The climate crisis is a topic as complicated as it is urgent. Most of us feel overwhelmed by the weight of some of its questions – or embarrassed to ask them at all. 

That’s why Dazed partnered with Nike on “Ask an Earth Brain” – a safe discussion space in which questions are posed to a selection of self-professed environment enthusiasts on climate activism, fashion’s steps to sustainability, and everything in between. No matter how big or small.

As part of its strive for innovation and creative solutions in the sustainability space, Nike is investing alongside its science-based targets, from diverting 100 percent of waste from landfill and the implementing of its circularity model to all Nike facilities running on renewables.

Ask An Earth Brain saw questions fielded via the Dazed Instagram channels for three names from across the planet making conscious strides towards saving it. First up…

LOUIS VI

In his own words, Louis VI is a “musician, filmmaker, environmental activist, and most of all – a nature geek.” In ours, Louis is one of the UK’s brightest emerging young voices in the climate discussion space, particularly when it comes to representation. Below, he takes on questions from the Dazed community, tackling everything from how to get involved in climate activism, to the BIPOC nature groups he recommends.

Noah, Sustainable Design Lead at Nike  

Noah Murphy-Reinhertz is the sustainable design lead in innovation at Nike in Portland. He’s part of the team helping the brand achieve its shift towards a zero-carbon future, from ‘designing out’ waste from its sneakers – moving towards recyclable materials only – to chemistry. He’s also one of the earth brains behind Nike’s Space Hippie project. Noah fielded questions from the Dazed community on sustainable innovation, sharing advice for young creatives looking to follow in his (green) footsteps. Here’s what happened…

Auroboros

Auroboros is a fashion label founded in London by Paula Sello and Alissa Aulbekova. It’s also the “first fashion label to merge science and technology with both the physical and digital realm”. Though it’s blazing a trail in digital fashion, innovating in the likes of AR garments, Auroboros is also pushing boundaries in physical couture – its wild “living” dress that crystallises and changes shape in real time a particularly impressive example.

Material innovation is one vital tool to the industry in meeting its sustainability targets, and it's a space Nike has already made big steps in. Its Flyprint tech is just one example of such recent innovation. Flyprint is the first performance 3D printed textile - a super lightweight material made from recycled airbag manufacturing byproduct that eradicates the need for glue or stitches. Below, Paula and Alissa from Auroboros answer your burning questions around sustainability and fashion – two spaces that are increasingly conflicted and intertwined.

Video above shows VenusTrap AR dress by Auroboros x IODF - available via Snapchat.