S05 Episode 244 | Alyssa Beltempo on creativity over consumption & shifting the narrative away from placing *all* responsibility on the consumer

Conscious Chatter

In episode 244, Kestrel welcomes Alyssa Beltempo, a Canadian slow fashion expert and stylist, to the show. Through her YouTube channel with over 144K subscribers to her Instagram and website, Alyssa is dedicated to reminding us that there is a power in advocating for creativity over consumption.

"I wanted to fill the gap of showing that you can consume less and it can actually be fun and it doesn’t have to be a sacrifice — which, like society has made it out that way — like we have to be in this constant search of more, when in fact, the opposite can actually be a very fruitful and rewarding endeavor." -Alyssa

The idea for this conversation was actually sparked when Alyssa reached out to Kestrel, after listening to episode 241 with Akilah Stewart of FATRA. In that chat, there was a lot of discussion about creativity, and Alyssa said she loved how Akilah highlighted that everyone can be creative, and that resonated a lot with her own approach to styling.

So, thanks to Akilah for inspiring the seeds for this episode!

We explore more on the power that creativity holds, when we are thinking about how to get beyond the rhetoric of consuming less, shopping your own closet when you can, how the narrative is finally shifting away from putting *all* of the responsibility on the shopper to address fashion’s messes, and more.

Quotes & links from the conversation:

• “Using less and being creative with what you have — this is not a new concept. Maybe I’m presenting it in a different way, but being more sustainable in your mindset is rooted in the way of life for poor and marginalized communities. My immigrant grandparents were reusing and being creative because that was what was available to them.” -Alyssa

• “It’s almost like we need to be a bit more materialistic in a sense — like we need to love what we have — when you love what you have, you tend to want less.” -Alyssa

• Episode 240 with Maxine Bédat

• Episode 47 with Timo Rissanen

• Power Of My People, brand that makes linen shirt Alyssa mentions

• Live virtual “Shop Your Closet” event

• Subscribe to Alyssa’s YouTube Channel >

• Follow Alyssa on Instagram >

This week's episode is brought to you by For Days — they call themselves the “first closed loop clothing brand” and are dedicated to building a better, waste-free future.

If you’re interested in checking out For Days, you can use code CHATTER15 to get 15% off.

Learn more and shop at For Days.com