[Replay] Resisting Consumerism, Reclaiming Power

Consuming stuff is embedded into our identities and our culture. We are told that we deserve to buy things, and that ownership defines our worth. For the sake of our planet’s health and our own freedom, it is well worth the hard work of dismantling our addiction to stuff and asking ourselves questions about who we want to be. 

Aja Barber joins Reseed for a fascinating and frank conversation that delves into intersections between fashion, justice, and climate, wildest dreams for remaking the fashion ecosystem, and how to balance individual and collective action. She digs into her book Consumed - The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism. Aja is a highly respected writer, stylist and consultant whose work deals with the intersections of sustainability and the fashion landscape. She writes for outlets like The Guardian and CNN, and for her thriving online community. 

Consuming less is not easy, and sometimes our stuff threatens to consume us. Our rites of passage, rituals, celebrations, hard times, boredom, and life changes are marked often by the accumulation of more things. Consumption is deeply intertwined with colonialism, is built on unjust labour conditions that keep people in poverty, and fuels climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution. 

Buying less can be frustrating, emotional, and - ultimately - it can be liberating. In the words of Aja, " I want the big brands to lose the power and the chokehold that they currently have on all of us". 

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This is part of a series of replays from the archives, in which we are sharing some of our most beloved episodes. Listen to all episodes at reseed.ca.