Either/Or: A shop that makes you think twice about your purchase

Last weekend, I went over to my friend Malorie’s place to play with some clothes and do a photo shoot in her bedroom. Sounds weird, right? The folks outside must have thought the same thing! I mean the lights, the backdrop… a bit much for suburbia town! But, I bet if you looked into every home, you would find a rock star running her own business out of her guest room… I mean, aren’t we all? I know I am!

Either/Or is Malorie’s new online store, where she sells only Canadian and sustainable fashion designs. As you all know, I am attending the Metamorphosis Eco-Fashion show and wanted to wear something that was on brand with the theme of the show. I approached her and asked if she would dress me for the occasion. Instead, she invited me to play dress up and reassured me that I shouldn’t buy anything, unless I loved it!

Malorie is so completely devoted to sustainable design, that she has carefully planned her business model around running a successful and lucrative business while being mindful of the planet and supporting Canadian designers. That is dedication, and I admire her efforts to support slow fashion. I think we can all use a little more thought when making purchases, and I am 100% guilty of not following her advice! I have no self control, and it’s starting to become a problem!

Less is more… I can’t forget this!

She has carefully curated her first collection, and still learning about how different brands are cut, how they size and fit differently on each woman. We learnt a few things that day, ourselves . For examples, in some brands and materials, I can wear a size small, but in others, size L is a bit snug. Malorie was also appreciative of my feedback and was happy with the way I styled some of the looks. Overall, I was very impressed with the cut and quality of the clothing. It is important to remember that these are premium items, and are considered an investment. The prices are higher than what we are used to because when you factor in  things like proper wages and sustainable fabrics, it absolutely comes with a higher price tag, but with much less guilt.

Without further ado, I share with you some of my faves!

Jennifer Torosian Zip coat

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Top Zara | Jeans Gap | Heels L’Intervalle

Sunja Link Palm leaf dress

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Heels Zara

Duffield Design Maxi infinity dress (as skirt)

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The bolero is actually a top that I wore backwards! It’s not on the site yet, but I am sure it will be soon!

Devlyn Van Loon Sweaterdress

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Booties L’Intervalle

So what do you guys think? What did I end up getting for the show? Either leave your comments below or you’ll have to wait and see!

 

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Metamorphosis: Ottawa Fashion Show & Marketplace for the ecoconscious

What are you doing on October 26? Nothing? Perfect! Join me at Metamorphosis Eco-Fashion Show for your dose of daily Ottawa Fashion and guilt-free shopping!

About Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis Eco Fashion Show and Marketplace is an event that showcases and supports environmentally-minded emerging fashion designers in the Ottawa area. Hosted by EcoEquitable, Metamorphosis is Ottawa’s newest Fashion Show to enter the social, artitist and ecoconscious scene. It’s a chance to showcase local Ottawa talent and slowly put to rest the practices behind fast-fashion, hopefully for more than just one night.

Founded in 2002, EcoEquitable Inc. is a registered social Canadian enterprise, providing temporary employment and skills development training through small-scale textile recycling.

BUY TICKETS

I am 100% guilty of indulging in non-ecoconscious clothing. I am sure you can agree that finding larger sizes is hard enough, let alone adding another layer of “where/how is this made?” But the interesting fact is, when clothes are hand-made by a local person, it can often be made to measure. It may cost a little more, but it will look amazing (and you will feel amazing knowing you made a difference!) I urge you to get out of your comfort zone and come explore the event with me.

Supporting this event will directly impact the local businesses in your community and leave a small but mighty footprint in the movement towards a safer and cleaner fashion industry. We can’t make a change happen overnight, but we can all start somewhere.

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Support the cause

If you have nothing to wear and want to glam it up for the event, Rent Frock Repeat will be donating 10% of all rental sales to EcoEquitable. Make sure you use code “ECO16” to track all donations.

Shop local

I’ll be getting dolled up with my friend Malorie who just launched her Canadian sustainable fashion e-store, Either Or. She will be at the event and will showcase her collection in person! I can’t wait to show you what we put together!

 

Win tickets to the event

I have 2 tickets with your name on it! Leave a comment below telling me a little bit about your interest, scepticism or feedback around what you would like to see in ecofashion or the Ottawa fashion industry. I will select the winner at random on October 21, 2016.

If you want to learn more about sustainable fashion and how you can start today, you may want to read more on building a capsule wardrobe.

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