Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Bowlin
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am an artist, writer, and sustainable fashion advocate who got my start in the fashion industry in 2018 from owning a secondhand clothing store. In dealing directly with people’s excess and waste, my eyes were opened to the harms and overconsumption of the fashion industry. Since then, I’ve made it my mission to educate around better personal and industry practices. I now create sustainable fashion education content online and in person.
I have degrees in entrepreneurship and fine art. Even from early childhood, I loved to combine creation and business, selling artwork and handmade jewelry. At the age of 20, I started my first business, a secondhand clothing store with a focus on sustainable practices and responsible clothing disposal. Ever since then, it’s been a headfirst dive into the sustainable fashion industry with a specialization in digital marketing and content creation alongside business ownership. I closed my thrift store in 2021 as a result of moving states and life changes amidst covid. Ever since, I have done freelance marketing and writing alongside sustainability education as I consider what business I may want to start next.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No career path, especially business ownership or freelance work, is ever a smooth road. One of the biggest struggles during the years of my secondhand clothing store was overwhelm and isolation. I started the business while being a full-time college student and part-time employee among other commitments as well. Therefore, I spent every free moment on the business which put a lot of stress on myself and my relationships. I had to learn how to re-prioritize my time, health, and relationships after some rough months of feeling alone and burdened by my work and hard conversations with friends.
Deciding to close a business is also heartbreaking. It took a whole year of deliberation before finally deciding to do it. It’s really hard to end something you’ve worked so hard at while also trying not to feel like it’s a failure, no matter the reasons for closing the business. It was a disorienting time for me in navigating that closure and what would be next. Now that I have one business under my belt, I have more confidence in my abilities and capacity, but I also know how hard it can be, so I’ve been a lot more considerate about what opening a new business would look like.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create content and education around sustainable fashion and climate care. I do so via Instagram (@secondhand.sustainability), my website (NuanceRequired.com), my newsletter, and events. I focus on bringing a nuanced perspective and approach to sustainability, fashion, and climate in order to realistically talk about the issues, the barriers, and the progess yet to be made. I work to break down the complexity of such intricate, sensitive topics with a tone that is friendly to beginners but also dives past the surface of the sustainable fashion movement.
What sets me apart is the capacity to hold curiosity, complexity, and compassion together in sustainable fashion conversations. I’m hyper-aware of the difficulties of online spaces and their ability to perpetuate binary thinking, lack of empathy, misinformation, and an aversion to critical analysis. Therefore, I work so hard to constantly be learning and researching myself, so that I can educate others with accuracy, grace, and the nuance required within these conversations. (Nuance Required is the name of my website and newsletter for this reason).
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I have a background in fine arts. I love portraiture and painting. But I also don’t align at all with the assumed stereotype of the artist (disorganized, chaotic, sensitive, head in the clouds, etc). I operate between the tension of artistic creativity and rationality and logic. I’ve always struggled not to compartmentalize those two seemingly opposite parts of myself (though I don’t find them so different anymore). Yet, my academic-inspired desire to learn when combined with my creativity is what has made my work all the better. I’m a total nerd about psychology, entrepreneurial innovation, and market trends. But I’m also hugely inspired by poetry, classic literature, and art for art’s sake.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nuancerequired.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secondhand.sustainability/
- Other: https://www.brookebowlin.com/
