The Consignment Boutique Was A Hit

Recently, the Holliston High School cafeteria was transformed into a ‘Consignment Boutique.’  Students from a recently formed group – The Sustainability Coalition – organized the event.  Their goal is to reuse clothing rather than disposing of it in landfills etc. 

Lots of choices for the shoppers.

In talking with the students, I learned a new phrase (to me anyway) – “Fast Fashion.”  The fashion industry pumps out new styles / trends all the time.  The lifespan of these fashions is short before the next wave takes over.  What to do with the not-so-old fashions?  Many of us just keep on wearing them – others search to find a sustainable way to reuse the fabrics and clothing.

They see this as a world-wide issue that they can influence right here in Holliston.  Perhaps creating a mindshift regarding where we get our clothing and where will it go when we are finished wearing it.

The Sustainability Coalition:
Back row: Carter Mikkelsen, Louise Pessote, Eva Bergloff, and Ethan Perry; Front row: Ashani Kurukulasuriya, and Aoife Collier-Clarke

The group first became involved in fashion recycling when they entered a contest last year which was sponsored by the international organization, Fashion Revolution.  The Fashion Revolution website posts their mission: “We want to unite people and organizations to work together towards radically changing the way our clothes are sourced, produced and consumed, so that our clothing is made in a safe, clean and fair way.”  Kathleen Grevers is an educator with Fashion Revolution.  She has been working with the group to get it off the ground and pointing it toward becoming a recognized Club at HHS.

Eva Bergloff, Ethan Perry, Carter Mikkelsen (photo on phone), Louise Pessote (wearing the great sweatshirt she bought at the Boutique for $2!), Ashani Kurkulasuriya, Sam Abdallah, and Kathleen Grevers of Fashion Revolution

The group’s ‘to do’ list includes:

  • what lessons were learned from their first event,
  • prepare for a clothing swap in April
  • create logo for the group,
  • apply to be a recognized Club,
  • work with Holliston’s Sustainability Coordinator, Matt Zetteck, and others

The group was very energized by their initial effort and discovered their varied talents to make the Consignment Boutique a great first step.  We wish the Sustainability Coalition good luck in their efforts to reduce, reuse, and recycle the tons of fashion that is produced each year.

Chris Cain

3 Comments

  1. shaw lively on February 18, 2020 at 6:38 am

    Kudos for the initiative and talent to bring this thinking to the town and the student body

    • Cindy Pratt on February 18, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      Keep up the good work. I’m impressed with your project.
      If you do have material,old unusable clothes, Planet Aid (yellow bins located behind Holliston Oil)accepts them.
      They shred the materials and recycle it in many different ways. Google Planet Aid. Using the Holliston bin, I heard they donate $$’s back to the community.

  2. Brad Jackson, Superintendent of Schools on February 25, 2020 at 10:03 pm

    So proud of these students and HHS for encouraging students to develop their own solutions to world problems. My generation is leaving this generation with a world full of problems and challenges, complex challenges that will require complex solutions. We have an obligation to AT LEAST give them the tools to start to address these issues at the local level before sending them off to solve our world’s problems.

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