Sophie Hague promotes sustainable fashion through her brand Positive Phee, hosting an eco-friendly event to keep clothing out of landfills on Sunday, July 13.
SAN DIEGO — Did you know the average person throws away more than 100 pounds of clothing and textiles every year?
Sophie Hague is a local woman working to keep clothing out of our landfills and giving new life to what we wear. She has turned her passion for fashion into a mission and brand.
Hague is the founder of Positive Phee, a San Diego based sustainable business focusing on promoting circular fashion.
“The end of the lifecycle of clothing is actually when it ends up in a landfill. So, with circular fashion, and what we are aiming to do, what I’m aiming to do with Positive Phee… is keeping that item alive,” stated Hague.
According to the National Institutes of Health, fast fashion’s inexpensive, synthetic clothing is often worn only a few times before being discarded, ultimately piling up in landfills and contributing to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
“I went down this kind of rabbit hole of sustainability and what was really going on behind the scenes,” explained Hague.
Originally from London, Sophie Hague spent a decade working in the fashion industry. She has also worked in London and Paris Fashion weeks for luxury brands.
In 2020, after watching the documentary “The True Cost,” which explores the worldwide effects of fast fashion, Sophie was inspired to find a more responsible way for people to enjoy fashion.
“I couldn’t do it another way. I had to then make my business,” said Hague.
Sophie adheres to the guidelines of “circular fashion”, collecting donated, high-quality clothing from the community and re-circulating the items at curated pop-up events, like the upcoming “Sip and Style” at Pure Project, North Park on Sunday.
Pure Project is part of “1% for the planet,” which is a global network of environmentally friendly organizations and businesses working to support the planet through sustainable practices.
All items at Sunday’s “Sip and Style” are carefully selected and quality-checked in advance, and organized by size and type with new inventory added throughout the event as you browse from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The styles also change with the seasons.
You can pick from racks of feminine clothing, shoes, accessories and even swimwear to freshen up your look for the Summer season.
When you arrive, you’ll check in and be handed a brown recyclable shopping bag. Even the pink logo on the bag is a water-based paint, fully eco-friendly.
“You can fill your bag with whatever you’re drawn to, whatever you are feeling,” said Hague.
If your bag starts to overflow, you could purchase a second bag during the event.
Don’t forget that while you shop, you can sip. Along with your recyclable shopping bag, you’ll receive a pink drink token. You can choose a Pure Project beer, or wine. They also have non-alcoholic drinks to choose from. This is a dog-friendly and all-ages event.
“I always host at family-friendly venues and Pure Project is very much that,” explained Hague.
This pop-up concept grew from an eco-friendly focus, which is appealing to many people who attend.
“Just being able to keep apparel circulating throughout our economy and making sure that it doesn’t go to waste, I’m really being an advocate for,” said an event attendee.
“Sip and Style” also promotes community bonding that you might not get from shopping at a retail store. This shopping event is targeted towards women, and the sisterhood vibes are strong
“Sometimes shopping at retail stores is really difficult. And this feels like a much more community environment, where everyone is helping each other find clothes that fit them best,” said another event attendee.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a non-profit creating evidence-based research on the benefits of a circular economy, believes efforts designed to eliminate waste and pollution that use circular economy principles can contribute to solving global challenges, like climate change and biodiversity loss. Positive Phee certainly hopes you’ll give circular fashion a try.
To learn more about the Sunday, July 13 “Sip and Style” event and get tickets, visit Positivephee.com.
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