Every Day five, Sustainable Fashion Club members walk to room 203 with ideas in their heads (and sometimes fabric in hand) ready to connect, collaborate, and create. The club began with a question: how can fashion be more sustainable? From heaping piles of discarded clothes to oceanic chemical leaks, fashion is currently the second highest environmental pollutant (Maiti). However, biodegradable fabrics and other sustainable options are much higher in price compared to fast fashion. Hence, most people turn to affordable yet unsustainable clothing. The Sustainable Fashion Club is working to make a change, knowing that every step toward sustainability matters.
In the past, the club has held bake sales, clothing drives, and other events to raise awareness on fashion’s environmental implications. Junior Izzy Li, a co-head, commented that the club “promotes conscious consumerism and provides students with tangible ways to make a difference through fashion.” She further added that the goals “align with Princeton Day School’s community values.”
However, Li noted that “the club is not just about the environment.” Students sew clothes, plan for upcoming events, and brainstorm future activities. Along with this, they discuss current fashion trends and work on upcycling outfits. In the future, the club hopes to expand into the broader community. From attending events at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York to tabling at an Arts Council craft fair in Princeton, they hope to further educate club members, along with inspiring others to do the same. The club is close-knit and if anyone is interested in fashion, the environment, or both, they are encouraged to join.
Sustainable Fashion Club is more than just a place to read Vogue or watch The Devil Wears Prada, but rather it is a setting for change. The fashion industry is unsustainable, yet actions can (and do) make differences. From talking to peers about sustainability or organizing pop-up shops for thrifted clothes, the club fosters a belief in a healthier fashion world—and, at least in the Princeton Day School sphere, that belief is proving true.
