Hannah Dunning

In 2011, I lost my grandmother to estrogen-positive breast cancer, a disease that is skyrocketing amongst women today. I knew I would fight somehow to address the issue, but didn't know what that would look like until I ran into my own health problems later in life.

When I was pregnant with my first son, I was diagnosed with ICP (cholestasis of pregnancy), a condition where bile acid spills into the bloodstream. I was told it was genetic, but I took matters into my own hands and discovered that the chemicals in our environment may, in some instances, contribute to conditions like mine.

Then I started connecting the dots. The very chemicals that are unregulated in our clothing have been shown to impact bile acids and are potentially carcinogenic, leading to certain estrogen-impacted diseases. A whole new world opened, and I dedicated the rest of my life to uncovering the health impacts our clothing has on our bodies, especially women and children.

That work became The Clean Clothing Coalition: a movement of parents, workers, scientists, and citizens organizing for a clothing industry free of toxic chemicals — and safe for everyone who wears them.