How much does your wardrobe cost? No, we’re not talking about finances. Highstreet bargains or designer delicacies, ultimately our clothes cost a ton. Quite literally tons and tons- of plastic and pollution, every year. 
But we all need clothes right? Sure, and we don’t want to be killjoys over how you spend your hard earned cash. But when your wardrobe needs updating, does it really have to be new?

All hail Stephanie Benedetto a.k.a the Queen of Raw. A born and bred New Yorker, Stephanie’s great grandfather worked in the garment industry when he arrived as an immigrant to the city. A flair for entrepreneurship is in Stephanie’s blood and when she saw an opportunity to bridge the gap between the market and the $120 billion worth of excess fabric sitting in warehouses around the world, she took it. And what a royal success it is. Queen of Raw is genuinely the new black. It suits anyone and everyone. 

Queen of Raw operates as a market place whereby high quality off cuts are paired with new owners. These fabrics have been created, the environmental damage is done. So why instead of using them, are we making new fabrics whilst allowing existing ones to sit around gathering dust, or worst be burnt in landfill? It makes precisely 0 sense and that’s why Queen of Raw is shaking things up.

“The textile industry uses 26.4 trillion gallons of water every year. What about using that to solve the world’s water crisis?”
“Queen of Raw is a system change” – smiles Stephanie. Indeed, and when it comes to predicting the styles and trends for future seasons, one thing’s for sure – it has to be more sustainable. 

Queen of Raw is all about measurement of water, chemicals, carbon dioxide and waste saved- by utilising what we already have (find more info on this on her website and youtube media talks). 

When it comes to what you’re wearing this season, how are you changing the way you buy and engage with production chains?