A THRIFT shop owner from Penistone is stressing the importance of sustainable fashion after discovering the scale of the problem during the pandemic.
Laura Grosvenor, 45, who was born and raised in Penistone was made redundant from her job as a dental therapist because of the pandemic, and found a new passion in sustainable fashion.
She held a pop-up shop version of her permanent thrift store Thrift and Bits in Penistone Market Barn as part of the Penistone Gala weekend.
Laura wasn’t eligible for grant funding help during the first lockdown as her business hadn’t been established long enough, but managed to survive the challenges and fulfil her mission nonetheless.
The mum-of-two said: “I needed something to occupy myself and to boost my confidence.
“Sustainable fashion is hugely important, and the last year has very much changed my mindset about it.
“To be still here a year on and still surviving, I’m so proud.
“It’s been really hard to run a business whilst looking after the next generation, but so worth it.”
She stressed that we currently live with a fashion culture which promotes buying new clothes to only be worn once or twice, then be thrown out.
“Sustainability is so important to me now, I even try to use pre-worn clothes for my young children to combat throw-away society,” she said.
“I’m doing it for them, they are the future after all, and we can’t keep going with these unsustainable habits.
“We have a seamstress who can repair old clothes which might have slight damage, and give them a new lease of life.
“This means some items are one of a kind, appealing to customers, and we are reducing waste and saving the planet at the same time.”
