Emily Mikhaiel of Nazeerah on honoring her ancestors and Egyptian cotton through regenerative, organic farming practices and a localized supply chain
About this episode
Emily Mikhaiel discusses her brand Nazeerah and its commitment to regenerative farming and local production in Egypt.
In Episode 334, Kestrel welcomes Emily Mikhaiel, the cofounder and creative director of Nazeerah, to the show. A clothing brand inspired by the legacy of her grandmother, Nazeerah supports organic and regenerative farming practices to honor Egyptian cotton, and produces locally in Egypt to maintain direct relationships with their suppliers and reduce their carbon footprint. "There really wasn't waste while my father was growing up. Everything was either composted or if it was metal, it was recycled or reused or repurposed. If a garment was no longer wearable, they'd cut it up into strips and weave carpets out of it. And once the carpet was no longer usable, they'd cut it up again and compost it. So using that knowledge and thinking, you know, as a society, we've existed without plastics for millennia. Why can't we return to that and draw inspiration from that in our design?" -Emily SEPTEMBER THEME —WHEN *REGENERATIVE* MEANS SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST A BUZZWORD This week's episode is focused largely on a regenerative approach to making clothes – one that includes thinking about the end of life of the garment at the design process, where organic cotton farming is centered, not only to…
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