{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Upcycling artists Francisco Alcazar & Ella Wiznia of Series NY are redefining sustainable fashion while reimagining craft & challenging the gender binary","description":"*DISCLAIMER \u2014 this episode features stories connected to eating disorders and sexual abuse.  Episode 318 features guests Francisco Alcazar, a zero waste designer based in Los Angeles, California, alongside Ella Wiznia, the founder and designer of Series NY. Using his 25 years experience as a structural engineer, Francisco is leading the movement that promotes circularity in fashion, and expanding these principles to other disciplines, whilst celebrating the material stories of each textile and the individuality they represent. A New York based brand of ethically made genderless clothing and accessories, Series NY makes every piece in NY in partnership with skilled artisans who set their own rates using only pre-existing and sustainable materials. \u201cWhat I like about upcycling is the freedom that it gives you. When you\u2019re upcycling, you actually remix, rework, reuse. And in the process of doing that, the power is back to you. What I mean by that is when we go to a secondhand shop, all the clothes there are mixed up. You have the power to choose \u2014 there is no trend, there is no fashion. And the good thing is it\u2019s hard because you have to deal with your inner \u2018what you actually like\u2019. And some people follow trends because the process of learning about you is hard. It\u2019s easy to just conform and follow trends, you know, you go to magazines and copy a trend. You don\u2019t have to actually learn about yourself anymore.\u201d -Francisco \u201cFashion kind of seems to be one of the only forms of art that is quote unquote gendered in most peoples\u2019 minds. I mean, you don\u2019t go into an art gallery and say \u2018oh no, this is for men; no, that piece is for a girl\u2019 \u2014 you know, it\u2019s just not how it\u2019s done. Or architecture \u2014 \u2018no, this building was for this these types of people\u2019. We\u2019re all able to experience them how we want.\u201d -Ella MARCH THEME \u2014 Acknowledging The Confines of Gender & The Folks Disrupting Stereotypes The fashion industry can often be described as frivolous with labels, stereotypes and binaries boxing us in \u2013 telling us how we need to dress and what identities are deemed quote unquote \u2018acceptable\u2019, which can create spaces that are harmful, toxic and void of any sort of individuality and uniqueness \u2013 it can often be a place where difference in not celebrated but rather hidden. This week, our incredible guests share the power that upcycling has in being a paintbrush to the art you wish to create and see in the world - a world where the gender binary is challenged, where we go against ultra fashion trends, and have the permission to dress freely without societal bias and prejudice. We hear how pain can be the source of our purpose, and how textiles and materials are the vehicle in this journey of pride, play and personal empowerment. We explore the origins of gender-based crafts, the passing over of traditional skills and techniques, and how our guests are challenging the confines of gender stereotypes through reimagining materiality. Links from the conversation: Lynden B. Miller (artist that Ella mentions) Fran\u2019s Website Series NY Website Follow Francisco on Instagram Follow Series NY on Instagram ","author_name":"Conscious Chatter","author_url":"http:\/\/consciouschatter.com\/","html":"