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A CONVERSATION WITH MARIE COPPS

Spencer Feature Interview MARIE COPPS

A Conversation With MARIE COPPS

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By Maddie Hession

The soulful Marie Copps is quickly becoming a Toronto householdname.FromachildhoodintheCzechRepublic to a Canadian acclaimed artist and designer, Marie Copps uses her voice and art to dive into the true human experience with confidence and grace. From floral arrangements to gowns, to elaborate jewelry & millinery, Marie has sold her paintings in European auctions, created gownsforthe pageantsand CashmereCollection,CzechRepublic “SheisaQueen”collectionforFAT. beauty An underlying beauty of many of Marie’s works is the platform she gives to social and environmental issues around the globe.Herpainting,QueenoftheArctic,broughtattentionto arctic drilling, her monumental Toronto-based Fashion Shoot Extravaganza event was held in support of the Breakfast Club of Canada. Today, Marie speaks out about the environmental impact of the fashion industry itself.

With a passion for unique personal style and a heart of female empowerment, Marie opens up about her life and the inspirations that drive her today.

Maddie Hession: As a child in the Czech Republic, you were alienated for wearing your own hand-made clothing. How does that impact your design style today?

Marie Copps: I grew up during the ‘80s in a much different era. In the Czech Republic, we did not have much fashion choice. Luckily, I had creative women around me, including my mom, who made beautiful clothing for my sister and I. Learning to knit and sew before the age of 10, I started making my own garments. I loved the fact no one else had the same outfits as me. In grade school, I encountered one very challenging and traumatic experience that impacted my life. A schoolmate of mine did not approve, or was jealous of my unique self-expression, and convinced our class to ignore me for weeks. I was too young then to understand how it might impact me as an adult. When we go through these hurtful moments at such a young age, we come to think it is not safe to be ourselves. I now understand the profound feelings that come when wearing original clothing. That being said, the expressive way I dress today is something I started only 3 years ago. I had to clear those blocks from early childhood and go through very painful personal transformations. Now, in my fifties, I am finally able to be myself and am okay with the fact some people will not like it. I learned the hard way that it has nothing to do with me.

This issue of Spencer Magazine is focusing on women’s empowerment. As a successful artist and business woman, what does women’s empowerment look and feel like to you?

I can honestly say I am not where I want to be myself and am still learning every day. It is a slow growth journey with lots of twists and turns. Going down this path, you come to face many challenges and obstacles. I would call myself a workaholic, so learning how to pace myself is still a challenge. I have been through a few bad burnouts. We are taught to believe different things about “success” and some are not true. We are told to compete with each other and I believe that is detrimental and unsustainable. I believe we each have unique gifts and skill sets that are aligned with who we are at the core. If we find a way to share these with the world to make it a better place, that is ultimate success. I am thrilled when I see someone finding the courage to take small steps toward their dream career. I am a big cheerleader to everyone who wants to break free from what makes them unhappy. Life is too short to wait for the perfect moment. There is no such thing. You have to go get it. Being stuck somewhere you feel you don't belong is draining. I love hearing success stories of people who navigate hardship, but make it work anyways. It is so inspiring and uplifting.

This is a big one. I’ve come from a country where we only had a few things to choose from. Here, we have more than we need. The opposition still blows my mind. On top of this, we now have a social media culture where we show our outfits once and it’s over. This is damaging to our environment and to our mental health. We are bombarded with fashion “trends”, and the race to keep up with this social construct is insane. Some people have a huge following base where the power of influence is immense. There are some incredible influencers promoting thrifting and wearing vintage pieces. That is something I would like to see more of in the future. My hope is that each individual person will realize the unimportance of these trends and start cultivating their own personal styles instead.

As a designer, what is important to you for the future of fashion?

“I think fashion needs to I think fashion needs to change worldwide. Our consumption is unhealthy and unsustainable. The change worldwide. metrics are already screaming at us

Our consumption is loud and clear. Fast fashion is responsible for 1/3 of industrial water pollution and consumes 98 million unhealthy and tons of non-renewable resources annually. Even more alarming, less unsustainable. The than 1% of materials for clothing production is recycled, and 30% of metrics are already fast fashion items go unsold. Even screaming at us loud and though I love fashion and am a fashion designer myself, I dislike the clear. Fast fashion is industry and its practices. It has secrets nobody, especially in the responsible for 1/3 of mainstream, wants to talk about. We must admit to ourselves that we are industrial water facing a major problem and change our approach to fashion. 713 gallons pollution and consumes 98 million tons of of water to produce a single white cotton t-shirt is a huge price to pay. Statistics from www.herbones.com/ fast-fashion-statistics/ non-renewable resources What are some things you do, and we annually.” can do at home, to make a positive impact on these fast-fashion statis-

tics? What more can Canadians do to be mindful in their fashion purchases?

What I would like to say is focus more on your unique personal style and forget about the trends. Before a purchase, I urge everyone to think hard about this new piece. Do I know how it was made? Do I really need it? How long will I wear this piece? Original personal style will always be more attractive than the latest dress from a famous fashion house. I love using pieces over again and I upcycle my garments as much as I can. What was a long skirt years ago is now a blouse or sleeves to a new jacket. I rotate the textile and try to use what I have to minimize the waste. I have put together a Fashion Self Discovery Guide for readers to start uncovering their own personal style!

I know you have major concerns on the environmental impact of the fashion industry, as do I. Can you talk to me about some of your biggest concerns? SHOT ON LOCATION in Yorkville, Toronto, Canada.

by Photographer and Creative Director Jonathan Levy

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