UC Davis is renowned for its dedication to sustainability, and this includes all aspects of campus life — including fashion.
The Student Fashion Association will be presenting its annual charity fashion show, Bloom: Sustaining the Lifestyle, Friday evening with a focus on sustainability and environmental consciousness.
“UC Davis is known for its commitment to sustainability through environmental, economic and societal spheres, so carrying through the environmentally friendly theme seemed appropriate,” said first-year Chelsea Dass, an anthropology major and SFA club member. “Fashion is something that is always changing, always inventing new trends, and sustainability is in itself an ever-growing trend.”
The event encourages designers to show what they think sustainability means, whether through the use of organic dyes and fabrics, upcycling second-hand clothing or reusing materials that are non-biodegradable, such as plastic bags. Each designer is asked to create a minimum of four looks.
“We hope to show other meanings of sustainability through the fashion show as well,” said sophomore Nicky Lei, a textiles and clothing major and SFA historian.
Senior textiles and clothing major Rebecca Cho will be presenting her pieces in the fashion show for the second time.
“We tend to waste a lot of things,” Cho said. “We buy clothes and then discard them. You can do so many things with clothes that are neglected.”
Cho’s collection, titled Symmetry, will feature seven dresses inspired by geometric shapes, cut-outs and draping.
“I didn’t want to put any fabric to waste,” Cho said. “I reused and recreated leftover scraps from the pieces I created for last year’s show, and I also incorporated broken and old jewelry.”
The fashion show, organized by students, will highlight the works of student designers and will feature special performances by student groups, including UC Davis a capella group the Lounge Lizards.
“We hope to showcase the talents of UC Davis students, spread awareness about the Student Fashion Association and inform people about the importance of sustainability,” said Zena Brown, a senior textiles and clothing major and SFA co-president.
Part of the proceeds from this year’s event will go toward We Are Aggie Pride, a program that provides emergency funding for undergraduate students in need.
“We wanted the proceeds to go to a charity that corresponded with our theme,” Brown said. “We Are Aggie Pride helps students ‘sustain their lifestyle’ by donating to students who need help paying rent, tuition or other costs. All the money we raise will go back to the students on our campus.”
Past events have included Fashion Je T’aime and Fashion Nation.
SFA prides itself on bringing together like-minded UC Davis students who enjoy fashion or want to pursue a career in the fashion industry. Aside from producing fashion shows, the club spends its time organizing fun and creative do-it-yourself projects and interacting with guest speakers who work in the fashion or textile industries.
“This club is an open gathering for any of those who want to share, explore or discover their talents or interests with fashion,” Dass said.
The club meets Wednesdays from 5 to 6 p.m. in Everson 135.
Bloom: Sustaining the Lifestyle will be held in the ARC Ballroom from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $8 at the Freeborn Ticket Office or $10 at the door.
STEPHANIE B. NGUYEN can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
