ELEVEN SIX WOMEN | @STYLEDEVOTEE

We talked with brand muse: Shalini Acharya of @styledevotee on the importance of sustainability, home rituals and her favorite pieces from the Spring collection.  We love Shalini's effortless style curation and how she uses her platform to support small, eco-conscious brands, speaking out with a compassionate, authentic voice for the greater good of the world.

What is @styledevotee and when did you embark on this venture?

Time flies! I had the idea for @styledevotee as early as 2014 and started working on it part time in late 2015. It was initially a website blog that shared my love of styling and fashion and almost naturally has turned into a more personal journey of wellness, navigating real everyday beauty and wearable fashion. I dabble in travel whenever I get the chance as well. 

You support and promote many sustainable brands  - can you share why and when that became a focus for you?

Choosing sustainable clothing will help us to be kind to the environment by reducing our environmental impact. Sustainable brands also are transparent, you learn where your garment is sourced and about the conditions of the factories where your garment is produced. My father, who is involved in the clean energy sector in Nepal, helped me to open my eyes on our carbon footprint. I started to do my research about the fashion industry and how much it has contributed towards the global climate impact. Learning that nearly 13 million tons of waste is thrown into a landfill woke me up. Slowly and steadily I have started to gravitate towards sustainable brands. Knowing the environmental impact of what I buy and wear is important to me and I hope more people will start educating themselves on sustainability and sustainable brands. My goal is to continue to be more aware and find more sustainable brands I can support. 

What routines or rituals have you instilled in your day-to-day during this stay-home period?

Routine definitely been comforting and helpful for our (me and my husband’s) mental health. On my best days, I’ve been waking up earlier than usual. My body enjoys the sunrise and drinking my hot lemon water and the clarity of yoga in the morning. My number one daily habit is going makeup free, since I can! This has had a lot of positive impact on the way I treat my skin and how much more I pay attention to what it’s trying to tell me (I know, we’re all going a little crazy) My third new habit in the evening is spending thought in the kitchen and enjoy some TV time and wine with my husband, it’s a great way to reconnect and end the day on a stable and happy note. 

What silver-linings do you hope for on the other side of COVID? 

I do believe people will learn to appreciate smaller things and realize you don’t need a lot to be happy. It sure has centered my priorities and clarified core values. 

Which ELEVEN SIX pieces are you enjoying from the Spring 20 collection?

I am wearing the Brie sweater with the Kira skirt. I love the combination of these colors together. It reminds of home (Nepal) very earthy and organic. 

The black outfit I am here in the Tara sweater. I instantly fell in love with this sweater because the open lace stitch. I can layer it with my slip dresses (like I did here) also, in the summer I can wear over my one piece. It is so versatile.