Meet Stella Abril- Change is Now

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stella Abril

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in AZ. I was a quiet child, no voice, no confidence. I would search for value in everything else but myself. I sorta fumbled through life with no real joy or understanding of my womanhood. No identity. Sometime around 2006/2007, I began exploring self-development shortly after having my first little gal. I got divorced in 2009 and I really dove in and committed to therapy and healing from that point. I met my current hubby in 2010 and had two more little gals. Since then, it’s been a wild ride digging and soul healing. I have an amazingly supportive hubby and 3 little warrior women to raise. They have really been my drive to learn and to do better. To push for change. To push for a better world. I have my own podcast called Change is Now where we talk about everything surrounding global sustainable fashion and beauty. It’s a platform where we push for change and educate and empower our listeners to make small changes and to use their voice. I am the President of a sustainable fashion organization called AZSAA (Arizona Sustainable Apparel Association). We showcase our local Arizona brands and creators. We have a podcast going for that called “Growing Together” hosted by my amazing board members Madeline Dolgin and Illiana Mata where we highlight all of our local sustainable brands and creators and hear their stories. In March we are set to launch a sustainable fashion leadership mastermind pilot, collect feedback and create an online community of support in the sustainable fashion space. I am a Remake Ambassador, a Fashion Revolution Southwest City Lead for Phoenix, and a Good Human Founding Member. I have dedicated my life to sustainable fashion and sharing my knowledge with those around me.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Not at all! Anytime you evolve, there’s always this level of discomfort. Change and growth can feel messy. The initial challenge anytime you are shifting your entire mindset, is becoming overwhelmed. I remember when I first started researching sustainable fashion and fast fashion, I knew I wanted to make changes, but I had no clue where to start. I was mortified by some of injustices in the fashion industry, the environmental impact, the social impact, the political impact. I was overwhelmed to say the least. So this is usually where most people give up. I am a Project Manager so my brain thinks in terms of planning. I had to sit down and develop a plan for myself. I started with one small change per month and went from there. I think the overall challenge for me now, is to remain focused on the impact. It’s so easy to get discouraged and think “how can one person or one family actually drive big change?” Fear can creep in from time to time and try to talk me out of my mission. So, I have a daily mantra that I repeat over and over “focus on the impact”. It works for me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Stella Abril- Change is Now?
Stella Abril-Change is Now is a platform that pushes for awareness. We gently empower others to choose their impact and focus on change. We specialize in driving and expanding the sustainable fashion movement. I host a podcast called Change is Now where we talk about the uncomfortable topics. The stuff no one likes to hear but needs to hear. I think the one thing that sets me apart in this space is that I am not your typical sustainable fashion influencer. Most podcast hosts in this space have a sustainability or fashion background. I don’t have that. In fact, I am coming from the perspective of being a former fast fashion addict myself. I am inviting people to join me on my journey through sustainability. I am so proud of both the podcast and Arizona Sustainable Apparel Association’s growth! These two projects are extremely special to me. Never in a million years did I think I would be blessed enough to help push this movement. But here we are! And I am just so grateful! I want the readers to see the work I do and know that my entire heart and soul goes into creating awareness around environmental, health, social, political and economic impacts of the fashion industry. When you begin to educate yourself on the untold truths of fast fashion and you learn about how fashion is impacting farmers and garment workers, you can’t unknow that kind of stuff. It’s heartbreaking. So, I want to the readers to have as much truth as possible so that they can make informed decisions and understand how much power their consumer dollar carries. And lastly, we are planning to launch the full Sustainable Fashion Leadership Mastermind this summer! We really want to create a space where we are taking down silos and lifting one another up. It’s an “I rise, you rise” mindset that we are trying to foster in the sustainable fashion space. I am just so excited about all of it!

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love that although we are not considered a sustainable fashion hub, sustainable fashion is growing! This community is open to learning and to evolving. I love that we have so many local susty fashion creators and influencers to showcase and to share. I love the culture and the roots and the history we have here. I can’t wait to help to expand this movement both locally and globally!

Contact Info:

• Email: stellaabril@gmail.com
• Website: https://stellaabril.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stella_abril_/

Image Credits
Girls Squad Inc Michelle Perdue Photography