Impact Interview: Tara St James

Name: Tara St James

Role/Function: Senior Director of Sustainability, Moose Knuckles

What are you working on these days?

Sometimes I stop and reflect on my life now compared to 10 or 15 years ago when I was making tech packs, designing zero-waste garments and showing a very small collection at trade shows. And I can't help but shake my head in disbelief. Today I spend my days calculating the carbon footprint of a much larger luxury outerwear brand, developing a mitigation strategy, keeping up with the growing legislation affecting the fashion industry, and educating our team on material topics affecting the organization. 

My formal education in tailored menswear design certainly did not prepare me for the day-to-day requirements of an ESG director, but the last 20 years focusing on sustainability filled in most of the gaps, and my experience working in almost all facets of the fashion industry - from design to product development and sourcing, to production, and even a little bit of sales - has provided me with unique insight into the challenges facing this industry.

I often reflect on the fact that I don't do this work to save the environment or people because if that were the case I would advocate for the complete dissolution of the fashion industry.  I do this work because I love this industry, despite all its major flaws, and I want to save it from itself in order to see the true spirit of fashion prevail. (Yikes, that got deep!)

What was the “aha” moment that sparked your interest in social impact? 

I was launching a new brand called Covet based out of New York in 2004, producing almost exclusively in China and India. On one of my sourcing trips to Hong Kong, I met with a fabric mill who were using organic cotton for their shirting. That night I returned to my hotel room and started researching the differences between organic and conventional cotton, and that was pretty much it for me. I couldn't unlearn what I now knew. I slowly started converting all our materials to preferred fibers that were available on the market at the time, which were limited to organic cotton, linen, hemp and - I'm embarrassed to admit this - bamboo. As I learned more about the impacts of materials on people and the planet I started to incorporate more strategies into the collection, until the limitations became too prohibitive for the group which was financing and selling the collection. At that point, I left to start my own brand, Study NY, which focused on responsible materials, zero waste, and local production (in New York City). 

How did you break into the social impact space?

I get asked this question often, and to be quite honest I feel very privileged to have been able to slowly forge my own path in the industry while being able to make mistakes with very little spotlight on me. That's one of the few benefits of being a pioneer. The flip side of that is there was very little charted territory, and those of us who were in the space were essentially throwing things at the wall to see what would stick. But unfortunately, this leaves me with no great advice for job hunters since I had both the luxury of time and my own business to test the waters and make a name for myself. What I will say, however, is that sustainability doesn't have to be in your job title. Companies are only now starting to hire full-time directors or senior leads in this space, and those people will eventually be building their teams, in the meantime, they will need allies in every part of the business who are passionate and knowledgeable about their field (logistics, finance, design, production, etc...) AND who want to help build a better mission-driven organization, and that can only be done from within by working collaboratively across functions.

Working in social impact is often about driving change. What is the skill or trait that has been most important for your work as a change agent? How did you learn or hone it?

The most valuable asset I have in my toolbox is my community which has been carefully cultivated over the entirety of my career. Individuals- if I'm being honest, they are mostly women - who have similar job trajectories to my own and who work in different organizations but all hold the same pre-competitive, collaborative spirit that allows us to share resources, insights, and solutions. I realize this is not a skill or a trait, but knowing how to build and activate a trusted community is, and I use that experience to create community within my organization to break down the silos that are so ubiquitous in fashion brands, a clear barrier to implementing a successful sustainability strategy. Being vulnerable, admitting when I don't know something, and asking for help are all traits that are discouraged in this industry and it took me longer than I care to admit to unlearn these particular traits. Asking for help is one of the most empowering things I can do for myself and my career, and having an experienced and supportive group around me to lean on is one of my most cherished successes.

What most excites you about the social impact space right now?

It's a difficult time to be working in sustainability, there are days when it feels futile, while the clock seems to be ticking faster and faster, the spotlight on us is becoming brighter, and yet the sense of urgency often seems limited exclusively to those in our immediate circle. Half of the world is already battling with the effects of an irreversible crisis, and the other half seems to be oblivious as they continue with business as usual.

But there are moments of pure joy that keep me doing this work. There is a powerful group within the younger generation that knows to use their voices to create change, rapidly changing legislation that will create much-needed structure and guidelines for an industry that has been allowed to run wild for far too long, and new technologies in the material and manufacturing spaces that will help brands not only comply but hopefully exceed their targets. Unspun, and on-demand manufacturing technology created to reduce production waste, is one of my favorites. Along with all the traceability tools that are being developed and implemented.

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