New Hanover Arboretum to host sustainable fashion show
I’ve shared a favorite adage taught me by my mother before, but here it is again: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." I think these are wise words to live by in this age of environmental degradation with our hyper-consumerism.
There’s a great example of our increasing negative earthly impact in clothing buying habits which support what’s known as "Fast Fashion." From the journal "Nature Reviews Earth and Environment," the article "The Environmental Price of Fast Fashion" reports many observations. Those include most environmental impacts occur in the textile-manufacturing and garment-manufacturing countries, but textile waste is found globally. Fashion brands are now producing almost twice the amount of clothing today compared with before the year 2000; current fashion-consumption practices result in large amounts of textile waste, most of which is incinerated, landfilled or exported to developing countries.
One method to refuse support of the fast fashion industry is the alternative practice of shopping for thrifted clothing. I’m thrilled to see the younger generation embracing the concept of repurposing clothing and being creative and fashionable in doing so.
Want some inspiration? Plan now to buy a ticket and attend the third annual Summer Solstice Sustainability Fashion Show at the New Hanover County Arboretum, scheduled for June 21. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. and show begins at 6:15. It will be a very entertaining two hours as you sit on your blanket or lawn chairs watching the 30 local models of every size, age and ethnicity outfitted by local fashion houses including Metro Closet, SatudaySunVintage, Re.Raveled.Apparel, ThriftDrip, Uniquely Yours, and SapphireCreations23.
Vendors and organizations tabling on site will include HP Fangs, Sokoto House, Queen Esther Herbal Teas, Sapphire Creations, Imaginary Cakes, and You Can Vote registration and info table. Photographers on hand to capture the event will include Lotus Selene, Ayanna Cotton, and Wrightsville Beach Photo Booth. Louis The Rapper will be our DJ and musicologist, and Frank Grant will be providing live music during intermission.
This event is a fundraiser for Sokoto House "Youth Empowerment Solutions." Visit Sokoto House website for the link to purchase your event tickets: https://sokotohouse.org/.
The waste of the fast fashion industry is huge, growing and a seemingly insurmountable problem. My wise “use it up, wear it out” mother would often remind me that it is small things that we can all do close to home that can make big change, if enough of us do it. On my bedroom floor is a beautiful, colorful wool hand-braided rug that Mom made over 30 years ago. She had saved all our family’s pure wool clothing once outgrown or damaged. She cut the old clothing items into long strips, sewed them into tubes, joined together and braided the round rug. No fast fashion waste there! I think I have an heirloom rug to pass on for generations, don’t you?
Lloyd Singleton is the director of the NC Cooperative Extension – New Hanover County Center and Arboretum. He can be reached at lsingleton@nhcgov.com or 910-798-7660. The arboretum is located at 6206 Oleander Drive in Wilmington. The grounds are free and open daily from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: New Hanover Arboretum to host sustainability fashion show June 21
