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Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a person was shopping sustainably. Not even a mouse…
Crumpled wrapping paper and stacks of receipts deck the halls like paper garlands and fast fashion websites glow on laptop screens as bright as Christmas tree lights. When did Christmas become a competition? Between the stocking stuffer and Christmas gift hauls on TikTok, which seem to be hours long, and the holiday deals in shopping malls, it’s clear that Christmas has become a consumer contest, and the idea of simply spreading joy, love and light gets lost in the piles of Gucci boxes and Sephora bags.
During the holidays, the excitement and expectation to partake in overconsumption is undeniable. It seems to be woven into the workings of American culture, and at this point, it’s almost an unspoken race: a mad dash to see who can buy the most on Black Friday, wrap the most presents, or score the most deals. It’s like the joy of Christmas is equivalent to just how many presents are under the tree… This season, let’s not let the Grinch of consumerism steal Christmas, and let’s reclaim the joy of the holidays with new healthy shopping habits.
Shopping locally and supporting small artists is such a special gesture. When you gift someone a present bought from a small family business or a local shop, you are also gifting them a story. Besides, it’s way more special to give someone a present and explain the story of the local artist who helped create it, then ripping off a tag and crossing out the price from a bigger corporation.
Slochet: a women-led-business – handmade beanies.
Caeligh Byrt and Sophia Salcedo, two students at Cal Poly University, are the bright and brilliant brains behind Slochet: a hand made beanie brand where they personally crochet cute and cozy beanies, customized with different patterns and designs. Whether it’s stripes, hearts or polka dots, these beanies are the perfect accessory and make for an adorable gift! The brand has a buy two get 5$ off deal, perfect for matching with your sorority sister, best friend, or family member.
The duo first started their crochet journey last February, as a sweet Valentine’s day gift idea for their boyfriends. But what started as a sweet gesture and handmade gift quickly turned into the perfect business.
“We ended up loving it and having so much fun doing it, that we just couldn’t stop making more.” Byrt said.
The two are constantly receiving orders and have over 200 followers on Instagram. Their Instagram page itself (@sl.ochet) is a perfect collection of the most aesthetic snapshots of the beanies in action. Each photo perfectly captures how the beanies can be worn anywhere. Hiking with friends, picnics on the beach, or out to coffee. It’s hard to look at their page without wanting to purchase your own beanie. Perfect pastels of knitted pink, blue and light yellow come together in the cutest and coziest way, enhancing a simple outfit, and a perfect way to match with friends. Their unique and creative name was inspired by living in San Luis Obispo, “slo”, and selling their crochet beanies to other students at Cal Poly.
Although they’re based in California, and started by selling to students across campus, their beanies have found a home in different states all over the nation. Maddy Diem, a second year student at Ithaca College, has a beanie herself, which she has been proudly wearing recently, to protect her from Ithaca’s relentless winter cold.
“I think my favorite part about it is that it’s handcrafted by someone, so every time I wear it it’s like I feel like I’m wearing someone else’s hard work.” Diem said.
“As a woman, I want to support other women who are doing things that I feel like I can never do. Like, starting a business is really difficult and I think that especially for like these girls who are also going to college and they’re both in sororities like they have other things they have to do.”
Kurated by Kristen: a whimsical one woman show.
Kristen Yezzi, third year student at Ithaca College, is a firm believer of shopping and sustainably this holiday season and every season. She’s a big fan of color, art and thrifting, and has combined these passions and skills of hers to create her own brand: Kurated by Kristen. Yezzi thrifts and upcycles all clothes, like cute tank tops, sweatshirts and t-shirts, and gives them a new life. Whether she’s using bleach dye, sewing on cute patches, or painting on her own creative work, she quickly sells out of the clothing she posts, and also receives multiple commissions for custom pieces.
“I just have such a joy for making it.” Yezzi said.
As someone who loves thrifting, Yezzi can often be found venturing through Salvation Army or Goodwill searching for high quality tanks, shirts or sweaters of any kind. Trying to stay away from polyester, Yezzi values recycling and reusing clothes, but is looking to practice underconsumption as well. She adds her artwork and creative design to these pieces she thrifts, giving them a new life and ultimately a new home.
“I’m able to really enjoy the process of making it, because it is such an outlet for me,” Yezzi said.
“A huge part of my college experience has been finding my style,” she said. “I wore a uniform from preschool to my senior year of high school.” Yezzi admits. She hopes others can find comfort in her unique and personalized designs, and use her fun colors and bright patterns to express themselves.
Yezzi is currently working to expand her brand. Anyone who has old sweatshirts that sit at the bottom of drawers, worn out t-shirts that are begging for a new life, old tank tops that were once trendy but now clutter the closet, can be revived with Yezzi’s art and skill. She’s hoping that people can bring their old clothes to her, and she can add a new patch, or a hand painted design that enhances the shirt. Sizing, comfort and familiarity is something some people might not want to give up when going through old clothes to give away, but they don’t have to. Kristen helps save these clothes and is practicing sustainability without sacrificing style.
Yezzi’s art doesn’t start and stop for college students. She has carefully customized a t- shirt for a 5 year old, designed college merch for Seniors in high school and makes special gifts for loved
ones everywhere! She’s not only excited to expand her brand but learn more about art and sustainability, and incorporate it into her work.
Nina’s Jewelry.
Nina Gomez, a creative artist and college student from Missouri, started selling homemade bracelets and necklaces last year. Although it started as a way to fund her volunteer trip to Thailand, to teach local children English and help with reforestation projects, it quickly grew into more than just a passion project. Nina’s jewelry making became a way for her to challenge herself, step out of her comfort zone, and showcase her progress and growth as an artist. Making jewelry and collaborating with her customers has only inspired her to continue.
What makes Nina’s art so special, is that she draws inspiration from intangible objects like the feeling you get from reading children’s books, or your favorite music, or any funny collection of photos, images of nature, and the feelings that come with it. Nina puts these feelings into colors and beads, as a wearable piece that symbolizes way more than just a simple beaded bracelet.
“My favorite thing is when people would DM me and I was like you can literally just send me a blurb of photos and I’ll do something with that. It doesn’t even have to be photos of actual jewelry like it can just be like a vibe and I’ll try to encapsulate that like in a little bracelet or necklace or whatever you want me to make.”
As a surprise for a friend, Nina actually reached out to her mom, asking to provide her with her favorite childhood books, which Nina then encapsulated into different colored beads. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, became wearable not only fashionable and stylish jewelry pieces, but bracelets of nostalgia, and childhood comfort.
“I tried actually to be really intentional about what I was making and not just stringing beads together and yes, that costed me like way more time and effort, but in the end, I actually felt proud about something and it didn’t feel like I was just throwing it together just to fundraise.”