"Even the silliest things you can think about doing will profoundly change your life if you are 100% open to whatever it will bring." ~Amber Clisura
Amber Clisura is a fashion designer who isn't wearing pants for the next 365 days. Following a car accident and a deep depression Amber was in need of some inspiration. She had been designing women's denim jeans (at one point she owned over 40 pairs) for the Eco-Premium line Del Forte Denim and that's pretty much all she wore. Looking at the lighter side of life (and going green) Amber went shopping in her closet and discovered clothes she hadn't worn in years. Rather than throw them out, she began to upcycle her pants into skirts. Upcycling is taking something you were going to toss and turn it into something else. Amber said, "down with pants and up with skirts" and launched NO PANTS 2011. Why skirts? You'll have to read her interview below to find out why.
Amber has also worked as a production designer for the eco-lifestyle brand Mission Playground and has spoken at London and Paris Fashion weeks on Sustainability in Fashion. She now strives to understand her closet, her mission, and needs as she moves into the next phase of her career.
Amber is partnering with Love and Trash blogger, Jessica Reeder to lead the workshop Upcycle Your Life at the 2nd Annual Passion Into Action Conference.
Workshop Description:
"Upcycling" takes something seemingly useless, and makes it new and better. That's what we each did: we started from dirt poor rock bottom, and created successful social media campaigns out of passion and elbow grease. If you're ready for change in your own life, you don't need money and connections; you just need to be inspired, and willing to make things happen for yourself. We'll give you some of the tricks we're learning, and tell you what it's like to be in the middle of a homespun, independent endeavor. We'll tell you our war stories, and some surprising things we learned about being a woman in the land of social media.
In her interview, Amber discusses her passion around sustainable fashion, why she is wearing skirts for 365 days, and how women and girls are affecting the future.
1. What is your personal mission or passion that is helping to re-shape the future?
That there are no small actions that you can undertake that won’t have profound meaning in your life.
2. Describe a significant moment or experience that inspired your personal mission or passion to make a difference?
With regards to NO PANTS 2011: I had fallen into a deep depression. A car accident disabled me for a better part of a year, losing my job, my ability to walk and perform my duties as a fashion designer, and enjoy my life as I had been accustomed. I stopped caring about anything fashion related and started to feel like my life had no real meaning at all in regards to the work that had been my passion for years. Then one day I heard a friend talk about how she didn’t pack any pants for a summer vacation. I thought about the ruts I had fallen into, emotionally, physically, and fashion wise and thought “why the hell not.” I spoke with my friend Jessica soon after about launching this crazy wear a thon project that tied in all the things I cared about (clothing, sustainability, accountability, creativity) and blog about it… and thus: NO PANTS changed my life
3. What do you hope will be the biggest take-aways for the attendees who participate in your workshop?
The idea that even the silliest things you can think about doing will profoundly change your life if you are 100% open to whatever it will bring.
4. How do you see women and girls in the local and global communities affecting the future?
We spend 60 percent of the global dollar, make 40 percent of the global food share, and account for over 50 percent of the world’s population. We. Are. Change. The trick is to recognize and support that change when we see it rather than tearing it down because we don’t understand it.
5. Why is it so important to participate in groups and events that connect women and feature their talents, ideas and solutions right now?
Because we don’t realize the amazing power of numbers. The more you get around people with the same passion and drive as you, the more it exponentially grows the ability to bring your dreams to fruition.
6. What is your message to women around the world?
The minute you stop trying you start dying.
To participate in Amber and Jessica's workshop click here to register for Passion Into Action.
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