INTERVIEW #31 PETITE CHEMISE
Based in: Málaga
Founded in: Barcelona
Founded by: Raquel Pérez and Angelo Augusto
Online store: www.petitechemise.com
Price range: 20€ -120€
Instagram: @petitechemise
Why we love them: From my own experience I know that Spain in general is great when it comes to pre-loved fashion, and I just had a feeling that there are probably so many people/stores engaged in the sustainable-fashion community that we don’t even know about. I came across Petite Chemise, based in Málaga, and wanted to get in touch right away. I really love what they do, the type of assortment they have and their concept in general. I feel super inspired by their feed and they deserve a true spotlight-moment. /Hanna Persson
Hola, Raquel! First of all, I need to know how you came up with ”Petite Chemise” and what does the name mean? I love it!
In the early days of Petite Chemise, our idea was to create a vintage shirt shop, and since Angelo is from France, we decided to use the name "little shirt" in French which sounded great to us!
How would you describe Petite Chemise and its concept? What is your sustainability profile, personally and within your concept?
The main idea of Petite Chemise is to reuse clothes that are already created. We believe that there are enough clothes in the world to be able to slow down the creation of new clothes. In addition, the style of the garments that our parents and grandparents used always comes back, so uniting these two concepts is our mission.
The garments and pieces you sell, do you find them yourself? - If yes, what are you usually looking for when hunting for second hand treasures?
YES! We are always the ones who look for all the garments that later, we can find for sale. We search in different parts of the world and choose them one by one. We always look for quality clothes that do not go out of style and of course we would also wear them.
What type of person would love your assortment and become a loyal customer?
Anyone who doesn't like to wear the same clothes that everyone wears from the typical well-known stores, who are looking for special pieces, perhaps not thinking about sustainability but in the future if they can take it more into account.
Where do you see yourself and Petite Chemise in three years?
We have been with this project for a little time, so we see ourselves growing a little more every day, to be able to hire more people to help us in this project and to get to know ourselves and especially to make the vintage world known to those people who still don't.
What do you think needs to change in the fashion industry to make it more sustainable?
We believe that it is very important to understand that it is not necessary to have new clothes every day. The fashion industry, especially large companies, should be more aware of this and create higher quality garments that stay with us in the long term and stop this fast fashion madness.
Where can we find the best vintage/second hand stores in Málaga?
In the historic center of Malaga there are some small vintage fashion stores, but it is true that not many.
What do you believe is “greenwashing” and what can producers and consumers do to avoid it?
The path is demonstrated by walking, or so we say in Spanish! Haha... We believe that it is very easy to show the good parts of each company, especially when we know that for our client it is important. But it is as easy as understanding, how is it possible that a product is so cheap? It is one of the questions we can ask ourselves to understand what that clothing company is really doing.
What would you advise consumers to do who seek to create a sustainable closet and lifestyle?
It is important to create a basic wardrobe with basic clothing, which doesn’t go out of style and of quality. Find local companies with which we can know how they really work. In addition, it is important that sustainability is part of our day to day, in how we wash our clothes, what products we buy at the supermarket, etc ...
Is there anything else you’d like our readers and followers to know about you, or Petite Chemise?
We work for Petite Chemise to minimize the negative impact of the textile industry around the world by curbing the overconsumption of ready-to-wear. We select stylish second-hand pieces from our European suppliers to give them new life in your wardrobes. Together, we learn to renew our wardrobe in a responsible way.
