By Rebeka Leopardas
Stevenson’s Fashion Design program presented Sustainability in Fashion, Empathy for the Environment. This exhibit showcased the amazing design talents of the students in Draping II, an advanced draping course. The designers experimented with sustainable material to create a unique and environmentally- friendly garment along with an innovative evening wear. The Textiles class created presentation boards with issues relevant to textile sustainability.
Stevenson has always tried to encourage students to be sustainable in everything they do, and this exhibit showed just how much Stevenson students care about helping the environment in creative ways. Designers repurposed materials such as bike tires, chip bags, trash bags, and photo slides to construct an original garment. Each students’ designs showed their own personality and inspiration. Ailee Campbell, one of the designers, showcased sustainability by repurposing old clothes and shopping less at fast fashion stores. She created a dress made from potato chip bags. The idea behind her dress was to use the bags before they get sent to the factories that cause environmental waste.
This exhibit was filled with students, friends, family and faculty who came together in a fun and relaxing setting to enjoy food and drink, and walk around the exhibit to interact with others and explore the designers’ creations. Sustainability has been the basis of many things lately, and there are many ways to be sustainable. The Sustainability in Fashion, Empathy for the Environment exhibit was a wonderful opportunity to help showcase just how important this topic is.