This weekend, there will be a fashion show including models, and every item of clothing on display has been lovingly repurposed and redesigned.
An old black garment, for example, can be given a fresh look by using some thread and pins together. It's not as easy as it seems, though, according to Daniel Almonte, Pahomepage.com reported.
"We start very early in the year, like September, and then we slowly build up until spring. It does not happen overnight."
Almonte and Estephany Peguero are working on last-minute preparations for their local students' upcycling fashion presentation as part of the Educational Opportunity Center's (EOC) talent search program.
The students will be taken thrifting, where they will sort of choose what they want to wear or what they think they would want to wear for the presentation. Then, they will go back and reconstruct those items to create entirely new ensembles.
As a non-profit, the EOC assists low-income kids in exploring alternative career choices and serves as a mentor should they want to continue further education in the regional school systems.
Kids get the opportunity to learn about the practicalities of working in the sector and the value of sustainability through events such as the fashion show.
"There are many different teams involved in this process, including those that work in marketing, hair and makeup, styling, and design."
These ensembles will be shown on the runway on Saturday from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Steamtown Marketplace.
Though the designs will eventually make their public premiere, the real stars of the show are the talented local youngsters.
"You see these kids at the fashion show and they're shining and just going for it, and it's just so surprising how many of them are super shy and don't know what they're doing," adds Almonte.
From 1:30 to 4 p.m., local business owners will have their wares on exhibit in Steamtown's marketplace. /BGNES