Hey Hey Hey! It’s been a minute. Well, it’s been a lot of minutes! Happy New Year!! I’ve been absent these past few months, but for good reason: I have been working on something super exciting and worth sharing! Typically, from January to August, I am at my most productive, but come August, things slow down significantly. Maybe it’s the weather making me more social, or maybe it’s because of the start of the school year (being a teacher takes so much out of me). During the final months of the year, I’m left with little to give back to the rest of the world.
This school year, I started the Refashion the Future High School Fashion Competition that took place on December 1st. Students from across the state of Colorado competed in a recycle and redesign challenge sponsored by ARC Thrift Stores. Students were given an inspirational theme of Futuristic Destinations. I felt like they could do so much with this theme. The high schoolers were to take the 3 chosen pieces from ARC and completely refashion them into a new look. The winners from the event received a scholarship to a college/university of their choice. So many talented students have skills that extend past books and sports and I wanted to provide an opportunity for students to use those talents to help them get to college (because, let’s face it, College AIN’T Cheap). 1st place received $500, 2nd place received $250, and 3rd Place received $100. We also had a crowd favorite award.
The event could not have been possible without our Sponsors and Judges. ARC thrift, A1 Garage Doors, Colorado Sign Fabricators, and Darci Amundson Photography made the event and the scholarships possible. For the judges, we were lucky enough to have some from all walks of the Fashion Industry. We had Damaria Moye, a current fashion design student at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Nada Watts, owner of Colorado Fabrics, Reid Ruiz, fashion designer from Los Angeles, and Melissa Evans, sewing blogger from Mahlica Designs.
The event was a success and I once again became inspired by the new generation of fashion designers! It also reminded me why I chose to go into the teaching field. These kids give me hope for a better future.
1st Place- Gracey Jarecke- Thomas Jefferson High School- Denver, Colorado
2nd Place- Monserat Celaya- Overland High School, Aurora Colorado
3rd Place- Jiselle Atencio- Chaparral High School- Parker Colorado
Fan Favorite- Giovanni Villagrana- Cherry Creek High School, Denver,Colorado
Check out the rest of the designs here!
