The new summer sustainable fashion and the art of telling a story through style

I often get asked how I find inspiration and clues to write stories on my blog, Instagram posts and for my photoshoots. Without a doubt there are many answers to that, but as someone who’s worked in fashion for long, I’ve honed my skills to use clothes as a communication tool that helps me express and embody who I am and who I strive to be. In today’s story I will demonstrate how I use clothes to speak up, using the new summer sustainable fashion from  By Adushka collection.

All images courtesy to Elisa Hutter

For this summer story I’ve invited Ines Kelly, a dear friend, a mum and creativepreneur, who’s talents as a  human design reader, astrologer, shamanic healer and ceremonialist have made her so popular in my Mums in Heels community through you probably know already if you’ve been watching my Instagram lives or reading By Adushka Lifestyle Journal.

We arrive at the By Adushka showroom on an unusually hot and humid afternoon in May. The photographer is here with her two daughters, the three month old Matilda and Fedora, who’s job today is to babysit. My daughter is here too, playing with Karin’s dog Maxi. Karin Kämpf, the founder of By Adushka pulls out some wine and Italian made sweets. We all feel at home here.

Ines and I chose three new summer styles and we head out for our first story. We chose to shoot one part of our story by the river, which for me represents the various challenges of life and is a symbol of constant movement and change. Ines on the other hand, represents for me the calm and inner balance in the middle of change, in the middle of the strong stream of the water and during a time of turbulence and storms. She always teaches me and others how to return to ourselves, to reconnect with what’s is inside and remain calm in the face of change and challenges.

As a healer and Human design Reader, Ines guides women on that journey towards the inside, recognising and honouring your own truths and values, learning to live in alignment with what matters personally for you. Analysing your birth chart, Ines guides women through the challenges of their life experiences, understanding their strengths and weaknesses better and learning how to accept their limitations. The results are powerful. Women start to live who they are without shame and guilt, with more intention and self-confidence.

To communicate that aspect of Ines work, we chose to dress Ines and myself in Santa Lupita dresses, from the HEALERS collection which for me represents hope and the power of human being to self-heal.  The HEALERS Collection was inspired by the search for balance, inner peace and healing, arising through challenging times. The return to nature, the emerging quest for “slower” and “more meaningful” lifestyle, the need to introspect and discover what really matters.

Finally you can see Ines and me going by the river bank, helping each other on the way, holding hands to pass the slippery parts of the way. That support we offer to one another remains a central and essential part of both of our work .

“I love things that age well – things that don’t date, that stand the test of time and that become living examples of the absolute best.”

Armani

Our second story is set in a wonderful garden, decorated with beautiful statues and wild roses. We find this place the perfect metaphor of Ines work as moon Ceremonialist and curator of La Luna Circle. A garden is a place where we plant seeds, water and nurture and fertilize the soil to grow something beautiful that heals the soul through beauty and harmony. Working in the garden is a way for many of us to connect with nature and to ground ourselves, especially in times when we spend so much time stuck in our head. Connecting with the earth, with the spirit guides, with the four elements of nature, empowering you through the lunar energies and activating your inner compass is Ines’ mission through her work. She uses ancient principles of the elements, drumming, journeying, dance, ritual and ceremony to give you the tools and bring you back to fully living and experiencing life.

For this part of our story we chose an outfit that consists of the Nomi vichy blouse, in a distinctive Japanese style and seersucker trousers in muddy brown. 

At a first glance you might think these two pieces are hard to mix and match, but with her open heart and her sensual energy Ines wears them in perfect harmony, as natural as water and air exist together with earth and fire, all of the elements represented in thugs look. The fire as seen in the handwoven in Madrid belt, designed by Guanabana.

I, on the other hand am wearing beautiful linen dress from Nina Leuca, a perfect representation of the earth element, through the linen material and the craftsmanship and traditional techniques, used in making of the dress. The elements of water and air, are also very clearly part of that dress, light and breezy as air and made to be worn near the sea. I am sure you can see who is the fire in that image.

In our final part of this summer story Ines and I are wearing peony and black silk maxi dresses, handcrafted in India, using ancient textile processes in order to preserve them. We chose this ethical brand, because it stands for the seeker in each one of us. We are all wanderers, looking to find happiness, fulfilment, joy, the simple human emotions that make our heart and soul sing. And in that thing we are all the same, we all deserve happiness!

And before I bring this story to an end I would like to tell you that creating such stories feels like like making magic to me. In every story there are many people involved that you don’t necessarily see…like that day on set: two young girls trying to teach a dog old circus tricks, a three mont old baby and our breastfeeding mum-photographer, Karin and her husband serving Italian sweets and coffee, me and Ines discussing Taro Cards, Astro Dice and Palo Santo rituals. My feeling was that in that short moment, we were changing the narrative of what is expected from us as women, mothers and even business owners. We were breaking rules and making our own way and what put us together that afternoon was working and wearing by Adushka. We felt at home, we were at peace among our own kind. There was connection, joy and harmony, sharing the same values and speaking our truth through the clothes we were and are  choosing to wear. 

In many ways by Adushka clothes help us express and live our authentic personalities, own our stories, who we are and who we want to become.

Starting to work with By Adushka a few years back taught me how to live and experience fashion, not just be a mindless consumer and follower of trends. It added depth and layers of living my own story, to the way I dress and express.

Working for By Adushka helped me slow down and change my buying habits, it added more awareness, intent and purpose to my decisions when it comes to my style and wardrobe.

Not to mention the sense of belonging and validation, of being understood and heard through the stories told by the brands curated within By Adushka.

Ines Kelly dressed in

Nomi Vichy Top

Momoni Oakland Trousers

Santa Lupita Talavera Dress

Anaak Black Silk Dress

Tsitaliya is wearing

Santa Lupita The HEALERS dress

Nina Leuca Santorini linen dress

Anaak Peony Silk Dress

Authentic Venetian slippers Teod’amar

Summer Tide Lines hat