May 27th – Sequin, sequins, sequins!
Image round up deluxe!
Sustainable Sequins
So, despite the deep love we have for them, the uncomfortable truth is that sequins aren’t real great for the environment. However, there are some things we can do to enjoy our sparkle while being conscientious of the environment. For one, purchasing with intention is a great start. Rachel Clowes’ masters thesis found that sequins are usually on special occasion pieces, and that those pieces only get worn 2-3 times before languishing in the backs of closets – and then eventually ending up in a landfill. There are a lot of ways around this – investing in pieces we really love, and will wear frequently with love. Renting special occasion frocks from places like The Fitzroy or Bell Street is a really great option if you need a beautiful sparkly gown for just one night.
The aforementioned Rachel Clowes’ findings prompted her to launch The Sustainable Sequin Company. They cut custom recycled sequins, and they are working on a bio sequin that is biodegradable. I use a lot of recycled sequins. There are so many off-cuts when designers work with pre-sequinned fabric, and I keep alllllllll of mine. It’s a little tedious to clip them all off, but just snip away while bingeing netflix shows and you’ll divert loads of plastic from a landfill, and have a lovely pile of sparkly embellishments to incorporate into a new project!
Where To Buy: Sequins!
Toronto:
Soo Ling Beads – 1162 Dundas Street East
Michaels – very limited range. Last time I was at the one on Richmond and John, they had a lot more than the selection at the one in Hamilton.
Fabricland – very limited selection.
Hamilton:
Ottawa Street has a great collection of fabric and notion shops.
Sussman’s – 330 Ottawa Street North. Some of you remember Mimi well – she left Queen Street West a couple years ago for the more accessible rent on Ottawa Street in Hamilton. She has a great selection of alllllll kinds of things, including sequins. Since ZH shut down, she now has the widest variety of unique and interesting sequins in a IRL shop that I frequent. She also sells online, but she has a lot more available in-store than are listed in her online shop.
Nova Sew – 289 Ottawa Street North. They sell their sequins by the spoonful, which is pretty adorable.
Online:
Alright, for the rest of us who aren’t lucky enough to live just off Ottawa Street and work near Queen, Ali Express and Etsy are the places to look for good sequins.
ZH – This is my fave Toronto sequin shop that just closed ? (I’m clearly not over it, I’m really sick of my fave shops being forced to close because of f&^king condos.) ANYWAY, they are currently in the process of listing all of their sequins on their Etsy, and as soon as they do, I’ll let you know. They know you are waiting.
Michaels Sequin Store – AliExpress has a brilliant range of interesting sequins. The downside of ordering online in this way is that the shipping times can really take forever, but there is usually an option to expedite delivery at least a bit.