Advocacy, inclusivity and sustainability are three themes Students for Sustainable Fashion is prioritizing for its debut fashion show.
Students for Sustainable Fashion, also known as SFSF, looks to educate students about the relationship between fashion and environmental science. The club is preparing to host its first fashion show — in collaboration with the American Conservation Coalition and the Business of Retail Association — in the RPAC’s Meeting Rooms No. 2 and No. 3 on Friday, co-founders Molly Hoskin and Vir Kolpe said.
The event has two principal goals: advocating for eco-conscious fashion choices on campus and giving creatives a space to showcase their talents, said Hoskin, a third-year and co-founder of SFSF.
“Sustainability is a growing topic, and it is something that I personally advocate for and gear towards,” Hoskin said. “I think there are a lot of people at Ohio State who are definitely interested in sustainability and sometimes don’t even realize it. We want to educate people but also showcase how sustainability is a variety of areas, including fashion.”
The show is organized by students for students, said Kolpe, third-year and other co-founder. Additionally, its overarching theme will be “Mother Earth.”
“We are splitting that up into the four elements, so we’ll have a smaller earth collection, water collection, air collection and fire collection that will come together to make up the show,” Kolpe said.
“The Sustainable Fashion Show” will present designs submitted by students, drawing attention to their distinct interpretations of the elemental theme, Hoskin said.
“Myself, Vir and other members of the executive board have signed up,” Hoskin said. “We have begun crafting and selecting pieces that we want to include in [students’] outfits. We also had numerous students sign up, and students have reached out and begun submitting their outfits.”
Kolpe hopes attendees will walk away with an understanding that sustainable fashion is not inherently costly or inaccessible.
“It is just showing, through the paradigm of a fashion show, that everyone here on campus, regardless of their budget or background, can express themselves however they want to,” Kolpe said. “We are providing those avenues and opportunities for them through sustainable fashion and also through the show.”
Hoskin said the club genuinely wants the show to be a success, as it can help increase interest in the organization’s mission and encourage people to explore more environmentally friendly clothing options.
“The main goal for us is just to advocate for sustainability, and again showcase that sustainability is for everyone, and also that fashion is a very broad thing and that fashion doesn’t have to be cookie-cutter,” Hoskin said. “I think a lot of people think fashion and being fashionable has to look a certain way, and we definitely want to advocate for the fact that fashion is what you want to make out of it and how you feel comfortable in your own skin and body.”
In a similar vein, Kolpe said he wants to cement the club’s reputation as a creative and comprehensive student organization.
“We want to put ourselves out there as a new club on campus, especially in the fashion school, and just show that we can hang with everyone here and we are a really good representation of where fashion at Ohio State is going,” Kolpe said. “We want to be able to set that trail from our first year on campus and this is the start of that road.”
“The Sustainable Fashion Show” will take place in the RPAC’s Meeting Rooms No. 2 and No. 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, with doors opening at 6 p.m. More information about the event can be found on SFSF’s Instagram page.
