Maddy Clements, owner of upcycled clothing company JUNK GOLD, “always had an obsession with fashion” and an eye for entrepreneurship — at just 11 years old, she was selling jewelry at a local boutique up the street from her house.
So perhaps it’s no surprise that the now 29-year-old decided to get her BFA in fashion design and launch her own clothing business in the process. She started JUNK GOLD as a thrifted styling service, inspired by the act of giving old clothes new life and the desire to combat the fashion industry’s massive waste problem.
“Where some may see an ugly old top at Goodwill, I see potential,” Clements tells Entrepreneur. “While studying fashion design in school, I often thrifted old clothing and textiles to use for my projects instead of buying new fabric to save money. I started enjoying the process of taking something old and drab and figuring out ways to make it new and exciting.”