Conscious Fashion Panel and Trunk Show

✨ Join us at the Chicago Fair Trade Pop-Up Shop for an inspiring panel discussion and trunk show featuring Chicago changemakers in sustainable and ethical fashion, dedicated to reshaping the industry by prioritizing people, planet, and cultural heritage. Our panelists — Pushpika Freitas, Founder of MarketPlace: Handwork of India; Jamie Hayes, Owner and Designer of Production Mode; and Vanessa Arroyo, Founder of SERES — will share insights from their journeys building their brands.

In this panel conversation facilitated by Elizabeth Joy of Conscious Fashion Collective, our speakers will explore what “ethically made” truly means, from heritage crafts and fair wages to sustainable manufacturing and slow fashion.

Each speaker will share their unique approach to sustainable and slow fashion, discuss the true costs behind ethical production, and offer perspectives on preserving cultural craftsmanship in a world increasingly dominated by fast fashion. Whether you're a conscious consumer, an aspiring sustainable entrepreneur, or simply curious about fashion’s potential to drive positive change, this event will offer valuable insights and tangible takeaways on the future of fashion.

There will also be snacks, drinks, and an opportunity to shop these ethically-made brands!

ABOUT THE PANELISTS:

Pushpika Freitas

Freitas began her career by founding and directing the Leprosy Rehabilitation Center in Mumbai, India in 1980. Driven by a passion for empowering women, she founded SHARE, a non-profit organization, formally registered in 1987. SHARE became the first cooperative of women artisans in Mumbai and has since grown to work with 12 cooperatives across the region.

In 1986, Freitas expanded her efforts by founding MarketPlace: Handwork of India in Evanston. This initiative focuses on creating markets and promotional campaigns to support fair trade products made by artisans in India. Both MarketPlace and SHARE are rooted in the belief that providing women with opportunities to earn a living is the first step toward empowerment. The strategy, “Leadership by Design,” equips women with essential skills in planning and production, which they apply in broader aspects of their live and their community.

Beyond these efforts, Freitas is also a founding member of the Fair-Trade Federation and Chicago Fair Trade, further solidifying her commitment to ethical trade practices and the empowerment of marginalized communities. Today, the women she works with are not only skilled artisans but also leaders in their communities, initiating social actions, engaging with their children's education, and actively participating in decision-making processes.

Jamie Hayes

Jamie Hayes’ inter­ests lie at the inter­sec­tion of fashion, art, labor, and iden­tity. She has worked as a labor rights organizer and has designed for fair trade orga­ni­za­tions including SERRV, Inter­crafts Peru, and Threads of Yunnan. As a Campaign Leader for Chicago Fair Trade, she helped to pass an ordi­nance mandating that apparel procured by the City of Chicago be sweatshop-free. She is the owner and designer of slow fashion line Produc­tion Mode, and also co-designed a collection of luxury slow fashion lingerie and night­wear, Depart­ment of Curiosi­ties. She was voted "Best Local Clothing Designer" in the Chicago Reader, was named as one of New City's "Design 50: Who Shapes Chicago", and Production Mode was included in Chicago Magazine's "Best of" issue. Additionally, her work has been featured in Paper Magazine, Dazed, Elle, and on the cover of Billboard Magazine.

Vanessa Arroyo

Vanessa's journey into fashion entrepreneurship began with a desire to address the lack of representation she observed during her tenure in New York City. As a footwear designer for a high-end label, she witnessed the disparities in the industry. It was during her time in Mexico that she truly grasped the traditional craftsmanship deeply ingrained in her culture. She was captivated by the rich heritage of shoemaking, a skill passed down through generations.

She founded SERES with a clear mission: to create dignified opportunities for marginalized communities within the fashion and footwear industry.

Elizabeth Joy

Elizabeth is the founder of the sustainable fashion and lifestyle media platform Conscious Life & Style and the founder and co-host of Conscious Style Podcast, which interviews industry disruptors, innovators, and thought-leaders on what it will take to build a better fashion future. Her podcast and digital media platform have reached millions of people and have been featured by outlets like Fashion Revolution and Good On You.

As a firm believer in the power of community and collaboration in slow fashion, she is also the owner and director of Conscious Fashion Collective. CFC is an in-depth resource hub and community for conscious fashion professionals and entrepreneurs to learn, grow, and connect.

Host or Publisher Chicago Fair Trade