Fashion for the Future: How Clementina Martinez-Masarweh is paving the way for slow fashion

Clementina Martinez-Masarweh is a first generation Mexican-American climate activist and artist focused on bringing awareness and change in the areas of textile waste, microplastics, and pollution to the fashion world. Having started her career in the fast-fashion industry, she has seen first-hand the harmful effects waste has on the environment and communities. Now, Clementina uses fashion as a catalyst for change, inspiring others to participate in slow fashion and protesting corporations contributing to the damage. Participating in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City fashion weeks and holding galleries and runways around the world, she is an inspiration to the slow fashion movement. 

I have had the privilege of working with Clementina these past few months as she hosted a workshop for the 2025 Bay Area Youth Climate Summit. Her creativity and passion is infectious and her workshop was a great opportunity to learn more about the fashion industry and its impact on climate. She sparked joy and inspiration the moment she walked in the room, and I and so many others left feeling empowered to improve our own sustainability. I also got the chance to speak with Clementina about her experiences, work, and how they have shaped how she approaches activism.

What was your background like (growing up, family, school, etc) and how has it impacted your work in the climate space?I grew up in a migrant camp, where I quickly understood the importance of community and resourcefulness. Watching my father march with César Chávez taught me at a young age that collective action has the power to transform lives. Also, seeing unjust experiences as my father being sprayed with DDT pesticide as he worked as a farmworker fueled my activism. Being a first-generation Mexican-American shaped my values of resilience, cultural pride, and advocacy, all of which now guide my work in sustainability and fashion. These roots fuel my mission to use creativity as a tool for climate justice and inspire the next generation of change-makers.

What inspired you to start your journey in fashion?Fashion was always in my blood—my mother has been a big influence as she would sew and give me her fabric scraps to fiddle with as a young child. I would then make designs for my dolls, pets or anything that needed a little color or pazazz. I would use everything around the house and outdoors to make creations that not only centered on fashion but also creating small villages made from rocks, marbles, twigs, and discarded items. I loved the artistry of transforming fabric into something expressive. I would spend endless hours as a young child using my imagination. I didn’t know it at the time, but this practice fueled my ability to enjoy troubleshooting and use innovation and creativity as a source for solutions. 

As a young adult, I attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in SF & LA. After graduating, I started with Vaugh Terry who had made custom clothing and couture fashion for music, film and celebrities. I was a pattern maker and assistant. Around that time fast fashion started gaining momentum. It was never my intention to go that route but fast fashion founders kept offering me jobs as a designer— I worked my way up to Head Designer, leading 30 million dollar companies.  

By the time I was in my early 30s, I had been working in the fashion industry for more than 13 years, designing in a world driven by trends, speed, and excess. I was exhausted and burnout and disillusioned as it was never what my original plan was in fashion. My intentions had always been to make low impact, custom one-of-a-kind pieces. For those interested in some of the stories, which I have a lot, regarding the fast fashion industry and all its dirty secrets, I will be sharing on my substack @SustainableLatina.

How has previously working in the fast fashion industry affected your style of activism and your feelings on slow fashion?

Having worked in fast fashion, I understand its glossy appeal and its hidden costs. 

Working inside fast fashion made me realize how destructive it truly is — not only to the environment, but also to human dignity. That experience gave me urgency and courage. It’s why I’ve embraced slow fashion, trashion, and upcycling as both an art form and an activist tool. My designs and films are living protests, calling out the microplastics, toxins, and unethical practices that fast fashion tries to hide.

Also, that firsthand experience makes my activism sharper—I know exactly what needs to change. Slow fashion, to me, isn’t just a trend; it’s a philosophy rooted in respect—for people, for culture, and for the Earth. As mentioned on the previous questions, it's my mission to change the industry to become responsible.  

What is your vision for DNA Threds? What do you most want to teach people?

With DNA Sustainable Threds, my vision is to prove that fashion can be regenerative and responsible. I want to share with others that through storytelling and your own personal fashion DNA they can view waste differently—not as garbage, but as materials for creativity and change. By diverting textiles from landfills and oceans, we can reimagine fashion as a force for healing rather than harm. My vision is to disrupt waste and inspire others to view fashion differently, circularly. By teaching classes and workshops that show how to upcycle, mend, and repair, I give people practical skills that also create real impact. What I most want to share is that we don’t need to wait on governments to make change happen — we have the power to create social impact ourselves. Every small choice in what we wear adds up to a massive shift for our planet. Through my Instagram @DNAthreds, people can learn how to start making these small changes or even join one of my upcoming workshops.

What has been your favorite fashion or sustainability project that you’ve worked on?It’s hard to choose, but producing Upcyclers is at the top. It was groundbreaking—the first film in the world to document the global upcycling movement—and it’s still inspiring others to take action. I’m also proud of my trashion art exhibits showcasing a large wall mural of Atacama, Chile (a landfill waste site that can be seen from space) made from secondhand materials at the SF Drawing Room gallery on Valencia Street and my trashion wearable art at ArtsQuest/ Banana Factory in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The exhibit presented my work representing Air, Land and the Future. This is where I exhibited additional pieces to my Cyborg Human collection. People really liked it and now it has inspired a film, “Cyborg Human.” It’s a film unlike anything seen before, merging artistry and science to make a social impact. I believe it will transform how people see the fashion industry and its role in the plastic crisis. I invite readers to follow the journey on Instagram and Substack @CyborgHuman to learn how they can be part of the film. I would truly love for you all to join me. 

All these projects remind me that art and fashion are powerful entry points for people to connect emotionally with the climate crisis.

Clementina has shared her talents in many mediums of art with the world, teaching people that fashion doesn’t have to equal a detriment to the planet. I have learned so much from her, and she’s caused me to be more mindful about what I put into my closet. Being around her is like a breath of fresh air in this unrelenting cause we fight so hard for. She works tirelessly to bring awareness to waste, microplastics, and fast fashion all while fostering an environment of hope and energy for young activists joining her cause. She is a true inspiration to anyone finding their place in the climate movement, a testament that if you follow your passions you can create so much change.