Newport woman feature

I was recently honored to be interviewed by Newport Woman, a new blog by Zoe Simanski of Blossom Newport. I chatted with Zoe about why shopping secondhand, wherever it feels possible for each of us, is so very important.

Lately, I have felt a strong call to spread the ripples of Tend further than I can reach with my two hands. Climate change, and the unbridled human consumption that is contributing to it, is weighing heavily on my mind.

So many of our material needs for things like clothing and homeware can be met with goods we’ve already made, it’s kind of insane. I believe so strongly in this abundance, that I’ve shared a list of my favorite local places to thrift and shop secondhand in the article. My hope is that, in addition to offering curated vintage goods, Tend can become a resource that empowers others to shop secondhand for themselves.

Here’s an excerpt from the interview. You can read the full article here.

“Perhaps most significantly, shopping secondhand is the most sustainable and ethical form of consumption, other than doing without, repairing what you have, or participating in community swaps. Used items represent a sunk environmental cost and require little additional energy to resell (although as with all consumption, there is still a footprint that should not be beyond scrutiny).

By contrast, brands selling new items do not pay the full environmental and social cost of making their products, whether they are a luxury label, tout affordable price tags or use “greenwashed” marketing tactics to justify an upcharge. This is because they are likely underpaying their workers, and because we don’t charge manufacturers for the full weight of their carbon emissions, end-of-life disposal burden and other environmental impacts.

As a species, we will always consume, but we only get one planet. The system needs tuning.”

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Zoe Simanski, for her vision, writing and leadership, and to Maurisa Mackey for the beautiful photographs of my tender space in Newport, which I miss very much!

All photos by Maurisa Mackey for Newport Woman.