Caryn Franklin

Caryn Franklin, 61, is a brilliant woman. One of fashion's tribal elders, the professor, journalist, stylist, producer, author, campaigner and activist has worked in the industry for nearly 35 years. Starting her career as fashion editor on i-D magazine in the 1980s, Franklin went on to spend 15 years presenting and directing The Clothes Show for the BBC, working in education and as a business ambassador before co-founding All Walks Beyond the Catwalk with Debra Bourne and Erin O'Connor. She has travelled all over the world, from war zones to workshops, and remains a pioneering voice for diversity, equality, inclusion and sustainable practices. We met briefly when I was a fashion editor and then got to know each other properly when collaborating on a number of research projects through the Diversity Network (I was lecturing part-time in Fashion Journalism at the time).Believing that confidence and authenticity come with age, in this outstanding podcast episode Caryn Franklin talks about the power of grey, the representation of older models and the joy of ageing. We also discuss sustainability in the fashion industry, the power of social change and how we can made more considered choices about the clothes we wear. PODCAST CREDITSProducer and audio engineer: Linda Ara-TebaldiHost: Alyson WalshGuest: Patrick GrantMusic: David SchweitzerArtwork: Ayumi TakahashiDigital technician: Tom Hole at StirtingaleCoordinator: Helen Johnson