ABOUT THE PATCHWORK INITIATIVE
The Patchwork Initiative is run by a group of Colorado State University students focused on spreading sustainable clothing practices in their community.
They do this mainly by teaching their fellow students how to mend used clothing, as well as spreading information relating to fashion pollution.
Learn more about the Initiative in the featured media below!
by Annika Lister
The fashion industry is the second-largest source of pollution in the world — right behind the oil industry. Filling landfills, depleting natural resources, polluting water… and not to mention the unethical labor issues that it also contributes to.
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It’s an issue that will affect all of us sooner or later, younger generations even more so. As a result, sustainable practices have steadily been getting more popular over recent years, especially right here in Fort Collins.
The Patchwork Initiative’s booth at the CSU Earth Fair 2022. As pictured left to right: Caelen Chamberlain, Sam Moccia, Kate Ulibarri, Callie Hartel, Juliet Babyak, and Cecilia Kastner
At Colorado State University, a group of students within the Student Sustainability Center decided to put together the Patchwork Initiative in the spring semester of 2022.
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The group focuses on teaching their peers sustainable practices to help fight fashion pollution, such as through clothing mending workshops and partnering with faculty to spread awareness of the industry’s effects on the environment.
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Juliet Babyak is one such student. A sophomore in Apparel and Merchandising, Juliet contributes to the initiative as a sewing skills instructor at their workshops.
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I met with Juliet in an Apparel studio on CSU’s main campus. The room was full of handmade student works, embodying the spirit of sustainability and uniqueness that many students in the major work so hard to spread.
Juliet Babyak Working on a Dress
“The goal is to educate and teach students how to mend and repair their clothing to extend its life and give it a personal touch,” says Juliet. “Though the group has only been around for a semester, we have a lot of ideas for the future to inspire students in different ways.”
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And truly, the group has accomplished a lot since its recent creation. On top of having hosted a handful of beginner’s mending workshops, they’ve also brought in clothing sustainability expert Dr. Sonali Diddi to spread awareness of their focal issue, partnered with CSU’s Avenir Museum to showcase historical garments and how much care went into keeping them functional for decades on end, and set up a booth at the 2022 CSU Earth Fair to mend worn clothing brought in by students and pass out free mending kits.
The Patchwork Initiative at the Avenir Museum | Source
“This group has given me the opportunity to meet people with similar passions and help each other learn new things,” says Juliet.
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The Patchwork Initiative certainly has become more than just a sustainability project. At their workshops, students mingle and joke while following along with the lessons, and find fun ways to make thrifted and old clothing more customized and unique.
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All Initiative leaders are experienced in apparel design and encourage beginners to have fun with their mending. Patient, helpful, and welcoming; these students are the perfect group to help get people invested in sustainable clothing practices.
“Solutions to solve the many issues that come with the fashion industry start at an educational level,” says Juliet. “I want to be a part of that change to learn more for myself and inspire students now to think more critically about their consumption and what they can do about it.”
A Dress Designed and Created by Juliet Babyak
On a larger scale, the Initiative hopes to incorporate more community-centered workshops to spread awareness to more than just CSU students. Fashion pollution is an undeniably huge problem, and we’ll need as many people as we can get to help combat it.
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“My hope for the future of the fashion industry is that slower fashion and long-lasting clothing technology become the norm,” says Juliet. “I know in our lifetime it is impossible to get rid of fast fashion and the practices that go with it. So I can only hope that consumer minds change and shift toward better buying habits.”
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If you’re a CSU student looking to get involved with the Patchwork Initiative, their official Instagram account posts updates on upcoming events.
JOIN THE INITIATIVE!
The Patchwork Initiative welcomes students of all skill levels to learn about and participate in sustainable clothing practices. Hoping to get involved? Click the link below!
