Orange Coast fashion department to host green fashion show

The Orange Coast College fashion department is aiming to make sustainability the hottest trend on the runway this year. The fashion program at the Costa Mesa-based community college will host the second annual Green Coast Day fashion show and marketplace on Wednesday, April 17.

“We are excited to highlight our sustainability program and invite students and the community to join us in celebrating fashion innovation,” said fashion program director, Lauren Becker.

This year’s theme will be Retro Surf and Skate Revival. Taking place in the Main Quad on campus from noon until 4 p.m., the event will focus on sustainability. The fashion show will begin at 2:30 p.m. and feature looks designed to highlight Orange County’s rich surf and skate culture while drawing attention to ecological fashion practices. Guests can expect retro prints, bold colors and eco-friendly materials and techniques.

The sustainable fashion show highlights a timely topic close to Earth Day (Monday, April 22). While brands like Shein and Fashion Nova have gained popularity via social media, in recent years shoppers have become more conscious of the effects fast fashion has on the environment. Businesses that replicate runway trends using low-quality materials and cheap labor in order to turn them out quickly and for a low price have come under criticism for a multitude of reasons. Low-paid labor, contribution to landfills and allegations of businesses stealing designs are just some the reasons shoppers see fast fashion going out of style.

The OCC fashion program is one of California’s most highly acclaimed, empowering students with hands-on learning and innovate approaches to teaching. Besides courses on “Fashion Merchandising” and “Applied Color and Design Theory,” the fashion department at Orange Coast College also includes courses like “Apparel Industry Sustainability: the Environment, Ethical Business Practices & the Law” and “Sustainability & Responsibility in Fashion Design, Manufacturing and Branding.” These courses examine the environmental and social impacts the apparel manufacturing industry has on the world today while exploring solutions to counter them.

Besides the environmentally friendly runway looks, the event will also include a classic car show and a marketplace with local businesses offering sustainable, secondhand, vintage and upcycled garments and products. The winners of the American Sewing Guild and Fashion Department scholarship awards will be announced at the event, and junior high and high school Rising Stars will be honored.