A handful of teens rushed around Beaverton’s Westview High School’s cafeteria on a Friday in late April, unfolding clothes, laying out chairs and escorting guests to their seats. Over a hundred spectators crowded in, as they waited for a fashion show to begin.
“Gimme More” by Britney Spears blasted over the speakers. The words “countdown to change” flashed across a screen in bold white letters. A model emerged from the curtains — wearing ripped denim and a blue cardigan — and walked down the runway.
This was not an ordinary fashion show: Every outfit worn was secondhand. Westview students hosted the fashion show and thrift swap with the hopes of promoting sustainability in fashion. With the support of youth models, cosmeticians and environmentalists, Westview’s Climate Change Club, in collaboration with four other high schools, sought a unique way to contribute to the fight against climate change.
Seniors Alanya Abou-Elmajd and Nick Wright co-founded the club two years ago. Since January, students have worked around five to seven hours a week to plan for the fashion show, recruiting models, promoting the show through their social media accounts and sorting the clothes, which were donated by families in the area.
“Every week we would get five bags of clothes just stored in our garage. It was nice to see people give,” said Tanya Abou-Elmajd, the club president’s mother.
Abou-Elmajd felt inspired to host an event focused on fast fashion after learning about the environmental impact of the industry. Fast fashion refers to cheap, short-term clothing churned out quickly by corporations. This can lead to textile waste when clothes are thrown away, instead of worn for long periods of time. The fashion industry is one of the world’s leading polluters, damaging the environment by emitting greenhouse gases and generating millions of tons of wasted garments each year, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental nonprofit.
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Young people seem to be more interested in their ecological footprint than previous generations, said Kenneth Pucker, a professor of practice at The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
“However, there is a gap between intention and action,” he said.
Although surveys indicate Gen Z shows more interest in sustainable fashion and secondhand clothing, he said, it can be difficult to tell if this generation’s actions align with their values partly due to the prevalence of greenwashing, where companies distort their practices to seem more environmentally friendly than they actually are.
Britta Cabanos, a fashion consultant who focuses on ethical fashion and founded the website Inside Fashion Design, believes Gen Z tends to follow brands with more sustainable values, such as Outdoor Voices, that are “really resonating with this generation.” But the price tag to buy sustainably can be high.
At the same time, due to the rise of mass production and developments in mobile commerce, cheap and environmentally damaging garments are more accessible.
“A big part of the struggle is it’s so easy to go to H&M or Forever 21 and get a cute outfit to go out to a party, you know, for 20, 30 bucks,” Cabanos said. “If you’re trying to buy a sustainable dress to go out for your party, it might be $100 or more.”
Cabanos argues that changing issues in the fashion industry is like steering the Titanic. Due to the complexity of the industry, it can take a long time to adjust to more environmentally friendly practices. For example, if a large company wants to use a fabric that is ethically produced, it’s difficult to replace a textile that may have been selected years before.
“To shift and move things, it takes a very long time to make a turn. Even small changes along the way start shifting you in the right direction,” Cabanos said.
Student organizers hope that Westview’s fashion show is one step forward. Students wanted to promote the idea that reusing clothes, instead of throwing them away, can be trendy and fashionable, Abou-Elamjd said.
Abou-Elamjd believes that young people are more eco-conscious than previous generations due to positive social media influences; however, she cautioned about the use of fashion apps she considers exploitative.
“Temu and Shein are both huge contributors to fast fashion, and they seem nice on the outside because the clothes come fairly quick, and for cheaper price, but the price comes at a cost at hurting the environment, and increasing everyone’s fashion footprint,” Abou-Elamjd said.
Students showcased everything from thrifted low-rise jeans to formal dresses and baggy T-shirts during the April show. Westview student Maddoc Evans modeled for the event wearing tan pants and a black shirt.
“It was super fun,” said Evans, who also participates in Westview’s theater program. Evans said he believes everyone needs to do their part to stop climate change and purchasing secondhand clothes is one way to help.
Noor Aeich, a Westview senior who modeled, also encouraged people to shop sustainability.
“People should be more mindful of their choices and actions,” Aeich said, “Especially Gen Z. We don’t really think about that any more with trends.”
Westview’s climate club considered the show a success. With over 160 people in attendance, it was like “our dreams came to life,” said Khevna Purushothaman, the events coordinator manager for Westview’s climate club.
“My favorite part was seeing it all come together. The realization that this is possible,” Abou-Elamjd said.
Youth Voices contributor Charlie Bloomer is a junior at Sandy High School, and an alum of the Asian American Journalists Association’s JCAMP. They’re an editor for Sandy High’s newspaper, The Pioneer Press and an active participant on the speech team. They also serve on Next Up’s board of directors. After high school, they hope to do communications work for social-justice oriented organizations.
