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Student Club Recycles Attire for Fresh Fashion
Sage Hill students give unused clothing a second life by altering them for a stylish look.
Reimagined Club members have picked up scissors to trim long sleeve shirts, sewed men’s neck ties onto a denim skirt, glued rhinestones to the collar of a vest and more to create cutting-edge outfits.
The club’s name holds dual meanings for Reimagined Club co-founder and president Anna Yang ’25. By redesigning clothing and advocating against the “fast fashion” industry, she and her fellow club members hope to educate others on the poor conditions plaguing workers at overseas factories and a more sustainable future for the environment.
“By giving these clothes a new life, we share beauty with the world and actively reduce fashion waste at the same time,” Anna said.
Club members ask their peers to donate clothing from their upcycling clothing drive. Some items have already been incorporated into new pieces. Students’ short-term goal is to host a fashion show at the end of the school year to model their refreshed pieces.
“We also hope that by raising funds for anti-fast fashion organizations, we are changing the lives of the women currently stuck and exploited in toxic fast fashion factories,” Anna said.
Sofia Jellen ‘24 discovered the Reimagined Club at the 2022 Club Fair and jumped in to explore her interest in fashion. She’s working on reconstructing a donated small girl’s dress into a shirt.
“It gives you a sense of gratification,” Sofia said. “Instead of creating a new piece of clothing that uses dyes that harm the ocean, I was able to repurpose something that I find really fits my personal style.”
The textile industry has been identified as a significant source of plastic found in the ocean. If trends continue, the amount of plastic microfibers entering the ocean between 2015 and 2050 could total 22 million tons, according to a 2017 study published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Such microfibers have been linked to harmful impacts on marine wildlife.
Renna Hamoui '25 said she hopes to learn how to sew but most of her current pieces involve painting designs on clothes. Her long-time interest in art inspired her to delve into fashion design.
“I think it’s very rewarding to personalize a piece of clothing that I did not even like so much before,” Renna said. “I would like to see other schools have this club and other students get that enjoyment of repurposing and recycling their clothes.”
“As far as fast fashion goes, I think it’s important to pay attention to where things are going. Discarded clothing is a real contributor to pollution,” Renna added.
Follow the Club on Instagram @reimagined.club.
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Reimagined Club members have picked up scissors to trim long sleeve shirts, sewed men’s neck ties onto a denim skirt, glued rhinestones to the collar of a vest and more to create cutting-edge outfits.
The club’s name holds dual meanings for Reimagined Club co-founder and president Anna Yang ’25. By redesigning clothing and advocating against the “fast fashion” industry, she and her fellow club members hope to educate others on the poor conditions plaguing workers at overseas factories and a more sustainable future for the environment.
“By giving these clothes a new life, we share beauty with the world and actively reduce fashion waste at the same time,” Anna said.
Club members ask their peers to donate clothing from their upcycling clothing drive. Some items have already been incorporated into new pieces. Students’ short-term goal is to host a fashion show at the end of the school year to model their refreshed pieces.
“We also hope that by raising funds for anti-fast fashion organizations, we are changing the lives of the women currently stuck and exploited in toxic fast fashion factories,” Anna said.
Sofia Jellen ‘24 discovered the Reimagined Club at the 2022 Club Fair and jumped in to explore her interest in fashion. She’s working on reconstructing a donated small girl’s dress into a shirt.
“It gives you a sense of gratification,” Sofia said. “Instead of creating a new piece of clothing that uses dyes that harm the ocean, I was able to repurpose something that I find really fits my personal style.”
The textile industry has been identified as a significant source of plastic found in the ocean. If trends continue, the amount of plastic microfibers entering the ocean between 2015 and 2050 could total 22 million tons, according to a 2017 study published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Such microfibers have been linked to harmful impacts on marine wildlife.
Renna Hamoui '25 said she hopes to learn how to sew but most of her current pieces involve painting designs on clothes. Her long-time interest in art inspired her to delve into fashion design.
“I think it’s very rewarding to personalize a piece of clothing that I did not even like so much before,” Renna said. “I would like to see other schools have this club and other students get that enjoyment of repurposing and recycling their clothes.”
“As far as fast fashion goes, I think it’s important to pay attention to where things are going. Discarded clothing is a real contributor to pollution,” Renna added.
Follow the Club on Instagram @reimagined.club.
Sage Hill School
Sage Hill School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other School administered programs.