Episode 260: Your beliefs are your superpower, with Malena of The Slow Era

Forget apps, AI, and "miracle" eco fabrics...the solution to the fast fashion and overconsumption crisis is…PEOPLE.  The future is human! And one way people come into play as part of all of this is via their small businesses.  In this episode, Amanda is joined by Malena of The Slow Era, a vintage store and slow fashion community hub in Ames, Iowa.

In this episode, we are going to talk about

• How Malena uses their own values as a decision making tool for their business
• Why writing a business manifesto made this a lot easier (and why we should also be writing our own personal manifestos, too)
• How they reconcile their own anti-capitalist beliefs with being a small business owner
• How they connect with and educate their customers and community via the business
• How to avoid compromising your values in business (and why/how it will open doors and bring in more customers)

And so much more!

Also: How Everlane and SHEIN are the perfect cherry on top of this slow fashion values sundae!

Find The Slow Era on Instagram.

Like Dylan In The Movies (Belle & Sebastian)

"Everlane is Selling out to...SHEIN," Lauren Sherman, Puck.
"Everlane’s Promise of ‘Radical Transparency’ Unravels," The New York Times.
"The $39 Million Shoe Company Allbirds Turned Into An AI Stock," Jon Markman, Forbes.

Thanks for being one of the elite few who read the show notes.  Alexis and her four babies say "hi!"

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Clotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:

Slow Fashion Academy is a size-inclusive sewing and patternmaking studio based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designer and fashion professor Ruby Gertz teaches workshops for hobbyists and aspiring designers, so that anyone can learn the foundational skills of making, mending, and altering their own clothes. Ruby also provides professional design and patternmaking services to emerging slow fashion brands, and occasionally takes commissions for custom garments and costume pieces. She has also released several PDF sewing patterns for original designs under her brands Spokes & Stitches, and Starling Petite Plus. Check the schedule for upcoming workshops, download PDF sewing patterns, and learn about additional sewing and design services at www.slowfashion.academy.

Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality--made to last for years to come. D