I started learning how to sew in 2017, and I’ve fallen in love with the medium since. I’ve always been artistically inclined, but what I absolutely love about sewing is the functionality and wearability of the final products, allowing me to show off my masterpieces. Last Spring Break I decided to create a patchwork jean skirt from several denim scraps I had from previous projects. I received countless compliments on it, and I relished telling people that it was one of my own creations. One of my teachers especially liked it, and asked if I would make her a denim skirt of her own. I constructed her skirt over the Summer Break, and when I delivered it to her at the start of school this year, she suggested that I expand this hobby into a small business for my Personal Project.

This project and venture is deeply personal to me on multiple levels. In regards to the skirts as a form of art, I believe that art is always an expression of some aspect of the artist’s identity, experience, ideas, and so much more. I’ve always been enamored by the arts as a form of self expression and an exploration of how to utilize or break artistic and social conventions. The medium of denim patchwork certainly lends itself to those explorations and expressions, through its expressive fading patterns and bold style. Denim, unlike many other fabrics, is intended to be worn, loved, and faded, leaving each pair of jeans with a unique story. It was this form of storytelling that truly fascinated me in the project. Unfolding, exploring and continuing the story of the jeans is an inspiring concept to begin with. It’s all the more exciting that my art can be displayed and loved by so many people, in such a visible way! The topics of the fashion industry and the climate crisis are also painfully relevant to my life and personal experiences. As a young person I know my future will be defined by the climate crisis and how we as an international society choose to combat it. Because of this, I am inevitably drawn to the topic of the climate crisis and am passionate about learning about it and taking action towards a livable future. I knew that the fashion industry was a big carbon emitter and general polluter, so this project seemed like an exciting, meaningful way to combat climate change. I chose to further the impact of my small business by donating half of the profits towards the Environmental Defense Fund. I hope that the skirts can serve as a reminder and a symbol of the opportunity we have to move past the toxic trends and patterns we find ourselves in (pun intended).