Environmentally friendly, totally local and incredibly fashionable
A Florida Atlantic student is finding a way to repurpose used clothes into new fashion statements — and to honor her mother’s memory in the process
According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, over 16 million tons of textiles were thrown away in 2014. That’s roughly 475 pounds per person. Fashion labels are starting to take notice on how clothing makes a dangerous contribution to world waste. One FAU student is on a mission to change that — and to dress you fashionably.
Meet Peppy Debs, an environmentally positive clothing business with flair for style.
Peppy Debs was created just over five months ago by Florida Atlantic University student Julia Cataldo. Cataldo repurposes second-hand clothing that she finds at local thrift stores and sells them through the popular social media platform Instagram.
“To be a broke college student and a fashionista at the same time seems impossible these days,” said Cataldo. “I took my love for thrifting and re-designing old things into new and created my own little business.”
By definition, thrifting is the action of visiting a secondhand or vintage clothing store in hopes of finding unique, one-of-a-kind clothing items.
Jackets, dresses, tops, pants — you name it, Peppy Debs sells it. With nearly 1,500 followers, Cataldo has racked up quite a few followers in a short amount of time. She markets her business by hosting giveaways, replying to customers’ comments, and always keeping her followers informed about when she will post new pieces for sale or where she stands in her creative process.
“I strive to find pieces that look one of a kind. If it’s boring, then I’ll make it one of a kind,” said Cataldo.
Cataldo visits multiple thrift stores a week. She goes into the store with an open mind, and she checks not only the women’s section but also the children’s and men’s section as well. Searching through tops, dresses, pants and skirts, she’ll find pieces with distinguishable patterns that stick out. She finds the best pieces, she says, in the children’s section.
Once she returns home with her purchases, she goes straight to work on the sewing machine. This is her creative space, where the magic comes alive. She will add funky patches to a once bland denim jacket, or sew fabric onto an ordinary pair of shorts. All fabric she uses for clothing is bought or recycled from thrift stores.
“I feel like going the whole ‘Made in China’ route would stray far away from my original intent of being environmentally friendly and local,” said Cataldo.
After she is finished creating, Cataldo photographs the pieces that she is selling. She photographs herself, and friends in her unique clothes. She likes to take pictures in different landscapes like the beach, gardens, and along funky colored walls.
She then takes to Instagram to sell her clothing. She’ll post items in the morning and people have until the end of the day to bid. The person with the highest bid gets the article of clothing.
Natalie Lazor is a Peppy Debs customer from New York who loves to thrift.
“Everything Julia does is rad from the clothes to the pictures,” said Lazor.
The name ‘Peppy Debs’ is inspired by Cataldo’s mom, Debbie. Debbie had an outgoing personality and “peppy” attitude. When Debbie passed away, Cataldo knew this business would be a great way to pay homage to her mother.
“She was always a fashion icon to me — I could never understand how she balanced wearing both men’s and women’s clothing so well and still look stylish,” said Cataldo, “The success of Peppy Debs is incredible, and I can feel her presence with me everyday. She is so proud of me.”
Cataldo has goals to expand Peppy Debs from a small side hustle to a full-time production. She hopes to save enough money to buy a large trailer or airstream to tour the country, selling her recycled clothing at national events.
“It helps to know I will never run out of my product, because thrifting/recycling clothes is something that will be around forever,” said Cataldo.
Cataldo is majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in entrepreneurship. That minor in entrepreneurship already seems to be paying off, and will help her gain more knowledge in running a business.
Creating and designing clothing does not feel like work to Cataldo. She has a passion for designing new clothing and challenging herself to create new pieces.
“It gets me excited to make a new piece every time,” said Cataldo, “Being able to help the environment is just a bonus.”
For more information or to check out Peppy Debs.com and her Instagram handle @peppydebs.
