One of the questions I get asked the most is where can I shop for sustainable clothes?! With this in mind this week I talk to Gráinne Wynne owner of Beautiful South, a boutique in Rathmines, Dublin Ireland which stocks ethically sourced fashion from European & indigenous Irish brands. Gráinne set up her boutique in 2018 after rearing her family & deciding to go back to work. With a background in hospitality but a life long  appreciation of design, Gráinne decided to follow her love of fashion and set up shop. While planning her business she watched the life-changing documentary, the true cost of fashion & decided that she didn’t want her store to contribute any further  to the exploitation of garment workers or fabric pollution. With this in mind she set about researching home grown labels making in Ireland using local fabrics as well as European sustainable bands.  In this episode we talk about cultivating a less is more approach to shopping, buying quality over quantity & how a capsule wardrobe doesn’t have to be all beige & how important it is to celebrate your uniqueness with unique crafted pieces. We also discuss how Gráinne’s business survived the lockdowns during the pandemic by using old fashioned retail practices from days gone by such as Gráinne cycling to customers houses on her bike  with curated pieces when the shop was forced to close, to an appro service where clients could try on clothes at home before buying and running a deposit service where customers can pay off the price of a garment over 6 weeks interest free, making it more manageable to save for quality pieces. If you ever thought boutique shopping was beyond your pay-package , this episode will make you re-think the way you shop. Remind us to save up for good clothes made fairly, and understand the reason these clothes cost more is that the makers are being paid a fair wage & the fabrics come from mills where the weavers are being paid fairly, a point we often forget to think about when we get seduced by  fancy visual merchandising on the highstreet. 
You can find Beautiful South on Instagram @beautiful.south
website: www.beautifulsouth.ie
Address: The Swan Centre, 3d Castlewood Ave, Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland 

In this episode of My Soul Style I talk to Siadbh Duffy, founder of SIADBH, a range of ethically sourced crystal jewellery amulets.
In this episode we discuss some of the murky unethical  practices of the crystal industry and how Siadbh has navigated this world to work with small ethically run mines and a family that are fairly paid to cut and polish the stones in her range.
We cover what are ghost and inclusions in crystals and how these so called flaws can mean many crystals are unnecessarily discarded.
We also discuss how crystals are not just pretty, decorative stones, but powerful healing allies that can help support with both your emotional & physical well-being.
Siadbh also shares her crystal care morning ritual and how to cleanse & programme your crystals so they can maintain their energies to support your well being. 
Having benefited from wearing and connecting with crystals for years, SIADBH created her collection through her desire to share this experience with others.
 
Inspired by our ancient history crystals and gemstones play a huge part in culture of the world. Wearing Amulets was a status of honour, respect, royalty, stature and abundance. 
 
SIADBH Crystal Amulets are handcrafted in Kilkenny, Ireland using 14ct gold filled or 9ct solid gold materials to pair with each crystal. Highly aware of the vibration and frequencies crystals emit , Siadbh preforms  an energy ritual on each Amulet attuning the energy to the highest vibration of love. 
 Part of their magic is in how they feel, rough, smooth, inclusions and cracks which are all apart of their natural creation. Each crystal is designed with tactile vision in mind and to be in contact with the body. 
Siadbh’s mission is to create Amulets that become sacred allies, accompanying the wearer on their path in life.
I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do too.
For more information about SIADBH follow her on Instagram @siadbh
Browse & shop her collection at www.siadbh.ie
SiADBH jewellery is available at CREATE in Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, Dublin 2 www.brownthomas.com until the 15th of August 2022
For more on sustainable fashion & to stay in touch follow me on Instagram @roxanne_parker

This week is an extra special episode where I talk to my lovely mother, Marjorie Parker!
My mum has been a huge influence in my life when it comes to my relationship with, style, fashion & clothes. She is and always has been an incredibly stylish lady with her own unique take on style. I definitely learnt how to embody my own soul style through watching how my mum interpreted and put clothes together. I really feel she was a massive influence on my becoming a fashion stylist.

Born in 1936, Marjorie survived World War II, rationing, The Cold War & has seen fashion go from slow to ultra fast. In this conversation we delve into my mothers generation’s relationship with their clothes. How they were educated to conserve and look after their clothes & how they learnt to be creative & crafty with fashion due to the lack of choice and variety that was available growing up in 1950’s & 1960’s Ireland. We reflect on how sometimes we have to look back to move forward & how the silver screen of Hollywood was a massive influence on her generation when it came to embodying old school glitz and glamour. It’s fascinating talking to my mother about the times she grew up in where waste was not an option and rationing was mandatory. Growing up in these circumstances has shaped the way my mum views the world and her consumer habits. I loved having the opportunity to deep dive with my mum on these topics. I really hope you enjoy this conversation.
Follow me on Instagram @roxanne_parker for more content and for a post about this episode with photos of my mum from the 50’s to the present day showing Marjorie’s soul style!
Instagram: roxanne_parker