We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren Topor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

Hindsight is always 20/20, but if I could go back in time and start sooner I absolutely would! When I started nearlynewbylo in 2015 it was just a side hustle. And really, it was kind of an accident. I’ve always loved sourcing vintage and high-end fashion from thrift stores, but I only had so much closet space for myself. I wasn’t exactly business-minded about nearlynewbylo at the start. Essentially I would find an item I loved at a thrift store or consignment shop, wear it a couple times, and then list it online to sell. But as interest, and sales, increased, I knew nearlynewbylo had potential. So, I looked to my background in fashion and photography and used my knack for thrifting to take nearlynewbylo to the next level.

Lauren , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Each year, millions of textiles enter our landfills. My business, nearlynewbylo, is a sustainable fashion brand that diverts discarded clothing items from these landfills and keeps the fashion cycle circular. Textile waste is one of the world’s biggest polluters; 73% of all of the clothing we buy will either be burned or discarded in a landfill at some point, according to data reported by the World Economic Forum. I am thrilled to see more and more people choosing to shop secondhand and ditch fast fashion brands. And I am so happy that nearlynewbylo can be a part of that positive shift from the wear-it-once mentality. Since 2015, thousands of people have shopped nearlynewbylo in-person and online. I’d have to double check, but I think nearlynewbylo has shipped to customers in all 50 states. In addition to the online shop, nearlynewbylo has been invited to pop-ups around the Phoenix Metro area. Looking ahead to next year, I’m planning to add an education aspect to my business to bring secondhand fashion knowledge to a wider audience.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

nearlynewbylo has always been online. The businesses’ first sale was on Poshmark. Since joining the ecommerce fashion platform (Poshmark), nearlynewbylo has gained a robust following of 229,583 users. Since 2015, nearlynewbylo has expanded its presence to other selling platforms including Depop, Mercari, and Curtsy. While the bulk of the business takes place online, nearlynewbylo is branching out into the community. I’m looking forward to a fall/winter season booked with community-focused events that put sustainability and small business owners at the forefront.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Gal, has an amazing story. Before Nasty Gal was the fashion/business giant that it is today, it was an eBay store called Nasty Gal Vintage. Amoruso’s story is inspiring because she took her own vintage businesses and scaled it into a global fashion brand. In 2006 she was basically doing business out of her bedroom, and that’s so relatable to so many people in this industry. She’s authored a book and Netflix even adapted her life story into an original series.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nearlynewbylo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurentopor/
• Other: https://poshmark.com/closet/nearlynewbylo https://www.depop.com/nearlynewbylo/

Image Credits
Credits listed in photo descriptions Lauren’s images – Jennifer Lind Schutsky Desert photos – Good Karma Photo Booth photos – nearlynewbylo