Welcome to Beer & Gear, a series where we get to know individuals making big moves in Portland’s Athletic and Outdoor industries. In this edition, author Ellee Thalheimer meets with Brittany Sierra, founder and CEO of Sustainable Fashion Forum.
“I want sustainability and on-trend fashion to exist together,” says Brittany Sierra, a Portland native and founder and CEO of the Sustainable Fashion Forum (SFF).
“When it comes to sustainable fashion, a major hurdle is the ‘action gap.’ Consumers care about sustainability and want to make choices that support the environment, but then end up buying outfits from Shein or other fast fashion outlets. It’s a very human need to signal identity; people do that by following trends. That urge can override our values of sustainability. Garment workers and climate change feel far away when adding something to your cart.”
Image courtesy of Sustainable Fashion Forum
This year’s SFF celebrates its tenth year running on Oct. 28-30 at the Hyatt Regency Portland. Building on the theme “The Science of Adoption,” fashion executives, sustainability specialists, behavioral scientists, marketers, and policy experts examine the imperative of prioritizing consumer psychology as much as developing materials and circular systems of production.
“People in the sustainable fashion industry care so much about saving the environment,” says Sierra. “But at the end of the day, consumers actually need to buy the products. That means dealing with the reality of human psychology. People rarely talk about marketing at sustainability conferences. We can have all the certifications in the world, but if products stay on shelves, what are we doing?”
Images courtesy of Sustainable Fashion Forum
Sierra, who has produced the SFF for all of its ten years, didn’t start out in the fashion industry, nor in sustainability. At 20, she focused her career on brand building and marketing, her main passion. While managing social media for Portland Fashion Week, she kept on hearing about sustainable fashion designers, but she didn’t really understand what that meant. She set up a last-minute panel to better understand the subject. A whopping 150 people showed up, and she found herself producing an event rather than a conversation.
“People thought the event was amazing and wanted to know about the next one,” says Sierra. “From there, the SFF blew up really fast; I was learning about sustainable fashion alongside everyone else, and that dynamic made the event feel more accessible to industry outsiders. SFF became known for talking about things the industry didn’t normally talk about. It felt like we were actually having an impact.”
Image courtesy of Sustainable Fashion Forum
This year’s speaker roster includes experts like Aileen Ottenweller of Patagonia, Danielle Vermeer of ThredUp, Ajay Chadha of REI, Becky Frier formerly of Proctor and Gamble, Wyatt Cuddington of Amazon Climate Pledge Friendly, and behavioral and consumer researchers from Yale and Kearney. An $895 all-access pass includes the two conference days, opening reception, networking, refreshments, and the post-event SFF26 Intelligence Report (a Monday-ready synthesis of actionable recommendations, session insights, case studies, and research). Discounted rates are available for students, qualifying nonprofits, startups, academic institutions, and government agencies.
“We blast good music and people are best friends by the end,” laughs Sierra. “At the SFF, a unique thing is a student can be talking to a CEO. There isn’t a title-based hierarchy. The vibe is friends coming together to nerd out. People find internships, jobs, business partners, business ideas, ways to pivot. Seeing that is when I feel we are making the most change.”
Allgood Brewing Company
Brittany Sierra is pictured sipping a local cider from Allgood Brewing Company. Tucked on a side street off SE Division Street, its cozy taproom serves up small-batch craft beer. Its West Coast IPA checks all the boxes. In partnership with the Oregon Brewery Running Series, they will host a 5k Beer Run on Sept. 12, 2026, with 10% of the proceeds benefiting nonprofit partners of the running series, like Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Ellee Thalheimer is a Portland-based freelance writer and guidebook author. When she can’t get to the trails, she’s writing fiction, relishing local IPAs, falling off bouldering walls, and obsessively scheming the next adventure. Find her on Instagram: @ellee_thalheimer.
