Meet Clementina “Sustainable Latina” Martinez-Masarweh

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Clementina “Sustainable Latina” Martinez-Masarweh. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Clementina “Sustainable Latina”, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from learning early that creativity, storytelling, and education are tools for cultural transformation and can be a form of survival and resistance. As a first-generation Mexican American, watching my father organize alongside César Chávez taught me that change is slow, collective, and worth enduring for—those lessons carried me through navigating exploitative fashion systems and rebuilding my work around purpose. Each time I transform discarded materials or produce a film into something meaningful, I’m reminded that resilience is not just about enduring hardship, but about choosing to reimagine what’s possible and continuing forward with integrity.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a multidisciplinary artist, fashion designer, filmmaker, and educator working at the intersection of sustainability, culture, and storytelling. Through my work as Sustainable Latina™, I transform textile waste and post-consumer materials into fashion, art, and film that challenge overconsumption while celebrating creativity, resilience, and cultural identity. What makes my work especially meaningful is that it does not stop at awareness—it translates complex issues like microplastics, textile waste, and environmental injustice into stories and tangible experiences that invite people to rethink their relationship with what they buy, wear, and discard.

Professionally, my focus is on using storytelling as a catalyst for systems and mindset change. I create films, installations, and educational programs that connect policy, science, and lived experience, while mentoring and teaching future generations practical skills such as repair, mending, upcycling, and circular design. Whether I’m staging a fashion show from reclaimed materials, teaching Upcycled Art and Fashion through Mt. Diablo School District, or speaking at climate and sustainability conferences, my goal is to equip people with both inspiration and tools to participate in climate solutions.

What’s most exciting right now is the expansion of my educational and film work. I’m developing new film projects that expose the human health impacts of microplastics and the true cost of fast fashion, while also working to scale my upcycling and repair curriculum from adult education into high school classrooms to strengthen climate literacy. Through all of this, my brand remains rooted in community, cultural storytelling, and the belief that creativity can transform not just materials—but behaviors, systems, and the future we pass on.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, three qualities have been most impactful in my journey: **creative adaptability, systems awareness, and community-centered leadership**.

First, creative adaptability allowed me to pivot when I recognized the harm caused by fast fashion and reimagine my skills as tools for impact. I learned to transfer design principles across mediums—fashion, art, film, and education—which kept my work relevant and resilient. For those early in their journey, my advice is to stay curious and flexible: your skills are more transferable than you think, especially when you’re willing to learn across disciplines.

Second, developing systems awareness fundamentally changed how I work. Understanding how policy, supply chains, labor, health, and environmental justice intersect gave my creativity purpose and direction. I encourage emerging professionals to look beyond aesthetics and ask deeper questions about how industries operate and who is impacted—this knowledge strengthens both credibility and impact.

Finally, community-centered leadership has been essential. Mentorship, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing transformed my work from a solo practice into a movement rooted in collective change. For those just starting out, invest in relationships, listen deeply, and share what you learn—progress accelerates when you build alongside others rather than alone.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes—collaboration is central to my work, and I am always open to partnering with individuals and organizations who share a commitment to sustainability, equity, and creative problem-solving. I’m especially interested in collaborating with educators, filmmakers, designers, policymakers, scientists, cultural institutions, and mission-driven brands who are working on climate literacy, circular design, environmental justice, extended producer responsibility, and systems change within fashion and consumer culture.

I’m particularly excited by partnerships that bridge disciplines—where art, storytelling, education, and policy intersect to create real-world impact. Anyone interested in collaborating can connect with me through my speaking engagements, educational programs, or by reaching out via my professional platforms and social channels under Sustainable Latina™. I value conversations that begin with shared purpose and evolve into thoughtful, action-oriented collaboration.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dnathreds.com/
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/DNAthreds
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/clementinamasarwehdesigner
• Other: https://sustainablelatina.substack.com/

Image Credits

Amy Aiello Chicago Photography
Trayvon Smith Realest Exposure
Clementina Martinez-Masarweh
Carlos Chinchilla for Licar Photography NYC