Sustainable Style

Meet Dechel Mckillian, the founder of GALERIE.LA—a spirited, independent retailer dedicated to making sustainability central to fashion and style.

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I attended UCLA and majored in Psychobiology, but I convinced my parents to let me take a year off before applying to medical school.

That year off set the tone for my love affair with fashion. I went on a European fashion tour, and when I returned to Los Angeles, I began assisting a commercial stylist. One thing led to another and I landed my first big job as a wardrobe stylist on tour with Lil Wayne. From there, I built an incredible client list, including The Black Eyed Peas, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Fergie and many more.

That world tour helped me see firsthand the negative effects fashion can have on workers and the planet, and I began my own conscious journey to make a change. I had a very hard time finding sustainable clothing to put on a client or wear myself, and I knew that if I was having a hard time, other women were too. And that’s how GALERIE.LA was born. We like to say that GALERIE.LA is here for you to discover sustainable brands and do good with every purchase.

What is GALERIE.LA?

GALERIE.LA is a digital and physical platform that gives women the chance to discover sustainable fashion and lifestyle goods from all around the world. We invite customers to shop their values by featuring emerging brands which focus on artisan, ethical, eco-friendly, local, recycled and vegan production methods. Our first brick-and-mortar ethical concept shop is part of ROW DTLA’s Collective, making it even easier for conscious consumers to buy and support brands with a positive impact.

What sparked your passion for sustainability?

Overall, I’m passionate about bringing new ideas and concepts to life on a large scale. GALERIE.LA is a combination of what I love about fashion, with my purpose which is to make a difference. I believe sustainability should be the norm.

The driving force behind GALERIE.LA was my research, where I saw a big opportunity in a niche market. There were many sustainable brands, but very few retailers where you could discover the brands together. GALERIE.LA is the one-stop-shop for women to find styles they love, from brands who care.

How can brands better limit their environmental impact?

The fashion industry needs to reinvent itself in a circular model. Brands can limit their environmental impact and reduce waste by 1) designing garments and products with components that can easily be recycled and reused, 2) designing styles that have longevity in mind (i.e. less trend driven), 3) using non-toxic, eco-friendly materials made with natural, biodegradable fibers, and 4) produce locally and made-to-order with patterns that reduce throw-away fabric.

Why do our closets have an impact on the world?

Our everyday buying decisions have a major environmental impact. Fashion is the 2nd largest polluter of this planet, and as a trillion-dollar industry, fashion has one of the longest supply chains meaning it’s a huge contributor to global warming.

What kinds of buying choices can we make to create a lasting positive impact?

Our own closets can cast a vote for the world we want to live in. You can make a positive impact by shopping local, choosing garments from natural fibers (like bamboo instead of polyester), and simply wearing something 30 times or more before you recycle it.

Name 3 simple things we can do to practice sustainability.

Consume less, eat less (or no) meat, and eliminate the use of plastic wherever possible.

Follow us on Instagram @rowdtla for more stories and spotlights on our sustainability efforts throughout the property and our Collective.