My Soul Style

One of the questions I get asked the most is where can I shop for sustainable clothes?! With this in mind this week I talk to Gráinne Wynne owner of Beautiful South, a boutique in Rathmines, Dublin Ireland which stocks ethically sourced fashion from European & indigenous Irish brands. Gráinne set up her boutique in 2018 after rearing her family & deciding to go back to work. With a background in hospitality but a life long appreciation of design, Gráinne decided to follow her love of fashion and set up shop. While planning her business she watched the life-changing documentary, the true cost of fashion & decided that she didn’t want her store to contribute any further to the exploitation of garment workers or fabric pollution. With this in mind she set about researching home grown labels making in Ireland using local fabrics as well as European sustainable bands. In this episode we talk about cultivating a less is more approach to shopping, buying quality over quantity & how a capsule wardrobe doesn’t have to be all beige & how important it is to celebrate your uniqueness with unique crafted pieces. We also discuss how Gráinne’s business survived the lockdowns during the pandemic by using old fashioned retail practices from days gone by such as Gráinne cycling to customers houses on her bike with curated pieces when the shop was forced to close, to an appro service where clients could try on clothes at home before buying and running a deposit service where customers can pay off the price of a garment over 6 weeks interest free, making it more manageable to save for quality pieces. If you ever thought boutique shopping was beyond your pay-package , this episode will make you re-think the way you shop. Remind us to save up for good clothes made fairly, and understand the reason these clothes cost more is that the makers are being paid a fair wage & the fabrics come from mills where the weavers are being paid fairly, a point we often forget to think about when we get seduced by fancy visual merchandising on the highstreet. You can find Beautiful South on Instagram @beautiful.south website: www.beautifulsouth.ie Address: The Swan Centre, 3d Castlewood Ave, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland

In this episode of My Soul Style I talk to Siadbh Duffy, founder of SIADBH, a range of ethically sourced crystal jewellery amulets. In this episode we discuss some of the murky unethical practices of the crystal industry and how Siadbh has navigated this world to work with small ethically run mines and a family that are fairly paid to cut and polish the stones in her range. We cover what are ghost and inclusions in crystals and how these so called flaws can mean many crystals are unnecessarily discarded. We also discuss how crystals are not just pretty, decorative stones, but powerful healing allies that can help support with both your emotional & physical well-being. Siadbh also shares her crystal care morning ritual and how to cleanse & programme your crystals so they can maintain their energies to support your well being. Having benefited from wearing and connecting with crystals for years, SIADBH created her collection through her desire to share this experience with others. Inspired by our ancient history crystals and gemstones play a huge part in culture of the world. Wearing Amulets was a status of honour, respect, royalty, stature and abundance. SIADBH Crystal Amulets are handcrafted in Kilkenny, Ireland using 14ct gold filled or 9ct solid gold materials to pair with each crystal. Highly aware of the vibration and frequencies crystals emit , Siadbh preforms an energy ritual on each Amulet attuning the energy to the highest vibration of love. Part of their magic is in how they feel, rough, smooth, inclusions and cracks which are all apart of their natural creation. Each crystal is designed with tactile vision in mind and to be in contact with the body. Siadbh’s mission is to create Amulets that become sacred allies, accompanying the wearer on their path in life. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too. For more information about SIADBH follow her on Instagram @siadbh Browse & shop her collection at www.siadbh.ie SiADBH jewellery is available at CREATE in Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, Dublin 2 www.brownthomas.com until the 15th of August 2022 For more on sustainable fashion & to stay in touch follow me on Instagram @roxanne_parker

This week is an extra special episode where I talk to my lovely mother, Marjorie Parker! My mum has been a huge influence in my life when it comes to my relationship with, style, fashion & clothes. She is and always has been an incredibly stylish lady with her own unique take on style. I definitely learnt how to embody my own soul style through watching how my mum interpreted and put clothes together. I really feel she was a massive influence on my becoming a fashion stylist. Born in 1936, Marjorie survived World War II, rationing, The Cold War & has seen fashion go from slow to ultra fast. In this conversation we delve into my mothers generation’s relationship with their clothes. How they were educated to conserve and look after their clothes & how they learnt to be creative & crafty with fashion due to the lack of choice and variety that was available growing up in 1950’s & 1960’s Ireland. We reflect on how sometimes we have to look back to move forward & how the silver screen of Hollywood was a massive influence on her generation when it came to embodying old school glitz and glamour. It’s fascinating talking to my mother about the times she grew up in where waste was not an option and rationing was mandatory. Growing up in these circumstances has shaped the way my mum views the world and her consumer habits. I loved having the opportunity to deep dive with my mum on these topics. I really hope you enjoy this conversation. Follow me on Instagram @roxanne_parker for more content and for a post about this episode with photos of my mum from the 50’s to the present day showing Marjorie’s soul style! Instagram: roxanne_parker

In this solo episode I address some of the many questions listeners have sent to me recently on how & where to get affordable sustainable fashion. After a quick catch up on exciting sustainable projects that I have been working on since the inception of My Soul Style, I run through the pros & cons of charity shop thrifting & my top tips for charity shopping. Next I run through the pros & cons of shopping Depop, a peer to peer selling site specifically for clothes. I give my top tips for shopping on this site. Finally I look at Adverts.ie a local Irish directory app for selling & buying everything & anything! I give my top tips for shopping here as well as the pros & cons of this site & this way of thrifting. I will definitely do a part two to this episode with other affordable ways to shop sustainably. Also why not stay in touch on Instagram? You can follow me at roxanne_parker and I am happy to receive questions there that I can address in future podcast episodes. In the meantime, make yourself a tea or coffee, put the feet up and prepared to be inspired on new & affordable ways to shop sustainably. Resources: www.depop.com www.adverts.ie Find me on Instagram @roxanne_parker Email: roxannepa@gmail.com

This week on My Soul Style I talk with Suzy Monaghan, of Monaghan Cashmere, a store that specialises in ethically sourced Cashmere on South Anne Street in Dublin, Ireland. Monaghan Cashmere is a family run business which was established over 60 years ago by Suzie’s father, Tom Monaghan with his wife Therese. Tom who is 96 years of age is still active in the business! Suzie is married and has two children & is the creative director and head designer of Suzy Monaghan Cashmere, a contemporary cashmere range designed in Ireland and ethically manufactured in Scotland which is stocked exclusively at Monaghan Cashmere. Suzie’s designs merge the heritage of original piece from the Monaghan archives with her own contemporary fashion twist. Having grown up working in the family business starting as a schoolgirl working on the shop floor, Cashmere is tightly woven into Suzie’s very DNA. There is nothing this lady doesn’t know about the different grades of cashmere, why certain cashmere lasts longer than other. What is ethical and unethical about the cashmere business and most importantly how to look after your precious cashmere pieces, so they last a lifetime! Suzie is a passionate advocate of buying less and buying better and has pieces of cashmere that have been passed down from her mother that she wore and has now subsequently passed down to her daughter! Meaning three generations have enjoyed the quality of one cashmere jumper! It is a great honour to have Suzie with us in studio today to share her soul style journey with us. Find Monaghan Cashmere at www.monaghancashmere.ie And on Instagram @monaghancashmere

This week I speak to Pat Kane a sustainability strategist, speaker, writer, mother of two boys & founder of Reuzi, a one-stop- sustainability shop & educational hub. Pat also Co-hosts The Devil wears organic cotton, a podcast exploring businesses taking their first steps into sustainability. Pat’s company Reuzi sells products on-line & through pop up stores. Her products offer easy zero & reduced waste solutions to single use products and eco-friendly personal care & cleaning products. Originally from Rio De Janerio, Brazil, Pat now lives in Dublin Ireland with with husband & their two boys. Her edit of kinder, more environmentally friendly products, often locally sourced to reduce transport carbon emissions makes the task of changing habits to more sustainable options seem easy and up-beat! Pat also offered sustainability consultancy to corporations, schools & private homes looking to reduce waste. With a corporate background working for several multi-nationals globally, Pat has transplanted her skill set into her eco business with education at the core of Reuzi. Pat is passionate about the environment & truly believes in The power of one; that each of us making small changes can result in big positive changes for the planet. Pat’s passion for all things eco is palpable! On this episode we dive into finding your style voice ad you become a woman. Making the transition from corporate to freelance & how that changed Pat’s style changed & how this move gave her the freedom to tap into her true soul style. The “Aha” moment that made Pat move towards a more sustainable life. Pats views on green-washing & how we can shop in a more sustainable way. Check out Reuzi www.reuzi.ie Instagram @reuzi & @iampatkane

“This week on My Soul Style I chat to Aoife Rooney, Founder & designer of Aoife Lifestyle Bags; a range of sustainable, circular, gender-neutral bags that are both functional & luxurious. Aoife is breaking paradigms around what luxury bags can be, by designing collections made from recycled nylon made from reclaimed ghost fishing nets dumped at sea & carpets rescued from landfill. This type of recycled nylon can be recycled perpetually. This mother of two & former interior architect turned fashion and environmental designer passionately believes that waste is a design flaw and has spent years researching how to close the loop on the pieces she designs by cleaning the oceans one bag at a time. Her designs have appeared in both British Vogue & Tatler so it is a great honour to have her share her soul style journey with us today on My Soul Style. In the episode we discuss circular fashion How trash can be turned into treasure. And why ocean & sea conservation is so critical to the overall health of our planet. Along the way we dip into Aoife’s personal relationship with fashion, style & her journey to designing an eco circular brand. For more information and to browse and shop the Aoife Lifestyle collection check out www.aoifelifestyle.com Follow on Instagram @aoifelifestyle

This week I chat to Sharon Farren head designer & co-founder of Kokoro Zen wear an eco-friendly, sustainable, gender neutral lifestyle clothing brand ethically made in Ireland from organic bamboo & GOT certified organic cotton. In this episode Sharon shares her soul style journey as a boutique owner & designer starting out in Dublin before moving to Brussels & Cannes in the South of France. Finally returning to Ireland to establish Kokoro Zen Wear. We discuss why Bamboo may be the most sustainable fabric in the world. Sharon’s research & development to creating a fully sustainable brand & the health benefits of wearing bamboo for both humans & the planet. This conversation was both fascinating & informative & I learned so much about bamboo as a textile & eco fashion from Sharon. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did! For more information about Sharon & Kokoro Zen Wear go to www.kokorozenwear.com Instagram @kokoro_zenwear Follow me on Instagram @roxanne_parker

With over twenty years experience as a fashion stylist My Soul Style podcast host introduces herself and her journey to becoming a sustainable stylist. From working as a fashion editor for a luxury magazine to the front row at London fashion week to becoming disillusioned with the ugly side of fashion and the exploitation of garment workers & the environment, in this debut episode Roxanne charts how she almost walked away from the industry she loves before she changed tact by making changes from within the industry and the clothes she chooses to work with. On her travels Roxanne has found her own true Soul Style & shows others how to discover theirs in a kind & gentle way so looking good doesn’t have to cost the earth.