MADI Apparel launches a fresh, ethical way to shop with Slow Motion Goods

Owner Hayley Santell stands in front of her upgraded storefront.

Hayley Santell, founder of MADI Apparel, is launching a new way to shop in her new storefront, Slow Motion Goods [1659 Summit St]. It will encourage shoppers to understand the materials and manufacturing of a product before making a purchase.

Art and apparel waiting to be browsed.

The layout of Slow Motion Goods will include a bar and listening area in the back where people can sit and hang out while they debate a purchase. Also, every piece of merchandise will have a tag that explains what it was, how it was upcycled, and what materials were used to make it.

“We want to be that spot for them to learn,” Santell says. “I’ve been developing [Slow Motion Goods] based on what I’ve seen, what I’ve learned, and what I want to teach, but that’s kind of my goal. I always want to teach, I always want to grow, I want to be listening, and I want to be communicating.”

The new storefront in the Westside will be hosting a launch party on Earth Day where people can have cocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, and enjoy live music. Consumers will also be the first to shop the upcycled merchandise and, of course, MADI apparel will be a highlight of the store.

Santell, an artist at heart, has been working for months and using entirely sustainable materials to create pieces of art that will decorate and be merchandise for the store. She explains that materials, like canvas, are some of the most commonly wasted goods.

A shelf showing off the plant-leather bags and some reclaimed shoes.

For example, not every “Live, Laugh, Love” sign you see will be hung in a home forever. They are littered around thrift stores, but can also be easily painted over and made into something new.

“We have our personal touch on everything here. We don’t just carry other brands. We make our own clothing, and everything we have that’s reclaimed has been touched by us in some way. I think that if anything comes in the future, I just want to stick to that,” Santell says. “Anything I do, I want it to be empowering, impactful, and matter to me.”

Santell partners with brands across the globe to ensure that all of the accessories in her store are ethically sourced and as biodegradable as possible. One of the products featured on the shelves is a bag made of plastic-free, vegan leather.

The company that makes the leather even sends overflow scraps of the material when it can’t be used in their production, and Santell turns them into small notebooks with recycled paper. 

The donated underwear, made from bamboo, is also on sale in the store.

Thrifted shoes that have been repainted, slightly-used records, and even biodegradable underwear will be included in the stock at Slow Motion Goods. Every sale of MADI clothing will also donate a pair of underwear–the most needed/least donated clothing item–to people in need.

The launch event starts at 7 p.m. It will open the shop to anyone who wants to come by and check out the new items, but it will also be the beginning of the new shopping experience that Santell wants to encourage: slow, intentional, and informed shopping.

“Our slogan, it’s on the front, but it’s a home for conscious consumers. And the goal is for it to be welcoming, warm, you can stay a while, and you can learn,” Santell says “If you want to be conscious when you’re shopping, it can look multiple ways. It can be used, it can be reclaimed, it could be new, but we kind of want to teach people what that looks like, and how they can participate.”