Shaftesbury has a new online clothes shop selling ethical, reworked clothing.
Gold Hill Conscious is the lockdown brainchild of Aimee De Rosa and Dan Ninikasvili, who want to make homemade clothing and spiritual healing more accessible.
“I have always been a colorful dresser and ethical clothing is something I am really passionate about,” said Aimee.
Depop is a fashion app for second-hand sellers, small businesses and artisans. For the past four years, Aimee has used Depop to sell her unwanted clothes and has managed to gather 20,000 followers.
“My fiance and I are both self-employed so, during lockdown, we decided to turn my Depop page into a small business. Initially it was just a side-hustle to sell clothes, but now we have a range of ethical clothing, books and homeware.”
Gold Hill Conscious sells stock from vintage stores, and now has its own garment makers in India.
“We buy some of our garments from ethical makers in India. They have around six to eight workers in their workshops and they use recycled silk to make beautiful wrap-tops and kimonos. We want to give back to our makers and support their communities, so we give 10% of our profits back to them,” said Aimee.
Although Aimee and Dan’s business began only in June last year, they are receiving more local orders through word of mouth.
“We are really excited to see where the business goes, and we would like to collaborate with other local businesses like Coconut and Cotton. We hope to be a hub for funky and ethical clothes in Shaftesbury, and it is really lovely to see local orders!”
It’s not just the colourful clothes that spread positivity, the online shop also stocks a selection of healing and mindfulness books.
“I have been on a personal journey of healing and the books we stock have really helped me. As the business grows, I would like to be able to give away a book with a bundle purchase as I want to help other people who may need healing too,” Aimee confided.
Gold Hill Conscious’s colourful collection is at: www.depop.com/goldhillconscious