Four high-fashion, sustainable garments designed by students in the O’More College of Architecture & Design at Belmont University will be sold at OnlineGoodwill.com in an auction which will be open for bids from Feb. 1-5.
Each of the upcycled outfits was created from donated clothing and home goods obtained for about $25 from local Goodwill stores or Outlets. Students Marian Anderson, Maddy Clements, Emily Ferguson and Carson Stromen participated in the class project, called the Goodwill Studio Challenge.
Clements, who is a junior, designed a woman’s cropped top, wide-leg pants and a face mask using men’s button-down shirts she purchased from the Goodwill store on Berry Road in Nashville.
“Designing this look helped me see the potential in unwanted clothes,” Clements said. “I learned how to transform second-hand garments into fashion-forward, innovative designs. I learned that you don’t need fabric that costs hundreds of dollars to create designs that could walk the runway.
“I hope that by creating this garment I can show others how to use their creativity to extend the life cycle of thrifted clothing,” she added.
The four students’ creations were part of a Virtual Fashion Showcase, sponsored by Singer and AMAX Talent, which was unveiled on Belmont’s website Jan. 13. The virtual display was held in lieu of an annual in-person fashion show to ensure safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Goodwill Studio Challenge was integrated into O’More’s Basic Draping course and was intended to challenge students’ design, construction, patterning and draping skills. They worked throughout the fall semester on their creations, even as in-person classes were on hold.
Other outfits include a woman’s jacket, cropped shirt with one sleeve and trousers by Anderson; a quilt-textured woman’s jacket and pants by Ferguson; and a man’s corduroy top and distressed jeans by Stromen. Unusual materials from Goodwill incorporated into some of the garments include placemats, a tapestry blanket and a shower curtain.
Proceeds from the auction of the garments at OnlineGoodwill.com will benefit the nonprofit mission of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, which is changing lives through education, training and employment.
What: Online Auction of Upcycled Garments from the O’More College of Architecture & Design Virtual Fashion Showcase
When: Monday, Feb. 1-Friday, Feb. 5 (Bidding Open 24-7)
Where: www.OnlineGoodwill.com
