About me
I’m Laura Madden. Thank you for being here! I'm an artist, sustainable fashion advocate and influencer.
In 2019 I decided to pursue my art professionally and created ReFashioned Art. My work is modern, abstract, fashionable art made using repurposed materials to align with my mission of merging style + sustainability and helping people live a stylish lifestyle by creating luxury at home.
The ReFashioned Art mission statement is to Create More Style. Less Waste.
ReFashioned Art has been featured in publications Modern Luxury Scottsdale, Iconic Life, So Scottsdale, The Redbook, Frontdoors, Fabulous AZ, Green Living, Arizona Foothills, and
TV networks Fox 10 Phoenix, AZTV Channel 7, Arizona Midday Channel 12, Arizona's Family Channel 3, and ABC 15 Arizona. My work can be found here and my SHOP website shop.iamlauramadden.com and Instagrams @iamlauramadden + @ReFashionedArt.
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A little more about me ...
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For many years as an influencer I supported sustainable fashion brands (and still do) and reported on the intersection of style, sustainability, and self-esteem. The purpose of my blog began as an outlet to share how style and sustainability can coexist and how we can employ fashion to elevate our self-esteem.
When one chooses to shop sustainably and curate a conscious wardrobe, it is assumed that style, luxury, and convenience will be compromised to some extent and that it will cost extra for responsibly sourced items. These are just a few of the stigmas I intended to challenge to change the conversation to a more empowering one- and years later, I believe that I have.
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Today my blog has morphed into more of a personal and professional portfolio,
sharing all the new and exciting things
I am dreaming up for myself and the evolution of my brand.
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What you’ll also find here is style inspiration, sustainable shopping advice, and what I consider self-esteem boosting content. I hope you will use this platform as a resource to create more style and luxury in your life, fashionable ways to be more resourceful, and use fashion as a force for good and as a tool to empower yourself. It is my promise to inspire you to have a more positive impact on the planet while enjoying a stylish life.
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Why I care so much about sustainability...
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For most of my life I was obsessed with shopping- everywhere and anywhere. It was all about how much could I buy for the least amount of money. I was all about the deal. I had loads of clothes, shoes- a lot of stuff with no connection to it- no appreciation or respect for it. No wonder I never felt fulfilled. So of course, I shopped more!
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It's just shopping, right!? This isn't hurting anyone.
But deep inside I knew there was more to this story.
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In 2015 I watched the True Cost documentary, which pulled back the curtain on the social and environmental injustices of the fashion industry. I was changed forever. You can’t unsee what you have seen. My guilty pleasure that I assumed wasn’t hurting anyone was in reality hurting a lot of people. Those $5 garments from fast fashion retailers were in reality the root of a severely broken industry.
My excessive shopping habits were a huge part of the problem, fueling the demand on the fashion industry to produce faster cheaper clothing. I couldn’t stand the fact that something I loved so much was creating so much distress on the planet. How could something that brought me so much beauty and joy be so dirty and destructive?
That same month I started working as a personal shopper & stylist at a thrift store in Minneapolis. I couldn't believe it- I was finding the BEST stuff. all. the. time. Not to mention for a fraction of the cost I would be paying if purchased brand new. I decided to try shopping only secondhand for a month. That turned into 2, then 3, and before I knew it I was closing out the year only buying secondhand clothing! Again, I was changed forever. And my wardrobe hasn’t been the same since.
Today, I shop 95% secondhand. If I need something I can’t find secondhand, I buy it from a sustainable fashion brand, many of which I endorse and can be located here (with exclusive discount codes too!) I hope to positively influence you as a consumer to demand a responsible and sustainable fashion industry simply by voting with your dollars. By choosing differently we can change the outlook of the future in a significant way. Every purchase is a vote for more of what we want to see in the world.
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Cheers to looking good, feeling good and doing good! Thank you for being here!
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I hope you’ll follow my journey of how I choose to live a stylish and sustainable life.
This is where fashion & consciousness collide.
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