In a recent newsletter, we talked about localism as an alternative to globalization, and how we can shop with a more local lens.

 

And tbh, there’s no better way to localize than to support the small businesses in your midst. Data shows that small businesses create more jobs and bring more benefits to their communities compared to big corporations. Local businesses also provide something that we have evolved to deeply depend on: connection with other humans.

 

Today we’re highlighting a business in San Francisco that we love: Soochie, a purveyor of artful,‎ ethical‎ &‎ sustainable fashion. The boutique’s owner, also named Soochie, generously spent some time with us, telling her story. A condensed transcript of our conversation follows, along with Slates featuring some of the amazing brands available to shop IRL at Soochie. Add this recently opened gem to your must-visit list in San Francisco!

Blank Slate (Dana): Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

 

Soochie: Sure, I guess we could start at the beginning. I grew up in Italy. We lived in a converted monastery, so I was surrounded by incredible architecture and art. My parents were both really big hippies in the 70s and 80s and completely disinterested in fashion and clothing. So naturally, I was very interested in it. When I was little, I remember sneaking into my mom’s purse to buy Italian Vogue and make collages of supermodels that I was into. I knew I wanted to be a part of that world. I think when I was little I was very attracted to the glamorous aspect of it and the shiny things and the beautiful models.

 

When I moved here to the United States, I went to school for Fashion. I went to the Academy Of Art in San Francisco and put myself through the fashion program there and started working as a stylist. I worked for some pretty large brands like Gap, Old Navy, Levi’s, and Docker’s… basically all the brands we have here in the Bay Area.

 

It was great but at the same time I started really having this cognitive dissonance… I became very aware of the ways in which fashion is affecting our planet and exploiting communities, and creating these unattainable ideals for women, and I just decided that I didn’t want to be a part of that anymore. So, I was either gonna become an organic farmer or I was gonna stay in fashion and do something different. One day while on a walk with my husband, I thought, why don’t I open a store? Why don’t I open a store that focuses on small designers that are really aligned with my ethos? So, that was last August, and now here we are…

 

Dana: Amazing, less than a year! Talk about manifesting, that’s incredible!

 

Soochie: I just feel a call to do better. Fashion is my creative outlet, painting wouldn’t satisfy me in the same manner, fashion is my brush. And so, how can I be in fashion but also satisfy that part of myself that feels like I need to be a part of the change. I don’t know if you watched that documentary about Brandy Melville…

 

Brandy Melville was started by this man that had this idea to create clothes that were one size fits some, and the clothes were disposable (at best), and the women that worked at the brand were completely exploited in more ways than one. Then they also talked about how many clothes are out there in the world in circulation and probably the most sustainable thing to do in fashion right now would be to not make any more clothes, because there’s enough clothes out there for everybody for the rest of our lives and then some.

 

But the fact of the matter is that people are still gonna consume, so why not give them an option to consume better? You know, people have this notion that clothes should be cheap. And, they’ve been taught so by these large brands that are able to produce cheap clothes. But when you are buying something that’s $29.99, if you’re not paying the price, somebody else is, and often it’s the people who manufactured it, the environment, and the community in which the clothes are made. So I think that we really need a re-education when it comes to how much fashion should cost and there is a very distorted sense of what luxury is. People wear, you know like, $29 Zara pants, but then a $5,000 Chanel bag…

 

Dana: Right, the whole high-low thing has been kind of glamorized by influencers. But ‘low’ is fast fashion instead of, for example, thrifted and vintage, which can be affordable but also much more interesting and ethical.

 

Soochie: And you know, no judgment on my part, but I think that a bag that you can find in every store… like you find Chanel in every major city in the world. You go to Milan, you find Chanel, you go to Paris, you find Chanel, you come to San Francisco, you find Chanel, it’s basically the same bag everywhere, right? And people have been led to believe the price is worth it. And then they come to my store and see a shirt that’s one of a kind, handmade and hand-embroidered by a women’s co-op in India, where they’re being paid adequate wages and treated fairly, and they think it’s outrageously expensive at $250. So I think there’s an opportunity for a little bit of education there. Is that my job really? I don’t know! But I certainly want to try to do a little bit of that in the most friendly and compassionate way possible.

 

I want people to come here and feel welcome, and accepted, and I wanted it to be a place where you can also have fun with clothes. Sustainability in fashion can be such a serious conversation that can turn so dark and judgemental. People are told, “You’re doing a wrong thing by buying a Zara top”… it’s OK, it can be a balance you know and it can start small, but maybe instead of buying 5 Zara tops, buy one Zara top and one at Soochie, or one from a sustainable brand like Shaina Mote…

 

Dana: Yeah, I like that…

Soochie: I think it’s all about striking a balance, and sustainable fashion is innately more expensive, but, you know, you’re not lining the pockets of a major corporation and you’re supporting small businesses. You support the business from which you bought it, and that business is supporting other small businesses, which are made up of individuals and families. And none of my vendors are these mega wealthy corporations… we’re all struggling to get by. Nobody’s getting rich in sustainable fashion… yet corporations that make these $5.99 shirts are very wealthy.

 

Dana: Yeah, I think if you look at the list of the world’s richest people, fashion executives are up there in the top 50 (Bernard Arnault of LVMH, Amancio Ortega of Zara, Tadashi Yanai of Uniqlo…)

 

Soochie: And I’m also thinking about the side of humanity. When you are a small business and you’re working with other small businesses in such a close way, you really become part of people’s lives, and you care so much more, and that’s what it really all comes down to at the end of the day: taking care of one another in the best way possible, and also of our planet… and, you know, if we take care of our planet, we are also taking care of each other in a way.

 

Dana: That’s beautifully put. And can you talk a little more about your vision for the store?

 

Soochie: So, for me, it’s a process of finding things that I, first of all, can’t find anywhere else in the city. I really wanna be unique and I want to present things through the filter of my own aesthetic vision and then also of course through the filter of sustainability and ethical practices.

 

I don’t scream sustainability when it comes to my store... I never wanna hit anybody in the face with it. Because I think, first and foremost, clothes should be something that you love. And this is where the price point is a factor too. I think the entry price point here (for clothes) is like $180 and so it has to be a much more deliberate and conscious decision…

 

Dana: Yeah, for most people, you have to think more carefully about buying than if something is like $30 or $10, right?

 

Soochie: It’s very important, because when you’re thinking twice about spending that amount of money, you’re more likely to buy something that you really really love and you’re probably likely to have it in your wardrobe for very long time. And the way that I shop now is asking, “is this something that I can see myself keeping for the rest of my life?” and if the answer is no I probably shouldn’t have it. Because those clothes are gonna end up somewhere and if they are not made of natural fabrics, they are gonna be around forever. Even cotton and wool stay around for a long time.

 

And that’s also why I try to be very anti-trend in a sense… I never really liked trends per se, specially micro trends because I find them to be driven by consumption and you get tired of them really quickly. Things at Soochie are fun and colorful and can make such a statement but I think they are also classic… like that Anntian set, case in point. The silhouette is classic but the print is kind of wild… I can see myself when I’m 70-80 years old wearing this.

 

Dana: Yeah, totally… that would look great!

 

Soochie: Right? But you could also be like a 20-something wearing it with some cute jeans or the skirt with a crop top.

 

Dana: And being able to recognize what you love, and evolve with your clothes, that’s what personal style is really about. It's a beautiful thing.

Dana: Before we end the conversation, is there anything else you want to share with our readers?

 

Soochie: I see my business, and small businesses in general, as this community. It’s a gathering space, where you can get to know your neighbors, a place where you can come in and just chit chat when you’re feeling a little lonely or a little blue. You can try on something without the obligation of buying it and have a human interaction, which is happening less and less.

 

There’s something so powerful about being part of people’s lives through clothes. You know the other day, my mother-in-law came in, and I think she sometimes has a difficult relationship with her body and with aging. Most people do. But she came and she tried on some clothes, and she immediately felt more beautiful. That’s a gift that I can give people, and it’s important. Women in particular tend to be so self-critical about their bodies and their appearance. Partially because we’ve been taught that we need to look a certain way. And I try to remind people when they’re trying on clothes and they get into that headspace: talk to your body with love and compassion. Your body’s so capable and so beautiful, it’s gotten you this far.

 

And that’s what I wanted to create with Soochie. A place where you could be courageous, playful, and gentle — on yourself, the planet, and the community that you occupy.

 

Dana: I love that so much Soochie. Thank you for letting us into your world, what a magical place it is!

Soochie carries one of our fave brands Runaway Bicycle, the only place we've found it IRL! This dress has an expressive line print that we just love. We also love her artful and affordable jewelry edit – case in point, this silk necklace with shell-shaped pendant by Shannon Bond. We'd style this fit with pre-loved velvet Dries slides, like these or these.

Dana snagged these upcycled Proche jeans at Soochie, and has been wearing them on repeat. Each pair is one of a kind, so it's amazing to be able to try them on in person to find your perfect fit. They look gorgeous with a Namai jacket, made from repurposed kantha quilt textiles and fully reversible. Finish off the look with handcrafted jewels from Nathalie Mathoulin and naked sandals from Loq.

Soochie just started carrying these exquisite silk pleated pieces from French brand Azur. This “plissé” technique is super unusual to find in a natural fiber (the famous and pricey ones from Issey Miyake are all made of polyester). Paired with a washed out denim work shirt from Shaina Mote and embroidered mary janes by Vibi Venezia, it's pretty with just a little edge. Parfait.

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