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By JURNEE LOUDER – Staff Writer
The Athens Fashion Collective held three days of fashion-related events around Athens. One event, called Georgia Sewn, was a new roster addition.
On Jan. 30, fashion designers and models gathered in Downtown Athens for Georgia Sewn. Together, they marketed their own environmentally sustainable fashion.
Georgia Sewn, created by the Athens Fashion Collective, is a one day exhibition of regional designers and fabric manufacturers, created to promote sustainable fashion and connect Georgia designers.
The event started at 3 o’clock at One Press Place. Local fashion designers and manufacturers set up stations and showed off their designs, all of which were made to benefit the fashion industry in Georgia.
“(We’re) opening up the standpoints of production, manufacturing local, ethical, sustainably driven fashions here in the southeast. We’re really promoting industry here in this region versus only going to (Los Angeles) and New York,” one of the founders of Athens Fashion Collective Maggie Benoit said.
The founders of Georgia Sewn focused on making sure the clothes were all made ethically. Each vendor had a story about how their clothes were designed, and why they became involved with Georgia Sewn. Rachel Ehlinger, the founder of Ekkos, has her own unique story.
“I founded it in August of 2015, after I spent six weeks in an orphanage in Ghana in Africa. I started Ekkos to provide education for the 46 children living in the orphanage,” Ehlinger said. “All the fabric comes from either Africa or India. It’s all sustainably made, as well. All the proceeds go back towards the orphanage, so that the kids can go to school.”
Each vendor on site had their own unique role in the fashion industry. Some vendors made clothes, some taught others how to make clothes and some made the materials for the clothes. Cheryl White from Georgia Yarn Company hand weaves fabric.
“I’ve been weaving since 1976. The fabric production and the sewing plants in Georgia disappeared. When they disappeared, a lot of the yarn sources disappeared with them, and that’s what I used to use,” White said. “So that’s what started the business.”
From 3 o’clock to 8 o’clock, fashion lovers and customers perused. Customers were also able to talk with designers and learn more about their aesthetic. Brittni Bumb from Community says that her booth has gotten a lot of support from people.
“We get really great responses. We have to explain a little bit more about what Community does, but once they do (get it) and it clicks in their heads, it’s just like, ‘Oh! That’s so cool!’ They really have responded very well too it,” Bumb said.
At 8 o’clock, the fashion show was held, and local designers showed off their work. For some, this is where the importance of Georgia Sewn was highlighted.
“I feel like fashion is a little too environmentally detrimental. So, it’s kind of great that these people are coming together and are supporting the environment and trying to make a difference and a change,” Bumb said. “(It’s great that Georgia Sewn is) getting all of these different designers and artists and suppliers from Georgia. We have so many things oversees, that it’s like, ‘Bring some jobs back home.’ That’s why I think it’s really important.”
