The Berkeley High School Sustainable Fashion Show showcased its annual event this past Friday at the Ciel Creative Space. The show, organized by BHS junior Lola Lelchuk and BHS senior Lucia Rodriguez Gerstein, BHS Fashion Club co-presidents, focuses on sustainable fashion while giving students an opportunity to highlight their creativity.
For four years, the show has been fundraising for the nonprofit Remake, aiming to combat mistreatment of workers in the fast fashion industry. Fast fashion companies like Shein and Forever 21 prioritize the quantity of goods produced, at the expense of the quality and treatment of workers. The BHS Sustainable Fashion Show hopes to highlight the alternative to fast fashion, by using only designs from repurposed materials.
“This is the most Berkeley fashion show ever, with local designs, and music produced by Mag. It was beautiful to see,” Jin Jones, a senior at BHS, said. During the show, models walked down the runway to beats created by Mag, a producer and BHS alum. The venue was filled to the brim with students, teachers, families, and fashion enthusiasts as student models walked the runway. A total of 26 designers and 73 models pitched in for the production, along with a number of hair and makeup artists.
For BHS junior and model Ezra Abarbanel, the show provides a sense of originality that makes the production unlike any other. “I feel like there’s such a diversity in it all, especially the outfits. It really represents our school and the community is very supportive. It’s a unique experience,” Abarbanel said.
In addition, the production is no simple event to organize. Starting in the fall, the club begins by first attracting new designers, models, and other roles at the BHS club fair. Following that is an extensive round of fundraising, consisting of bake sales, writing grants, looking for sponsors, and reaching out to families and friends. Next, the venue is selected and the actual show is planned out, with one dress rehearsal and ticket advertising placed in local sources.
In addition to organizing the event, Lelchuk also designs and creates her own outfits. “I did a lot of crochet this year for the show, but I’ve also done sewing and other things in the past,” Lelchuk said. Her designs this year included a beautifully intricate crocheted dresses, with unique patterns and stitches. “I like to think about the silhouette of the looks and the movement I want to have on the runway. I pay attention to texture, shape, color, and how it will drape and move on my models on the runway.”
All together, the production offers different types of designs, ranging from peacock feather headpieces, to a more simple baggy jeans and long sleeves look. “For designers specifically, I really like the variety of looks, and how all the designers bring a different point of view to the show. Some of the designers have really refined craftsmanship, and others have tremendous creativity,” Lelchuk said. The diversity of the show truly showcases the individuality of each designer and model.
As a takeaway, fashion doesn’t have a specific definition, allowing space for creativity and self expression within the art. “Fashion is just how people express themselves so I think it impacts everyone’s life, even if you just wear a white t-shirt and jeans,” Rodriguez Gerstein said, “You could be naked and be fashionable, or wear a onesie. I think fashion is expansive.”
