Sustainability has become a buzzword for businesses, but some are thinking outside the box as to what it looks like. 

This mini series ‘Sustainable Secrets’ will look at businesses in Galway doing their part to make the city and county more sustainable in a creative way.

In this first part, we’ll be looking at the Sustainable Studio which specialises in selling pre-owned designer clothing with a focus on the circular fashion economy. 

Gayle Poppers set up the business as an online shop, before opening her Dominick Street store in October 2023.  

The store focuses on selling second-hand designer pieces which helps to reduce landfill, aid the circular fashion economy and reduce the negative effects that the fashion industry can have on our environment.

The Sustainable Studio also runs a designer exchange where unwanted pieces can be bought into the shop.

Our News Reporter Caoimhe Killeen spoke to owner Gayle Poppers about the business, about the concept of a circular wardrobe and her top tip for customers looking to become more sustainable in their fashion choices.

Gayle also shared with us her top three tips for sustainable fashion:

1.Quality over quantity, shop around to find quality pieces that will last you a long time.

2. Know your own style, buying pieces that you know suit you so you’ll actually wear it and likely have it for a long time.

3. Do a wardrobe edit regularly. Looking at what you already have can sometimes show you that you don’t need to buy anything new or that you can style what you have in a new way. Any pieces that you no longer wear can then be potentially passed on to someone else, it all assists in creating a more circular, sustainable fashion economy.