Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to meet with Laura Vogt, the founding producer of the ever so successful Sustainable Clothing Co. in Adelaide.

Located within their new basement headquarters on Hindley Street, the Sustainable Clothing Co. is one of the first of its kind in Adelaide, selling a variety of funky vintage threads, hemp goods and organic cotton garments. Laura has many years experience in collecting and reselling vintage finds, and a keen eye for seeking out new eco-friendly fashion trends.

In our interview, Laura shared some of her knowledge about the sustainable fashion industry, and gave some tips on buying sustainably for those of us working our way into wearing eco-friendly clothing! 

You can enjoy this interview by either reading the transcript below, or clicking the link to the YouTube audio clip here:

Q: Tell me a little bit about the Sustainable Clothing Co. and what kind of style of clothing that people can expect if they head in store?

A: We’ve got something different to offer Adelaide, so you’ll find streetwear, vintage clothes from the 80’s and 90’s and pre-loved from the 2000’s and now. Also unisex as well, so in the store I don’t gender categorise, I feel like if your someone and you feel comfortable wearing that and you want to wear that then thats okay I don’t think clothing has to be gendered in that sense.

Q: What was it that most inspired you to start this business and become so involved in the sustainable fashion industry?

A: At first I started my business just by selling my own second hand wardrobe at markets and things like that, and I was one who always collected unique and funky clothing, and when that started becoming quite popular and going really well for me, I noticed an uproar on social media about rabbit fur coats and leather and all of that kind of stuff. But yeah, I decided to go down the sustainable route and really build my business up based on that.

Q: What does sustainable fashion mean to you?

A: To me sustainable fashion means really putting the word out there and having other people understand what it means as well. I really want to educate the community on how they can be more sustainable, because it’s not just about the clothes, it’s also about how people can incorporate it into their everyday lives. That’s something that really means a lot to me that someone can take home a little bit of information that they can use and pass on.

Q: Do you think there is still a negative stigma around thrifting clothes and if so, what efforts have you made to debunk this?

A: Yeah, I think that there is in some instances. I think that a lot more people are becoming aware of thrifting and they’re wanting to do it more. But I just think that that educating them and showing people that its not all about wearing your grandmas dress or something like that, you can resell or re-wear something that someone might have worn once or twice and there is nothing negative about it. It can still be street and it can be fun and it can be funky and it can be on trend.

Q: Where would you like to see the Australian sustainable fashion industry in the next five years?

A: In the next five years I would love to see more sustainable shops that are curated and recycling clothing. I’d love to see more streetwear brands doing it, and I would also love to see more people making new garments out of recycled fabrics as well. I would also love to see more hemp clothing going in a broader direction, so instead of just having your basic hemp t-shirts and socks, actually creating a style, or a street style or a festival style out of the hemp clothing and not having it so basic.

Q: What would be your best piece of advice for anyone looking to change their lifestyle and start out purchasing more sustainable clothing?

A: I would say to buy the things that suit your personal style and things that you will actually get wear out of, rather than just buying things because everyone else is wearing it.

Q: If any listeners are wanting to get in contact with you or learn more about your brand, where can they head?

Address: 34B Hindley Street, Adelaide, SA (Basement)

Website: http://www.sustainableclothingco.com

Instagram: @sustainableclothingco

Depop: Sustainable Clothing Co.

Facebook: Sustainable Clothing Co.

Upcoming Events at Sustainable Clothing Co.

Sustainable Clothes Swap

Date: 18th October 2019

Where: 34B Hindley Street, Adelaide

Sustainable Fashion Show and Slow Fashion Talk

Date: 20th October 2019

Time: 11:00am-4:00pm

Price: Free Entry

Where: Roxies – 188 Grenfell Street, Adelaide