Meet Lexy Silverstein | Sustainable Fashion Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lexy Silverstein and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lexy, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking, in my opinion, is essential when it comes to truly living life to the fullest. How will you know if you like or don’t like rollercoasters if you never go on one? How will you know if you like or dislike tofu if you never try it?

While those examples are much less significant, I realize, risks, small and big, can actually change your life completely.

For me personally, my entire career so far has been a big risk with a bunch of tiny risks in between. It all started when I was thirteen, I decided to start a fashion blog. While this is not something that most thirteen-year-olds were doing at the time, fashion was always something I was interested in and I wanted to share my love with others. I took a risk by graduating from high school a year early and moving to Los Angeles at the age of 17 to start college. Those are just a few risks that have been pretty monumental in my life, as they’ve led to me being invited to New York Fashion Week, LA Fashion Week, getting a job at RCGD Global™ and getting to work with some of the biggest influencers in sustainable fashion behind-the-scenes at the Oscars.

Risk-taking was actually taught to me at my elementary school, at College Gardens Elementary School, a recognized International Baccalaureate World School. They used to encourage all students to be risk-takers on a daily basis. So I guess I can thank a lot of my earliest teachers, Ms. Israel, Mrs. Haifer, Ms. Gilbert and the school principal Stacey Rogovoy for my risk-taking mindset.

Risk-taking is hard and not natural. Sometimes your first instinct can be to stay within your comfort zone, but I’ve learned at an early age to “go for it” and even though that means you might fall on your face (which I’ve done so many times), you learn something. My mom always tells me to “fail”, cause when you fail you learn the most. But then she says, “fail faster,” meaning it’s okay to fail, but make sure you are quickly learning from your mistakes and making things better. So that’s been my motto and so far it’s served me well.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have loved fashion ever since I can remember. My mom recently pulled out a picture of me as a baby in her closet, wearing one of her hats and necklaces. She told me, “here it is, the moment when it all happened”. She always said, since I was born, I was obsessed with her clothes, jewelry, shoes, and handbags.

I started a fashion blog (eLEXYfy.com) when I was thirteen years old on the latest trends. Covering the latest styles meant constantly writing about new clothing.

The more I learned about the fashion industry, the more I learned how dangerous the industry is to our planet. On top of that, it can be harmful to the people that work in the industry. For instance, garment workers often are under age, work in terrible conditions and are paid a dollar a day, sometimes less. That’s pretty horrifying.

So I educated myself and started my journey from being a recovering fast-fashion addict to an informed sustainable-fashion advocate. I am not perfect, nor will I be. I just strive to be more informed and take intentional actions every day to get better and be more sustainable.

I also want to help others with that same process. I now use my blog, social platforms (Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) and podcast (eLEXYfy, The Place for Fashion) to inform others of the harmful impact of the fashion industry and ways they can become more sustainable whether it’s through thrifting, upcycling and educating my peers that dressing fashionably and being environmentally conscious are not mutually exclusive.

I started my podcast to educate others, but it turns out I’m getting quite the education. I have been able to learn from many sustainable advocates and other content creators in the industry. It has been incredible to make these relationships with people who are fighting the same fight as me. My goal is to make it a more inclusive, sustainable, and ethical industry.

There have definitely been some struggles along the way. It wasn’t very common for people to start a career so early in life. I often got made fun of in grade school for having a blog and posting as a content creator on social media. All the struggles you go through make you stronger and I can say that I am definitely stronger because of my experiences.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My little itinerary would include all of my favorite things of which include: thrifting, drinking chai, and reading books (with a few extra things here and there). We would start out the day going to the Beachwood Cafe. A Harry Styles classic if you’re a fan, like I am! He mentions this cafe in one of his songs, Falling, and it’s been a popular breakfast location ever since. It’s super cute inside and has good food. So, not only is it Harry Styles approved but it’s also Lexy Silverstein approved, not that that matters as much.

Then we would head over to Andante coffee in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) and pick up an Iced Chai latte with oat milk, or whatever floats your boat. We’d make our way over to The Last Bookstore which is also in DTLA. The Last Bookstore is California’s largest used and new book and record store. It’s great for content creation and it’s a great place to shop if you’re a book and vinyl lover.

After that, we would head to a few different thrift stores, whether it’s Goodwill, Value Village, or walking around Melrose to go to a bunch of different vintage stores. We would end the day with going to my favorite ramen place, DTLA Ramen. I suggest getting the spicy creamy vegan ramen with the spicy garlic edamame. For the remainder of the week, I would include hikes like the one at Topanga State Park. Obviously, the beaches are a go-to in California. My favorite is El Matador beach in Malibu. After a long week of tanning in the sun, buying vintage things, and touring around Los Angeles, I would hope my best friend had the best time ever!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve already given some important shoutouts to some of my influential teachers. I’ve been fortunate to receive so much help along the way. My parents, Marc Silverstein and Kathy Fowler, both had long careers in TV news and now have their own public relations company together. They have both inspired me with their work ethic and their love of what they do.

Some of their TV genes definitely passed onto me because I have never been one to shy away from a camera. In fact, the second a camera is on I feel like I can immediately sense it.
When I was little, I remember helping my dad practice for his upcoming satellite media tours where he’d go live talking about a bunch of different products. I’d pretend to be the host of “The Lexy Show” who just happened to have him on as a guest and I’d run through the questions and answers with him. He was practicing for a live show the next day. Little did I know I was practicing for a podcast that was still 10 years in my future.

My mother and I share the same love and passion for fashion. We could be dangerous together if I weren’t into sustainable fashion. I know she’ll drop just about everything and help me with no notice. She says she’s also learning so much about sustainability and has changed her shopping habits because of me, so hey, maybe I am helping the planet one person at a time.

One more person who has been influential in the early part of my career is Samata Pattinson, the CEO of RCGD Global. She is a strong female making her way in the fashion industry. I am so grateful to be working so closely with her now at this incredible global organization that is really trying to change the world. I continue to learn from her every day whether it’s about sustainability or how to lead as a woman, in what still remains a man’s world.

One last thing we do need to talk about––the naysayers, the negative people in your life. We all have them. There are always going to be people who are threatened by you taking risks, jealous of things you are willing to do that they are too scared to attempt. It might be a friend, a family member or maybe it’s your own second-guessing demons. You have to shut them out, shut them down, or maybe even physically remove yourself from them altogether. If you are doing good things, hard things in life, you can only surround yourself with people who truly support you and wish you the best. You also have to be that person, to your support group. Be their biggest cheerleader, even if they are personally kicking your butt at work.

Website: www.elexyfy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexysilverstein/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexysilverstein

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eLEXYfy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073995582845

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5xN3SSUSKj_7kkSIymtFoQ

Other: Podcast: https://elexyfytheplaceforfashion.buzzsprout.com/share

Image Credits
James Isaac Jones Photography Wanderlust Creative Co.- Liz Williams Isabelle Victoria Photos