Vegan-Connections_Nov18_V3

REKINDLE
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Words: Kathryn Blake
Images: Rekindle
Shopping without compromising your ethics is an almost impossible feat. Mass produced clothing and non-vegan
materials are the default while questionable and unsustainable practices within the industry are rife. If you’re looking
to update your wardrobe while also championing your views and wearing your ‘art on your sleeve so it were, well you need
look no further than ReKindle clothing.
Brighton based Lisa Skelly of the sustainable clothes and accessories brand ReKindle took time out to answer some
questions about the hows, wheres and whys behind starting up an ethical fashionable business.
You’re a young female creator prominent in the
vegan scenes so I’m super excited to chat to you
about your work. Could you tell me a little bit
about the background of your work and how the
brand got started?
I began Rekindle Clothing at a time of change in my life. A
few years prior to the beginning of this new adventure, I had
ended a career I no longer loved and was taking some time to
work out who I was and which direction I wanted to move in.
During this time, various aspects of my life and my outlook
on life changed, but one major change was my decision to
adopt a vegan lifestyle. I researched, and learned so much
about the many industries that exploit animals and felt like
I needed a way to share everything I had learned. I knew
I wanted to do something to encourage positive change
but I wasn’t sure what or how. I was in a charity shop one
afternoon (as I often am!) and I found a denim jacket. I took
it home and decorated it with pretty fabric from old clothes
that I didn’t want anymore- just for a bit of creative fun! But
that was the moment I realized what I wanted to do. The idea
was particularly exciting because it combined my creativity
with my love of second hand clothing, my passion for animal
rights and the environment. It just seemed to click!
Am I right in thinking you started with repurposed
jackets and have now moved onto tote bags and
patches? Is there anything else in the line so far
(or in the works) you can tell us about?
Yes! Initially, I began with just the repurposed jackets and
have now added the tote bags and patches. The tote bags
were added as I became interested in plastic free living. I
wanted to have a product which could encourage people to
shop without plastic bags and to be more mindful of those
‘small’ decisions that have a huge impact on the environment
and the sea life. All of my tote bags are made from organic,
fair trade cotton as well, so there are no harmful pesticides
involved in making them. The patches are cute and I love
painting them and making them all unique. They are all made
from second hand jeans! I do also paint denim shirts and I
have a range of A4 art prints on recycled card available too.
At the moment, I don’t have any plans for new products.
I just want to keep creating lots of jackets, patches and shirts
and focus on spreading as much compassion as I can!
Do you have a favourite product?
The jackets! I spend a lot of time painting, sewing and hand
embroidering each one, so, naturally, I care for them more. I
also think that out of all the products I offer, they are the most
eye catching and are the most likely to get a reaction from
a passer by. The main point is for the artwork to encourage
an emotional response in people - people who are walking
behind someone wearing one of my jackets. People who may
be on their way to a supermarket to buy a beef burger or a
pint of milk or a cheesy pizza. They may not have made a
connection yet, and I hope that my jackets can encourage
them to make that connection and question the way they
view these beautiful animals.
Your work is incredibly beautiful and detailed - I
know that if I tried anything like this it would look
like a Jackson Pollock inspired child. Do you have
a professional artistic background?
Thank you! I did A-Level art but nothing further than that. I’ve
always loved drawing and painting - I’m a creative person.
I have had to teach myself how to use a sewing machine
though since starting Rekindle Clothing!
How do you see yourself/how do you think others
see you as a young female in business relating to
the mainstream market?
I don’t really think of myself as a business woman so it is
difficult for me to get in to the ‘business’ mindset for this
question! I think of myself as an animal rights advocate,
environmentalist and an artist. Whenever people ask me
what I do for a living, that is what I say and that is what I
feel is most true. I don’t want to think of myself as a business
woman, because I am not. I am someone with a deep desire
for justice in a world where humans have taken what they
believe is theirs, for money, for taste buds, for fun, for fashion
and for sport, with little regard for the animals and with little
thought for the lasting environmental effects. I am one of
the many people finding my own way to stand up and say
that is not ok. My artwork is my activism. My Etsy shop is a
platform for my art and a way for my artwork to travel and
influence people in all areas of the world.
How do you think ethics and small business can
collaborate and forge mainstream success? When
you look to the high street it’s hard to find a business
that hasn’t lost its way in terms of sustainability/
fair wage/scandal/general unethical behaviour
in pursuit of profit. Do you think values have to
be compromised to become bigger?
Unfortunately, yes in most cases. I do think that growing a
business to meet the kind of demand that large high street
chains have results in compromising morals. Recently more
and more people are supporting smaller businesses because
they are aware of this. I think that more people are also buying
second hand. There seems to be much more awareness
of issues revolving around the environment.
This gives me hope that we can move away from the
era of massive chain shops selling cheap at the cost of the
environment and the people working to make their products,
and move in to a new era, where lots of small ethical and
environmentally friendly businesses can support each other
through a joint interest, and dedication to making positive
change.
At the moment, I think it’s lovely how almost all of the
vegan shops and café’s are independent and small, but there
is a growing community of vegans excited to support them
and keep them alive. I definitely feel like I have that support
and I am very grateful for that. I also think that most people
who are vegan or mindful of the environment, are much more
likely to shop on Etsy or other similar platforms as opposed
to mainstream chains, as it gives them the option to be specific
about what they need. So I feel that, as the ethical and
environmental awareness grows, people are turning to the
smaller shops and Etsy shops and we can all support each
other to encourage the rise of smaller, ethical businesses.
Your messages are blunt when it comes to the
ethics of veganism. What would you say to other
small businesses who want to succeed but are
afraid of remaining true to their values incase it
puts people off?
I was afraid to begin with. My boldness has grown as I’ve
nervously tested the boundaries. The first few jackets I made
had no messages on them. They weren’t specifically vegan.
They were open for interpretation. I remember the first time
I made a vegan cow jacket. I created a fabric collage cow
and embroidered the word ‘vegan’ and ‘Love’ around the
cow. It was heavily embellished and there was no mistaking
the message I was putting out there! I was nervous to put
it in my shop. I was worried I would get hateful messages.
I didn’t want people to tell me I was ‘preaching’ through
my art. But, regardless, I took a deep breath and I posted
it on social media and put in the shop. Within one hour, it
had sold and I had 100 more followers than I had had 60
minutes ago. I realized at that point, that there are a lot of
people who are as passionate about animal rights as I am
and want to stand up for those poor animals, just as much
as I do. And so I stopped worrying about what people think
and starting fueling that passion that I feel every time I see
footage from a slaughterhouse or painful images. There will
be people who don’t agree with my art work because they
don’t agree with veganism, or rather, they don’t understand
it. But those are not the people I am reaching out to. I am
reaching out to the people who are going to help me make
a positive change. So my advice is, to be bold! If the whole
point of your business is to raise awareness for something
you care about, like mine, then you need to give it every
ounce of passion you have!
When it comes to clothes and shopping, what can
people do to reduce their waste and manage the
sustainability in their own lives?
Firstly, I would say reduce the amount of clothing you have.
I think I’m pretty safe in saying that most of us have far more
clothes than we need. Enjoy the simplicity of less! Have a clear
out and take your unwanted clothes to your local charity shop.
Secondly, buy second hand. When you need some ‘new’
clothes, browse around the charity shops, ebay auctions,
vintage shops or swap clothes with friends.
Lastly, if you buy brand new, research before you buy. If
you understand which materials are eco friendly and which
are not, you can make better choices.
Where you do you see you and your business
growing over the next years?
I don’t like to plan too far in to the future. I know that I am
comfortable doing my art in my studio, creating awareness
and raising money for sanctuaries, vegan groups and charities.
I would like to continue! I feel like part of a wonderful
community of compassionate individuals and I have had so
much support from them and so many encouraging comments
and wonderful conversations. My main goal with my work is
to encourage people to take positive steps towards creating
a better future for the animals that we exploit and for our
incredible planet. I just want to be able to do this all the time!
Do you ever take time off? In my own experience,
running a startup is incredibly demanding and
it’s hard to separate work from life sometimes.
What do you do to relax and have fun?
Oh yes it’s hard to find that line definitely! I practice yoga
every day and just adore it! I love cooking and experimenting-
making up my own vegan recipes and making my kitchen
messy! Finding woodlands to explore and standing on the cliff
top, looking out at the sea with a fennel tea in hand and my
bare feet on the grass. It’s the simple things make me happy!
Thanks!
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