INTERVIEW #129 LAURA ZUNICA

Name: Laura Zunica

Based in: Milano

Occupation: Project Coordinator of 30x30 Italy (Worldrise team), Cofounder TerraLab Onlus, Communication Strategist & Ethical Copywriter, Green Content Creator and Author of "Un'impronta leggera. Guida pratica per ridurre il proprio impatto ambientale".

Instagram: @impronta.leggera

Ciao Laura! Welcome to A Sustainable Closet! We are so happy to have you here. Tell us about yourself?

My name is Laura and I work for sustainability and environmental protection in the non-profit sector. I am part of the Worldrise team (an NGO working on marine conservation), I am co-founder of TerraLab Onlus (an NGO to raise awareness on the importance of sustainable lifestyles) and I wrote a book on how to reduce our impact on the earth and live (a bit more) sustainably. I also use social media to share ideas and projects related to sustainable lifestyles.

We are so curious about your career and how you reached the point where you are today.

I have a law degree (and a second master's degree in criminal law) and I have been working for several years in law firms. Always fostering my interest towards environmental protection and sustainability. Little by little I started feeling that I needed to turn my job into something more meaningful to me and more aligned with my values. I felt the need to actually work to preserve and protect the planet we live on. So I funded my NGO with seven other women and I started sharing my ideas on social media. Until I left my job and started working in the Worldrise team in 2020. Now, I work fully for what I believe in environmental protection and raising awareness of the importance of taking part in the change we need for a better and more sustainable future. In the meanwhile, I also took a master's in the sustainability of fashion, beauty and design to gain some more technical skills.

Where do you find your daily inspiration?

In the real beginning, the inspiration to make the world a better place came from my mom: she got sick and died, and I started to ask myself questions. I realized that our world is way too polluted: air, water, food... and we must change this before it is too late. That's how I started. Today, I happen to meet new interesting people, working hard to make the world a better place and every person I meet, in one way or another, inspires me to do better and better.  And in the end, I must say that my 1-year-old child gives me the best reason to create a brighter future.

 What is your relationship with clothes, how do you consume your clothes?

I am an ex-compulsive consumer. In my "previous life", before becoming a conscious consumer, I used to buy many clothes, of very low quality on my very low budget. In 2016, when I started to be aware of all the things I was giving my consent to when I was buying new clothes, I literally quit fast fashion. The big slap in the face came from "The True Cost", a documentary by Andrew Morgan on the hidden sides of fashion. Now I shop mainly secondhand or swap clothes with friends. My NGO often organises "swap parties".

 What favourite stores and brands to shop from?

Second hand mainly. But sometimes, when I need, for some reason, something brand new, I like to shop from circular brands like Rifò (Italian), but also Twothirds and Organic Basics are two other brands I like.

Favourite material to wear?

I think cotton, but also wool… I'm not sure I have a favourite one. I only know that the material I dislike the most, and it also makes me sweat, is polyester.

What do you think about the fashion industry in general? 

That it is not even close to sustainable, but that is changing a bit with some circular and responsible projects the main problem is that most people in the world are not even aware of what this industry is about.

You are Italian and based in Italy, do you feel like Italians are becoming more sustainable in their daily lives or what is the mindset over there?

I think they are but sometimes I wonder if it's real or if it's just the people around me sharing my values. However, I must say that I see way more people shopping second-hand, and more shops popping up in the city, so this gives me hope that something may be changing. And I also see more people paying attention to certifications. Even if, and that's the ugly truth, most of the people don't seem to care about this topic.

Describe what fashion is for you, in tree words: comfort, freedom (to wear whatever I like!), and fair.