COSMOFACTORY

Deanna: [00:00:00] This episode is about fast moving consumer goods and environmental sustainability. It is about consumer awareness and industry impact, and it's about the use of imagery and information to influence long-term behavior and inspire large scale change. Today on the Cosmo Factory Podcast, my guest is Marina Sino, sustainability strategist, creative director and director of strategic partnerships at Earth. Partner [00:01:00] Marina. Welcome to Cosmo Factory.
Mariana: Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited to be here.
Deanna: Yeah, you're welcome. I'm, I'm very much looking forward to our conversation when we were getting acquainted earlier this month, you told me that much of your work brings attention to the issue of overproduction. Can you tell us more about the conversations that you're energizing?
Mariana: I mean, overproduction, I believe is one of the biggest, um, systematical issues, um, nowadays that is facing the fashion industry and with social media and. This constant bombarding of constant consuming. And, and you know, we as a society, we are just, we feel the need to consume without actually understanding what we're consuming, why we're consuming and actually consuming things that we want or we like, or makes us feel good.
Um, so [00:02:00] I really try to tackle that and break down the issue of over consumption. Um, and make people understand to consume with a purpose and, and use what they're buying instead of just buying because it's a new trend buying because someone else is wearing it. But really buying something that feels good that you're gonna wear, uh, and it's gonna last and it's made well.
Deanna: You are as your title suggests. First and foremost, a sustainability strategist. Your work informs decision making, you engage stakeholders at the global and regional level, uh, such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the United Nations, Greenpeace, many others.
Um, but the way you create messaging is very distinctive. If, if I were to put a label on it, your medium for affecting change is art. Uh, will you say more about how you're using the power of art to raise awareness and, and influence behavior?
Mariana: Yeah, I actually kind of call it artivism. So this idea [00:03:00] of really using art as an act, as activism, and um, I remember when I started. In the sustainability space, um, people saw activist as very aggressive and very negative. So I really wanted to stay away from that, um, that interpretation of an activist and create this space of artivism, creating art to raise awareness, to educate, to figure out solutions in a creative way and in a positive voice and way.
Um, so. All of the campaigns I've done, I really try to bring creativity. I, I don't try, I bring creativity, um, and color and arts and, and then I partner with different NGOs to get the facts and information. So really bringing the knowledge, but the creative aspect to spread that knowledge and educate.
Deanna: No, that makes very good sense. And so does most of your work [00:04:00] then show up in print, social media, gallery style activations? I, I'm, I'm asking here maybe because I'm, I'm curious how the format of a campaign relates to impact.
Mariana: medium really depends on the messaging and each messaging is different. Um, I've done, um, physical gallery installations, social media campaigns. Print campaigns. We recently did, uh, the cover for D Magazine and this was the first green issue ever done by Green Mag D Magazine, which, um, we helped push for a green issue.
I was the cover. And then, um, we helped also curate different stories around sustainability in that issue. Um. I also did, um, a collaboration with Leica and Enrique Les School for Earth Week this year, uh, where I [00:05:00] collaborated with Enrique Valles School. Did a whole photo shoot touching around the issues of the fashion industry, touching on packaging plastic pollution over consumption, overproduction, synthetic fibers.
Um. And, and, and other issues visually representing these issues through the, through the pictures. And we did, um, a whole exhibit during Earth Week Physical Exhibit in New York. Um, and then I've done a bunch of social media campaigns, which is kind of more fun and interactive campaigns where. I invite people to join the messaging, join the mission, and, and also educate themselves around what does sustainability mean?
What is being a conscious consumer? Why should we be part of this? Um, and with that, um, my first campaign that I ever did was called One Dressed 10 Press. And in that [00:06:00] campaign, I, this was almost 10 years ago. It was kind of the peak of the fashion influencer and fast fashion and, and you would see the influencer change clothes three times a day.
Throughout Instagram. So it, it started this like, need to consume, need to buy, need to feel cool and feel in. Um, and, and I had just started modeling at that point because I was starting a clothing brand. So to finance a clothing brand, started modeling. And I realized that as a model, I was part of this voice and platform promoting consumption and promoting.
Changing clothes and dressing up for every occasion. Um, and I really disliked that and, and that was not my messaging, not what I wanted to, to, to voice. So I actually did this kind of personal campaign called One Dress to Impress, which later on became a whole campaign. But, um. [00:07:00] One dress and press. I decided to wear one bread suit every day for two months to go against the table of repeating outfits, to go against the pressure of social media.
Um, and just this idea that to be part of the fashion industry, you need to constantly be on the latest trend, have the latest color, have something new. Um. So I wore this red suit every day for two months. The same outfit. I would style it differently, but I, but I did everything in my normal life. Go to meetings, go to photo shoots, go everything.
Um, but really to showcase that I was part of the fashion industry, I was gonna repeat, I was gonna wear this uniform and I was not gonna be banned. I wasn't gonna be ex like kicked out.
Deanna: stop taking meetings with you. You weren't ostracized.
Mariana: Yeah, and, and I really wanted to [00:08:00] not only talk about something that I believe in, but actually walk the talk and showcase that it can be fun, it can be exciting, and it doesn't have, you know, it's not, you can be a conscious consumer and still be in the fashion industry.
Deanna: Yeah. No, that's fantastic. It, it's clear that you're very thoughtful about the language of imagery as you've just described. I would also say that you create imagery with language, uh, perhaps in naming your campaigns or, or create. Content. I'm wondering how you sort of identify or choose the words and, and photographs that will touch your audience.
How do you, when you land on an idea, how do you know it's going to connect?
Mariana: I mean, I, in all of my campaigns, I. They're predominant with color. I, for me, like being able to do something with color already attracts attention, whatever it is. Like people already draw to color. So for me, every [00:09:00] campaign has a messaging, has an educational point, but it always has color. Also the name of the campaigns are always fun and, and very catchy.
So we have one dressed in press, which is repeating the same outfit every day. Then I did another one called yellow, like a lemon, and I wore all yellow outfits, uh, for two months from different sustainable brands. Um, secondary market rental pieces and borrowed pieces. Um. Then I did we see through, and that was a naked campaign to talk about microplastics in the ocean.
So it really is kind of finding the issue that I wanna talk about having the solution because I can't, all of the campaigns that I do, I don't want to like doom and gloom and talk about an issue that there's no solution to. So all of the. The campaigns that I do, I focus on, okay, what is the issue and what is the solution that everyone can be [00:10:00] part of the solution?
Not the governments, not the big brands, not someone with money, but how can every individual person can be part of the solution? So having those in each campaign is really important. And then I look for the fun factor. What's something fun engaging? That it makes it a game. It makes it. It makes people wanna be part of this.
Um, this campaign and, and like with one dress in press over 60 different, um, people followed the campaign and actually did the campaign and, and did it for a week or two weeks. Yellow, like a lemon, the same. So there are fun ways of, we see through. Also I had a bunch of naked people posting about and raising awareness around microplastics.
So it really is finding, um. How to promote and educate around sustainability in a fun, creative way, and make it positive and make it solution oriented.[00:11:00]
Deanna: That's such an important point that you're making about. Ensuring that there is a way for the everyday consumer, the everyday person to take action in their daily life. Um, when you, when you settle on a campaign or, or a concept that makes very good sense. Um, you know, there's an expression in business, um, if you can't measure it, you can't improve it.
I'm curious how you and your partners. Actually gauge the impact of a project. I mean, are, are you confident that you're helping fashion and other industries become more sustainable?
Mariana: I, I mean, for me, just someone doing any of the activations is an impact because. Every time you teach someone something, they're gonna bring it to their community. And, and for me, that's the most rewarding of any of these campaigns that I've done. I, I mean, I get a bunch of, um, students and universities writing [00:12:00] essays around sustainability and wanting to interview me.
Um, I've, I've been in a bunch of publications worldwide about my work in sustainability and fashion. Um. And it's about clicks and reach, but also press. But the most rewarding is really having young people and, and kids, um, wanting to be part of this, um, of these activations and these campaigns. And, and I have a bunch of, in, I've had a bunch of interns, um, throughout the years and, and they're just excited to like.
Hey, I'm like doing something helpful and educational, but at the same, very creative. Um, so I don't know, and everyone can measure it differently. I really love just someone just doing my campaign and, and to intern with me or asking [00:13:00] to collaborate, um, and just being excited about a different way to promote sustainability.
Deanna: Mm-hmm. No, that's excellent. So we have talked quite a lot about the fashion industry during our conversation. Um, and fashion is certainly an adjacent industry, uh, to cosmetics and personal care where our listeners are working. Um, and there, there are definitely. Parallel challenges as well in terms of sustainability. Um, we often talk about the beauty industry as very fast paced.
There's a lot of innovation. There's constant newness, certainly the same sort of expectation, um, you know, to sort of keep up, uh, with what's new, uh, for consumers. You mentioned, uh, plastic waste earlier in our conversation. That's just as much a concern in the cosmetics industry as it is in fashion. I'm wondering.
Um, is there any reason that you're, um, and I'm gonna try to borrow your word, art [00:14:00] artivism, that this art activism wouldn't work as effectively in beauty as you're using it in, in the fashion space. Are there, I guess how, how can we, how can we do what you're doing and is there a reason we can't?
Mariana: I mean, I definitely don't think there's a reason. Than you can't. At the end of the day, it's, I studied marketing, fashion marketing, and communications. It's all marketing communications, just being creative, understanding what you wanna talk about, that's the most like important, like, because. What I do with all my activations and campaigns, it's focused on one issue.
There's so many issues going around, but we need to pinpoint what do we wanna focus on and how can we talk about that issue. A lot of brands, um, when they communicate about their sustainability initiatives, they just wanna focus on 20 million things at the same time and nothing gets across. And [00:15:00] that is, you know, what?
What creates a problem? Like focus, okay, you're doing all this, but how are we breaking down this information and how are we touching each point in a way that the consumer understands it, but also in a way that you're not greenwashing and you're not just saying sustainable ingredients, organic, whatever.
Like explain where these ingredients are coming, where the packaging is coming. Um, so it's a combination of. Transparency and traceability, but also clear communication with what you want to communicate to the end consumer.
Deanna: No, that's perfect. Um, and maybe our listeners can already tell I'm very, you know, curious and enchanted by your work. Um, maybe. Partly because I think of myself as a creative professional, um, in a sense as well. But, um, I don't know if anyone would ask me, but, uh, if they did, I, I would personally say that your work has echoes of neo conceptual [00:16:00] art from the 1980s, the 1990s.
Um, my familiarity with art is very, maybe US based, so I think of Jenny Holzer or Barbara Krueger. But I'm very curious, uh, whose work does inspire yours. Do you look to the art world? Are there activists, advertisers? What's your inspiration?
Mariana: To be honest, for me, inspiration is really. Going to museums, traveling, meeting new people, going to artists studios, talking to people. Um, there's not like one like people that inspire me. It's just like kind of living and, and breathing and going around and, and really always being surrounded by creative people.
Um, because at the end of the day, I believe the arts. Moves and talks any language. There's no barrier of language. Um, and, and creative people always have solutions for anything and everything. Um, so it's this [00:17:00] combination of really being surrounded by creative people, but then, um, being able to have access to really, um.
Um, to scientists and really, and people very educated that know the topic, that understand the topic, and they just don't know how to break it down to the common consumer to understand. So it's, it's this in-between of like being surrounded by amazing super smart people and then just emerging in the creative industry.
Deanna: Yeah. No, that's so cool. Marina, I have to thank you for such an engaging conversation and for being a guest here on Cosmo Factory.
Mariana: Thank you so much. It was a pleasure being here [00:18:00]