19. Fashion Forward: PANGAIA, a Material Science Company Disguised as Fashion Brand

Join Karl and Erum on Grow Everything as they discuss sustainability in the fashion industry with Amanda Parkes, a fashion technologist and Chief Innovation Officer at PANGAIA. Amanda emphasizes the need for transparency and education in the industry, sharing how her company's website explains the science behind their sustainable products. She also discusses her passion for ocean conservation and the potential of microalgae as a sustainable material for clothing. Amanda touches on her work with startups in this space and her teaching experience at Harvard. The conversation also delves into the challenges of sustainability in fashion, including the overproduction of synthetic materials and microplastic pollution. The hosts ask Amanda about her sources of inspiration, including Coifs, a company that makes beautiful dyes for clothing. This episode provides valuable insights into the importance of sustainability in the fashion industry and the innovative solutions being developed to address its challenges.

Grow Everything brings to life the bioeconomy when hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories from the field and interview leaders and influencers in the space.  Life is a powerful force and it can be engineered. What are we creating?

Learn more at www.messaginglab.com/groweverything

Topics Covered:

• 00:00:00 - Bridging the Communication Gap between Startups and Fashion Companies
• 00:01:11 - Safety and Sustainability Questions Raised by Prospect Park Celebration
• 00:04:08 - Living in Brooklyn: A Perpetual South by Southwest Experience
• 00:05:33 - Passion for Innovative Products and Biotech: Interview with Amanda
• 00:08:12 - Passive Lens Technology and Flashing Light Effect in Water Treatment
• 00:11:24 - Consistent Light's Importance for Microalgae Growth and Journey to PANGAIA
• 00:13:43 - Fashion Industry Needs to Learn from Silicon Valley's R&D Approach
• 00:17:32 - New Fashion Model: Collaboration and Innovation for Industry Change
• 00:19:12 - Enabling Technology for Sustainable Fashion: Importance of Materials and Innovation
• 00:22:37 - High-Tech World of Fashion
• 00:27:07 - PANGAIA's High-Tech Naturalism Philosophy and Patented Material
• 00:30:32 - Spier's Biotech for Sustainable Fashion with Brewed Protein
• 00:36:05 - Fashion and Accessory Favorites of the Speaker
• 00:39:17 - Balancing Crop Yield and Biofabricated Solutions for a Sustainable Future
• 00:40:56 - Importance of Developing Feedstock for Biofabrication Technologies to Avoid Crisis
• 00:42:51 - Harvard's New Institute for Climate: Teaching Through Sustainability and Longevity
• 00:46:03 - Finding Inspiration in the Ocean: Scientist's Perspective
• 00:48:37 - Praise for a Book and NYC's Biotech and Material Innovation Scene
• 00:50:14 - Getting to Know Amanda: Her Bio Reactor Journey on a Podcast Interview
• 00:53:51 - Exciting Companies in the Fashion Industry
• 00:55:57 - Science of Mouth Feel and Sensory Perception in Food Engineering
• 00:58:32 - Upcoming Episodes to Cover Materials, Beauty, and Food

Episode Links:

Pangaia

Amanda Parkes on LinkedIn

Companies Mentioned:

• Spiber

• Colorifix

• Twelve

Suggested Reading:

• Invention of Nature by Alexander von Humboldt

• Facing Gaia by Bruno Latour 

• Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media