We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexa DeFalco. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexa below.

Alexa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Madison Phillips and I created Gaia’s Closet — Gaia is a reference to Mother Earth in Greek mythology — as a way to promote slow fashion and sustainable consumerism. 84% of what is given to thrift stores nationally is then sent to the landfill or third world countries, where it disrupts their local economy. We wanted to bring awareness to the cause as well as show people how fun it can be to shop preloved clothing. We often joke that we are just fostering the unique, individual pieces and that we are waiting for them to find their “forever homes.”

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

We were two grad students at NC State University last Fall who decided that the fast fashion industry needed to be addressed, and constructing this small business was a way that we could make a difference. Neither of us have a background in fashion or textiles, but we had a love for clothes and pop up markets. Now, we sell our upcycled and reworked clothing and accessories at local pop up markets and on Instagram.

Our products are bought from local thrift stores, supporting the local economy, and then, we rework them in some manner, whether that be bleach dying, cropping, screen printing, patching, painting, or sewing. One of our most steady products is our Raleigh Tee, which features a Raleigh logo on the front and the skyline or an acorn screen printed on the back.

We help our clients by providing them education, sustainable clothing options, and we accept donations of clothing to use and properly pass on.

We are most proud of the difference we are making in the fashion industry, even if it’s at the local level. Every piece of clothing matters towards saving our environment. Furthermore, we donate a percentage of our sales to local charities. Giving back is important to us as we love to serve others.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

Madison and I actually met while on a study abroad trip sponsored by NC State in 2018. We have been friends ever since, roommates for the past two years, and business partners for a year!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

We attend different pop ups throughout the year including Raleigh Night Market, Traingle Pop Up, Pop Up Raleigh, Loblolly Market, brewery markets, Packapalooza, and Falling for Local at Dix Park. These markets help us meet new people, gain followers on social media, and network with those who believe in our cause.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @shopgaiascloset
• Facebook: Gaia’s Closet