The Local Take Talks Sustainable Fashion Week-Atlanta With Founder Tanjuria Willis

This week on The Local Take(Saturdays 8am), we're speaking with Tanjuria Willis, the CEO of eKlozet and founder of the first Sustainable Fashion Week - Atlanta. What is sustainable fashion? There was a time when people bought investment clothing, classic suits, little black dresses, coats in styles that transcend fashion. Those items could be worn today and still be considered stylish.

Today clothing has become disposable. People buy fashion for an event, wear it once, and it goes into a closet. Or we buy new clothing each season and feel good donating it to nonprofits. We know that apparel dumped in some countries hurts their local economy. Also, many items that are donated are not worth selling and end up as waste in landfills. Tanjuria Willis says that textiles are the #2 pollutant clogging our landfills.

She goes on to explain that sustainable fashion creates good and avoids harm. Her luxury consignment shop, eKlozet, is an example. Designer clothing is given a second life and doesn't end up in a landfill.

I ask Willis when fashion became disposable. She speaks about the expansion of retailers that replicated high-end fashion with less quality and care. A culture of fast fashion was born. I ask about investment dressing, classics that never go out of style. Would investment fashion make a return? Willis explains that you cannot beat quality clothing. She shares that sustainable clothing uses various fabrics, including Hemp, Tencel, Silk, or Organic Cotton.

Willis encourages everyone to recycle fashion by shopping in thrift stores. Often clothing will still have the tags. Not only are you recycling clothing, but you don't pay retail. In addition to shopping at thrift stores, it is a good thing to donate as well. She encourages us to include shelters when we make clothing donations to nonprofits.