The girls of AATCC are back with their annual Fall Fashion Show – Giving Fashion a Second Life. Different from previous years, the show focused on ethical fashion and sustainability in the fashion industry. The fashion show was held in the Alumni Association Ballroom at 7:00 p.m. on November 8, with the pop-up and social hour beginning at 6:00 p.m.
Having this theme of ethical fashion and sustainability isn’t new for the girls of AATCC. From the start of the semester, the girls have been hosting their denim drive sponsored by the Blue Jeans Go Green program made by Cotton Inc. Through this program, the girls have been collecting people’s old denim instead of having it pile up in the landfills. The Blue Jeans Go Green program then recycles the denim, stripping it back to their original fiber state, and then upcycle that to create insulation for homes. This denim drive also played a huge role in the fashion show since admission was one pair of donated denim (any size, color, or type) or a suggested donation. With collecting from the start of the school year to the day of the event, AATCC has easy collected over a hundred pairs of jeans for the Blue Jeans Go Green program.
Unlike any other fashion show which focuses on the runway looks, AATCC’s show focused on fashion and informing it audience members of the bigger problems at hand in the fashion industry and what they as consumers can do to help. Being one of the leading polluters of our environment, the girls of AATCC urged us to be more mindful and aware of how we can help. Jessica Bachansingh, President of AATCC, shares, “’Giving Fashion a Second Life’ is all about educating consumers on the ethical and environmental problems in the fashion industry and then providing solutions and alternatives to shopping smarter. This “fashion for good” concept is what I am passionate about and it could be more prevalent in our industry today. It was an honor to direct the show this year in order to be a part of the change.”
The show itself was full of creative, innovative pieces made from the members of AATCC. All the looks were thrifted or donated and recycled to make one of a kind looks. From laidback styles to head turners, each look was original and represented exactly what the show was all about. Katelyn Sampl, a member of AATCC, shares, “A lot of the looks looked very high fashion. A lot of the looks looked like they could’ve easily come straight from the Vogue runway.”
As was mentioned during the show, shopping is a political act. As consumers, we need to become more aware of where we shop, considering how things were made and how they help or hurt our environment. Full of unique, diverse, and creative pieces designed by the club’s talented members, the Fall Fashion Show – Giving Fashion a Second Life was an event we were sure not to miss.
All photos courtesy of Jessica Bachansingh.