I remember it like it was just yesterday—at seventeen, that age where life feels perched on the brink of something grand. In that atmosphere, I stumbled upon my first gem: a Levi's denim jacket, adorned with stars of every color, as if the sky itself had been painted on my back. It became a portal, a ticket into a world where I wasn’t just wearing clothes but ideas, stories, and, unknowingly, what would become a passion. For a long time, it was my favorite piece, but more than that—it marked the beginning of a discovery.

When the girls from Our Closet presented the idea of a collaboration—to speak on fashion, consciousness, and choices—I already had a chest full of ideas bubbling up. Five minutes is all it takes for someone to recognize just how much I adore the circular market, to sense the excitement in my voice when talking about a second-hand piece, with its history long imprinted on the fabric's folds.

*Levi's denim jacket, via @galoureiroleal*

At school, mathematics was never my forte, but now, the numbers tell the tale. According to Business Insider, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions. Ten percent. A statistic that weighs heavily on the air we breathe. On top of that, the industry drains water sources, dries up springs, pollutes rivers, and, by the end of each year, 85% of the fabrics produced end up in the trash, discarded like worthless scraps. Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world, runner-up only to oil. I could elaborate further on energy waste, microplastics released into the ocean, and fabrics that will never disappear, but I do not wish to burden you with what seems distant. I want you to see it up close.

The most surreal location I’ve ever set foot on was the Atacama Desert in Chile. It resembles Mars rather than Earth, an ongoing out-of-orbit sensation, where time feels like it belongs to another dimension. But, for the first time, a strange sadness overcomes me as I see this dreamlike landscape become the protagonist of a darker story. Every year, trucks arrive, one after the other, bringing fifty-nine thousand tons of clothing. Coming from Europe, the United States, and Asia, these clothes are hoping to be sold. Yet, out of this vast volume, forty thousand tons find no better fate than the desert's arid ground. Discarded, abandoned. There, in an otherworldly place, the remnant excess of ours gathers, conjuring a scene of horror.

Tired of the heavy topics, exhausting conversations, and frustrating sadness, let's turn to something lighter: the brightest side of curation—personality. Well-assembled closets, filled with pieces that tell stories, are unique, useful, and full of character. Today, we sacrifice individuality for the sake of trends. Consumption has become easy. A quick visit to Zara, and done—there’s the skirt that went viral on TikTok. And nothing beyond. A piece that often barely withstands a second wash soon becomes disposable. Everyone dresses the same; just look around. It feels like a choreography unfolding in the streets, a parade of sameness.

When choosing circular fashion, hunting through thrift stores, whether physical or online, you open yourself to a new narrative. It opens doors to the unexpected—soulful pieces that have withstood the test of time, surviving trends that have come and gone. Clothes that reflect life through marked memories and, most beautifully, perfectly fit into your own story. Circular fashion doesn’t push you into anyone’s mold; instead, it grants the freedom to embrace being yourself. You encounter a jacket with an unexpected lining, a dress that feels tailor-made, shoes that have walked different paths. It is all singular, all yours.

Under such thoughts, along with Dani and Bel from Our Closet, we gathered friends and selected the best second-hand and thrift stores around the globe.