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Jenna Rodrigues: Co-Founder Of Sustainable Fashion Initiative

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Ajibike Lapite
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Princeton chapter.

Name: Jenna Rodrigues
Major: Economics
Class Year: 2014
Residential College: Whitman

Eating Club / Sorority / Extracurricular Activities:

Co-Founder of the Sustainable Fashion Initiative, Princeton University Cheerleading, Captain of Women’s Club Volleyball, Deputy Chair of the Whitman College Council, Research Assistant in the Department of Politics, Student Advisory Board of the American Studies Program, Green-leaders Board, Princeton Women in Business, the Whig-Clio Society, the Ivy Council

 

What does sustainable fashion mean to you?

 I truly believe that sustainable fashion is an outlet for people of all ages to voice their personality in a language that the entire world can interpret. Sustainable fashion is a broad term, but it truly allows people to use their clothes to tell a story. Fashion should be a means of ultimate expression and serve as a means to distinguishing ourselves from others. A huge part of the way that we present ourselves to the world is through what we wear. I think it is extremely important that we have a clear understanding of where our clothing and accessories are coming from. In the sustainable fashion industry, I love that I know that I can trust that many people were positively impacted through my purchasing of a product. I really want to be able to feel secure that what I put on my body has not made a negative environmental mark on society, nor has it had a negative impact on workers involved in the production process of my clothing. I further believe that sustainable fashion should include the recycling or reuse of clothing in innovative ways in order to further reduce negative externalities that are often inevitably aligned with the production process. While I do believe that there are various ways to interpret the broadly defined term “sustainable fashion,” the underlying principle is to understand the life cycle of your clothing and minimize the costs to the environment while maximizing benefits to workers involved in the production process. Clothing is an expression of who we are, and I ultimately want to feel good about what I wear and the way that I present myself to the world.

 

Favorite eco-friendly designer:

My favorite sustainable designer of the moment is David Peck. I love the pieces in his new line, and I truly admire the way that he embodies principles of sustainable design while not sacrificing the most stylish industry trends. His focus on local employment and manufacturing aligned with minimal environmental impact makes him a true role model in the sustainable fashion industry.

 

Be sure to check out Meg Partridge’s responses as well!

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Ajibike Lapite is a member of Princeton University’s Class of 2014. When not studying, Ajibike tutors at the Young Scholar’s Institute in Trenton, NJ; serves as the President  of the Princeton Premedical Society; is the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus Princeton; currently holds the title of Most Stylish Undergraduate (from Stylitics). Ajibike is a  molecular biology major with a certificate in global health & policy. She enjoys consumption of vanilla ice cream and sweet tea, watching games of criquet, exploring libraries, lusting after Blair Waldorf’s wardrobe, watching far too much television, editing her novel, staying watch at the mailbox, playing tennis and golf in imitation of the pros, hanging out with the best friends she’s ever had, baking cookies that aren’t always awesome, being Novak Djokovic’s fan girl, and sleeping—whenever and wherever she can.