If you think civic duty, sustainability, and fashion are mutually exclusive terms, I have news for you: Stitch-it to the Patriarchy has found a way to combine trendy, upcycled clothing pieces with powerful political messaging. In even greater news, the business, which originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, is expanding across the country to reach more and more college students.
Stitch-it to the Patriarchy is one of those businesses that does so much good, you wish you had come up with the idea. Not only do they upcycle thrifted clothes, they’re also a women-run business, and donate to a variety of nonprofit organizations. In a time when people are using their voices to put pressure on individuals in power, Stitch-it to the Patriarchy is listening to their followers and creating the kind of content and pieces that people are craving for.
“Stitch-it to the patriarchy is a women-run organization that upcycles thrifted clothing with powerful messages to evoke change in society. Every month Stitch-it chooses a different nonprofit organization to donate a percentage of their profits to,” said Sofia Langaman one of the lead representatives for Stitch-it at Umass. “All of the nonprofit organizations are chosen by their followers through an instagram poll. Stitch-it aims to be as sustainable as possible, using only thrifted or second-hand clothing and repurposing bags and other material for their shipping packages.”
As elections get closer and closer, Stitch-it is encouraging their followers to go out and vote. As we continue to see a surge of movements that are highlighting the social injustices in our country, Stitch-it has worked on expanding their brand to reach new audiences. Stitch-it continues to grow by hiring campus ambassadors at different colleges and universities who are able to spread the vision and mission of Stitch-it to their surrounding communities.
“Though Stitch-it is an organization that makes embroidered clothing, the stitch-it organization at UMass is not involved in the business side of the organization. Instead, Stitch-it at UMass will be creating and organizing various events centered around different pressing social justice issues. Our first mission is to work on voter registration for the upcoming election, and we are aiming to work with other on campus organizations to reach a larger audience in the UMass and surrounding area,” said Langman.
Stitch-it to the Patriarchy has a strong social media presence and has worked hard to find ambassadors whose beliefs and goals align with theirs. They use their platform to spread powerful, empowering messages. They don’t just stop there, Stitch-it puts words into action by donating part of their profits to different nonprofit organizations. Not only do they encourage others to speak up and contribute to their community, they lead by example.
“College students have the power and the passion to evoke change, not just on our campus’ but on a larger scale. Platforms such as Stitch-it provide the perfect gateway to advocate for issues people, in particular college students, are passionate about,” said Kelly Nass, the other lead representative for stitch-it at Umass. “Activism is always better in numbers and we need the UMass community to come together so we can create the change we are looking for. Stitch-it is special because we want to see involvement from every student, we want this organization to shine a light on all types of people.”
Stitch-it to the Patriarchy has worked to create an inclusive community that acts as a vessel for change and a prosperous future.