D Golden Hour

In this solo episode of "D Golden Hour" podcast, Dessie shares about her magical week in Bulgaria, highlighting the transformative power of women coming together in safe spaces, and the ripple effect of our individual actions, whether we realise it in the moment or not, on people around us.Follow @iamdessiegeorgieva on Instagram for inspiration in regards to living in alignment with nature.Follow @dgh.club to join a community of women who are done playing small.Follow @dgoldenhour.pod to never miss another episode of "D Golden Hour" podcast.Chapters00:00 Women's Circle And Magical Week in Bulgaria06:09 March: The Feminine Month12:13 Inspiring Others Through Individual Actions

In this solo episode of D Golden Hour podcast Dessie shares about her time in Bulgaria together with Christian and healing a part of herself though reconnecting to her homeland though the eyes and experience of her fiancé. Furthermore, she explored the humanness of feeling all kinds of different emotions all at once throughout her move from Bulgaria to Austria. Listen to the full episode for Dessie's reflections and follow her on Instagram @iamdessiegeorgieva for daily dose of connection with nature, sustainability, feminine embodiment.

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 such genuine hospitality, that I immediately fell in love with the place. Theja greeted me first with a big smile and a “Namaste”. She exuded such contentment and joy just by being, that I was mesmerized by her presence. I think it was at that moment when I had the idea to maybe interview her for the podcast one day, in order to figure out what the secret to this happiness and contentment is. Santosha is the second of the Niyamas of Patanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga, translating as contentment, and Theja was the perfect embodiment of that Niyama. Later on, I met her two wonderful children and her husband, who were just as sweet and joyful as she was. Both husband and wife are so very generous, and also very dedicated to work, be it Basra who works at three different places, or Theja, who works at the restaurant, and takes care of the home and the children each day. Me and Theja talked about happiness, family values, growing the children, managing the cafe, and so much more. I am so happy we managed to make it happen, and hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it. So without further ado, I’ll leave you to the podcast episode. You will find Old Green House Cafe here https://goo.gl/maps/QxsuGP9so7vBBUbGAFor more mindfulness inspiration join the conversation with Dessie on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/iamdessiegeorgieva/

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.Sabrina went to fashion school at the age of 14, but it was not until later in life that she went back to fashion and created her first bag on the side and “by accident”, as she says. We talk about sewing and bag making as a craft, and the importance of elevating that image of the seamstress, since nowadays we have been so disconnected of the idea that is taken human hands to make pretty much every piece of clothing or accessory. With her brand Saborka Sabrina wants to give people the opportunity to buy something that is locally produced, and show the importance of preserving the skill and the craft. Furthermore, Sabrina and Dessie discuss transparency, and the responsibility of the brands, suppliers, politics, and consumers for a more sustainable, conscious, and transparent industry. Sabrina shares her take on real versus vegan leather, which has been extremely refreshing, and one of the most honest conversations about this topic I have ever had. She shares ways that enable one to prolong the life of vegan leather, and debunks the myth that real leather is a waste product of the meat industry and thus does not drive demand. Sabrina works with pineapple-based vegan leather Piñatex and other innovative leather alternatives, as well as headstock materials. Lastly, one of the most important points Sabrina addresses is how important it is to show up and have an uncomfortable conversation without perfect knowledge (which, by the way, doesn’t exist). We learn and get better by having conversation about the topics that are important. I am for sure extremely grateful that she decided to have this one with me. Connect with Sabrina here: Saborka on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/_saborka_/ Sabrina on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/iamsaborka/ Website https://www.saborka.at/ Piñatex https://www.ananas-anam.com/ For more mindfulness and sustainable fashion inspiration follow me on Instagram @iamdessiegeorgieva. Music credit: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesomeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 have to.”When she is not in the Ukraine, Jessie resides in Kenya, where she founded a mindfully made luxury loungewear line called Dawa Wear (which in both Swahili and Arabic means medicine). She aspires to create pieces that are not “extracting from the earth”, but are something meaningful that is made in a collaborative process with not just humans, but the earth as well. After all, as she says, all things carry energy, including the things you wear. The idea for the business was born out of love for great textiles, the need to explore her creativity, and the wish to push the sustainable fashion movement forward. Jessie talks about the challenges of building an ethical value chain in Kenya and Tanzania, choosing the most ecological dyes, as well as collaborating with awesome partners, such as the Design Co-lab for her design and production in Kenya. We also dive into topics such as manifesting, mindfulness, , “the feeling of home”, and limiting beliefs that are often the only thing standing between us and our dreams. For the full interview, tune in to the podcast episode. Connect with Jessie here: https://www.instagram.com/jessiempreston/Dawa Lifestyle Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/dawa_lifestyle/Design Co-Lab Kenyahttps://www.instagram.com/design_co_lab/For more mindfulness and sustainable fashion inspiration follow me on Instagram @iamdessiegeorgieva. Interested in yoga and mindfulness for yourself or your organisation? Check out my yoga schedule here https://www.dgoldenhour.com/golden-hour-yoga or set up a quick call with me to see whether we can work together: https://calendly.com/dessie-georgieva. Music credit: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesomeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes Mauricio Alpizar. Mauricio hails from Costa Rica and is now based in Bali, where he currently designs and produces his ethical and sustainable clothing brand. His prints are inspired by nature, and created using eco-friendly inc and printed on 100% sustainably sourced woodline fabric. For his latest collection Mauricio collaborates with SMESTA Fabrics, using a quite innovative acacia woodchip fibre for his designs, which is sustainably sourced and printed in Indonesia. The whole production process, including the release of water into the environment, is designed in the most environmentally friendly way, to ensure the least impact possible. Connect with Mauricio here: Websitehttps://www.mauricioalpizar.com.au/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mauricio_alpizar_fashion/Sustainable Fashion NOLCHA Shows @ NY Fashion Week https://nolchashows.com/ For more sustainable fashion and mindfulness inspiration join the conversation on Instagram @iamdessiegeorgievaMusic credit: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesomeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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-inclusive boutique. We talk about the huge gap of size inclusion in the ethical fashion industry, and the way to move forward. Julie talks about helping fund treatment for eating disorder patients and educating on the topics of body image and eating disorder prevention with the Mary Rose Foundation. Her own sustainable size-inclusive women-centric line Hope Continues is set to launch in March. Find Julie here: https://www.instagram.com/maryrose.boutique/https://www.maryrosefoundation.orgFor more sustainable fashion and mindfulness inspiration follow Dessie on Instagram here. Music credit: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesomeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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 2018 she published her book: “Fashion.Business.Spirituality: A call to the light workers of the fashion industry”, which is a manual for fashion professionals who want to approach their work in a more mindful way. Despite that, the wisdom and practices shared in her book are applicable to pretty much any work field. Her goal is to contribute to a more ethical and human-driven fashion industry. I talk to her about everything from the toxic fashion business environment and the industry’s ethical problems, to trauma, mental health, and healing. We discuss the most pressing problems in a society driven by fear, and how to deal with them. Farah studied law at UCM in Madrid, Fashion Design in both Madrid and London, and most recently “Entrepreneurship and Professional mentoring” at the IOEE of London UK.Some useful links: Tara Mohrhttps://www.taramohr.com/Oshohttps://www.osho.com/Find Farah here: https://www.farahlizpallaro.com/ https://www.instagram.com/farahlizpallaro For more sustainable fashion inspiration, reach out to me on Instagram @dsustainabilityissue

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 it is that it doesn't tell the whole story. According to law, the label states the country where the last "substantial transformation" of the piece has been made. It leaves out the processes before sewing a piece together, such as harvesting the cotton etc. completely out of the labelling, which is misleading. What is more, with the current fashion system and labelling laws, it is very easy to find legal loopholes through e.g. sub-contracting between factories. What can we do about this? Listen to the whole episode to find out.Pretty Progressive article: 20 best podcasts about ethical sustainability of 2021 https://prettyprogressive.com/20-best-podcasts-about-ethical-sustainability-of-2021/ Resourceshttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-balkans-clothing-idUSTRE55H0DT20090618https://www.tekstilrevolutionen.dk/project/why-the-made-in-the-eu-label-can-be-misleading/https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/made-europe_en https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/customs-4/international-affairs/origin-goods/non-preferential-origin_en Music creditWholesome by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesomeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but the majority are less-than-friendly to the environment and the people involved in the mining and production process. In this episode of “D Sustainability Issue” Dessie welcomes the founders of Aether (https://aetherdiamonds.com/) - the world’s first positive-impact and truly sustainable diamonds: alchemized from air and hand-set in responsibly-sourced metals.Ryan Sherman, Co-Founder and CEO of Aether, is a mechanical engineer turned entrepreneur with a background in material science and over 10 years of experience in jewelry and tech. Early in his career, he joined David Yurman as one of the first hires on their new Men's team, where he specialized in the development and introduction of new product collections. His work touched on everything from design through to large-scale production and he was responsible for overseeing the development of some of the brand's most iconic and commercially successful collections at the time. Ryan transitioned to the tech world in 2013 when he founded his first startup, Fusar, a direct-to-consumer brand that developed tech-enabled safety products for the motorcycle market. As founder and CEO of Aether, he combines his passions for technology and jewelry with his personal mission to help solve the climate crisis. In his free time, Ryan can be found riding his motorcycle, teaching his dog new tricks, and spending time with his family.Dan Wojno, Co-Founder and COO of Aether, has more than a decade of experience in jewelry manufacturing and product development. Dan’s jewelry career has taken him around the globe - it began in New York City, working for David Yurman, where he worked closely with Mr. Yurman to bring his designs to life and developed the $10 million Labyrinth collection — D.Y.’s largest to date. After three years in the NYC HQ, Dan moved to Bangkok, Thailand to setup David Yurman’s Asia operations. After DY Dan has served as Director of Advance Quality with Pandora in Bangkok, where he managed an international team of 60 and was responsible for the success of all new product launches. Dan was tapped to be Head of Group Quality at Pandora’s global H.Q. in Copenhagen, Denmark. Dan holds a Masters of Engineering and Management from Case Western Reserve University and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University. After nearly seven years abroad, Dan is thrilled to be back in the U.S. with his wife and dog and welcoming his first child in 2021.Follow Aether on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook here: https://www.instagram.com/aetherdiamonds/ https://twitter.com/aetherdiamondshttps://www.facebook.com/aetherdiamonds/Music credit: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesomeLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode Dessie welcomes Janice Sommer - a model, podcast host, sustainability activist and sustainable business growth strategist. She is half German, half Singaporean, and has a MA in International Relations and Economics from the University of St Andrews. After a few years of corporate finance life, she completely switched careers to start working creatively as a model, podcaster and in the field of social entrepreneurship. She is passionate about finding smart solutions to help make the world of fashion more sustainable. In order to explore these topics, she founded and is the host of the podcast and blog "In Conscious Conversation" (https://www.inconsciousconversation.com/), which features interviews with the founders of sustainable fashion brands that are transparent across their entire supply chain, and make a real social impact. She is also part of Model Mafia (https://www.instagram.com/modelactivist/), an organization that fights for a fairer, safer, and more inclusive fashion industry. Janice is particularly excited about community-led entrepreneurship and innovation, and enabling sustainability-focused entrepreneurs and founders to learn from each other and tell their stories. They talk about career switches, what is it to be a model activist, and how to take better everyday fashion choices.

In this episode, Dessie gives 8 simple and hands-on ideas for a more sustainable wardrobe. Here are some useful links: The meaning of the bodhicitta concept: https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5940/bodhicittaWebsites and apps for apparel rentalRent the Runway https://www.renttherunway.com/ HURR Collective https://www.hurrcollective.com/ endlos fesch https://www.endlosfesch.at/ Websites and apps for second hand apparelWillhaben in Austria https://www.willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verkaufen/ Vinted https://www.vinted.com/ Vestiaire Collective https://vestiairecollective.com/ The Real Real https://www.therealreal.com/ The Austrian company producing Tencel, Lenzing: https://www.lenzing.com/ Additional information on sustainable fabrics https://goodonyou.eco/most-sustainable-fabrics/ Additional information on certifications https://eluxemagazine.com/culture/articles/ethical-fashion-certifications/ Music credit: Wholesome by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5050-wholesome License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/