Latinx Sustainability Influencer Spotlight: Alex from @Alexstagram3000

Alex is a colorful plus-sized 22-year-old sustainable fashion creator that is currently living in NYC and runs her business, Made By Alex!!! On her Instagram, she hopes to inspire people to express themselves colorfully, regardless of size. She also loves using her platform to meet amazing people and build community online. Alex has even gone on to form friends in real life  and is super grateful she has been able to connect and communicate with so many different people all over the world! Learn more about her Latinx perspective on sustainable fashion and advice on how to consume sustainably.

When did you first learn about fast fashion? When did you first start practicing sustainable fashion? 

I first learned about fast fashion probably in early high school, when I started to shop around at places like Forever 21 which was one of the most popular stores at that time. At the time, I could not shop there too much as I have always been sized out by most retailers but squeezed myself into some of their largest sizes, which in hindsight not being able to fit into their clothes was a good thing because if I could fit, I think I definitely would've shopped more! Because of this, during high school, I mostly wore t-shirts and sweatshirts. 

Around the time I moved away from my hometown to attend university, I started exploring the online fashion community and began to get into thrifting! Growing up I was surrounded by a lot of stigma against buying things secondhand so once I learned about all the amazing pros to buying secondhand, I started to explore thrift stores around me and fell in love! Slowly, since then, my closet has become mostly secondhand and sustainable clothing but it has definitely taken a lot of work to get there! 

During college, I did a lot of research on the harms of fast fashion and from then on I tried to be as conscious as possible about learning the source of my clothing, figuring out if they are ethically made, and consuming less in general. 

How do you stay so positive in the face of issues in the fashion industry?

 I try to keep hopeful that more and more brands will hear what us as customers want which is ethical and inclusive clothing in a range of styles! I see the industry slowly changing and hope that continues as more of us speak out about what we want to see!

Why is it important that you highlight colorful fashion that is sustainable? 

I think it is very important to highlight that sustainable fashion can be fun and colorful! When I first discovered sustainable fashion, most of what I saw was mostly neutral colors in designs that were not my style. I would like to show that people can dress to their desired style without sacrificing "coolness", bright colors, and having fun with fashion while also helping not to contribute to the harmfulness of fast fashion. 

 How do you draw from your Latinx background in your content creation process? 

Over the past few years, I have been going through a re-connection to my Mexican roots and during the same time I have also developed a very strong love for everything bright and colorful which I incorporate into all aspects of my life. 

 As a plus-sized Latinx sustainable fashion influencer, is it hard to find people who are on a similar journey as you? If so, why do you think that is? 

It has historically been hard to find similar people as myself in the sustainable community, but recently I am connecting to more which is amazing! I think in the past, a lot of plus-sized people have been told by society and media that we have to dress a certain way, and now more people are able to break free from that notion and are exploring what else is out there!

What is one piece of advice you would give to a plus-sized Latinx shopper that wants to start shopping sustainably?

Don't feel pressured to completely change your closet all at once! The most sustainable thing you can do is shop your own closet! I would suggest really examining everything you have first and seeing where there are gaps in your closet there and look for sustainable or secondhand pieces to fill those gaps.

How do you think more Latinx’s can get more involved in consuming clothing and products more sustainably? 

I think we can start by trying to spread the word about how harmful fast fashion is! I know a lot of people cannot afford expensive sustainable brands but now there are more affordable options for new sustainable clothing and thrifting/buying secondhand is a really great option to explore your style at a bit of a lower price. 

 Are there any susty New York brands that you would recommend to my readers? 

Yes! I love supporting small local clothing brands like Camilla Valentina (custom made colorful clothing), Wray, and Berriez!

Support Alex by following her on insta and check out her handmade jewelry & accessories business, Made by Alex.