ethos pathos asks... Sustainability & Fashion Expert, Kim Gerlach of sun & rise

Mindful living and sustainable fashion choices go hand in hand for us. That's why we're talking with Kim Gerlach over at sun & rise, a multi-talented generalist with a yellow heart for all things sustainable. She is also the creator of REFLECTIONS journals and journalling prompt stickers.
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ep: We love your REFLECTIONS stickers. They are prompts to be used within journaling. Do you have a favoured reflection that you return to? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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kg: I have curated 64 questions from a collection of over 400 questions I’ve gathered. The ones for REFLECTIONS all have different depths and intentions. I could easily go with a playful one, like “A reason to laugh” or “what do I want right now?”. I actually think it’s more about the ones I avoid. “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?” or “How do I inspire myself?”⠀⠀⠀

Journals and mindful stickers from Kim Gerlach at REFLECTIONS and sun & rise

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ep: What are your favourite acts of self-care?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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kg: They definitely come in different shapes and vary a lot. From a good cup of tea in the morning to making an energizing matcha latte for myself.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I’ve also noticed that routines give me a lot of mental capacity for other thoughts and activities. Being able to go to bed at 10.30 each night and having seven hours of sleep is pure luxury to me. Having a nutrition-filled meal is pure luxury to me. And another very ordinary act of selfcare is cycling around Berlin. And as I am a very sensitive being, I sometimes use earplugs to make the world around me less noisy. That’s definitely a hack to everyday self-care!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I love riding the bike and not being able to multi-task in any way. And otherwise I also aim to have Sundays by myself to create space for whatever I need. The activities themselves can vary a lot. Journaling, breathwork and yoga are some of the typical Sunday sessions.⠀⠀⠀

Kim Gerlach, sustainable fashion expert and creator of REFLECTIONS journals and journalling promt stickers taking some time for self-care

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ep: As someone who is educated about sustainable fashion and as someone who prioritises self-care, how do you approach shopping as "retail therapy"?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
kg: This is a tricky one. I actually don’t value shopping as therapy and aim to stick to it as long as I can. I believe the short-term gratification of shopping and finding an item (that you likely didn’t even know you needed before you found it) is the result of our capitalistic consumption behaviours.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Thinking of my shopping behaviour, I use Instagram to spot items which I then add to my virtual wishlist. That wishlist is also shared with my closest darlings so they know what to get me for my birthday hehe. If I still like the item two months after seen it, I’m more likely to have found something that will last a season or two and that could enrich my life more than a trendy fashion item. In those two months of waiting I usually wonder: Does the item match my current wardrobe? Is it easily washable (I strongly dislike chemical/professional washing or handwashing). And how would I style it?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Slow fashion items can often be more pricey in comparison to fast fashion, and therefore, I really treat myself to that one items and have quite a long and conscious process before indulging in it.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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I must admit though, that my kind of “retail-therapy” is being able to treat myself at the organic shop. I can’t get enough of bread spreads, funky powders for my morning oats and other things I didn’t know I would need. So in a way, I don’t have a fashion therapy but rather a food therapy!⠀

ep: We love your shopping ethos! Definitely adding your tips to our own repertoire.

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