Emikly Stearns, Owner of Drift Collective at the Corner of INdia and Commercial Streets Earlier This Week.

A Sign in the Winow of Emily Stearns Soon to Open “Drift Cpllective” at the Corner of India and Commercial Streets.  The Original Store is Located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

“I’m passionate about sustainability.  The way the fashion industry operates is not sustainable for the future,” said Emily Stearns recently.  She was standing outside her new business at the corner of India and Commercial Streets on the east end of Portland earlier this week.

Ms. Stearns hopes to open the Portland Drift Collective early in October.  Her original store is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  From Portsmouth originally, she now lives on Peaks Island.  A college math major, she shifted her focus to the future of the industry out of concern for its sustainacbiity.  At Drift, the purpose is to repair and recreate secondhand clothing.  By focusing on this, secondhand clothing is given new value and unwanted basics are given new life.  And it helps to make the plant-based industry more sustainable.

It never dawned on this blogger that the clothing industry is not sustainable – that is until Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) weighed in on the subject earlier this month.

In a press release earlier this month, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D) announced her formation and chairmanship of the Congressional Slow Fashion Caucus.  The Caucus calls attention to the critical need to promote sustainable textile production in the United States.  In a letter to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsek, the Caucus underscored the environmental benefits of natural fibers and how USDA efforts can support the production and processing of plant-based fibers such as cotton, hemp, flax and animal-based fibers such as wool, alpaca and leather. “These materials may have a lower environmental footprint compared to synthetic fibers, which are largely derived from fossil fuels. and may also be easier to recycle and reuse,” said the letter writers.  Supporters of this effort are many and include:  Al Gore’s Climate Project, Reality Project, Remade and Patagonia.

In a letter to President Biden, the Caucus urged him to include representatives from the textile and fashion industries to the new White House Task Force on Climate and Trade.

‘Stay tuned.  It’s a hot topic righrt now,” said Ms. Stearns.