Passing the Thread
Our thread is on the move again - running the stitch of our Pass the Thread Relay Campaign back to Canada from New York. Our stubborn climate optimist Anne Therese (@annetheresegennari), has passed off her thread to model at Role Models Management (@rolemodelsmgmt) Robin Shaw (@robinxshaw), in Collingwood, Ontario. Onward from one beloved muse to the next, we cannot wait to highlight Robin’s weaving thread into activism and motherhood.
Robin has been a fashion modeling veteran for the last 15 years, working in NYC and around the world. In 2017, she gave birth to her son, and her world soon evolved exponentially. Not only was Robin welcoming her new journey into motherhood, but also finding a passion for advocating for the preservation of our planet. Through the influential platform she built as a model, she was able to secure an audience to promote awareness for sustainability, women’s rights, equality, and mindful parenting practices.
Her overarching mission is to propel the small steps of positive change forward into future generations, to give them a better world. She amplifies her voice on social media, where you can find her documenting posts about peaceful parenting. Her son, Kaydin, often makes adorable appearances as she gives insider coaching on sensory and imaginative play and emotional literacy. Fun fact — her tips often include the utilization of sustainable or recycled objects, like rice, or creating a playground out of TP rolls. She has even been able to take advantage of the practice of imaginative play in educating her son, a toddler, proper handwashing. Anyone who knows toddlers understands that is no small feat and is essential, especially in the public health climate today.
She also shares her journey as an ambassador with Re/Make (@remakeourworld) and One Tree Planted (@onetreeplanted). Recently, she co-produced a fashion show with @zerowastedaniel for fashion week through Anne Therese’s Role Models Management. Her work with the ethical modeling agency is heavily present on her platforms too.
Re/Make was founded by Ayesha Barenblat in 2016 to spread awareness about the environmental and human costs of the fashion industry. The 501(c)3 non-profit organization has gained momentum among millennials and Gen Z demographics. Their website hosts a realm of resources to connect individuals with the unseen sides of the fashion industry, with a heavy focus on garment workers. Examples of some content included are the importance of purchasing from emerging brands, the intricate links between racism and fast fashion, calling out the forced labor of Uighur Muslims, sharing grants for BIPOC and women entrepreneurs, and much more.
Popular Re/Make hashtags you might be familiar with are #WearYourValues and #PayUp. #WearYourValues is allied with the movement against fast fashion. Voting with your dollars is voting for a better world. Robin promotes #WearYourValues by supporting sustainable and ethical brands, second-hand shopping, and clothing swaps on her social media. She’s also participated in an Instagram takeover for Blueland (@blueland), where she highlights the sustainable practice of shopping-your-own-closet. #PayUp is associated with the Pay Up Fashion Movement that emerged during the Covid-19 economic crisis. Re/Make launched the campaign to reveal the questionable ethics of fashion brands that left open orders they had canceled and unpaid. The unpaid orders directly affected the garment workers who had already produced the collections, resulting in a backlog of ~$40 billion of wages to the workers. The astronomical loss of pay left many makers with dire housing and food insecurity. The #PayUp campaign has thus far committed 21 brands to pay in full for orders completed and in production. By doing so, they have also unlocked ~$22 billion of the lost wages to the workers. At just about half of the lost pay being recovered, there is still much more work to do. The organization overwhelmingly shows how fashion can be a force for good.
One Tree Planted was founded in 2014 by Matt Hill. The Vermont based organization is also a 501(c)3 non-profit. The environmental charity focuses on global reforestation and spreading awareness about the importance of trees. Alarmingly, 46% of forests around the world have already been destroyed. The deforestation of tropical forests accounts for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. In efforts to off-set the impacts of climate change, it is critical to invest in reforestation and the protection of biodiversity. The organization has made it easier than ever before for individuals and businesses to give trees back to the environment. They are currently working with reforestation partners in North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. Environmental projects in-the-works include a global partnership to plant 25 million trees for the Australian bushfire recovery and a cooperative with the Jane Goodall Institute on the Wildlife Habitat and Corridor Restoration project in Africa. One Tree Planted has even received a donation of 600 trees from supermodel, @bellahadid, to help reduce her carbon footprint from air travel.
Following Robin on her journey to make this world a better place is a truly authentic experience. Her mission is more personalized than facts and statistics, and that shows in the content she produces. By sharing her life so genuinely, she’s able to influence at a heartfelt and relatable level. She reminds us of the power of celebrating personal progress. Glimpsing inside her day-to-day gives a view of a familial movement into sustainable living and working in harmony with each other and the planet. We are excited to follow how her journey unfolds step by step and contributes to providing a better world for future generations to walk into.
Continue with us on our next journey as our thread passes to Dawn Gallagher, another super-role-model with Role Models Management. We couldn't be more excited to highlight the best selling author and humanitarian.
