that stress and getting into a healthy relationship, I’ve begun to gain most of that weight back and have lost most of those “idk what it is but you’re glowing” type of compliments.

Having my body being perceived in that way has sat like a cloud over my head, making me more conscious of it now more than ever. Add that experience with the rise of thin-tok and ozempic, where flat abs have once again become an accessory and celebrities feeling compelled to drop to scary weights. The resurgence of 2000’s media is obviously here, but this time feels even more sinister.

As the media and society praise women for being thin, I can’t help but think that it serves as a distraction to what’s happening in our country. My anxious energy generated by another unconstitutional law being passed is now being redirected to “how can I get fit fast before spring break arrives?”.

Granted, it’s much easier to have a sense of control over our own bodies than individually stopping this fascist train that we’re on. And I won’t be surprised if we all begin to lose weight due to the stress of more ‘unprecedented’ news and soaring grocery prices. But is this reason to celebrate and welcome our thinness?

I can’t help but feel that as we celebrate thinness due to these factors that we are becoming actively complacent to the actions this capitalistic, fascist government is doing. Welcoming a trade off for quality of life in exchange for unhealthy beauty.

And seeing as how women have been a driving force for change, being underfed and distracted is exactly what these greedy goons want from us. Our desire to be seen, valued, and to have a sense of belonging is being exploited. Being used as a weapon to keep us ignorant and too exhausted to fight back.

I urge you to not read this and say “well what about xyz”. There’s nuance when it comes to this, like all things. I’m all for the girls getting stronger and healthier. Especially when it comes from a place where -god forbid- we need to prepare for a physical revolution that will require us to be fit and healthy minded as well. But remember that thinness does not equal health and that hyper focusing on being skinny for aesthetics sake will not get my rights or yours back.

So as these warmer months approach, why don’t we redirect that anxiety towards productive channels like being a part of local politics, reading the books that are on banned lists, or simply shaking ass with community? I promise you that all of these actions and more will serve you better than hyper fixating on your or my own thinness.

1. Vogue Taiwan’s latest muse is Excessive Consumption

If you picked up Vogue Taiwan’s January 2025 issue, you were met with a hot cup of reality—but in the most beautiful way, of course. The cover, titled Never Enough, featured model Zoe Fang draped with a pile of clothes and drenched in oil. This image along with the campaign critiques our relentless hunger for more—often at the expense of both the planet and ourselves.

Photographer Zhong Lin was the mastermind behind this shoot and is no stranger to creating impactful, environmentally conscious covers. Lin also shot Vogue Taiwan’s January 2022 cover, Heat Wave, which featured an undressed model kissing a polluted popsicle. The concept played off Vogue Italia’s August 2010 issue, Water and Oil, but took a more abstract and visually inviting approach, following model Peng Chang as she cooled off in contaminated waters.

I love seeing artists unafraid to confront the fashion industry’s environmental destruction—especially in one of the world’s most prestigious publications. But the truth remains: there is no fashion on a dead planet. May more creatives continue these conversations about our climate crisis and help shape a better world.

source: https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/vogue-taiwan-sustainable-fashion-model-cover/

2. Beavers prove to be the best architects (no surprise)

While the Brdy Protected Landscape Area Administration struggled to cut through red tape and navigate bureaucratic hurdles for their project, a beaver colony in Brdy, Czech Republic, completed its plans almost overnight—and did it better.

The Brdy administration had been working on a dam and reservoir project to address a drainage issue in the Vltava River Basin, a project estimated to cost 30 million crowns (approximately $1.23 million USD). However, after years of waiting for approval, a group of eight beavers took matters into their own paws, constructing a series of dams that solved the problem immediately.

Environmentalists note that, in addition to resolving the drainage issue, the beavers’ work created ideal conditions for rare stone crayfish, frogs, and other species to thrive.

As humans step back in awe, it’s worth taking this moment to acknowledge—once again—that some of the best stewards of our land are the creatures that call it home.

source: https://english.radio.cz/beavers-build-planned-dams-protected-landscape-area-while-local-officials-still-8841536

3. London Fashion Week is the latest fashion week to adopt sustainability requirements

In 2019, Copenhagen Fashion Week launched its sustainability requirements, mandating that any brand participating in the event must meet a minimum set of standards. These include having a formal ESG strategy and a diversity and inclusion hiring policy, using preferred materials, and eliminating single-use props for fashion shows. The exact expectations vary depending on the size of the brand.

Throughout 2025, the British Fashion Council (BFC) will collaborate with brands to test and refine these requirements before fully implementing them in 2026. The BFC is optimistic about a smooth transition, as most participating brands are independent and small, such as Simone Rocha and Sinéad O'Dwyer.

Copenhagen Fashion Week has already influenced other fashion-focused events, including Berlin Fashion Week, the Norwegian Fashion Hub, and Oslo Runway. However, London Fashion Week is the first of the "Big Four" to adopt these requirements. Here’s hoping that New York, Milan, and Paris will soon take note, because both the planet and the industry depend on it.

sources: https://www.voguebusiness.com/story/sustainability/london-fashion-week-adopts-sustainability-requirements-british-fashion-council-copenhagen-fashion-week

https://copenhagenfashionweek.com/sustainability-requirements

Know of any other good news? Let me know down below.

Want more content like this? Give Sustainable Baddie a follow as well <3

I recently came across a journal of mine that started on January 7th 2021, aka the day after the insurrection, and woof. You can listen to the exact entry in the video below, but essentially it reminded me how these “unprecedented times” seem to have been going on forever.

@thatcurlytopplil jaz was so full of hope 😭 (still do but WOOF 😭😭😭💔)

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The Jazmine I was back in 2016 had been so fiery, full of action and hope. If I’m honest with myself, a lot of that energy has been withering away over the years.

People had told me that that passion goes away with age, but I don’t think it’s true. It comes from not sustaining my flame in a healthy way. A fireplace doesn’t just need wood thrown into it operate properly. It needs to be regularly cleaned, maintained, and cared for. All of which I’ve been neglecting to do.

So as we’ve been thrown into yet another scary and unpredictable year, here are some tactics I’ve been doing to regulate my nervous system and to hopefully get that old Jazmine to come out again.

1. Using the Stay Focused App to avoid doomscrolling:

“Stay off socials and avoid doomscrolling” has been the predominate piece of advice I’ve seen online. But that’s so much easier said than done, considering many of us have developed that bad habit back in 2020. I’ve been using the Stay Focused app that blocks me from using apps that I choose, usually just socials, for up to 24hrs at a time. I’ll take a full day off or do it at intervals of 30min-60min depending on my anxiety levels. It also has the option to set schedules or blocks of times where you can’t access the apps. For example, I have set a schedule from 12am - 9am to prevent myself from late night/early morning doomscrolling. Now I’m finally getting, slightly, more peaceful sleep.

2. Seeking guidance from the planets and stars via the Chani App:

I’ve become a major astrology girlie over the years and Chani is one of the main astrologers I love. Not only does she interpret my chart and what’s happening in the world in a digestible way, but she also has a major value for social justice and culture that feels relevant, hopeful, and grounding. My favorite resources are her weekly “week ahead” readings, guided meditations, and journal prompts.

3. Prioritizing the simple rituals that make me feel good:

With all the uncertainty in the world, creating rituals for myself has become a source of refuge. Having certain simple activities I can anticipate myself doing that make me feel my best has truly been a game changer for my anxiety.

For me this looks like waking up around 5:30am-6:00am and doing my morning routine. I know waking up this early is wild, but I realized that I desperately needed a space in time where nothing or no one in the world expects anything from me and I can simply be. I’ve been enjoying spending my time doing light stretches, a guided meditation, journaling and then anything else that gives me life.

And then on the weekends, ideally Sunday nights, I take a lil gummy or inhale a couple of puffs before I take a nice, relaxing bath and soon become one with the water.

4. Pushing myself to actually socialize:

I blame it on my cancer sun, but in times I feel unsafe my first instinct is to retreat from community and into my lil shell. This is helpful every so often, but over time I can feel the stillness fester into loneliness and guilt. I know that community is key to overthrowing the systems we’re in, but I also know that many are like myself where texting back, scheduling regular hangs, or attending community events can be difficult, simply because we’re mentally exhausted. If that’s you, you’re definitely not alone. Pushing through the exhaustion and finding energy through taking these minor steps to be in community again have already been so healing.

5. Supporting where I can:

Whether its boosting a post, donating a lil money here and there, or showing acts of kindness to my neighbors, I want to support others to the best of my ability. Witnessing all the tragedies and needs of the world can make me feel so helpless. But then I realize I need to take a step back and acknowledge the ways I have already been helping and the places I can push myself to help a bit more. Either way their is absolutely no way for me to fulfill all the needs in the world. On the other hand, I also don’t want to underestimate the power I have as an individual and the power we have as a collective to make change happen, one action at a time.

6. A ton of secondhand shopping:

ok I didn’t say that all of these were HEALTHY ways of staying sane, and I recognize it as a problem. No need to get into it further. But here’s proof if you need it.

What are you doing to stay sane?

I’m returning of my roots: blogging and youtube. Don’t believe me? Here’s an entry from my OG blog and link to my first ever youtube video:

blog circa 2017:

My youtube before I got bullied circa 2011:

*you’re welcome*

I hate that it took all the other apps blowing up for me to realize my true love is really writing and making long form videos. Creating thoughtful and intentional content for the world really makes me feel my best, and honestly the world can use more of it. So here I am doing my part.

But in case you’re new here-

Hi! ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

My name is Jazmine (aka @thatcurlytop) and I’m a Black + Mexican sustainable fashion advocate, creative, and commentator. In addition, I’m also the founder of a platform called, Sustainable Baddie, which engages with sustainable fashion + lifestyle both online and IRL. When I’m not yapping about all of that, you can find me downloading CC for my sims, playing with my cats, and sipping coffee while listening to Chani’s podcast.

Expect to read and listen to my thoughts on sustainable fashion, living, and culture, personal journal entries, and the occasional brand rec.

I’m so excited to start this lil community on here, so make sure to say hello below!

p.s. when you’re not on substack, you can find me @thatcurlytop on all platforms <3

IG: @thatcurlytop, YT: @thatcurlytop, RD: @thatcurlytop, TT: @thatcurlytopp

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