Meet Charlotte Vandaele, a captivating personality known for her commitment to ethical fashion, beauty, and interior design. Her vibrant social media presence showcases her passion for these areas. Join us for an inspiring interview that reflects Charlotte’s dedication and is sure to inspire you, just as she inspires us!
1. As someone admired for your Imperfect sustainable lifestyle, we’re eager to delve into what this concept truly means to you. How would you define Imperfect Sustainable living and the values it represents in your life?
To me, Imperfect Sustainable living is about doing everything you can to minimize your negative impact on people and planet, within your own limits. I have been a vegetarian for over ten years now, and try to be vegan, and that’s a huge positive impact I’m having on our planet and animals. But I’m not perfect and I take the airplane to visit Scotland rather than the train, because for me the train is too expensive. It’s all about balance and being honest with yourself. Ever since I was a child I’ve been very emotionally involved in our planet, in our world, and I think that’s what it comes down to. Empathy is a very important aspect when you want to live sustainably. It motivates you and gives you a reason for doing the things you do and replacing your habits.
2. Embracing an imperfect sustainable lifestyle is an inspiring choice. Could you share with us some of the key sustainable practices you incorporate into your daily life?
Thank you! Some easy swaps I made are using cotton pads for taking off my makeup, using a steel razor, shampoo bars… all to limit my waste. Apart from that, I try to do my groceries as local as possible, and as I just mentioned I’m a vegetarian and an attempted vegan. I don’t have a car, public transport is my way to go. My boyfriend and I just bought an apartment a year ago, and I try to buy my furniture and decorations secondhand as much as possible. The same goes for my clothes! 80% of my wardrobe I bought on secondhand apps like Vinted, real secondhand stores, or small sustainable brands.
3. Charlotte, your Instagram beautifully showcases your love for 2ndhand fashion. How do you think second-hand and vintage pieces align with the concept of sustainability?
That’s so kind haha, thank you! The fast fashion industry is at the core of the problem of mass production and consumption. Their employees are underpaid and often work in dire work environments. Fast fashion is one of the worst things for our people and planet. A solution to counter the overproduction of clothing is buying them secondhand. This way, you don’t create a need for production, and you wear something that someone else would have probably thrown away. Nowadays with trends, the production and consumption chain has even become worse, since trends make people throw their clothes away quicker when the trend is over.
4. As an influencer, your choices can inspire many. How do you use your platform to encourage your followers to embrace an imperfect sustainable lifestyle, and make more eco-conscious fashion decisions?
First of all, I wanted to make it clear that I am not a perfect human being, and no one is. Because you have a platform, people can expect a lot of you that isn’t realistic. I also wanted to make my audience feel like living sustainably is a goal that’s within reach, something inclusive that can easily be done in most cases. I try to inspire my followers on my posts and stories with outfits that they like, but that exist out of sustainable and secondhand brands. Or I share tips and tricks for easy sustainable swaps in the kitchen or bathroom… anything I can contribute, I will!
5. We love how you embrace your imperfections and advocate for a genuine approach to sustainable living. How do you believe this perspective can influence the fashion industry and consumers alike to move towards more eco-friendly choices?
I believe the fast fashion industry is often also dominated by unrealistic looks and expectations, and it starts already with super thin models with perfect skin, and sizing that isn’t very inclusive. It starts with realizing that looking like that model or fitting into clothes made for literally everyone isn’t something you can expect from yourself, and that being imperfect is actually perfect. In my lifestyle, being healthy and living with good and conscious intentions are the center of my being. I hope that more people realize that by seeing there are better and more ethical options, they will also accept a part of themselves. Because sustainable and ethical companies rarely work with this extremely high and strict expectation pattern that fast fashion companies work with.
6. How do you feel this partnership with Ducktail Rainwear can inspire others to prioritize sustainable fashion choices, particularly when it comes to versatile pieces like a raincoat that can be a staple in any wardrobe?
I’m excited to show how you can be as stylish with sustainable clothing. I personally even feel better when I know I’m wearing something that barely has a negative impact on our environment, our planet, and our home. Sometimes it’s worth it to make the investment, instead of having five raincoats from Zara. I admit that I have a lot of coats myself haha, but my love for fashion and styling is something that I cannot and do not want to push down. I think my purchases through before I do them, and luckily almost all my clothes right now are old, secondhand, or from sustainable brands!
7. What qualities do you look for in a sustainable brand that make it stand out from the rest?
First of all, quality. Part of sustainability is that it can last a lifetime and that it doesn’t have to be replaced anytime soon because of deficits. And then personally I really love anything colorful. So when a brand designs something colorful, it immediately attracts my eye haha.
8. Weather conditions can be unpredictable, and a raincoat is a must-have for staying stylish during rainy days. How do you embrace your creativity to style the raincoat in unique ways while adhering to your sustainable values?
For me, adhering to my values on consciousness does not impact my style in any way. In fact, it only makes my style more unique and creative. Like I just said, right now I own a lot of vintage or sustainable clothing items, which makes it easy to put together a ‘green’ and ethical outfit. They contribute to my style and never take away from it.
If you’re eager to see more of Charlotte’s inspiring wardrobe choices and tips on sustainable fashion, or explore potential collaborations, make sure to follow her on her social media account:
Instagram @charlotte.vandaele