Sewn Secondhand: An Interview with Fiona Duffy, Creator of Soleil et Amis
- Molly Sneddon
- Aug 20
- 4 min read
"I just love making stuff. I love seeing and remembering where I got this fabric, and seeing it turn into pieces of clothing that now live this whole life. That, to me, is what's important".
Today we chatted with Fiona Duffy, Philly-based upcycler and founder of Soleil et Amis. Her business was inspired by a 2022 study abroad trip to France, where she "began to imagine what it would be like to turn whimsical happiness into something tangible". Now, she is creating unique, wearable art as an outlet for her creativity and to give new life to old textiles.
Duffy first learned to sew around the age of 9, but really got back into sewing in high school, when she received a bunch of her father's old shirts. "the button down shirts actually have a lot of fabric with pre-made buttons and plackets, so there was a lot to work with as a beginner," Duffy explained. "The first thing I remember upcycling was turning my dad's button downs into dresses". But her projects didn't start out as stunning as her current creations are. "I don't even have many photos of these things, because I didn't have any formal training on how to sew properly and make it look clean. So, they weren't great," she admitted.
Then the pandemic hit, and like many, Duffy was stuck at home, finding ways to fill her time. "During Covid, I did a lot of very basic upcycles, like cropping" explained Duffy. "And I was selling on Depop like crazy, so I was making money doing these very simple flips".
Duffy continued to expand on her sewing skills while studying fibers (with minors in fashion design and design for sustainability) at the Savannah College of Art and Design. "In college, I ended up using a lot of secondhand material for my projects. whether it be for art or fashion, it's still a kind of upcycling. But honestly, it was mostly because, if I'm making an art project, I don't want to go buy virgin material, because that's expensive, and you don't have the freedom to mess up".
After graduation, Duffy found herself with a lot of free time. "I wanted to get back into sewing for fun, and I finally have time in my life to make clothing that I would want to wear, and not just for a fashion class". This mindset led her to begin turning her passion into a real business, one that at its heart, emphasized sustainability.
"I feel like this whole business, in itself, is sustainable," remarked Duffy. "That's the root of it. I only use recycled or secondhand fabric, because it's so abundant. There's so much good, high quality stuff, and it's better than you can get at any fabric store".
Duffy gets her materials from secondhand sources such as thrift stores and estate sales, keeping her eyes peeled for unique textures and intricate embroidery. She can't bear to leave behind beautiful fabrics destined for landfills, and sometimes even gets contacted for free, vintage fabric. "I recently had someone reach out to me and offer me all of her grandmother's linens from the 1920s," she explained. "So I went to her house. I went to a stranger's house, went in her front door and took all the fabric she offered me," Duffy said with a laugh.
Through her signature style, Duffy has begun to build a brand following, both online and in-person. But, to her, it's the real-life interactions that connect her with her customers most. "I think having an in-person experience really is what forms a community," Duffy notes. This past April, she participated in a pop-up at Elektra Vintage in Philadelphia, and was able to share her creations with the community. The experience allowed Duffy to engage directly with the appreciators of her art, an opportunity she described as "fun and uplifting".
Now, Duffy finds herself focusing primarily on the creation side of the business. "I feel like I focus most of my energy on making the clothes," she explained. "I just love making, and I don't want to spend energy doing anything else". She has created a social media and website for Soleil et Amis, but prefers investing her time into sewing.
Even without dedicating much time to her online presence, Duffy has undoubtedly built her brand. "I don't know how they find my website," she jokes, "but I've had strangers purchase from me, and then DM me on Instagram, being like 'I'm obessed with this!'". While she deeply appreciates the support of her friends and family, she notes that, "having a complete stranger feel that way about what I make means so much to me".
One amazing thing about Duffy is her outlook on other upcyclers. As she says, "the thing about upcycling that's so great is that there's no competition between you and another upcycler. Because everything you make has to be completely unique because of the fabrics you're using, you're never going to be using the same fabric as another person. There's never going to be the same thing, so it can't be a competition". She notes that this is in stark contrast to fast fashion, which is "a competition between micro brands". Upcycling, she said, has "so much variety, and there's such a spectrum" of design.
When asked about the future of Soleil et Amis, Duffy said, "I'm really excited for more people to find out about what I do. I really do want to have a presence in more stores, whether it be locally or around the country". Additionally, she is floating the idea of working with small-batch, locally-based manufacturers to further grow her business. As she said in our interview, "what's there to lose? Honestly, I'm just trying to get my name out there".
To learn more about Fiona Duffy and Soleil et Amis, visit the Soleil et Amis website, or follow her on Instagram at @soleiletamis.
Thank you to Fiona Duffy for speaking with us!
To be featured on the blog, please contact us at smealsustainability@gmail.com.
Quotes were edited for clarity.