In the beginning of 2023 I spent 2 moths in India deepening my yoga practice and diving into the Indian culture. I spent most of my time in Gokulam, Mysore, where the yoga school I attended was located. Mysore is a little yoga paradise in the south of India, where yoga as we know it today originated. This is where I also met Theja - together with her husband Basava they run Old Green House Cafe - one of the nicest family-run restaurants with the yummiest South Indian food in the area.  Old Green House was one of the first places I checked out when I arrived in Gokulam, and I was met with ..read more

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes Milica Spiric.  Milica hails from Serbia but she’s moved to Milan, Italy, for her business studies at Bocconi 10 years ago. Afterwards she moved to Vienna for her masters, where she met Dessie and has been a dear friend since. She’s built an impressive career in talent acquisition, she is passionate for diversity and inclusion, and a proud feminist. She is very passionate about music as well, and spoiler alert, she sang a little something at the end of this episode.  Mili and Dessie talk about diversity, inclusion, working c ..read more

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes Sabrina Satzinger. Sabrina is the founder and maker behind Saborka - a Vegan Bag brand based in Vienna, Austria. Saborka makes timeless, unique, and high quality accessories for all walks of life, fairly produced in-house by the founder, Sabrina, herself. Craftsmanship, local production, responsible use of resources and materials are at the core of everything Saborka does ..read more

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes Jessie Peterson. Jessie is a nomadic humanitarian, yoga enthusiast, spiritually curious, and ultimately committed to making the world a better place. After growing up in a small town in Nebraska US, she set her sights on manifesting a life she loved to live through exploration of the world, herself, and the cosmos. Jessie talks about her why for living and working in a war-zone. She explains her reason with the quote:  “Never go into this work unless you have to. Unless there is something inside of you that just says that you hav ..read more

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes Julie Allen. Julie is an author, a sustainability awareness activist, the CEO of Mary Rose NW Boutique, and founder of the Mary Rose Foundation. Julie started Mary Rose NW Boutique because she recognized the need for a clothing shop that focused on body acceptance, self-love, and helping all bodies feel beautiful and confident in their clothes. The three pillars of her boutique include sustainability, inclusion, and social justice. Julie has struggled with an eating disorder in the past, which motivated her to found her size-inclusiv ..read more

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes João Botelho. João has been working on sustainability projects with Farfetch, a Luxury Fashion online marketplace. He studied Business at WU Vienna, and has been passionate for sustainability and circular economy for a long time, having started his own initiatives such as Recycle Geeks. We talk about Positively Farfetch - Farfetch’s dedication to sustainability, which has three main focus points - Circularity, Reduction, and Consciousness. To hear all about Farfetch’s approach to sustainability and João’s personal take on the topic, j ..read more

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes Farah liz Pallaro. Farah is a mentor, an educator, and an author. She started her career as a fashion designer 20 years ago, and in 2009 she launched her own consultancy for trend research, brand management, and teaching. Recently she also launched her own online community platform for self-discovery, alignment, and growth.  She’s collaborated with some of the most renown international brands and institutions such as DelPozo, Dolce & Gabbana,  Borsalino, Luisa Via Roma, Marangoni, Coventry University and so many more. In ..read more

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes founder and street style and vintage enthusiast Liisa Jokinen.  As Coco Chanel said, “Fashion comes and goes but style lasts forever.” Liisa Jokinen’s life philosophy is a full embodiment of that quote. As she says of herself, she is not into fashion at all, but into style. Style tells a story and says more about a person than any fashionable item can.  Liisa is a real street style legend, having photographed street style since back in 2005. Originally from Finnland, she now lives and works in New York. She is the creator of ..read more

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes Jasmin Huber, founder of the fashion rental platform WeDress Collective.  Jasmin is an expert in sustainability, circular economy, and mindful consumption. She has more than 10 years of business experience - from finance to fashion tech. Jasmin wrote her bachelor thesis about sustainability in the European fashion industry and did a master in sustainability and responsible businesses. She’s been working as a consultant and auditor at KPMG Austria, where she established the department circular economy.  In March 2020 she foun ..read more

In this episode Dessie is on a quest to find out what "Made in Europe" and "Made in EU" tags actually mean, especially since her home country Bulgaria is a large garment producer for some of the world's most luxurious brands. The fast fashion industry relies on cheap labour countries to keep production costs for its 52 seasons of clothes a year low. This is why most of our clothes are nowadays being produced in Asia or Africa. Nevertheless, the growing number of conscious consumers are looking for more local alternatives, and this is where the "Made in Europe" label comes in. The problem with ..read more