10 things I gave up in 2020 To Protect The Planet

This past year has been quite the year.

A time of tremendous change, turbulence, and a year to reflect on our own truth, priorities and values.  I’ve been reading, painting, writing….oh, and completed another massive closet purge and clean-out. Ahhhh, it felt sooooo good.

I’ve written about this before on this blog, but it bears repeating again: I’ve given up the fashionista and shopaholic life for a more reasonable and conscious existence.   They say that we come here to teach what we had to learn and what we had to heal…For me, it was to become more concious, because for a long time, I wasn’t. I bought all kinds of stuff and junk to prove I was somebody and to show my self-worth.

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Skip Black Friday and Do This Instead.

If you’ve ever been a former shopper like me, Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals coming through your in-box may have your adrenaline pumping, may trigger you or may have you feverishly pulling out some plastic, thinking (or not!) : Oh, it’s been such a tough year, I need to treat myself, today is the perfect day…. right? 

The answer is yes, it’s been a challenging year.  A very challenging one at that:  filled with anxiety, chaos, and much uncertainty.  It still is.  And if you live alone, you may see shopping online as a way to beat the blues and chase away a feeling of loneliness.

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Conscious Shopping with La Maison Simons/ Shopping Conscient avec La Maison Simons

Last summer, I made a happy discovery:   Vision: Simons’ eco-conscious platform which highlights the company’s sustainable practices, initiatives and where it shares its eco-conscious fashion collections.

L’été dernier, j’ai fait une heureuse découverte: Vision: la plateforme de mode consciente de chez Simons, plateforme qui met en lumière les pratiques et initiatives durables de l’entreprise où elle partage ses collections de mode éco-responsable & consciente.

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The Ocean Cleanup: Sunglasses Made From Recycled Ocean Plastic

Okay, it’s official, I’m in LOVE…With a pair sunglasses.. But not just any pair…This pair of sunglasses is on a mission: to clean up the oceans, no small feat, that’s for sure.

Early last year, I came across an article about the Ocean Clean Up and it piqued my curiosity. It’s a  non-profit organization developing advanced technologies to rid the oceans of plastic. It is designing very clever technologies to accopmplish this.

And so this week, it has launched an amazing new product: a super cool looking par of sunglasses made entirely from recycled pastic. They’re sooo attractive and well thought out. I’m loving everything detail about them.

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How Dior was part of my personal evolution and awakening/ L’Influence de Dior sur mon Éveil

I had the privilege of being offered a private visit of the Christian Dior exhibit at the Montreal McCord Museum last week before its official opening, as a close childhood friend was featured as a model in one of the iconic Dior dresses, the Bella gown.  For the record, my friend Pascale looks stunning in that dress, just like one of the original Dior models.

During the first few minutes of my visit, I did feel a tad conflicted about the exhibit.  Does displaying this kind of rarified luxury and opulence make sense in these current times? After capturing a glimpse of the beautiful dresses, the exquisite fabrics and the seeing the vintage video footing and witnessing all the research that went into it, the answer came as a resounding yes.  Right now, we all need to escape reality and to dream.  And this is precisely what beauty allows us to do.

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It’s the runway walk of your life! Are you ready to step up?

Last week, I attended an online Summit hosted by Fashinnovation with some of the fashion industry’s heavy hitters: including Rebacca Minkoff, Rachel Zoe, Arizona Muse and Nigel Barker.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was super inspiring in many ways.

While listening to the sessions, I discovered that Rebecca Minkoff has a line of cool T-Shirts  that encourage people to vote and run for office. For every Limited Edition T-shirt sold, Rebecca Minkoff will make a donation to Vote Run Lead, a non-profit organization that empowers and trains women to run for office.

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An Interview with Molly Lambourn of Sophie Stokes

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with UK artist Molly Labourn about her line of quirky jewelry made with recycled plastic.  Speaking with her made my heart sing:  Molly isn’t only into recycled materials, but she’s also into vintage shopping, second hand finds and promoting women’s rights and businesses too.  This one of my passions and life missions: to promote brands and labels making a difference on the planet and Molly definitely does just that!

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An interview with Steven Bethell of Bank & Vogue

Last September, I had the great pleasure and honour of attending the WEAR conference in Toronto, a conference about fashion sustainability, ecology, and ethics, amongst many other topics.  It was an exceptional conference, with amazing panelists and speakers. One of the presenters, Canadian businessman Steven Bethell, founder of the Bank & Vogue Group of companies, caught my attention with his fascinating business and inspiring collaborations.  He also has great stories to share ( and wears interesting hats.)

Based in Ottawa, Bank & Vogue is a global leader in the facilitation, logistics, purchase and reselling of wholesale used goods and most notably, used clothing.  According to the Ottawa Business Journal,  the firm buys and sells about three million garments a week ​– enough to fill more than five dozen 40-foot shipping containers ​– from an operation based here in Canada.

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An interview with jewelry designer Charlotte Hosten

I’m a major fan. I have been for years. Charlotte is not only talented, she’s smart as a whip.
I had the opportunity to meet Charlotte several years ago when she worked out of her first atelier,  during an interview her for my former blog.  I’ve always been fond of her gorgeous designs and ability to incorporate vintage pieces, with history and cachet, such as passed down heirlooms, into her work. “I love to make things that have a story.”  She says. She also uses materials from India and Africa too, to add to the story theme and to add more uniqueness.

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An interview with Léonie Daignault-Leclerc, a fashion sustainability expert

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.

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