Alicia Lai spent over 20 years in sustainable fashion–including founding Bourgeois Bohème, a vegan shoe brand built on innovative materials. She was deeply committed to ethical production, personally vetting factories in Portugal and sourcing materials that minimized environmental impact. But after 15+ years of running the brand, the constant pressure to compromise on sustainability standards pushed her to make a difficult decision: close the business she had built and start over.
What came next wasn’t a retreat–it was a return to her values. Now, she runs hands-on sewing, mending, and Sashiko-inspired stitching workshops. Her work now focuses on behaviour change, inclusion, and showing that sustainable living happens one small, practical action at a time.
In this episode, Alicia shared what it really means to pivot–not as starting over, but as going deeper into what matters most.
You’ll learn about
- How to know when a business that looks successful on the outside no longer aligns with your values
- Why making compromises in production can erode the mission you started with
- What a real pivot looks like, and why it's often about returning to your values, not abandoning them
- Why behaviour change matters as much as product innovation in the sustainability movement
Guest Links
https://www.bboheme.com
Social Media
https://www.instagram.com/boboheme/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciatclai/
https://www.facebook.com/bboheme/
https://x.com/home
Memorable Quote
"Fashion is a statement. When you choose to stitch and mend what you already own, you're making a stand against what's happening in the fashion industry today."
Show Notes
👡 [02:23] From vegan shoe brand to slow fashion advocate: Alicia's 20-year journey.
🧵 [07:10] What is Sashiko? The Japanese art of stitching and mending explained.
⏸️ [10:12] Why giving yourself permission to pause is the first step toward sustainable living.
⟲ [15:33] The reset we all need — and why we reach for our phones instead.
🧶 [17:18] Visible mending as a form of self-expression and resistance.
🙇 [20:23] How slow craft creates space for creativity and mindfulness.
💫 [25:29] Behaviour change over product change: why loving what you do matters.
🤝 [29:18] Building community through craft — and what comes next.
