I love seeing fashion schools getting involved in sustainability and fashion and am happy to bring your attention to one such project at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. It has incorporated specific sustainable design courses into the curriculum as well as layered sustainability into all areas of study in on-site and online classes. Throughout the year, projects are created to inspire students and teams are developed to promote collaborations between the various areas of study. One such team named themselves 1OAK (One Of A Kind) and declared that their goal was “to design a collection that is timeless, relevant and modern by incorporating innovative processes and practices to ensure sustainability from inception to completion”.
1 OAK is comprised of five students: Priscilla Guimarais, MFA Fashion Design; Kumiko Haruyama, MFA Fashion Design; Nui Tanapornwattana, MFA Fashion and Textile Design; Audrey Wang, MFA Fashion Design; and Tramaine Tillman, MFA Fashion Design.
The students reached out to Kaiser Permanente for discarded hospital scrubs and Landau Uniforms provided them. The students then treated, dyed and pleated the fabric working with local businesses committed to sustainable practices, such as a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified dye house. 1 OAK then recycled the hospital scrubs into a collection of dresses as exquisite as they are sustainable. The team noted, “Our design philosophy and approach reflects ‘less is more’. We wanted to create a classic, minimalist look as a way of expressing ‘slow fashion’, which translates into longevity. We focused on finer details and craftsmanship rather than trends, and created dresses one can wear season after season without feeling outdated.” Here are some of those dresses.
Reflecting upon their team experience 1 OAK affirmed that “this has been an inspiring assignment for all of us as we have evolved from being fashion forward consumers into being able to understand, appreciate and execute sustainable, slow fashion”.
What's even more exciting is that on Sunday, October 25th in Hollywood, California, one of these dresses was worn by actress Ginnifer Goodwin at the 20th Anniversary Environmental Media Association Awards. In addition to being an outspoken vegan and gracing the covers of many magazines, Ginnifer is known for her roles in Big Love, He’s Just Not That Into You and the soon to be released A Single Man (Tom Ford’s directorial debut). I can't wait to see it!
photo: AP Photo/Matt Sayles
All other 1OAK photos: Robert Curry
