Lampshade hats, newspaper gowns and funky thrift store-patterned dresses are signature elements of COUTURevolution.
The sustainable fashion show presents the creative pieces of UNC student designers and a few area designers in hopes that people will better understand sustainable fashion.
Student models wearing the designs of six UNC students will walk down the Forest Theater runway this Sunday.
Anna Eusebio, one of the co-founders of the show, said that COUTURevolution is a way to celebrate a movement that has become popularized in recent years.
But people often misconstrue the essence of sustainable fashion, she said.
“People get confused because they think sustainable fashion is that you’re making clothes out of hemp or literally wearing trash, and that’s a very narrow definition,” she said.
“A lot of it revolves around trying to purchase locally.”
COUTURevolution has partnered with some local stores and designers that promote sustainable fashion.
Clothing Warehouse – a consignment store on Franklin Street – and Twig – a sustainable boutique near Whole Foods – will both show looks in Sunday’s show.
Marissa Heyl, a UNC 2007 graduate and a Raleigh designer, will also present designs at the show. She will launch her line Symbology that night.
Eusebio said that the designers demonstrate that style does not need to be sacrificed for sustainability. While some of the designers do make a few pieces from non-traditional materials, many of the looks could be worn by real people, she said.
Eusebio said she founded COUTURevolution in 2010 with then-senior Brittney Jenkins to raise awareness about sustainable fashion at and around UNC.
“There’s a lot of untapped design talent on this campus that doesn’t get showcased,” Eusebio said. “This is a great way for student designers to show not only that they can design but that they can be versatile.”
Hillary Rose Owens, a coordinator for the show, said that they recruit all students with varying experience, who show an interest in fashion design.
“We just really want people who are interested and passionate to try something new and think outside the box,” Owens said.
Kelly Morgan, a dramatic arts major with an interest in costume design, is returning to COUTURevolution this year after designing for last year’s show.
Last year, she made a dress with a curled magazine fringe, but for this show she said she is focusing more on clothes that people can actually wear in real life.
Morgan said she likes that sustainable fashion emphasizes the reuse of materials.
“It’s really applicable to college-aged students because you’re working on a budget and you have to be creative,” she said.
“There’s this weird satisfaction in knowing that you can make something that you can keep, and it’s functional and you didn’t have to buy it. It’s empowering.”
See the show at 1 p.m. Sunday in the Forest Theatre. Admission is free.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
