Taymour spoke about how despite challenges in the industry, she remains committed to creating a sustainable and eco-friendly fashion brand because she believes it’s the right thing to do.
Chavarria also spoke about staying true to one’s values during the panel, stating that supporting social justice issues has always been a core part of his namesake label. “My own past growing up as a queer person of color in a small town and having a family that was part of the Civil Rights Movement and being very aware of these factors that hold people down — I guess I had been in the industry long enough that I was like, everyone is out for themselves here and there’s not a lot of good,” he said. “I was only going to do something if there was some good, otherwise I would open a bakery or something.
During the question and answer portion of the panel, an audience member referenced the designers’ mission of staying true to their values and asked how they communicate that to their customers and following. “You have to align yourself with as many organizations as there are that have the same philosophy of creating change through fashion,” Chavarria said. “For me, it’s just being so convinced with yourself and your own mission that you include that in anything that you do.”