MEND: THe future of Sustainable Fashion
In 2022, I co-designed a 3-day immersive workshop for high schoolers with Elaine Messerly. We cooked up a curriculum that included sustainability literacy, the history of fast fashion, and the connections between colonialism, imperialism, and fashion. After learning about the harmful effects of fast fashion, we got hands-on and learned how to sew and upcycle our own clothes.
As a culminating project, each participant created their own garment using 100% secondhand materials. We had multiple generations of folks participating as helpers and as participants, and we had a professional photo shoot to capture and celebrate the creations of the students. It was an amazing experience, and I believe it’s so important to teach the next generation how to express themselves outside of the limited options given to us by capitalism.
The workshop wasn't just about teaching the students how to sew, though that was a big part of it. It was also about giving them a critical understanding of the fashion industry and its impact on people and the planet, and how to develop their imaginations for the future. We wanted to help them develop a sense of agency and empower them to make more sustainable choices about the clothes they wear.
I think this workshop is a valuable model for other educators who are interested in teaching young people about facing the problem of overconsumption in an approachable, fun, and imaginative way. Plus it can help students develop important life skills like sewing and upcycling.
