Interview with Signe Hansen

 interview taken by Miriam Mircea

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2020- the golden age of changes, new alignments and beginnings. Naturally, we really wanted to take part in the increasing movement of finding new focus within, of finding new love for old things, for people who have become estranged, for objects long forgotten.

We have felt deeply connected with and very saddened by what we have read, seen, experienced regarding the huge and tremendously scary global issues such as global warming, human and animal abuse, the plastic nightmare and the list goes on.

As a forever moving energy that we are, we have taken the decision to try once again and pioneer a unique combination: to use our voices, our site, our agency and our platforms to raise awareness.

Something must be done, it is urgent. Main goal: to open the eyes of even one person because change starts with one.

Plan of attack: write as much as possible about leading a better life, a cleaner life and a more sustainable life. We feel that it is the right time to take concrete action and show that we understand how deeply difficult a life turnaround process can be.

Our first step was to join the Romanian Sustainability Embassy –https://ambasadasustenabilitatii.ro –  through our agency. As of last week, we are proud new members, with much desire to bring ourselves in the middle of the action.

Our readers will understand our goals and mission, we are certain. Watch this space for upcoming news.

Step number two: to begin our online work by bringing you valuable content, in the form of articles, interviews and guest writers. Therefore, we have asked the Danish influencer, Signe Hansen – @useless_dk on Youtube and Instagram, to answer a few questions and she has kindly accepted to do so.

Signe is the real deal: she began her journey as a sustainable blogger and content creator from zero, without any help from anyone else. As she had said in some of her videos, she is a very creative mind and was looking for an outlet to express her thoughts and to become a voice of change. We have watched almost all her videos and visited her blog and have seen what a good match she is for our very first written interview in our new direction.

Signe is experienced and seasoned in the world of fashion, given that she has a bachelor in communication and media strategy. She has always had a love for fashion, ‘ a passion for fashion’,  and has felt that she could use her voice to open eyes and minds and to bring people closer through the concept of *hygge* so well portrayed by herself and her lifestyle.

Authors’ note: we recommend watching her videos curled up on the couch with some yummy food or a glass of great wine. She does make one feel like being in Denmark, a fairy-tale- like country, and she is so beautifully uncomplicated. Signe makes everything look so simple and doable and we wish that more and more of us learn to find beauty in simplicity.

We will be supporting her in her journey, as we truly believe in her message and her way of action. To make sure that more and more people join her, she has created the hashtag #2020wehaveplenty and everyone is welcome to join her on social media.Until next time, we invite you to read her witty answers to our questions.
As always, feedback is much appreciated. But remember: be kind.

1. Would you be able to identify the moment when you realized that you were shopping a lot and you decided to change that habit?

It happened gradually while I was working as a designer in commercial (fast) fashion, but I guess the most groundbreaking moment for me, was when I watched “The True Cost”. That documentary shook me, and really got me interested in sustainable fashion. I had been aware for a while that I had a problem financially with shopping, especially while being a student and all my money just went out the window on clothing I didn’t even want to wear, or that didn’t even make me feel good.

2. What motivates you when it comes to your work and current and future projects? 

It might be a bit cliché, but what motivates me is my community. I’ve felt a strong passion to come up with creative solutions to what my followers (including myself) might find extra challenging in life. That could for example be ideas on activities you could switch to, instead of using impulse shopping (and over-consumption) as a way of dealing with bad days or to fill a void that will never be filled through shopping anyway. As much as my online world is about offering people hands-on solutions to more sustainable fashion & lifestyle, I see myself as a coach too and whenever people get back to me to let me know how much good influence I’ve had on them, it makes me want to keep going.

   3. What has been one of your proudest moments since you’ve created Use Less?

I see myself more as a “wardrobe coach” than a typical influencer, and the single reason why I keep doing what I do (besides loving style and creating content about it) is the feedback I get from my community. People sometimes send me the kindest messages, letting me know how much I’ve helped them finally making peace with their style and wardrobe, or how my way of looking at mindful living in general has meant something to them when they’ve been going through a hard period of life. Being able to help people change their lives to the better, THAT makes me proud. And that’s what I want to focus on when expanding my business with even more wardrobe coaching this year, as I educate myself to become a personal stylist.

 4. What would be, in your opinion, the absolute first step for someone who has no idea or information about living a sustainable life style?

The simplest step is to lower your consumption. Both because the field of sustainability is so complex and can feel quite over-whelming sometimes (especially with all that green washing out there), but also because if you look at a single piece of clothing; what determines whether this item is sustainable or not in the long run, is how long you keep it in your wardrobe and actually USE it. I don’t believe in zero-consumption but at the same time we can’t solve climate change solely by consuming our way out of it. So – start with what you have, find out what gaps you might have and move on from there. It’s about moving away from consuming random things as a way to fill a void in your life, and start filling your life with things that actually matter instead. Work on discovering what kind of life you actually want to live instead. And be kind. Not only to yourself but also to others who are on the same journey as you. Always.

 5. And lastly, who is your favorite superhero and why?

Oh, this is a tough question haha! There are many incredibly cool people out there, that I look up to and get inspiration from every day. But my true hero would be my husband. He’s believed in me from day one, and has never questioned my business or my own belief in my business. Not even a little bit. Even when I left my position as a fulltime designer to become fulltime content creator, he never questioned that I knew deep down what was best for me, and he somehow knew I was going to go somewhere with this even before I did myself. He speaks about my work so proudly to others, even more proudly than I sometimes dare to myself. Plus, he’s been a great help filming and taking photographs through time too, haha! He’s quite good with a camera. He’s my rock!

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