In this episode, we sit down with Sarika Bajaj, Co-Founder and CEO of Refiberd, whose groundbreaking technology combines AI and hyperspectral imaging to identify the material composition in textiles for recycling and resale. As the winner of eBay’s 2025 global Circular Fashion Fund, Sarika and her Co-Founder Tushita Gupta are pioneering a new frontier where circularity, artificial intelligence, and data converge — offering crucial solutions as fashion brands navigate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws.

Refiberd is tackling one of the fashion industry's greatest sustainability challenges. Industry reports show a staggering 92 million tons of textile waste generated annually, with most ending up in landfills or incinerators. Now, with their recent investment from eBay Ventures, Sarika and Tushita are expanding their technology to new partners and markets in recycling, resale, and manufacturing.

Our conversation explores their remarkable journey of launching in 2020 during the pandemic, raising capital in a difficult market, and moving forward as government policies continue to change — from unpredictable tariffs to EPR laws in jurisdictions around the world. We also discussed how Refiberd's AI and imaging technology has powerful applications for counterfeit detection.

Sarika shares invaluable insights for fashion tech entrepreneurs. How do you know when to pivot your business model or if you should just stay the course and continue building on your original vision? Listen to the end for Sarika’s startup tips.

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Join us for an insightful conversation with Victoria Watkins. As an OG fashion law attorney and blogger, Victoria established one of the first platforms dedicated to fashion law, business, and entertainment over a decade ago. Now, as Founder and Managing Partner of Inrichmint, Victoria sources and manages curated deal flow — connecting investors with creative entrepreneurs looking to scale and build their brands. In this episode, Victoria shares why intellectual property is a great value booster and essential to a company’s valuation, and why social media metrics do not always translate to revenue. We also discussed the impact of tariffs on dealmaking, and as Victoria noted, “Everybody should be paying attention to tariffs now because we are all being affected in some way or another.”

We also reflect on fashion law's evolution and explore what success in this field requires today. Recorded just days before the Met Gala and the “Superfine” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute, our conversation naturally turns to Black dandyism and athletes as today’s stars on fashion’s red carpet.

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Step into the fascinating world where fashion meets politics as we welcome Jonathan Michael Square for an illuminating conversation on fashion, politics and Black dandyism. Our timely discussion arrives just before the 2025 Met Gala and the Costume Institute's exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."

Dr. Square is the Assistant Professor of Black Visual Culture at Parsons School of Design. He has a PhD in history from New York University, an MA from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BA from Cornell University. Dr. Square was a fellow in the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and he’s also a member of the advisory committee for the Costume Institute’s “Superfine” exhibition.

Jonathan explores how politics is woven into the fabric of Black dandyism and its intertwined relationship with respectability. He offers insights from his current NYU course on Black dandyism and, as a member of the "Superfine" advisory committee, provides a sneak peek of the upcoming exhibition. Our conversation briefly shifts to examine dress codes in the corridors of power — from Capitol Hill (catch our fashion footnote in the episode) to the White House. Jonathan also shares strategies for scholars and students focused on the intersection of fashion, race, politics and culture — during a time when certain terms and academic fields face increasing scrutiny. Special guest, octogenarian Robert William Wiley, also joined us at the end to share how he and his uncles have embodied Black dandyism over the years.

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