May Update: Catching Our Breath

March and April were absolute whirlwinds so May we’re working on catching our collective breath. Well, sort of!

The new space is almost fully set up and it almost feels back to normal! Except that I’m in Pittsburgh and the stock is in Chicago. I will say this, I bragged about our coffee shop in my last post, and Metric Coffee is well worth the hype. https://metriccoffee.com/ Parking can be a little tricky, it’s all street parking but I’ve always managed to find something within 3 blocks and we have the option of loading up in the alley behind the space (with a door that goes directly into our space) or a street side garage door directly across from our interior entrance so lots of convenient ways to get things in and out.

As I am no longer local to our stock, I’m so excited to introduce the new Rentals Manager: Emma Rosemary (she/her/hers, @venusverticordia) is the new rental manager for Conscious Costume. Emma has spent the last decade working wardrobe in Texas and Washington State and is excited to continue her professional journey in Chicago!

She is a firm believer that although corporations create far more waste than consumers do, that doesn’t negate our personal impact. The journey to consuming less and reusing more starts at home.

When Emma is not backstage at a show or in the lab at Conscious Costume, she spends her time exploring museums and cemeteries, creating art, and spending lots of time with her cat, Zinnia (who thinks she is a pigeon).

Here’s a first look at the AIBI Fashion Lab and new Conscious Costume Rescue & Rentals facility:

Upcoming events:

June 17th/18th: Clothing Swap and Drive with Chicago Fair Trade, venue TBD

In this edition of “The Kids are Alright” check out the amazing work by this student costume designer who is trying to be ethical right out of the gate! I’ve connected with one of her professors and will hopefully be doing one of the Conscious Hero OTM profiles on her soon: https://themontclarion.org/feature/getting-curious-with-costume-designer-katherine-victoria-repp/?fbclid=IwAR3YFg3G83jQC62L_jNBOe8C9MYZfoyacAXcHq_PpK8kaeUD6T9Gdqbcl14

Thanks! Stay Green!