The Reimagined Upcycling Club hosted its third annual sustainable fashion show on Feb. 14 in the Kazu Fukuda Black Box Theater, which showcased the club’s upcycled designs. Months of work led up to the show, which highlighted the harmful environmental impacts of fast fashion.
The energy was at a high as students and families filled into the Studio. Conversations and laughter rang in the space minutes before the start of the show. A video recap of the year thenplayed, highlighting photos of club meetings and fashion projects. As the video ended, Reimagined co-presidents Anna Yang and Lauren Stoney entered the stage introduced the organization, which has upcycled 600 gallons of clothing since its founding in 2022.
The theme was “Threads of Love,” a celebration of the hearts that beat behind fashion, Anna said. Reimagined spotlights the humanity forgotten within the industry by putting the culture, identity and community of fashion at center stage. The show took the audience on a trip around the world, exploring fashion trends in New York, Paris, London, Tokyo and Los Angeles.
Music echoed around the theater as each destination flashed on the screen. The show started with the theme of New York. This section featured knee-high boots, halter tops, jean skirts and jackets with dye patterns. Models wearing looks inspired by Paris then came down the runway, sporting polka dot designs, florals and skirts. London showcased looks with collared white shirts, stripes and leather jackets. Tokyo unveiled a variety of creative designs that utilized spray paint and embroidery. Lastly, Los Angeles brought vintage style flared jeans with lace tank tops and leopard print.
“What was most special to me was seeing how much Reimagined has touched the entire community. It hit me when Lauren and I made the speech in front of the full house of the audience that sat in the room, waiting to hear what we had to say and what we had to show.” Anna said.
Natalia Trevino Amaro, a sustainable fashion designer and social media influencer, shared about how she explored sewing in high school and now produces a sustainable clothing brand with styles handmade, customized styles. As a former avid fast fashion shopper, Amaro studied what she describes as the wasteful and destructive reality of the fashion industry. She noted that cities like New York typically adhere to “micro trends” while places like Paris or Milan have a more classic, timeless fashion.
Amaro emphasized that fast fashion is erasing culture by discarding traditional techniques and creating an environment of impatience. Consumers can create change by being mindful of where they shop and continuing to learn, innovate, and support organizations fighting for a better industry, she said.
“Starting Reimagined [in] my sophomore year, seeing what it’s become, and experiencing the community come together literally in one thread of love is something I will never forget,” Anna said.
