Being named one of “London’s best vintage spots” by British Vogue, One Scoop Store has been quickly rising in popularity, with the curated selection of second hand items on offer often selling out within minutes. Fashion North spoke to founder Holly Watkins to get her top tips on how to stay sustainable and ethical, as well as her thoughts on the future of sustainable fashion.
Image credit: Nadia PR
Where did your interest in sustainability in fashion come from?
“To be honest I fell into re-sale by chance at an early age in the mid 90s. I don’t think I’d even heard of sustainability, and in the fashion world it wasn’t a thing at the time. Now I’ve been doing this for decades, I realise if it had have been a thing we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in now with fast fashion. Everyone thinks they deserve cheap clothes, but it’s ruining the planet and taking advantage of people who live in areas where they have no choice but to work in clothing factories. My goal now is to make second hand clothing affordable and aspirational, by curating the collection and presenting it in a boutique style environment.”
Research has shown that the majority of people think sustainable fashion is too expensive, what do you think is the best way to get the average consumer on the right path to having more sustainable shopping habits?
“As above, fast fashion has taught us that clothing is cheap. That’s not the case. I admire businesses like Maison Cleo, who include receipts on all of their garments explaining the cost of material, packaging, design, manufacture – we need people to understand the process and where the value lies. Honestly with the money behind the big brands it’s very difficult to re-educate people. But we need to keep calling them out and championing smaller brands and second hand businesses.”
View this post on Instagram
With Christmas just round the corner people are bound to be buying more clothes for themselves and loved ones, what are your top tips for staying ethical this holiday season?
“Party season is massive for fashion retail and most people turn to sequins, which are hugely damaging for the environment. Second hand is by far the best way to update your wardrobe in an affordable and ethical way. Gifting second hand needs to become the norm too – you can get so much more for your money and the gift will be so much more thoughtful, as you need to put time and effort into it, rather than clicking “buy now” on Amazon.”
Do you think vintage clothing is the best way forward in terms of how the fashion industry can be more sustainable or do brands have to be more responsible in how they produce new clothing?
“I think it has to be a combination of both. The big brands need to do far better , but we all need to get used to buying less and buying better. Personally, I just don’t feel motivated to buy new things because I want more for my money, and I want something different. Second hand needs to become a viable mainstream option too.”
View this post on Instagram
“It’s the thrill of the chase for me, I love finding something no one else has, and knowing I’ve paid a good price for it.”
“The online shop is definitely quite different to the bricks and mortar store . Different brands sell better, but also different pieces. Things which don’t photograph well sell better in store – people need to try, touch and feel the fabrics. I have to say, running the store has been a real highlight for me – I love meeting the customers and getting that live feedback. It’s very rewarding.”
View this post on Instagram
With how big sustainable fashion is getting it’s becoming almost trendy to have sustainability as a part of your brand, do you think this is a good thing or does it run the risk of falling out of style?
“I do think it’s a tricky one. I’ve been doing this for 25 odd years, and I did think that now that second hand is more widely accepted it would mean business booming. To a degree, it is, but I do think the green washing of the bigger brands, and the general huge competition from bigger resale platforms (Depop, Vinted etc) undoes some of the good work smaller resale businesses have been doing. The competition drives prices down and dilutes the quality somewhat. I think the only way forward is to present a carefully curated edit and push the personal side of the business – the big platforms can’t compare with that!”
