Venetia Falconer
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There’s a lot that’s a bit blegh about the int There’s a lot that’s a bit blegh about the internet, especially when grey area is extinguished, which is why I find podcasts to be such a beacon of hope and inspiration. They allow space for fresh perspective, new ideas and also embrace the “not knowing”. And honestly, they’re just darn great company for when one-on-one time between you and the thoughts in your head feels a bit “not today mate” 🙃⁣ ⁣ This week sees season 2 of @ATSTpodcast draw to a close. I have absolutely adored making each episode of this series and feel incredibly grateful to all my guests for their insights, expertise and straight-up joyful vibes. ⁣ ⁣ From conversations about social media outrage with @TheDottyShow, to questioning the system of marriage with @TomGlitter and challenging our perceptions of accessibility with @ThatSingleMum, there’s a whole lot in this series. If you listened - even to just one episode - know that I am extremely grateful and know it’s my mission to keep bringing you thought-provoking and uplifting conversations.⁣ ⁣ This week’s season finale features the truest of true huns @RachelAma_. She generously shares her birth story, parenting style, thoughts around privacy, her sensational forthcoming cookbook “One Pot: Three Ways” (available to pre-order now babes), the vegan community and her aspirations to make plant based cooking accessible for young people. ⁣ ⁣ ♻️#OOOTD (old outfit of the day): sunflower shorts to match les fleurs de mes amis: 6 years old, tank: @StripeAndStare 🌻
Hello👋🏼I’m Venetia and I’m a recovering Hello👋🏼I’m Venetia and I’m a recovering fast fashion addict. The rumours that I’ve only ever worn deadstock, regenerative hemp clothing that I’ve stitched myself? Alas, they are vicious and false, my friend. ⁣ ⁣ Learning about the environmental and ethical consequences of fashion and consumerism has been a slow journey of learning and unlearning, with plenty of mistakes and asking “silly” questions along the way - and I’m still very much learning, which is part of the fun.⁣ ⁣ I passionately believe that education, community and joy are the magic ingredients that bake the most delicious slow fashion cake. This is why I’m stoked to be kick-starting the conversion series for @VestiaireCo’s #CollectiveForChange initiative this summer. It can feel really overwhelming when you first learn about the damage that Big Fashion is causing both people and planet, which is why I love Vestiaire’s mission to educate and listen to their community. ⁣ ⁣ Every month, Vestiaire will be giving a platform to incredible speakers, thought-leaders and educators to inspire more people to advocate for slow fashion, without letting go of their love for style and clothes. This programme will shine a light on conversations about positive change in fashion, further educate around fashion sustainability and create debates for how best to transform the industry. ⁣ ⁣ To watch “Sustainable Fashion 101: Help! I’m a recovering fast fashion addict. Where do I start?” with @AjaBarber, @The_Rogue_Essentials and yours truly, head over to @VestiaireCo’s page now. I ADORED this chat, you can expect stellar slow fashion advice, insider shopping hacks and a lot of laughs, too! #ad
The guardian have written an article titled “ren The guardian have written an article titled “renting clothes is less green than throwing them away”.⁣⁣⁣⁣ It’s based on a recent study by Environmental Research Letters that assessed the environmental impact (NB: not the ethical implications) of 5 different ways of owning and disposing of clothing, comparing the impact of reducing, reselling, recycling and renting with standard consumption. The study found that renting clothes had the highest climate impact of all, due mainly to packaging, transportation and delivery. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ But before the internet erases nuance and cancels rental entirely, we need to be mindful that this study is based on rental companies buying stock, rather than peer-to-peer models.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ I don’t think anyone is suggesting that renting clothes is going to save us from climate breakdown, but I do worry that people will do the thing when they just read the article headline and think that “throwing away” clothes can be considered even a tiny bit “green”.⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Our disposable culture has disastrous human implications and there’s simply no such thing as “away”. There’s just landfill, incineration and pollution. Sure, putting our clothes in the trash may have less of a carbon footprint (a term coined by BP🙃), but it’s also directly contributing to waste colonialism, polluting the lives and landscapes of communities in the Global South (see @TheORispresent for more). ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ♻️🌎 If something’s not green for all of us, then it’s not green at all 🌎♻️⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Like everything that started with genuinely green intentions, the rental model has been hijacked by billion dollar brands like Ralph Lauren and greenwashing chiefs like H&M, with zero accountability for the vast scale, fast-turnover fashion that is harming garment workers, promoting needless consumption and contributing to climate breakdown. ⁣⁣⁣⁣ ⁣⁣⁣⁣ Ultimately, we need to address our infatuation with newness and all trend based fashion businesses need to be extremely wary of the part they play in pedalling needless consumption. ⁣ #OOOTD: two of my most worn and loved pieces from my wardrobe (both 5 years old).
ad🩲 as much as i try to prioritise second-hand ad🩲 as much as i try to prioritise second-hand clothing first, i draw a line at pre-loved panties. vintage slips i can get behind. borrowed bikinis and swimsuits from besties? yes please! but second-hand gussets? a bridge too far my friend. ⁣ ⁣ • only 2.4% of the underwear market is sustainably sourced. [stat via Edited, 2019]⁣ ⁣ my absolute go-to for every day undies are from independent british brand @StripeandStare. not only are they the comfiest knickers i’ve ever worn, they’re made using a sustainably and renewably sourced tree fibre, which is a process that uses 95% less water than cotton. what’s more, they’re transparent about their supply chains and factories, paying fair living wages and working with the same factory since they began, 15 years ago. ⁣ ⁣ i am obsessed with these undercrackers and have an exclusive discount code for my community, so you can try them for yourselves. just head to their website stripeandstare.com and use the code ✨SMALLTHINGS20✨for 20% off.
if you’re struggling to convince your loved ones if you’re struggling to convince your loved ones to jump aboard the fair fashion train, something i’ve found really helpful is to show them just how much joy you gain from your old clothes, second-hand finds, online communities, events, workshops, books etc! ⁣ ⁣ joy is infectious, and as the saying goes, “you catch more flies with honey...”! so perhaps try taking that friend who can’t curb their zara addiction to your favourite thrift store, or you could suggest that you swap clothes sometime, or perhaps offer to lend them one of your most loved pieces. ⁣ ⁣ slow fashion IS joyful and for me, it’s just as important to advocate for joy as it is to advocate against the damage that Big Fashion is causing to the people who make our clothes and our planet. ⁣ ⁣ we went to our best friends’ wedding over the weekend😍♥️ max wore a vintage suit that he thrifted (unprompted and without intervention from me) and i truly felt like a proud mum when i saw how happy the process of finding it and wearing it made him 🥺 ⁣not to mention how chuffed he was when he could tell people that it was second-hand! ⁣ ♻️#OOOTD: dress rented from @Hurr (pr rental), shoes (quite a few years old) from @_rafa_usa
hiya👋🏼 it’s been a minute! i took a couple hiya👋🏼 it’s been a minute! i took a couple of weeks off from here. you may know that i take weekends off social media in a practice i refer to as #offline48, and i try to take extended breaks where i can. last year, i lost myself a little bit as a result of spending too much time online. in hindsight, i burnt out. it’s not human to spend that much time staring at screens, let alone see the opinions of more people in an hour than you would usually see in a week.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ so here’s a small reminder for anyone who needs it: ✨trying to please people who don’t care about your wellbeing is a waste of sweet and precious time✨⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ time away from here helps me re-establish my boundaries and gain some perspective about how the internet functions. our attention is the thing that’s being sold on these apps, and i want to keep a close eye on how much that’s costing me and my mental health. setting a ‘budget’ and sticking to it, means we can make sure we’re using this app, rather than the other way round. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ prioritise your mental health first, always. if we look after ourselves, we’ll be better equipped to show up for our loved ones, be there for our communities and put energy into the causes we really care about. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ speaking of things i really care about, i’ve been putting a lot of energy into @ATSTpodcast. social media has a habit of extinguishing ambiguity and i looooove the way podcasts make space for nuance and grey area. this week’s episode is with the wonderful Cathy Reay @ThatSingleMum (follow!!) and it’s easily one of my favourites ever. i hope you love it.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ sending love and softness to anyone who needs it ♥️ ⁣ ⁣ #oootd: @hara_thelabel top via @wowsancho, borrowed wrap skirt from a bestie♻️
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