S02 Episode 69 | OP SHOP TO RUNWAY + REDEFINING REUSED STYLE

In episode 69 of Conscious Chatter, Kestrel welcomes Alex van Os, eco stylist and founder of Op Shop to Runway to the show. Alex is an Australian Red Cross Op Shop Ambassador and a fashion & TV stylist on a mission: to help people realize that having killer style doesn't mean you have to kill the earth in the process. For her, second hand doesn't mean second best!

Stat from the introduction, found via Elizabeth Cline, author of Overdressed: 
Every single minute Americans toss out 47,564 pounds of unwanted clothing and textiles (that’s enough to fill three olympic size pools).

In this chat, Kestrel asks Alex about her background, and how she found herself engulfed in pushing for a less wasteful fashion industry. They also discuss the challenges / balance of working as a mainstream stylist (to make money) + partnering with influencers to bring the sustainable conversation further into the mainstream. 

Tune in for Alex's key second hand shopping + styling tricks at 00:24:50 of the episode. 

Another really interesting element that arose in this conversation is the idea of heirlooms, and how with the influence of fast fashion, there's a big question of what our generation will pass down to future children, family or friends, when so many things today are built to fall apart or wear out after a few washings. Listen to this part at 00:30:55.

Kestrel's suggestion this week:
Melanin & Sustainable Style, a platform dedicated to bringing melanin to the forefront of sustainable fashion, beauty and living. The chief curator of Melanin & Sustainable Style, Dominique Drakeford says, "Celebrate sustainable style x diversity at the same damn time". Make sure to check out her Vanguards series!