Circle of Friends Out and About 01
asparagus jello, circular fashion, where to mend your vintage, & my new headshot
I am a professional event girl. If I’m not throwing an event, like I have professionally for brands like Todd Snyder, Thinx, & Rent the Runway — then I am attending them.
I spend most of my weeks bopping around New York attending events of all kinds and connecting with people from all intersections of fashion, design, food, sustainability, and activism. I love meeting new people. This is likely because growing up our mother would say, “There is no such thing as strangers, just friends you haven’t met yet.” You’ll find me at panels, cocktail celebrations, activations, talks, dinners- I get inspired by seeing and being a part of how people gather.
The past couple of weeks have been jam packed in the best way possible so I wanted to take you along with me and share some of my biggest takeaways from the coolest events I attended recently, what I learned, who I met that you should know too, and what I wore (spoiler, it’s a lot of circular fashion). Welcome to Out and About, a new series sharing what I spend a lot of time doing, going out and about.
Bansk Beauty breakfast & panel to celebrate International Women's day
Moderated by Sara Tan, co-host of Gloss Angeles, we heard from all 3 of the Bansk Beauty brands all-star, all-woman CEOs, Chelsea Riggs, CEO of Amika, Annie Kolemainen, CEO of Eva NYC, and Erica Cocilova, CEO of Ethique Beauty - who I am looking forward to speaking with at our event later this week!
Top learning:
Each of the amazing leaders shared their journey of how they got to be where they are today. The main takeaway was that there isn’t always a clear path to follow, we all have our own journey. Don’t compare your path to someone else's, and remember to..
take risks, because the bigger risk is not doing anything.
Coolest Touch:
They offered headshots which I found to be a brilliant way for guests to experience their hair and beauty products for touchups but also get a very useful takeaway. Working girls always need nice looking photos of themselves that isn’t a selfie or a picture where we are holding a drink. The gift bags included Ethique’s new clarifying shampoo bar - My hair has never felt cleaner. Peep me looking professional with my new headshot.
OOTD: All vintage clothing! Prada trousers from RLT, YSL silk button down from
, Versace belt from Manhattan Vintage Show and a thrifted zebra print jacket in an upholstery style fabric, and a Prada kitten heel from Consignment Brooklyn- an outfit from a recent styling session with .
Conversation on Sustainability in Luxury Fashion at Another Tomorrow
Another Tomorrow hosted an intimate and inspiring conversation bringing together important voices at the intersection of luxury fashion and sustainability moderated by the iconic Fern Mallis. She spoke with Elizabeth Giardina, Creative Director of Another Tomorrow, a luxury fashion label thinking about sustainability throughout the entire value chain. Jessie Freschl founder of Shop Repurpose, a luxury resale platform that is also providing education and job training. Barrie Glabman of MARFA STANCE, who uses reclaimed materials to build pieces that are renewable and reversible and Lily Clempson founder of LilyEve, that upcycles luxury silks (like Hermès ones) into beautiful jackets and accessories.
Top Learnings:
Limitations during the design process are empowering. This was a shared sentiment by everyone, from the limited options of material selection, especially when avoiding fossil-fuel based materials, to only using deadstock, or styling with what you already own. Limitations lead to creativity!
Technology and policy are important for the future of sustainability in fashion, we are already seeing that in the use of Digital Product Passports (DPPs), something Another Tomorrow is utilizing to show the customer exactly where their products are from.
Storytelling is important for sustainability, it helps build a connection with your customer. This is precisely why I founded Circle of Friends – to showcase the brands pioneering circularity and to connect them with consumers who share these values.
At the event, I met Miriam Mades and am excited to use her company Alterknit for the huge pile of “to be mended” garments that has overtaken my dresser. If you have moth holes, rips, tears, alterations, they repair it all by hand and you can mail it in so can use even if not in NY. I trust her with my vintage that needs some TLC.
OOTD: Agolde Regenerative Cotton Denim + a vintage quilted jacket + Louboutin kitten heel mules I found at my favorite consignment shop + my LV pouch
Celebrated DL1961 x The Climate Pledge
DL1961 joined The Climate Pledge, pledging to become carbon neutral by 2040 but already they have a lot of cool circular initiatives in place such as using recycled cotton and post-consumer waste in their fabrics all of which are manufactured in one vertically integrated facility using recycled water, solar power and technologies to reduce the waste and water usage usually associate with denim production. You can also nerd out about how they are turning post-consumer waste into new materials here.
There was this insane gazpacho jello with long pieces of asparagus inside from Sommwhere, the creative studio focused on sustainable design where the event took place, it sort of stole the show. Plus a cotton “candy” tree that had tiny clouds of cotton candy for us to pluck from the branches and ignite the idea of where cotton actually come from- some good food for thought. Ran into Clare Moore that night- her subtack, Following Up, is a must read if you want to keep a pulse on brand influencer events and creative marketing campaigns.
OOTD: DL1961 jeans + a vintage Lucky Suede fringe jacket (similar secondhand one here), Leopard Print Dries heels from Consignment Brooklyn (I found the same pair on eBay if you’re a size 6), a vintage western belt from my favorite spot in CO + my LV Monogram Ellipse MM passed down from my MIL.
Back to Another Tomorrow to celebrate WOAH at their Soho Store
WOAH (Work of Art Holdings) has a new selection of art work being displayed at Another Tomorrow’s Soho flagship store. As a celebration of Women’s History Month, all of the works are from female artists who’s work is at intersection of fashion and art as a catalyst for change featuring, Carrie Mae Weems, Sheree Hovsepian, Moyra Davey, and Shaniqwa Jarvis.
Events are more fun with friends, here with
& Juliana.OOTD: Ganni Jeans, a Vintage Armani collar-less blazer (one of my top
saves), a vintage leopard print trench coat- my current go to for whatever this on-and-off Spring weather, and satin ballet flats I bought from ’s secondhand sale on substack.Another Tomorrow has an event on today (March 25th) with their founder, Vanesssa Barboni Hallik + Beth Novogratz for a conversation and celebration for their collection with Mirum, a bio-leather. Comment if you want to join me there and I’ll share all the details with you!
Thank you for reading Circle of Friends, I’m so grateful! You can follow along on instagram and if you want to attend a future Circle of Friends event, sign up here!
We love the double bonus of a secondhand outfit at a sustainable fashion event!
Thank you for the Alterknit reco!!