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

Lexy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In general, the most meaningful cause I’m involved with is sustainable fashion. I’ve been obsessed with fashion since I was a small child but after much research, I’ve also learned how much damage the fashion industry can cause to the environment. It’s been called the second largest polluting industry on the planet. But if I were to pick a singular act, I’d say the most meaningful project I’m involved in is trying to end the partnership between The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) and SHEIN. I go to school at FIDM in Los Angeles, in part because of its sustainability programs. So I was deeply disappointed when I found out my college, named one of the Top Ten Most Sustainable Fashion Schools in the World, started a partnership with SHEIN, the largest fast fashion retailer on the globe. The program has the controversial ultra-fast-fashion company funding a new scholarship program, despite concerns over continued scrutiny of its alleged working conditions and environmental record.

Once I found out about this partnership, I started a petition on Change.org asking FIDM to end its agreement with SHEIN. This project is deeply significant to me due to its alignment with my personal values and concerns about the future of the fashion industry.

As a student at FIDM, I have been taught about the critical issues surrounding sustainability and ethics in the fashion world. Our studies emphasize the importance of responsible practices and the role we, as future fashion professionals, play in shaping the industry. But the difference between our education on sustainability and the partnership with Shein, a company known for its alleged unsustainable and unethical practices, troubled me deeply.

I recognized the need for change and took it upon myself to fight for a solution. I started the Change.org petition with the goal of urging FIDM to reconsider its partnership with SHEIN. The petition took off, gathering over 4000 signatures from concerned students, faculty, industry professionals, and individuals who share our values.

From there, the petition caught the attention of influential media outlets, including Vogue, the Los Angeles Times, and Spectrum News. The coverage helped to spotlight the issue, bring it to the attention of a wider audience, and validate our cause.

The project’s significance lies in its potential to create a lasting impact on both FIDM’s partnership decisions and the broader fashion landscape. By advocating for a termination of any future SHEIN partnerships, we aim to send a clear message that aligning with unsustainable and ethically questionable practices is unacceptable. Furthermore, the project highlights the power of grassroots efforts, illustrating that students and concerned individuals can drive change when they come together.

I invite you to join me in this meaningful effort by signing the petition and spreading the word. Your support will contribute to our mission of fostering a more sustainable, ethical, and responsible future for the fashion industry. Together, we can ensure that the next generation of fashion professionals is equipped to make a positive difference and create a future for fashion that we can be proud of.

Thank you for standing with us in this important cause.

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

I started a blog when I was 13 years old. Many people ask me, what is “eLEXYfy”? Well it’s a word I made up. Electrify + Lexy = eLEXYfy. Electrify means a sudden thrill or sense of excitement. My definition for eLEXYfy is to make the ordinary extraordinary. That’s what I like to do through fashion and just about everything else in life.

My mom says I was born with a fashion gene because the second I could crawl, I ended up in her closet with my loves; clothes, shoes, accessories, purses, scarves – that’s the only place I wanted to be.

I personally recognized that I might have a passion for fashion when I was about five. The night before the first day of kindergarten, I wasn’t worried about school itself, I was more concerned about looking fabulous. I still remember picking out the most vibrant outfit I could assemble, from the bright fedora hat, to the neon purple shirt, the black skirt adorned with purple and white flowers, all the way down to the black suede booties. After an hour, the perfect outfit was laid out on the floor in front of me in the precise order that I would wear it. It looked as if someone had been lying on the floor in that outfit then suddenly disappeared. Today I still do this but on a mannequin or a clothing rack.

Now, I’m studying digital marketing at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM in LA).

I write for eLEXYfy.com but I also represent brands on Instagram and TikTok and I launched a podcast called eLEXYfy, The Place for Fashion where I interview influencers, designers, advocates, and just all around cool people innovating better ways to do things, to change the world.

As a recovering fast fashion shopper, I concentrate a lot on sustainability. Yes, you heard me right, I did say “recovering”. The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have or had one. I didn’t know about fast fashion and the incredibly negative impact it was having on our planet. So I’m 100% guilty! I shopped at Justice as a kid, at Forever 21 as a middle schooler and at Urban Outfitters in high school. Oy! Now I’m educating myself and others on my journey to becoming a more sustainable fashion lover. I’m now an ambassador for Remake, a community of millennial and Gen Z women who pledge to wear our values to hopefully put an end to fast fashion.

My personal motto, as I said above, is to make the ordinary extraordinary. I think ordinary people can make extraordinary things happen. If every individual makes small efforts, big change can happen. No one is going to be perfect, I know I’m not when it comes to sustainability, but we take steps by setting small goals.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

So, you know that saying, “You live and you learn”? Well, one lesson I had to seriously unlearn was all about this idea that buying loads of stuff, driven by that whole “I want, I need, I have to have” mindset, was the way to go when it came to fashion. Let me tell you, that notion turned out to be a real eye-opener, and it’s been a journey getting there.

So, from the time I was little, fashion was my passion. I mean, I can vividly remember sneaking into my mom’s closet to play with her jewelry, and even as a kid, I was all about picking out outfits that matched my early style. I kid you not, I was more into planning my outfits for the next day than worrying about my schoolwork. Shh, don’t tell my parents!

That whole “gotta buy everything” attitude followed me into adulthood. I totally linked shopping to a kind of therapy. Whenever I felt down or had a special event coming up, my go-to solution was hitting the stores. It felt harmless – even natural – because it gave me those little bursts of happiness and excitement.

Reality check time. I dug into the nitty-gritty of the fashion industry and realized the huge environmental and ethical mess it was causing. When I learned about the mountains of waste we create through our shopping sprees, and how it’s trashing the planet, I was devastated. Something I adored for ages was actually part of a ginormous global problem.

That aha moment sparked a major shift in how I looked at fashion. I needed to break free from the whole “more, more, more” mindset and rethink my choices. Changing my perspective wasn’t a walk in the park, but it was freeing.

I made a solid choice to change my shopping habits. Instead of impulsively buying new stuff, I switched to second-hand stores, giving existing clothes a new lease on life and reducing the demand for new production. And when it came to special occasions, I started borrowing, renting, or rummaging through my own closet to show off what I already had.

This shift even impacted the brands I supported. Suddenly, it wasn’t just about what looked cool, but about supporting companies that cared about stuff like sustainability and ethical practices. And let me tell you, this wasn’t just a change in how I shopped – it became my way of giving a little nudge towards a more responsible fashion world.

Basically, this journey was all about unlearning a mindset that said happiness came from getting more stuff. It was like this massive lightbulb moment that proved how individual choices can add up to make a real impact. By flipping my fashion habits, I managed to shrink my own eco-footprint and spread the word for a better fashion industry.

This transformation, driven by my passion for fashion matching up with my values, has been a life changing lesson that keeps shaping my day-to-day choices and how I navigate the world around me.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being a creative has, over time, revealed itself to be a never-ending adventure with a lot of awesome and unexpected perks. From expressing myself on social media to just chatting with people or even putting together amazing outfits, it remains a liberating journey.

But you know what’s even cooler? The creative vibes don’t just stay in my own bubble. When I’m hanging out with fellow creatives who totally get where I’m coming from, there’s this incredible sense of togetherness. It’s like having this crew that’s got my back, cheering me on and making sure I know I’m not alone in all of this.
Creativity can totally change the game. Art, in any form, has this crazy power to teach, inspire, and get people moving. Just think about it – one post, one artwork, it can kick start conversations that lead to some real, tangible change.
Now, in the fashion world, we’ve got a shot at something big. We can put our creative chops to work and actually make the industry more sustainable. Whether it’s creating thoughtful collections, spreading the word through campaigns, or speaking up for what’s right, we can totally give the fashion world a makeover, one t-shirt at a time.
By chatting openly about how fashion, the environment, and our well-being all collide, we’re not just aware – we’re taking action to fix an industry that’s been causing some serious damage to our planet. So, creativity is like a tool that’s not just about making things look good – it’s about changing the world, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elexyfy.com
• Instagram: @lexysilverstein
• Facebook: Lexy Silverstein
• Linkedin: Lexy Silverstein
• Twitter: @elexyfy
• Youtube: Lexy Silverstein
• Podcast: https://elexyfytheplaceforfashion.buzzsprout.com

Image Credits
Photographer: James Isaac Jones Instagram: @jonesjamesisaac