I'm Julie, Owner of Tortuga on The Hamilton-Lauraville Main Street in Baltimore, MD. My background is in art and fashion, for part of which I spent working for 10 years in fashion and costume design for film + tv. In 2017, I hit a breaking point and it sparked a change in the way I consume products like clothes, home goods, food, and body products. I've been exposed to so much waste and exploitation of people through my past work in film and fashion. I opened Tortuga in 2019, to change the narrative around the things we buy and share what I feel is valuable with my community. It's important to me to support small brands and slow fashion. I use my discerning shopping skills and knowledge of materials and manufacturing practices to curate the best product for my shop. I hope to make it easier for people to find items they will love for a long time. We live in world where convenience can often override our values. It is challenging to make decisions and do the research to find high-quality and ethically-made products. Tortuga opens a door for people to connect easily with better products for their bodies and homes. I hope to shift peoples values around consumption by bringing these beautiful and intentionally made items into their orbit. I believe our money is power and I'm using my money to affect positive change. My intention is to inspire people to live differently through this special shop.