Slow Fashion in a Fast Fashion World

Owning a slow fashion shop in a world still spinning on fast fashion is a bit like running a quiet café in the middle of a noisy city thoroughfare. People speed past. Many are in a rush, chasing the latest trends, the lowest prices. And here we are, standing still, offering something different. Slower. Smaller. More intentional.

When I opened KEEPER, I knew what I was getting into. Fast fashion dominates for a reason…it’s cheap, it’s everywhere, and it plays into that instant-gratification mindset we’ve all been trained to follow. We’ve had people walk into the store, look at a price tag, and raise an eyebrow. “It must be made of unicorn hair” someone muttered under their breath, likely comparing it to a polyester item they are (perhaps unknowingly) accustomed to purchasing. 

But those comments, while disheartening, open the door to our story.

So I tell them about why I started the shop, and about the designer who hand-dyed that fabric, using plants. Or the small studio where every piece is hand-sewn with intention, not by machines, but by people who earn a living wage. I begin to show them by touch: how natural fabrics feel in their hands, how this dress or top will still look beautiful after years of wear, not just for one season.

In some ways running this kind of shop means letting go of the idea that you’ll reach everyone. But the people who stay? The ones who try something on, feel the difference, and come back months later wearing the same piece styled a new way? Those are the moments that mean everything to me. 

I’ve learned that slow fashion isn’t just about the clothes. It’s about connection -to ourselves, to the people who make our clothes, to the stories behind each piece. And that KEEPER isn’t just a store. It’s a space for those conversations to happen, for learning, and perhaps also unlearning. We talk about why it matters to support slow makers, to mend instead of toss, to buy with intention. We celebrate every customer who chooses one great piece over five disposable ones.

Of course, it’s not always so simple, and not everyone can afford a wardrobe full of hand-loomed cotton. We get that, and it’s also why we back the shop up with vintage pop ups and clothing swaps. Slowly but surely all of these efforts add up. We see the shift, subtle, steady and real. People are starting to crave meaning over impulse. They want to feel good about what they wear, not just in it. They want pieces that mean something, that feel like them.

And that gives me hope, not just for slow fashion, but for fashion itself. Because to me, style is more than surface; it’s how we express who we are, how we create beauty in our everyday lives. And honestly, that matters. In a world that can feel chaotic and noisy, these kinds of creative expressions: honest, intentional, human, aren’t just refreshing— they’re necessary. So because of that, we’ll keep showing up, one beautifully slow-made piece at a time.