The Lexy Show: Fashion That Gives A Damn

Haute Talk with Emilee Shield | Craft, Community, and Cosplay

Lexy Silverstein Season 9 Episode 4

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0:00 | 56:29

What if your next costume could begin with an unwanted sweater, discarded cardboard, or something already sitting in your recycling bin?

This week on The Lexy Show, Lexy talks with Emilee Shield, better known online as Our Shield Maiden. Emilee is a cosplayer, activist, sustainable fashion advocate, and creative maker who believes cosplay should be affordable, inclusive, and accessible to anyone with the imagination to participate.

Emilee shares how thrifting and upcycling can lower the cost and environmental impact of creating costumes. She encourages makers to revisit inexpensive techniques often associated with childhood crafts, including papier-mâché and air-dry clay, rather than assuming every project requires new or expensive specialty materials. Lexy and Emilee also discuss the overwhelming amount of clothing moving through the secondhand system and what it is actually like to search through the Goodwill bins, often the final stop before unwanted garments are sent elsewhere or discarded.

The conversation challenges the idea that upcyclers are taking clothing away from people who need it. Emilee explains that the volume of unwanted clothing is far greater than many shoppers realize, with mountains of garments continuing to move through donation centers every day. She also shares how creativity, resourcefulness, and a willingness to experiment can make cosplay more sustainable without making it less exciting.

Listen to the full episode, subscribe to The Lexy Show, and follow Our Shield Maiden for more sustainable crafting, cosplay inspiration, and creative ways to give old materials another life.

Social Media

Instagram: @ourshieldmaiden
TikTok: @ourshieldmaiden

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe to The Lexy Show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to make more mindful choices for themselves and the planet. For more information visit https://lexysilverstein.com/