For Emma Hartley, owner of vintage and pre-loved clothing store The Conscious Exchange, fashion was something she always wanted to get into. As a teenager she had her sights set on becoming a fashion buyer and following high school studied fashion at Orana Fashion Business College in Sydney. However, on entering the industry, she struggled to find her place.
“It didn’t feel like me. It just felt very surface level, like it didn’t have a deeper meaning. It was more about what you were wearing than what you stand for. I knew I couldn’t do a job that didn’t necessarily help anyone. So I left that dream, put it in the back of my mind and then went into really corporate jobs,” explains Emma.
As is often the case though, life has a funny way of bringing you back to the place you began. One such turning point came for Emma following a trip to America in 2015.
“I visited a store called The Buffalo Exchange (in Brooklyn) and saw this different idea. It wasn’t an op-shop or brand-new clothing, but like the in between… good quality pre-loved and the cool vintage stuff. It was a place where you could just change your wardrobe and get cash back or store credit and I thought, ‘Why isn’t that here?’”
Emma sat on this question for a few years but it was only after becoming a mother and relocating from Sydney to Newcastle in 2018 that she took the first steps towards answering it. Initially, this came in the form of selling pre-loved kids clothing and building an online presence.
From there, Emma began selling from some collaborative spaces across Newcastle. However, as her ambitions and stock grew, Emma needed more space and in February 2020 she opened her first stand-alone store, The Conscious Exchange, in Lambton.
“When I was just a part of the other shops, I still wanted this idea of creating a clothing exchange but it’s not really feasible when you’re just a little rack in a shop. So when I opened The Conscious Exchange, that’s what I wanted it to be, but then the pandemic hit three weeks later,” explains Emma.
Thankfully, The Conscious Exchange made it through the first year of the pandemic and it wasn’t long before Emma found herself once again looking for more retail space. It was a predicament she felt certain would end one of two ways.
“In Lambton, our space was really tiny. It got to a point where we needed to grow or shut down completely. So I decided to give it one last shot in a different location to see if I could make it work or I’d give up on it altogether,” remarks Emma.
It got to a point where we needed to grow or shut down completely. So I decided to give it one last shot in a different location to see if I could make it work or I’d give up on it altogether.
Doubling down on her vision, Emma secured a new location in January 2021, which is The Conscious Exchange’s current home on Maitland Road in Islington. In describing what drew her to the current premises, Emma describes it almost like love at first sight, albeit from a distance.
“I was only going to move to this space, it wasn’t anywhere else. I just loved it. It just felt like my space,” says Emma, before adding, “I’d never actually been inside the building prior to signing the lease.”
Inside the store, it’s easy to see the appeal. With high ceilings and timber floorboards, natural light floods the front of the store through the large glass shopfront. A wooden staircase, complete with a kids’ playroom beneath, opens to a loft space secured by a balcony with a colourful desert-inspired mural by Squidless Studios.
White walls are adorned with rainbows of eclectic clothing and accessories while a mint counter at the back of the store anchors the space. Various wooden shelves around the store stock a range of largely locally sourced, everyday sustainable products. These include moisturisers, bath salts, balms and oils from Petit Papillon, toothpaste from Love Beauty Foods and dried floral arrangements from Flowers by Sophia Jean to name a few.
It’s not just the space that’s been a perfect fit for Emma. The surrounding neighbourhood and likeminded vintage/second-hand stores have also become a wonderful circle of support.
“Everyone gets what you’re doing on this street. The community is so supportive. Many of them have been here for a long time, but I feel like they have accepted me as the newbie, which is nice,” says Emma.
Now, with enough space and lockdowns seemingly a thing of the past, Emma has finally been able to get the clothing exchange up and running in earnest. This means people can bring their pre-loved clothing, shoes, hats, belts, jewellery and bags into The Conscious Exchange to be assessed for purchase.
If the items are deemed suitable, you’ll be offered either a store credit worth fifty per cent of the item’s resell value or be given up to twenty-five per cent of the resell value back in cash that can be transferred that same day.
Not only does this allow people to offload their unwanted apparel in a sustainable way, it also provides an opportunity to re-educate consumers, which is something Emma is very passionate about.
People can bring their pre-loved clothing, shoes, hats, belts, jewellery and bags in to be assessed for purchase. If the items are deemed suitable, you’ll be offered either a store credit worth fifty per cent of the item’s resell value or be given up to twenty-five per cent of the resell value back in cash…
“I wanted to create this circular economy with clothing because so much of it goes to landfill.
Society-wise, people think they’re doing a good thing if they donate it and I’m like, that’s not it. The op shops and charity shops are completely overwhelmed and most of it is in unsellable condition so it gets sent off to third world countries and they have too much so it gets burnt.”
“I want to re-educate people to be more conscious with the things they purchase in the first place. If they’re going to buy new, make sure that it’s good quality and has resale value. That way, they can bring it to places like this so we can keep circulating it.”
Maintaining the level of quality in garments coming into the store is paramount for Emma. In order to be accepted by The Conscious Exchange all items must be freshly clean and free from odours, stains and holes. Natural fabrics such as linen, cotton and wool are desirable, though they do accept some blends to cater for those with allergies.
Items can be brought in for exchange every day except Monday and Saturday. Clothing and accessories for all sizes and genders are welcome, along with children’s apparel six months plus. The Conscious Exchange works closely with the needs of the community and therefore generally only accepts clothing of the current season. There is a limit of up to thirty pieces per exchange.
Events are another area of focus for Emma with The Conscious Exchange hosting Sunday Sesh, a vintage and pre-loved market every second month. Vintage resellers – with equally sustainable and high-quality garments – are invited to rent a rack within The Conscious Exchange to sell their wares for a day. With a loyal following, the Sunday Sesh markets have gained a reputation for the calibre of their highly curated vintage collections.
Additionally, Emma has recently introduced Sip and Style events. Over drinks and nibbles, vintage lovers have the opportunity to shop and connect while receiving expert advice from a sustainable stylist.
“I wanted to have events where you bring something from your wardrobe that you love but just don’t wear anymore,” says Emma.” The stylist can then show you how to wear it again so you can bring it back into high rotation.”
As for what’s next, Emma lists continuing to educate shoppers to be more conscious and consume more ethically, while growing the business and potentially even adding another location as all being on her radar. In the meantime, she seems content with being exactly where she’s at, especially when that involves her establishment being known to some Novocastrians as their favourite shop.
“Shopping has always been such a big part of my life. I’ve always loved fashion. I’ve always wanted a shop, a business and to be a buyer. I’ve always had my favourite shops and for me to be that to someone else is so exciting. The fact that people want to come in, support me and love what I’m doing, I’ll never take that for granted.”
Words: Emily McGrorey | Photography: Dominique Cherry | Model: Jessica Wright
As seen in Swell Issue 15.
