In episode 19 of the Sustainable Solutions with Planet Aid podcast, Planet Aid Communications Content Specialist, Monica Johnson, and Communications Manager Haley Chitty welcome Valerie Coulloumme-Labarthe. Valerie is the Founder/Executive Director of Encore, a nonprofit organization promoting resilience, solidarity sustainability in the US and France. Continue reading for the conversation highlights, or listen to the full podcast on platforms like Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Substack, or the Planet Aid website.
A Passion for Secondhand Clothing
Our guest, Valérie Coulloumme-Labarthe, is a passionate advocate for sustainable fashion. The Encore Executive Director has a unique journey that weaves together personal history, creative endeavors, and community support.
Valérie, a French native who moved to Washington, D.C., four years ago with her husband and five children, shared her early experiences with thrifting. Growing up in a military family with limited resources, she discovered a love for beautiful fabrics and unique designs. This passion led her to thrift with her family, a habit that has continued to flourish.
Upon arriving in the U.S., she was inspired by American thrift stores, particularly Planet Aid, where she found a treasure trove of sustainable clothing options.
Valérie expounds on the serendipitous way that her connection began with Planet Aid. The Planet Aid Thrift store was close to her organic grocery store, allowing her to visit regularly. She developed friendships with the thrift store staff.
Later, she began working with Sustainable Solutions host and Communications Content Specialist, Monica Johnson, after Monica discovered her tagged social media post elegantly displaying sustainable fashion from the thrift store. During Valérie's interactions, she felt inspired to expand her vision to include Planet Aid in an upcoming sustainable project
A Sustainable Resilience Fashion Show
From her initial passion for thrifting, Valérie talks about how her endeavors transformed into a professional mission. She founded a consulting company that evolved into a nonprofit organization that organizes unique events. One such event in November 2023 was a groundbreaking sustainable fashion show, which utilized donated clothing from the Planet Aid Thrift Store.
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The sustainable clothing was not the groundbreaking part of the fashion show. What was groundbreaking and the most unique aspect of the fashion show was the models. They were wounded veterans, some with visual wounds and others with the unseen wounds of war. The event was held at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. and benefitted the Wounded Warrior Project.
On the night of the fashion show, 15 veterans/models had the incredible opportunity to look and feel their best in beautifully curated, sustainable outfits.
The podcast also discusses Valerie's motivation for the show, which was close to her heart because of her close military ties. Valerie's husband, father, and grandfather served in the French Military. The event honoring the military was paired with the sustainable fashion show to display the value of resilience and embracing a second life. She says, "Human beings are vulnerable, but when you manage to connect with your own vulnerability, to accept your own vulnerability...then you become powerful."
This year, Valerie also invited veterans from France, the United States, and Ukraine to model for the show. At the time of the podcast, the show was happening in May, but it has been postponed to a later date.
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Encore's Mission
The mission of Encore is to empower the next generation by fostering resilience in vulnerable communities, highlighting that fashion can be both sustainable and meaningful. Valérie believes that the most inspirational figures in sustainable fashion are those who are rebuilding their lives, such as veterans who have sacrificed for peace.
This podcast episode beautifully illustrates Valérie's journey from thrifting to creating impactful community projects. It serves as a reminder that sustainable fashion and social empowerment can go hand in hand, and that meaningful connections can lead to profound change.
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