ASecondLove: Conscious Consumption
I have collided with the word 'overconsumption" many years back, and these encounters had me rethinking my habits at some point. I decided to do something about it. I decided to become a little more intentional with my consumption habits. Marie Kondo was doing a thing then, too, so the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Or so I thought. I changed my Instagram content, started identifying as minimalist, and followed some minimalists, afrominimalists, Marie Kondo, and the list. I stopped shopping… well, a little. But this didn't last very long because minimalism was an aesthetic for me at this point. I wanted to identify as something different and not necessarily make any changes. After a while, I felt a little silly, so I took a couple of steps back and started again slowly. It was not an easy journey, but eventually, it made a little more sense. I won't say that I have changed completely, but I am a little more intentional with my consumption. Wearing clothes for longer, reducing frantic shopping sprees, choosing quality over quantity and attaching importance to the origin of products I buy and how they are produced. Much of this has been indirectly influenced by people I come across online. One of the more ethical consumption-centred accounts I have followed is Asecondlove. How? I have no idea, but her content and lifestyle have inspired me to look more into my habits and how to navigate them, restoring meaning to choices and enriching them with a more global and circular vision.
It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to conscious consumption. With an endless barrage of information, countless new and established brands to research, and a mass of confusing terminology, it's understandable that anyone might feel a little overwhelmed. So I decided to chop it up and delve into a conversation with Asecondlove to simplify and shed some light on conscious consumption, slow fashion and sustainability.
Who is Asecondlove?
A second love aims to build a community that increases awareness to give clothing items a second love and life. With this profile, I want to inspire you to rethink purchasing patterns and shop for your own closet. Buying new things won't make a difference; thinking about the WHY and HOW will. Small changes make a big difference.
Have you always been a conscious consumer or was there a moment when the switch flipped and you started to think more about the way you buy?
I am a former shopaholic who really purchased into every trend out there, especially when I was a teen in Textile School. I was aiming to fill an emotional hole which never seemed full. I ended up with an enormous closet, which was difficult to move and travel with and did not make me feel happier. Before coming to China, I worked for a luxury fashion brand and started to understand more about the quality of the items I purchased. With my husband embracing a lifestyle of travel and global living, I felt inspired to dig deeper into the concept of capsule wardrobes. After landing in China and downsizing my closet, I understood how much stuff I had and the Taobao culture, where clothing is so cheap and something you throw away after a few wear; I started to rethink. Honestly, it wasn’t and still isn’t an easy journey. I see myself as a fashion-driven person, and sometimes I feel constrained by my closet. However, I now understand that this is something the fashion industry drives and whatever I buy will not make me feel better. If something is missing in my closet, I know that I can find it second-hand in most cases. I see so many second-hand items popping up in my (and other) WeChat group(s), which look for a second love (life).
How did you get into a space of sustainability?
Sustainability has become a buzzword in the fashion industry in the last few years. It hit me in my previous jobs and living in China, where consumerism is on an even faster base than in Europe. I started to question my purchasing patterns, the ones of the people I am surrounded with as well as the responsibility of the fashion industry.
Do you think it is easy to find and share information about the sustainability of fashion brands and the effects of fast fashion on people and planet? Is there anything you can think of that would help make it easier to do so?
I think it is easy to find a lot of information about sustainability out there. However, I see many people sharing their personal “opinion”, which is often not scientifically proven. Many brands are greenwashing, and people and brands still need to make money, which is more challenging. As with everything in life, finding a balance is the key. Without buying/ selling tangible products, what would be the most sustainable way? Our system will not be fuelled.
What would you say is your goal on social media and who is your audience?
My biggest goal is to grow a community which enjoys fashion as much as I do and create awareness that fashion does not equal consumption.
Who inspires you in fashion?
I am inspired by (mainly) European influencers who question the industry; for example, dariadeh is an Austrian fashion blogger who started her own conscious fashion label.
Do you think is the biggest misconception about sustainable fashion?
You need to buy something to be fashionable.
Current favourite piece in your closet?
A bamboo turtleneck and my second-hand sweaters and jeans
Top tip for others wishing to shop more responsibly?
Shop your own closet (if you feel bored with your clothes, start to combine things you usually would not mix with each other)
Build layers in your wardrobe, and combine different textures and thicknesses for an onion look and visual interest
Invest in quality pieces
“Care for your clothes, like the good friends they are.” By Joan Crawford- Great care can make your clothes look better and last longer.
Anything you might wanna plug? Social media? Projects? etc
I started an upcycling project where I reuse materials that would otherwise go to the landfill. I have been lucky to have found a way to reuse materials, make something pretty and even contribute to a lovely charity.
I bought the exterior shell of the Taco bag from a charity sale that raises money for heart-diseased children, called heart2heart. They often receive donations from big retailers of b-stock (not going to retail since they have small defaults).
Depending on the design, some Taco bags also have interior fabrics from other companies' b-stock materials. With some other fabrics, I aimed to ensure great design and good quality of the taco bag to make them unique designer pieces.
The zippers I used are from a company that used to create finished products but have changed their business focus and therefore have huge quantities of the zipper they could not use anymore.
With this design, I am hoping to create a little awareness that we can reuse whatever goes to the landfill; the taco bag might be just a small example of it. But if we all rethink our (and retailers) "throw-away" patterns, we can make a huge difference.
