Profiles in Regeneration: Sofia, 25, UK

We are in a moment where we need drastic change across all industries. For those of us just starting out this is an opportunity to change the way things are being done now, and I feel excited about that.

Young people all around the world are working to build a regenerative future. At 25, Sofia Sanchez is one of them. She has created a sustainable lingerie line with feminism, inclusivity, and anti-racism (along with sustainability) at its core.

Regenerative Futures: How are you feeling right now?

SS: I’m feeling excited — I just received a bunch of materials for a project I’m working on and can’t wait to get making.

RF: What’s a secret your search history can tell us about you?

SS: I’m obsessed with horses and my YouTube history is about 50% horse videos… they calm me down when I’m feeling anxious.

RF: What are you reading/learning about at the moment?

SS: I’m slowly reading “Me and White Supremacy” by Layla F. Saad. I’m trying to educate myself on anti-racism and how to fight systemic racism.

RF: Who is your favorite human and why?

SS: My partner is my favourite human. He is my best friend and gives me a base from which to be creative in my life.

RF: Which key moment inspired you to start your project?

SS: I interned with a company where sustainability and transparency were not a big part of the conversation and felt uncomfortable with that. I decided I needed to start something of my own that would be less harmful to the planet and perhaps even have a positive impact on the way the fashion and intimate apparel industry operates. I wanted to work somewhere more in line with my own values and felt I needed to create that place.

RF: In two years time, what would your project’s success look like?

SS: Success for my project would look like disrupting the fashion and intimate apparel industry into a new wave of circularity — particularly in terms of using waste as resource, producing locally, and educating on how we dispose of our clothing. We need to regenerate the way we produce, consume and dispose of fashion.

RF: If you could focus a large percentage of government funding on one industry or project for the next five to ten years, which would you choose and why?

SS: I am torn here — I would say that the main thing would be decarbonising the UK economy quicker than has been planned out (2050). However, I also believe that the UK mental health services are desperately in need of more funding and would like to see psychotherapy available to everyone without long wait times and short treatment periods.

RF: What are the best and the worst things about the education system in your country?

SS: The best thing about the education system in the UK is that we have some of the best institutions in the world for pioneering research. The worst thing is the elitism and systemic racism that causes only certain groups in our society to be able to have access to these institutions.

RF: Do you have a message for anyone your age living in the year 2040?

SS: That I am sorry we aren’t doing enough now to mitigate the climate crisis.

RF: What inspires or frightens you most about the future?

SS: We are in a moment where we need drastic change across all industries. For those of us just starting out this is an opportunity to change the way things are being done now, and I feel excited about that.