Ep. 05 — Marina Testino

AC

What first got you interested in working in the climate space?

MT

What first got me into the space has been really my upbringing. I've lived in the countryside for half of my life [and] my dad had a completely solar-paneled and recycling water house in Tulum 20 years ago. At that point in Tulum, we were like the sixth house on the beach. It was completely deserted, and there were a lot of issues with people stealing turtle eggs, so he hired a biologist who would go every night throughout the beach and just get the eggs and secure them. That from a young age got me into the whole mindset of straws and plastic and ocean pollution in general. I was fortunate from a young age to be taught all those things and see how it affects nature and animals.

AC

How do you remain so optimistic working in the climate space?

MT

I think optimism is contagious. We are focusing on all the negativity happening around us. Having a bit of positivity is how we can move forward and how we can inspire other people to make change.

AC

What does conscious consumerism mean to you?

MT

Conscious consumerism is not about your purchasing habits, but your purchasing mindset. It really is buying things that you love, that you're going to wear, and that feel good. Nowadays, with marketing and all this fast fashion, we're constantly buying things because other people are wearing them or because it's a trend. We're not really buying things because we love them or because we feel good in them. That is something that all my activations and my education surround. The topic of buying something for you, not for others.

AC

What does it mean to be an artivist?

MT

Artivism is activism through arts, and the idea was I didn't want to be called an activist because it has a very political connotation. And I thought art is an international language that everyone can understand and have their own point of view. So I wanted to create arts that have a strong message.

AC

What do you tell people who come to you looking for advice and help on starting their own sustainability journey?

MT

When people ask me for advice, I tell them that it's about progress and not perfection. We can't tackle all the issues at once. Just tackle one and talk about that one and focus on one.

AC

What do you feel is the biggest misconception about the climate crisis?

MT

I think the biggest misconception is that it doesn't affect us all equally. We see the natural disasters happening elsewhere, and then we're like, "Oh, but it's far away. It's happening there.  It's not going to happen to us." And that's not true.

AC

Let’s talk a bit about your activations on Instagram. Where did the idea come from?

MT

My activations are long-term awareness campaigns and a visual representation of different issues that happen and that I see are affecting me or people around me. It all started with the activation #OneDressToImpress. I wore a red suit every day for two months. The idea for this campaign started because I started modeling to get money to create a clothing brand. When I did my first fashion week as a model, I found myself having to change to three different parties within a night. I spent the whole night back and forth in a taxi changing clothes, but on my Instagram, it was like, "Oh, she’s here, she’s there," but the reality was the opposite. That completely changed my perspective [and] inspired this idea [that] I’m going to wear the same thing for two months, it’s going to be my uniform and I’m not going to be kicked out of the fashion industry. I’m still going to be part of it.

AC

Tell us about your latest activation Green Rooms.

MT

Green Rooms is the latest activation, and it was all based on analyzing each room of the house and how we can green-ify the space. From the bathroom to the kitchen, what are the easy switches we can do, not only for the environment but also for our bodies.

One of my favorite ones was renting. A lot of people think about renting clothes, but not renting furniture. For the closet, there are a lot of alternatives. A lot of people don’t think on borrowing, but we do that when we are kids. Don’t buy a new dress for an event; go to your friend’s house and see what she has and get it instead.

An easy tip to add to your routine is turning off the lights. If you’re not in the room, you don’t need the light on. Turn off the faucet when you’re washing your hands, when you’re brushing your teeth, when you’re washing your hair. It does count. Every little drop does count. We’re very lucky we live in a city [where] we just turn on the faucet and water comes out.

AC

Who inspires you the most in the climate space?

MT

I do believe it’s a space that it’s being led by women and a lot of these women are young women wanting to [make] change. A couple names are Lauren Singer, Ellen MacArthur, Arizona Muse, Xiye Bastida and Vanessa Nakate. All touch different topics, but we’re all fighting for the same mission. 

AC

What current innovations excite you the most?

MT

There’s a lot of exciting things happening in the innovation space and technology, and I think all these biodegradable materials are very exciting, especially for fashion brands. Also, technology and traceability, where is your fabric coming from, who’s making it? Also, with AIR COMPANY, I think being able to use something negative and turn it into something positive is amazing.

AC

What is your ideal possible future?

MT

Accountability is the main thing that has to happen in the future. Lawmakers and governments and companies have to be held accountable for destroying our planet.

AC

If you had to describe your hope for the future of the planet in one word, what would it be?

MT

If I had to describe my hope for the future in one word, it would be green.