In this edition of Slow Fashion Voices, we sit down with Sarah, founder of Cornwall Shop Small, to explore why shopping small isn’t just “nice”- it’s a powerful act of community-led climate action.

From bringing an indie marketplace to festival fields, to championing makers all year round, Sarah breaks down her “Good Stuff | Good Vibes | Good Reasons” philosophy and what mindful shopping can look like in real life.

On a gorgeous sunny Cornish morning, Sarah, the founder of Cornwall Shop Small, arrives with a bright smile and the kind of quiet energy that feels both grounded and infectious. Within minutes, it’s clear her project is more than a marketplace – it’s a movement, and something she is hugely passionate about.

“I wanted to celebrate the joy of shopping small,” she says. “Not just the happy dances when you make a sale, but the idea that what you buy reflects the kind of world you want to live in.”

Since its beginnings, Cornwall Shop Small has grown into a county-wide force, curating monthly markets in Truro and Newquay, a summer festival tour, a destination Christmas programme, and even an online directory connecting shoppers to hundreds of micro makers. Yet Sarah insists the ethos remains strikingly simple: Good Stuff. Good Vibes. Good Reasons.

“By shopping small you’re choosing beautiful, original products over mass, throwaway consumption. That’s the good stuff. You’re directly supporting independent traders — that’s the good vibes. And you get to say no to profit over people, and no to sacrificing our planet. Those are the good reasons.”

It’s a philosophy that feels especially at home in the dreamlike, wide-open space of a summer festival. At Rock Oyster, Sarah and her crew hosted a full marquee of makers – Basar Bazaar – transforming what began as an empty canvas into what festival-goers lovingly dubbed “the tent of heaven.”

“The set-up day always feels magical,” Sarah recalls. “You watch the traders arrive, building these gorgeous displays filled with their wares. By evening, the marquee has become a creative wonderland. And then, when the festival opens, you hear the wows. Someone this year told me, we’ve found our place. That’s when I know it’s working.”

But beyond the sparkle, there’s strategy. Festivals are costly and often intimidating for small businesses to approach alone. “Going solo to an event like Rock Oyster can be daunting,” Sarah explains. “The time, the financial commitment – it’s a lot. By creating a collective space, we make festivals accessible, supportive, and joyful. It’s about giving small makers a chance to connect with audiences they might never have reached otherwise.”

That accessibility feels vital in a cost-of-living crisis. For Sarah, slow fashion and shopping small isn’t about guilt-tripping people into perfection – it’s about encouraging more considered choices, even if they’re tiny ones.

“With everything going on in the world, and the tough financial times we’re facing, I know it can sound naïve to talk about buying ethically. But for me, it’s about making small, positive choices where you can. Finding moments of joy in supporting someone’s craft, in saying no to throwaway culture. Even little steps matter.”

This balance between idealism and realism, community and commerce – is what makes Cornwall Shop Small stand out. It isn’t just a marketplace, but a manifesto written in fabric, ceramics, jewellery, and food. A gentle reminder that how we shop is how we shape our world.

Sarah hopes the future of shopping, whether at a festival field or on a high street, feels more considered and connected. “My dream,” she says, “is that we keep asking: what’s the story behind this? And does it align with the society I want to help build? Because shopping small is never just about the product – it’s about the values stitched into it.”

Cornwall Shop Small is proof of that vision in action: a collective, a celebration, a movement.

Find them at the next Truro or Newquay market, at Little Orchard Festival this September, or online at cornwallshopsmall.co.uk.