Project Good Podcast

Host Annmarie Hylton introduces the Project Good Podcast’s August focus on intentional consumerism and interviews Courtney Barriger, a sustainable fashion designer, author of Refashion Workshop, and founder of Holding Court. Barriger explains fast fashion’s rapid, cheap production model and shares how modeling exposed her to low-quality, untraceable clothing and raised questions about waste and supply chains. She argues fast fashion is increasing, citing newer platforms like Shein and Temu and the lack of transparency, and discusses growing concerns about toxins in clothing, including PFAs, BPAs, and lead, alongside emerging regulation such as California’s testing requirements and related lawsuits. The conversation links overconsumption to identity and insecurity, recommends practical consumer habits like reading labels and delaying impulse purchases, urges businesses to use third-party certified materials and design for durability and circularity, and highlights innovation in biodegradable, alternative fibers. Barriger describes Holding Court’s made-to-order, low-tox approach and her broader education and storytelling work.

00:00 Welcome to Project Good
01:01 Meet Courtney Barriger
08:56 Fast Fashion Today Bleak
12:22 Toxins and New Regulations
15:53 How We Got Here
19:57 Clothing Waste Deserts
23:14 Global Pushback Strategies
31:18 Clothes And Identity
36:56 What Businesses Must Change
39:57 Luxury Status Trap
45:01 Teaching Kids Consumerism
49:20 Climate Week Fabric Innovation
59:10 Final Thanks And Links

Courtney Barriger is an award-winning artist, published author, sustainable fashion designer, and storyteller exploring the intersection of fashion, psychology, mythology, sustainability, and human consciousness. She is the author of ReFashion Workshop, an educational book and creative platform focused on sustainable living, textile awareness, conscious consumerism, and the future of ethical fashion. Through ReFashion Workshop, Courtney examines the environmental, psychological, and cultural impact of what we wear from microplastics and textile waste to identity, storytelling, and consumer behavior in the digital age. Courtney is also the founder of Holding Court a sustainable luxury fashion brand centered around wearable art, ethical production, and environmentally conscious design. Find out more at: https://holdingcourtinc.com/