I’ve worked in the fashion industry for over 15 years. Growing up on the outskirts of Montreal, Canada, I was surrounded by nature. Being an only child made me lean heavily into the natural world around me and respect the mystique of it all. During the 1980s, my dad built a nightclub in a church, effectively making the DJ booth a place of worship. The fusion of these two worlds, one of nature and one of creativity, gave me the tools to develop my namesake brand, Vanessa Moore.

I returned to fashion after a few years of noticing a rise in appreciation for slow fashion. There’s new energy from creators, one of consciousness and wholeness with their surroundings. Creating is becoming a form of care for each other and the environment.

Being a fashion lover and someone who wants to honor the earth can create tension. It is a tricky feeling to navigate, and it takes finding a suitable garment and knowing where it came from, how it was made, and trusting the seller. I believe we can have a more conscious fashion industry driven less by consumption and more by the community. The clothing and accessories from Vanessa Moore are made by my own hand, and like magic, I put artistic energy into each piece. In every stitch, there is a spell, in every cut, there is intention, and every piece sold casts a better future for your closet and our planet.

I wander around thrift stores imagining new lives out of abandoned materials. I remake them into cool, fresh, effortless pieces with a bright future. Tapestries become corsets, fabrics become handbags, and findings fit together to make dramatic jewelry. My inspirations usually come from uncovering mysteries like the occult, tarot, and psychic readings and exploring abandoned buildings. I also love Gothic architecture and UFOs. I surrender to the strange and uncanny and let them give life to my art.

Vanessa Moore is a step forward and a step into a new world where slow fashion isn’t hard to find.

While I love the unusual, I want to help make sustainable fashion the usual. Remaking is about empowerment. Buying apparel can no longer be a one-sided dead-end transaction now that customers can access processes, stories, and choices behind the purchase. I love moving things from the grave of the thrift store to a new life on a dance floor.