Over the years I have moderated and participated in many conversations about fashion and sustainability. Raising awareness about the issue of fast fashion is a passion and through panels I engage in discourse that explores alternatives to fast fashion, sharing my journey and highlighting how to be an active citizen to change fashion for good. As a sustainable fashion consultant, I help brands, initiatives and institutions create authentic narratives around their work.
Natural History Museum
My collaboration with the Natural History Museum started in 2021 when I participated in an online panel about the future of fashion. I was also a sustainability consultant for them, advising on their narrative approach to educating their audience during the Broken Planet exhibition. In October 2023, I put together and moderated a panel about Waste Colonialism and the Future of Fashion during one of their museum lates.
« We consulted with Amma during the development of some visitor engagement activities for the Our Broken Planet exhibition, relating to Fast Fashion and Greenwashing in Spring 2022. She provided expert guidance on current issues and topics for exploration with young people, as well as advice around sourcing information reliably. Amma also conducted an excellent Q&A with our team of Science Educators which boosted their confidence to engage visitors with a subject they had little prior knowledge about. We would highly recommend working with her. »
Tempe Nell, Learning Engagement Manager, Natural History Museum
27 Arte: Fast Fashion: une mode condemnable
27 Arte is a French television programme focused on European news and culture. I participated in a panel about the issues around Fast Fashion along with Fashion Revolution founder Orsola De Castro as well as other key players in the fair fashion movement. I highlighted the importance of looking at the issue from the stance of Global South countries.
Beyond Retro
As a big advocate for secondhand, whether it’s preloved or vintage, I love supporting brands and initiatives that make preloved accessible. Beyond Retro is a leader in secondhand fashion, worldwide. I participated in a panel at their Coal Drop Yard store in celebration of Earth Day, to speak and educate on fashion consumerism. Among the participants were sustainable brand owners and industry leaders.
Tortoise Media
I participated in a panel with Tortoise Media in 2019, discussing who owns culture: is it okay to wear a bindi at a festival when you’re not Hindu? Should we return the dozens of cultural artefacts in our museums acquired during the height of imperial empire? Should Jamie Oliver be selling jollof rice?
The discussion’s core was cultural appropriation and whether it was possible or important to appreciate a culture without robbing it.
Bed Stuy Clothes Swap
I collaborated with Bed Stuy Clothes Swap, a community-based safety net for NYC residents. They collectively move against the grain of New York’s hyper-capitalist systems that encourage over-consumption and the destruction of our environment, displace long-term community members, and exploit and subjugate Black and Brown communities. Together we created an educational swap space at the Brooklyn Museum to platform issues around fast fashion and its impact on the Global South for their Waste No More: Brooklyn Museum Clothing Swap. Below is one of the videos used for the event.
« I initially reached out to Amma on social media for consulting support on an educational workshop my team and I were presenting at the Brooklyn Museum (USA). For some time, I have followed Amma on social media and have learned a lot about Ghana’s Kantamanto Market and varying global initiatives addressing the impacts of clothing waste streams; so of course, this moment was quite surreal to work with her.
Amma is a powerhouse, who inspires other Black women to audaciously step into circular fashion spaces fully confident in themselves. Every conversation with her felt inspiring and informative. Her technical knowledge and thought leadership on circular fashion and supply chain operations reverberates deeply. She is an expert at what she does and adds a great deal of talent to this industry. In all honesty, I never thought I would get the chance to work with her, but somehow the stars aligned for me last year.
Once my team and I were presented with the opportunity to design an interactive supply chain game for the Brooklyn Museum, I knew I had to reach out to Amma. Amma consulted my colleague,Traci and me on how our game’s design can weave circularity principles with the African Fashion Industry, as well as introduce supply chain concepts to a vastly diverse, large audience. Many virtual calls and planning sessions later, we were able to come up with a game called “Closing The Loop” that was fun and interactive. Amma made these concepts not feel scary and intimidating. Additionally, she supported us with the design and drafting of informational videos of her discussing Ghana’s Kantamanto Market, African resiliency and the impacts of clothing waste streams in the Global South. We included her videos in our event at the Brooklyn Museum, which was well received. Overall, our event was successful and Amma played a huge part in that.
I am deeply grateful for her and highly encourage you to work with her! Thanks Amma! »
Co-Founder, Akiera Charles