Away with the Lupins

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Wig - Taobao. Dress - Taobao » Oxygen Boutique.
Photos taken by @kohikaphotos
Shot on location in Lake Tekapo, New Zealand.

Wetlands | Sustainability

     

   

   
All photos by Kohika Weddings and Portraits - instagram

The walk at Travis Wetlands is one we do when we feel like something flat but rewarding with views. The Wetlands here are full of native wildlife and even a resident cat named Arkham.

It had been a while since we had last done a photo shoot so we made an impromptu decision to do one here. I want to talk about how I've been working towards making my closet more sustainable and this outfit is a perfect example of that.

               

                

Coat - Comptoir des Cottoniers (second hand). Dress - Kowtow (sample sale). Boots - Rollie (second hand). Beanie - Country Road (second hand).

The first step in cultivating a sustainable closet is to use what you already have. I have pieces in my closet from ten years ago and I still love them. If you take care of your clothes properly you can expect them to last a very long time. When I buy new pieces it always makes me happy to pair them with existing pieces and create new outfits, creating countless possibilities.

Buying second hand is an obvious way be more sustainable with fashion. Thrift shops have become increasingly popular in recent times and finding really original pieces that no one else has is always exciting for most. Along with your standard opshop there has been an increase in vintage stores and more high end second hand boutiques. Here in New Zealand we have Recycle Boutique which cultivates a selection of high end and designer pieces that have been well looked after by their previous owners. Of course buying from thrift stores is great but remember that if you have pieces of clothing you no longer wear and are in good condition donate them to your local store to continue creating that circular economy. My boots from this outfit are from Recycle Boutique.

Another way to own second hand items is through friends and family. I have a lot of pieces in my closet, like my beanie and coat in this look, which are from family members. My sister and I are constantly swapping clothes which refreshes our closet over and over again. It is always cool to see how certain pieces look on different people and how one garment can be worn in a entirely unique way by the new owner.

Lastly you can buy from ethical and sustainable brands. My dress is from Kowtow which is a sustainable brand here in New Zealand. An issue that is raised around sustainable brands is that they tend to cost more however this is understandable as they are paying fair wages to each employee in the supply chain and don't cut costs to allow for their pieces to last a lifetime. Combining two of my tips is to buy your ethical clothing second hand. For me, I bought all my Kowtow pieces at a sample sale. Sample sales is a great way to buy pieces of clothing that weren't sold during the season or clothing that is slightly defective but doesn't affect the integrity of the clothes, all at a discounted rate. Keep an eye out for sample sales in your area. At this particular sale I bought three pieces which I hope to share with you in future posts.



I'm hoping to create more posts around sustainability as this is something I am actively working towards.

Thank you for dropping by!

Kahutara

14th September 2019. Our two year anniversary. After a crazy year of the last trimester of pregnancy, becoming first time parents and raising a newborn we decided we needed to treat ourselves to something truly special. After much umming and ahing we decided on booking a night in the Kahutara PurePod. At $590 a night it is very much a luxury but I can safely say, it is worth every cent. 

We set off in the morning, after dropping our son at his grandparents. Neither of us had driven to Kaikoura for a long time and already we were being stunned by the views of the spectacular mountain ranges and coast along the way. Little did we know that it would just continue to get better. 

We arrived at the car park where we would follow a map to the secret location. The short tramp took us through forests which felt as though the heat had been trapped in just for us. We followed the track hearing all the different birdsongs and appreciating the native flora. The mountains and river were crisp in the spring sun and we couldn’t believe we lived in such a gorgeous country. It felt like we were in the middle of the Swiss Alps but we were only a two and a half hour drive from our city. 

The next 20 hours were ones of complete bliss. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words; so I’ll let these images speak for themselves. 

Pictures with a * were taken by me. All others taken by Peter (Cyren’s Cosmedia). 

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Blouse - Baby The Stars Shine Bright. Overalls - Princess Polly. Boots - Rollie.