Arts Advocates: Derek Sabori
Derek Sabori
SUSTAINABILITY STEWARD
Q&A with Derek Sabori
Derek Sabori, ’95, MBA ’02 is founder of The Underswell, where he is a podcaster and sustainability consultant. Before that, he was a senior director at a sustainability strategy and communications agency and vice president of global sustainability for the skate and surfwear brand Volcom, combining his bachelor’s in studio arts and MBA over a 20-year career. He currently serves as president of the UC Irvine Alumni Association and a member of the Dean’s Arts Board.
Q. How did you go from engineering student to studio art major at UC Irvine?
DS: I spent 2 1/2 years studying engineering while working full time, and I was not enjoying it. But I was in awe of the Department of Art. The vibe was cool there; I felt like I’d found my people. I loved how the faculty challenged us to think differently. I took classes in installation art, performance art, video and digital media, and those were my first exposure to exploring racism, classism, feminist art, Chicano art — all of these cultural things that I had not been exposed to before. It really resonated with me.
Q. How did sustainability become central to your career?
DS: When I graduated, another arts alum invited me to join Volcom, where I started answering the phones, doing data entry and stuffing envelopes. Eventually, I worked my way into the creative side, learning about apparel design and manufacturing. Around 2008, we started creating eco collections with organic cotton and recycled materials. But then when Volcom was acquired by French luxury group Kering, I discovered that we had only scratched the surface with our sustainability programs. I learned so much about global sustainability that eventually, I created a series of sustainability courses to help others in the fashion industry on similar journeys.
Q. What drives your passion for sustainability in the arts and beyond?
DS: When I traveled overseas and learned more about the environmental impacts of how clothes are made, I became an advocate for fashion being done in a better, more responsible way. Sustainability is the idea of looking out for future generations; making decisions today with tomorrow in mind. My hope for all students, whether in arts or anything else, is that sustainability is ingrained into the curriculum so that they understand everything they do has an impact somewhere.
Q. What do you find most rewarding being engaged with the campus as president of the UC Irvine Alumni Association?
DS: It has been such a rewarding experience. I am a living testimonial for why it’s important for alumni to re-engage with the university. I’ve had many amazing experiences — meeting the deans, doing tours, working with other UC alumni leaders, being the mace marshal at commencement and wearing all the regalia. It was another alum who reached out and tapped me on the shoulder to get involved after 20 years of disengagement. So now, I feel like it’s my responsibility to ensure students stay connected after graduating and that they know they’re a lifelong part of the UC Irvine family.
Q. As a recent member of the Dean’s Arts Board, why is it important to you to advocate for arts at CTSA?
DS: I’m a believer that the arts (like sustainability!) are in everything — even engineering and sciences. If you are a graduating artist like I was, you can end up anywhere, from fashion to culinary science. That’s exciting.
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