When it comes to fashion, most people look for the latest in brands such as Gap, Urban Outfitters, and American Eagle.
However, that norm can be challenged, as shown by Linda Milliken’s CAD Fashion and Clothing 3-4 classes. As a part of UNO’s Service Learning Academy Program, Central students partnered with North High and Goodwill to participate in the annual “Sew In Style” fashion show.
Since January, students at Central and North had been working on original designs that would be featured in the show. The one guideline for the participants was that their final products were to be made from clothing articles sold at Goodwill. The high schoolers had only $10 to spend on material that they would repurpose for the event.
“My CAD Fashion and Clothing 3-4 classes worked together through this process,” Milliken said. “They met to decide their theme, which was clothing around the world. They worked on pieces they thought represented various areas of the globe.”
Senior Bethany Harwick interpreted this theme in her own Goodwill-inspired creation.
“The purpose was to get involved in the community by getting clothing from the Goodwill and making them into something new,” Harwick said. “I took a shirt, a pajama top, and some pajama pants and I turned them into a bandeau top, a jacket, and a skirt,” Harwick said.
The March 20 event also aimed at expanding students’ thriftiness by purchasing items and turning them into articles that could be sold as name brand wares for $50 more than Goodwill prices.
“I learned that even though a project is difficult you have to keep trying and figure out how to correct your mistakes,” Harwick said. “You come up with a plan and you stick to it.”
Since 2011, “Sew In Style” has increased in popularity. It has functioned as a way for OPS students to learn new techniques from professionals in the fashion field in addition to showcasing their creations.
“This is our second year of participating in the event at Central,” Milliken said. “We went to UNO and watched the fashion show three years ago, and after contacting UNO, we became a part of it.”
Preparation for “Sew In Style” consisted of a class trip to Goodwill, where students selected items that fit their ‘clothing around the world’ theme. Then came the sewing part, where Milliken released them to their creativity but provided guidance when needed.
“Some were their own model, but others choose different students, so they looked for items that they could match to their model’s size,” Milliken said. “They learned a lot about figuring out how to make things of something else.”
Over the past two years, Milliken has enjoyed watching her students develop their skills through “Sew In Style” and the Service Learning Program.
“UNO pays for it, and it’s great a benefit for Central,” Milliken said. “Afterwards, Goodwill displays 5-6 of our outfits and shows a before and after picture of each. It makes the students realize they can go to second hand stores and make outfits their own. No one else has it.”
Milliken also felt she gained an appreciation of the opportunities second-hand stores provide shoppers.
“Just realizing what’s at Goodwill made me be more open-minded,” Milliken said. “You can do some many different things. We found a lot of items at 99 cents, so students could purchase zippers, buttons, and other items. It was fun to see the ideas coming from them.”
The experience opened Harwick’s eyes to the world of thrift stores, as well.
“Individually I learned that you can take anything old and make it into something cool and interesting,” Harwick said. “You just have to use your imagination to see the potential.”