Léonie Daignault-Leclerc is an intelligent, passionate, and wise young entrepreneur. She’s also loads of fun too! The founder of the Gaia & Dubos eco-fashion label based in Quebec City, not only has an effervescent personality, she’s become a sustainability expert and a determined and fully engaged business woman.
She recently published a book in French Canada; Pour Une Garde-Robe Responsable and I had the pleasure of interviewing her for my podcast. (available above and on iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher.)
I had the pleasure of speaking to Léonie about the passion for fashion she’s had since she was a child, her studies in fashion design and her advice about building an eco-conscious wardrobe. She has lots to say on the matter, having graduated with a specialization in fashion sustainability from Ryerson in Toronto.
What I found most refreshing in Léonie is the fact that she fully admits to having been a fast fashion lover, just like many of us, someone who blindly followed trends and bought lots of stuff. She admits that meditation brought her out of this shopping loop, something that has been the case in my own life journey.
In a nutshell, she’s a woman after my own heart.
If she underwent massive changes in her consumption habits, today she is wise beyond measure and has lots of things to say about how fashion and sustainability can in fact be reconciled. Thankfully, one does not need to exclude the other!
Her book discusses the fabrics we should look for, which ones we should avoid, the ways to care for our clothing and how to take good care of our garments.
It also brings light to some of the ecological disasters caused by the fashion industry, especially in the world’s waterways, including lakes and oceans, through excessive dying, manipulations and industrial washing of the fabrics.
There is a lot of excessive waste too, with 60% of garments being thrown out within the first year of purchase.
It’s time for a massive change in both our shopping habits and future and in the way we make things. Léonie is on the forefront of this movement. We should be grateful for her and her thriving business.
I do encourage you to listen to our interview and should you live in the Montreal area, Léonie and I will be participating in a talk about fashion sustainability along with Madeleine Arcand of Rose Buddha at the Salon du Livre in Montreal on Friday November 22nd at 5:45. Do come and listen in!
