Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laura Madden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Laura, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I have always made my own art for my own homes- I knew what I liked and how I wanted my homes to feel. Making my own decor was quicker, easier and cheaper than going out and tracking down that look and feel that I so desired.

So much of why I started making art though was because I wanted to feel like I was living in a luxury home- and when I tried to figure out what that even meant, it really was living in a home surrounded by meaningful items that I felt were beautiful, especially artwork.

Surrounding yourself with things that you feel are beautiful really is healing – just like wearing an outfit that makes you feel unstoppable brings you greater confidence.

After many moves, I just started painting over artwork that matched our previous home. Fast forward to 2018 when I moved back to Arizona, and was heavily dedicated to living a more sustainable lifestyle. I wanted to fill my entire home with large scale artwork and I thought why not just focus on repurposing items that already existed instead of buying brand new!? I was already doing it with clothing for the environmental benefits, reducing waste and conserving resources- why not start doing it more in my home!?

I began collecting unwanted artwork from thrift stores, estate sales, and friends and remaking it into something new, modern, and cool. I quickly discovered there is no shortage of great (and discarded) stuff! It is true – one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

After the reactions I started receiving from family and friends coming into my home, I made it my mission to commit myself to repurposing and doing everything I could to make it the cool thing to do. This is my mission to combine style + sustainability and create art for living a stylish lifestyle and creating luxury at home. And- why can’t it be good for the planet too!!?

My brand’s tagline is More Style. Less Waste. And I don’t know anyone else doing this the way that I am.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been a sustainable fashion advocate, expert and influencer since 2015 when I watched the True Cost documentary. In 2019 I decided to pursue my art professionally and created the brand ReFashioned Art. I make modern, abstract, fashionable art using repurposed materials to align with my mission of merging style + sustainability and helping people live a stylish lifestyle by creating luxury at home. My brand’s mission statement is to Create More Style. Less Waste. All original artwork is made using repurposed materials.I offer limited prints and merchandise showcasing my artwork and am available for commissions as well, in case you can’t find exactly with you need from my extensive inventory.
It is a huge part of my mission to get as much art and style and beauty into as many people’s homes and lives as I can.
I also hope to encourage people to make their own art, and if possible, using repurposed things. But if not, I hope people will feel inspired to purchase one of my pieces… ultimately to bring more joy and luxury to their lives. Feeling good is good for everyone!

I have always LOVED fashion and luxury, and also doing good for the planet. I love the process of transformation and the hunt of uncovering beauty where it is not normally found, like in someone else’s discards (or trash). The experience of transforming something old into something new and stylish and cool is an obsession- giving a new life to a life and starving the landfill… hoping to bring more beauty to the world while helping to heal the planet.

I still work in fashion but mostly doing my advocacy work and occasional modeling jobs. Fashion is still one of the most polluting industries and I want to inspire people to shop differently. There are so many fun and fashionable things were can do to be more conscious of our carbon footprint, and I hope my content demonstrates that for many.

Philanthropy is also a large part of my work, as a global ambassador for nonprofit Remake, and serving on the boards of Remake, the Arizona Costume Institute, San Francisco Fashion Community Week, and Fashion Group International.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had the idea of making beautiful stylish things out of trash for a very long time. (it’s somewhat painful to even admit that out loud). But I thought people would think I was really weird. Often the idea would show up in my mind, but as soon as it did, the logical part of me came right in and shut it down. I knew people would think I was really weird if I came out of no where wanting to be an artist x trash collector (lol). Well, I may be weird but I am very happy and have never felt more purpose driven in my work than I do now. It is true- if you are doing work you love, it is easier to push yourself, and it is easier to do the hard work that is required to grow a viable business.

I have always been conscious of the environment, and conserving resources, but when it came to fashion and decor, I thought the aesthetic was too far off to give it a chance. I always thought anything earth-friendly or sustainable meant it was drab, and Earthy-crunchy. Well, I definitely am Earthy but I am not crunchy.

I love the planet, and I also really LOVE luxury (this is such a Taurus thing, if you are into your astrology). When it comes to Art and fashion and decor, there are no rules.

Sustainabilioty and style can coexist and people who care and value these as much as I do will pay for it. I hope to be known as an artist and a brand that ties it all together in a holistic way- doing good for ourselves on the inside and the outside and for the planet.

How can you create More Style•Less Waste in your life?

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Yes! To be honest, I have pivoted many times in my adult life. I always felt a little self-conscious about this, until recently. I realized I have always trusted my gut – and followed my intuition. The funny thing about it is that it doesn’t always make sense in the moment- but looking back, it always does.

When I moved back to Arizona in 2018 I was steadily growing my brand as a sustainable fashion influencer and blogger. Moving here from San Francisco, I also quickly learned that this wasn’t exactly the sustainable fashion mecca that The SF Bay area was. After about a year or so, I just wasn’t feeling the same fire I did before our move. But, I was spending more and more time creating artwork and talking about my artwork. Time was slipping away faster and I was feeling more energy every day.

More and more people started questioning why I wasn’t pursuing my art… But that wasn’t where my head was at. Then finally, I just couldn’t outrun it anymore. I couldn’t deny that I had something important to share and I had a mission to accomplish. This was my calling. And so I jumped in, not having any clue about the art business. But I am learning something new every single day. I am on the path.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.iamlauramadden.com/ + https://shop.iamlauramadden.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reFashionedArt/ + https://www.instagram.com/iamlauramadden/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laura.madden.56
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddenlaura/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamlauramadden
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYFWDmP0Lot2cvszIG9s4VQ

Image Credits
last two- Elevare Creative Studio