Small businesses are setting the standard for all companies, and with one change at a time, the future of the fashion industry might just be looking up. 

Boutique owner Justine Gallo opened Sun in Leo, located in downtown Kent, this past February with sustainability at the forefront of her business. 

Gallo graduated from Kent State in 2022 with a fashion design major. She has always felt a push towards sustainability, in and outside of fashion, and has been educated on the topic since high school. 

“It just felt like whatever I did in life, I wanted to keep the planet in mind,” Gallo said. “To me, I was like, what is my purpose here if it’s not taking care of the place that is my home?” 

Her main sustainable practices at Sun in Leo include responsibly sourcing materials, promoting a circular marketplace and repairing clothing. 

“We thrift everything, so everything comes from secondhand stores,” Gallo said. “I take from that stuff what I choose to up-cycle and repair, that’s a really important part of circularity, is the repair process.” 

Thrifting clothing keeps her from contributing to sales of new clothing or fabric, thus ensuring the clothing already produced is being used to its fullest potential.   

 As for responsibly sourcing materials, Gallo uses faire.com to buy sustainable materials from smaller sellers, along with reaching out to local sellers in the area.  

“I source anything I can’t do like rings and art,” Gallo said. But I’ll find other small sellers that make them themselves or have their own art businesses.”  

To promote sustainability to her customers, she encourages them to bring pieces they want repaired to her so she can fix them. However, if customers just want to get rid of clothing, they can bring it to the store and get a coupon to shop for new pieces. 

Gallo also gives customers a lifetime warranty on items bought from Sun in Leo to encourage them to get the most out of their pieces. 

“If you buy something, you’ll get a free alteration if you need it tailored in any way,” Gallo said. “Just so you do get a piece that will last and will stand the test of time, rather than cheap pieces from fast fashion stores.” 

Sun in Leo is one of the few sustainable clothing stores that resides in Kent, and is always changing their inventory. So many people come back as returning customers to see what is new. This includes many Kent State students and locals of the city stopping in while walking through the downtown area. 

“I feel like there’s nothing like it in Kent, so it’s nice to have options for places like this,”  customer Isabelle Roeder said. 

Entering the boutique is more than just shopping for a shirt, it becomes an experience when customers know there is a story behind every piece. 

Gallo tries to have at least one item for everyone, with a range of options, from basics all the way to unique, upcycled pieces.  

“I want people to know about us and to grow, so I can hire more people, and we can make it more of the norm,” Gallo said. “This needs to be what every store strives for.”