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Creating Zero Waste Eco-Luxury | Business with Purpose Podcast EP 162: Lela Orr, Project Runway & FERRAH

Creating Zero Waste Eco-Luxury | EP 162: Lela Orr, Project Runway & FERRAH

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  • Creating Zero Waste Eco-Luxury | Business with Purpose Podcast EP 162: Lela Orr, Project Runway & FERRAH
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(Click the featured times below to jump forward in the episode)

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they dress or style something. Fashion is an art form of self-expression. But just because fashion is enjoyable doesn’t mean that we should allow it to harm others or our planet. My guest this week is Lela Orr. That’s right, Lela Orr from the most recent season of Project Runway! Join me to hear how Lela is making a positive impact with fashion through her eco-luxury clothing brand Ferrah. You’ll also hear some behind the scenes about Project Runway and how Lela came to design something for the one, the only, Beyoncé!

2:29 – The Lela 101

  • Lela grew up in Dallas, Texas and Monroe, Louisiana. She is an ethically conscious vegetarian with a passion for zero waste. 
  • Lela’s mom and grandmother were her muses for fashion. Not only was her grandmother’s style transformative in leading Lela to design, she also learned from both women about the value of reusing and repurposing old clothing.
  • The roots of Lela’s brand, Ferrah, sprouted when Lela was in college and learned about the Rana Plaza garment factory collapse in Bangladesh in 2013. She knew then that the fashion industry is too creative and forward-thinking to allow the neglect of the people who make our clothes. She knew the industry could and should do better. 
  • Lela wanted her brand to be high-end and luxury, but as sustainable as possible. She repurposed all of the scraps from her designs and worked with zero-waste patterning.
  • She believes more brands need to define what being “green” and sustainable means to them. For Lela and Farrah, zero-waste is the core of the brand. It takes longer, but it also forces greater creativity while reducing waste at the same time.

13:55 – Project Runway

  • Lela grew up a huge fan of the TV show Project Runway and was inspired early on by the show and the success of contestants like Christian Siriano.
  • When the show moved to Bravo TV to cast for a new season, Lela submitted her information with gentle encouragement from a good friend. The show kept contacting her and eventually she landed a spot as a contestant!
  • Lela was encouraged that her season of the show had more sustainably-minded designers and contestants compared to seasons in the past.

16:40 – Fixing Fashion Damage

  • Lela began learning more about microplastics that pollute our water when we wash synthetic fibers in our laundry and only works with natural fibers and dies.
  • Other brands like H&M are working to be more sustainable in their fashion chain with initiatives that allow people to bring their clothes (any brand) to be repurposed in exchange for a discount off their purchase.
  • People want to know the stories behind their clothes, and Ferrah doesn’t want their customers to have to rebuy them a year down the road. That’s why Ferrah uses the best materials and offers them at a higher price point.

23:00 – Eco-Luxury

  • Lela coined the term eco-luxury with her mentor when she realized there were many brands that were luxury and eco-friendly, but not many with the combination of the two.
  • Eco-luxury is environmentally friendly but made with luxury textiles for gowns and statement-making occasion wear. At the same time, Ferrah falls under the category of minimalism with pieces that are easy to throw on but make you feel glamourous.

25:11 – Designing For Beyoncé

  • Beyoncé’s team is all about finding and working with emerging designers, and while Lela was working as a design apprentice for Charles Harbison who was hired Beyoncé’s team to create a few custom pieces for Beyoncé to wear to upcoming events. 
  • Lela worked with Harbison to source fabric and design details to create a red custom jumpsuit that Beyoncé ended up wearing to a huge televised event.
  • Farrah’s first celebrity client piece will premiere in January, so be sure to stay tuned to see what it is and who it’s for! 

29:54 – Getting To Know Our Guest

  • Hear what Lela’s favorite TV show was growing up, her guilty pleasure, behind the scenes of life on a reality show, and what she would do differently if no one was watching. Of course, you’ve got to stay tuned to hear what it means to Lela to run a business with purpose!

Creating Zero Waste Eco-Luxury | Business with Purpose Podcast EP 162: Lela Orr, Project Runway & FERRAH

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I’d like to thank my dad for everything he taught me about exterior illumination.

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I’d like to thank my dad for everything he taught me about exterior illumination.

Help me pick a new headshot! After almost 6 years I finally got updated headshots and one gets to go on the back of my book! I’m very indecisive so help me pick, if you are so inclined.

Shoutout to the amazing @stellaandbirdiephotography for the new pics and to @kns.ellis for her makeup magic. #authorphotos #headshots

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Help me pick a new headshot! After almost 6 years I finally got updated headshots and one gets to go on the back of my book! I’m very indecisive so help me pick, if you are so inclined. 

Shoutout to the amazing @stellaandbirdiephotography for the new pics and to @kns.ellis for her makeup magic. #authorphotos #headshots

Here are a few things I know to be true:
👉🏼 we can be having the time of our lives while also experiencing great disappointments
👉🏼 we can laugh so hard our stomachs hurt while in the depths of grief
👉🏼 we can feel confident in the work (or art) we’ve created while also fighting the battle of imposter syndrome
👉🏼 we can feel grateful for the life we are living while also lamenting that which we’ve lost
👉🏼 we can lament the life we are living while being grateful for where we’ve come from
👉🏼 we can document a really fantastic hair day and then also document the horrors of how we feel when we have the stomach bug (swipe for a real life example) 🤣

The beauty and brutality of life is in the both / and, not the either / or. And if we are blessed to live long enough, we will experience all those things and so much more.

What both / and are you sitting in today?

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Here are a few things I know to be true:
👉🏼 we can be having the time of our lives while also experiencing great disappointments
👉🏼 we can laugh so hard our stomachs hurt while in the depths of grief
👉🏼 we can feel confident in the work (or art) we’ve created while also fighting the battle of imposter syndrome
👉🏼 we can feel grateful for the life we are living while also lamenting that which we’ve lost
👉🏼 we can lament the life we are living while being grateful for where we’ve come from
👉🏼 we can document a really fantastic hair day and then also document the horrors of how we feel when we have the stomach bug (swipe for a real life example) 🤣

The beauty and brutality of life is in the both / and, not the either / or. And if we are blessed to live long enough, we will experience all those things and so much more. 

What both / and are you sitting in today?

Selah Farm Thanksgiving 2023 ✅
Carrying on the tradition my parents started so many decades ago. Love breaking bread with family, friends, strangers, international students, and more. Missing some family today, but feeling thankful. 🧡

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Selah Farm Thanksgiving 2023 ✅ 
Carrying on the tradition my parents started so many decades ago. Love breaking bread with family, friends, strangers, international students, and more. Missing some family today, but feeling thankful. 🧡

I thank God every single day that social media didn’t exist in 2003. #highschoolthenandnow

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I thank God every single day that social media didn’t exist in 2003. #highschoolthenandnow

She’s been gone 21 years, but it feels like I blinked.

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She’s been gone 21 years, but it feels like I blinked.

God is in the details.

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God is in the details.

Happy 30th Anniversary to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial! What an incredible day with incredible veteran friends. I pray that I was able to honor my mom 🇺🇸 She should have been here. ❤️

Happy Veteran’s Day to all who have so selflessly served. ❤️

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Happy 30th Anniversary to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial! What an incredible day with incredible veteran friends. I pray that I was able to honor my mom 🇺🇸 She should have been here. ❤️

Happy Veteran’s Day to all who have so selflessly served. ❤️

Today was so special. I had the privilege of representing my mom as she was posthumously honored (among six other incredible women veterans) at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery @womensmemorial. I was able to reconnect with and hug so many dear sister and brother Vietnam veterans that I hadn’t seen in a few decades. We hugged, laughed, and cried as we shared stories.

We ended the night with a candlelight ceremony at the Vietnam Veteran’s Women’s Memorial. And to answer your question, no.. I can’t get through listening to taps while I watch as a bunch of retired Veterans salute. 😭

This weekend, instead of taking advantage of mattress sales, thank a veteran for his or her service. 🇺🇸 #veteransday🇺🇸

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Today was so special. I had the privilege of representing my mom as she was posthumously honored (among six other incredible women veterans) at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery @womensmemorial. I was able to reconnect with and hug so many dear sister and brother Vietnam veterans that I hadn’t seen in a few decades. We hugged, laughed, and cried as we shared stories.

We ended the night with a candlelight ceremony at the Vietnam Veteran’s Women’s Memorial. And to answer your question, no.. I can’t get through listening to taps while I watch as a bunch of retired Veterans salute. 😭

This weekend, instead of taking advantage of mattress sales, thank a veteran for his or her service. 🇺🇸 #veteransday🇺🇸

My once in a decade “visiting where I grew up” photo dump 👉🏼

1️⃣ where I carved my name in the cement of the sidewalks I lobbied the town council for when I was 8
2️⃣ in front of my childhood home
3️⃣ on my sidewalks. Yes. They are mine. I put them there.
4️⃣ crying in front of the abandoned Tortilla Factory. May it rest in peace.
5️⃣ peering in the windows of the Tortilla Factory - the back room where the Tuesday night Folk Club met every week. Literally hasn’t changed in the 12 years it’s been closed.
6️⃣ downtown Herndon
7️⃣ at the Veteran’s memorial in downtown Herndon that my mom helped to dedicate when it was established.
8️⃣ visiting grandma
9️⃣ with my mama

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My once in a decade “visiting where I grew up” photo dump 👉🏼

1️⃣ where I carved my name in the cement of the sidewalks I lobbied the town council for when I was 8
2️⃣ in front of my childhood home
3️⃣ on my sidewalks. Yes. They are mine. I put them there. 
4️⃣ crying in front of the abandoned Tortilla Factory. May it rest in peace. 
5️⃣ peering in the windows of the Tortilla Factory - the back room where the Tuesday night Folk Club met every week. Literally hasn’t changed in the 12 years it’s been closed. 
6️⃣ downtown Herndon
7️⃣ at the Veteran’s memorial in downtown Herndon that my mom helped to dedicate when it was established. 
8️⃣ visiting grandma
9️⃣ with my mama
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