Visitors receive free upcycled clothing items from SLCC fashion instructor Amy Royer during Utah’s Clean Air Solutions Fair on Saturday at the Gateway. The free event showcases what the community is doing to help the environment. (Courtesy of Amy Royer)
Spring is a busy time for the Fashion Department at Salt Lake Community College.
With several upcoming events, Amy Royer, an adjunct professor, spent Saturday afternoon supporting Utah’s seventh annual Clean Air Solutions Fair. Reusable cloth napkins and tote bags, assembled from upcycled jeans and sewn together by Royer and her students, were offered to the public free of charge.
“I love the clever reuse aspect, turning trash into treasure,” says SLCC alum Catharine Scott, who helped Royer with the event.
A sustainable fashion course, spearheaded by Royer just over three years ago, is now offered at SLCC. Her passion for sustainability runs deep.
“Fashion is the second largest polluting industry in the world,” says Royer. “We need to do our part to keep it out of the landfill.”
The program has been a hit with students and does not lack creativity or excitement.
Each semester, students are given some interesting challenges, like forging their own creations from leftover scraps, or assemble a fashion statement from Savers with only $5 in hand. Everything else has to come from the donation pile; head-to-toe sustainable, upcycled fashion.
The program also presents “Cosplay for a Cause,” which will take place March 14 and honors SLCC alum Cinamon Hadley, who passed away from cancer in January 2018. Hadley was the inspiration for the character “Death” in the 1989 “Sandman” comic series by Neil Gaiman.
“Cosplay for a Cause” is a student and faculty run fundraiser to help support new up-and-coming fashion designers. All proceeds go to the Cinamon Hadley Scholarship Fund.
SLCC fashion instructor Amy Royer demonstrates screen printing on upcycled articles of clothing during Utah’s Clean Air Solutions Fair on Saturday. (Tamra Rachol)
SLCC Fashion Institute instructor Amy Royer screen prints upcycled articles of clothing at Utah’s Clean Air Solutions Fair on Saturday. (Tamra Rachol)
SLCC fashion instructor Amy Royer screen prints upcycled articles of clothing during Utah’s Clean Air Solutions Fair on Saturday. Royer gave away all items to patrons at no cost. (Tamra Rachol)