Lucy is founder of conscious style website The Vendeur; a cross-section of fashion, beauty and lifestyle content that doesn't compromise on ethics. She also has 12 years of experience in the fashion industry, working for titles such as Harpers Bazaar, Town & Country, W Magazine & InStyle.
Please tell us your story, what keeps you busy? what got you to where you are today? and what are the most important things you’ve learnt along the way?
My background is in luxury fashion editorial and styling, so I’ve worked at magazines and for freelance stylists a lot over the years. I never really felt a connection with the work I was doing, and wanted to work on something that was making a difference. Then I watched The True Cost and, of course, everything fell into place. I realised that this information wasn’t easily accessible and at that time wasn’t being published by mainstream mags so I wanted to fill that gap.
My days are really varied. We’re a small team so I am still doing most of the jobs whether that’s uploading, social media, PR, hosting the podcast, writing business plans and forecasts (the bit I hate) or just coming up with new ideas (the bit I love). It’s been a tough road working in fashion but my experiences have taught me to work hard, be kind to myself and others and always ask questions. I’m that annoying journalist who will ask where things come from, who made them and what from.
In what ways are you committed to making the world a better place? What are your ways of giving back to the planet?
I hope that The Vendeur is helping to make a difference. It always makes me happy to hear someone say they have read an article on the website or listened to our podcast and learnt something. Personally, I have slowed my own fashion consumption way down. I barely buy anything these days and when I do, generally I stick to second hand or if it’s a big purchase I’ll stretch to something from a conscious brand. I’m trying to use less plastic packaging. And we use reusable nappies for our baby as well as reusable wipes and baby clothing rental schemes. The next step is to start an organic food box subscription to really cut down on our plastic consumption and support local farmers and growers.
What do you love most about your culthread piece?
As a working Mum I have to carry so much stuff around with me so I love that the bag is really big. I can get my laptop in there, plus it has a pocket for a reusable water bottle. Crucially it has proper shoulder straps meaning they don’t dig in if I’ve overloaded it. I can’t stand a thin shoulder strap. Plus, I love that it’s made from recycled fibres but you totally can’t tell and that’s the way it should be.
What are the things in your life that set your soul on fire? What sparks your passion?
Learning - I’m a big consumer of information and I’m on a mission to live each day better than the one before. I read, listen to podcasts, watch films and love finding out random information that I didn’t know before.
What advice would you give to a young woman who wants to explore the same career path you’ve taken.
Working in fashion can be really tough so you have to be really focused and ready to double down and work hard. Getting noticed is difficult but it’s far more common for people to go it alone and blaze their own trail which I love, the landscape is constantly shifting and the industry needs new blood. It needs inquisitive innovators, people who ask questions and use their influence to do good things. Whether that’s highlighting a social issue, designing new eco friendly textiles or designing sustainable solutions to problems. Don’t follow the path others have trodden, create your own.