After witnessing the damaging impact the fashion industry is having on our planet, Deal resident Kate Sutton wanted to try and change that rhetoric and started Feel Good Fashion.
Feel Good Fashion works to help the environment by selling preloved clothes to reduce the need for new purchases as well as preventing items from going to waste; whilst donating 20% of the selling price of each preloved item directly to charity.
We caught up with shop owner Kate Sutton, who is assisted by Aniya and Vicky, to find out a little more about how they source their preloved items and how it can help residents shop more sustainably.
Kate explained: “I started the business back in January 2020, running things initially from a storage and office unit at Blinkbox in Deal.
“I was inspired to start the business as I’d watched a Stacey Dooley documentary called Fashion’s Dirty Secrets. I was horrified to see how fashion production is killing our planet. I’d also spent some time volunteering at the Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury and saw first-hand how much charities need to raise to survive.”
As Feel Good Fashion’s following grew, Kate opened up her premises on Stanhope Road in August 2020 with the help of her husband and used the time throughout lockdown to grow their social media, website and eBay shop.
Through the shop, Kate raises money for a two different charities every month who receive nominations through the customers who sell and purchase with the business.
Feel Good Fashion have raised an impressive £5019 for charity during 2021 so far, no small feat at all.
Kate added: “Our customers bring in items they would like to sell, we choose what we can take and they receive 40% of the sale price, we keep 40% and 20% goes to charity. So, the stock we sell is brought to us and we get to pick from some really lovely items.
“If we could all shift our buying habits over to purchasing some items that are preloved, we could save money, have a unique wardrobe, reduce the levels of clothing going to landfill and show the fashion industry that our appetite for fast fashion is reducing.”